The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, On Pace Column: Have a Treat Now and Then, but Keep It in Perspective Emotions

By Jennifer Duffy, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

May 30–A few nights ago I inhaled two chocolate eclairs in the car on the way home from work.

Dinner?

Not exactly. I was stressed and felt drained and dumb.

I needed a pick-me-up — an emotional pick-me-up.

Clearly this is not model health columnist behavior, but my craving for comforting food brought me to the subject of emotional eating.

Most nutritionists who favor a well-balanced diet and overall healthy lifestyle say it’s OK to enjoy an eclair now and then. We should savor the taste, smell and texture to ensure we’re satisfied with our treat and can move on.

But when we reach for food to comfort ourselves, we’re not really accomplishing our goal, said Hana Feeney, a registered dietitian at Canyon Ranch.

Feelings are almost inextricably connected to food. Mashed potatoes remind you of Thanksgiving at your mom’s house. Gelato makes you nostalgic for that trip to Italy you took when you were young. Very few of us eat purely for fuel without thought or feelings of taste, texture or the context of the meal.

Enjoying food and conjuring emotions from eating is OK, Feeney said. Eating to feel emotions, or quell them, is not.

This is sometimes hard to grasp. You might order a bean burrito for lunch instead of a salad, but why? Sometimes, you just want the protein. Others, the comfort.

If we think about our choices and are mindful in our eating, we’re less likely to be slaves to our own whims and more likely to feel in control of our diets.

“When you separate the stress, the sadness and the happiness from the food, then you can truly enjoy the food itself for what it is. It’s not a replacement for love or relaxation,” Feeney said.

We have to think about why we choose the foods we eat, even if they seem as innocuous as a vegetarian bean burrito.

The best way to do this is to take pause before you order a dish or pluck something from the refrigerator. Think about what your body needs and mentally reward yourself for choosing food that’s good for your body.

A few nights after my eclair indulgence, I craved something sweet again. This time I went for a 3-mile run, and I can’t believe how much better it made me feel.

I’m going to remember that, so next time it will be easier to put down the eclair.

Tip of the week –Chef Karyn Synnestvedt, a personal chef who has made food her life and her business, says she’s learned to not reach for food when she’s emotional.

–”I come from a family that eats for every emotional reason: when we’re happy, done something great, sad, stressed out.”

–No more. She’s taken it upon herself to realize that while food is an important part of life — it isn’t life itself.

–”If you’ve had a really horrible day and you go home and light some candles and grab a book and get in a steamin’ hot bathtub, you tell me if that doesn’t feel better than anything you ever put in your mouth,” she said. “Get pleasure from life.”

–Canyon Ranch nutritionist Hana Feeney suggests we make a list of activities to relieve stress/sadness, like going for a walk or talking to a friend. Make a list to keep at your desk, on your fridge or anywhere you think you need it. (And feel free to include Chef Karyn’s bath idea.)

—–

Copyright (c) 2006, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.