emotional eating Archives - Amazing Health Advances

How Diet, Supplements and Lifestyle Changes Can Help Battle COVID

AHA Publisher — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 08:00:30 +0000

Dr. Tomislav Meštrović, MD, Ph.D. via News-Medical – A recent editorial in the journal Nutrients emphasizes how efficacious non-pharmacological interventions in conjunction with the promotion of healthy lifestyle and dietary patterns may improve overall health status and reduce the risk of infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as the potential adverse effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 still affects our daily lives in 2022 and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Although advancements in science have focused on developing vaccines, producing/repurposing therapeutics, and promoting non-pharmacological interventions to lower disease burden, a fifth pandemic wave is now imminent in various parts of the world. An undervalued mitigation strategy in preventing manifold adverse effects of COVID-19 is to actively promote healthy lifestyle patterns together with non-pharmacological interventions. This is becoming increasingly important in areas disadvantaged by their lack of access to vaccines. Furthermore, lifestyle and dietary changes may offer additional protection and improve overall health. It is well known that inadequate nutritional status can be a serious risk factor for severe respiratory diseases and comorbidities (e.g., increased blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes), increasing the risk for severe disease and fatal outcomes in COVID-19 patients. This is why MDPI’s journal Nutrients developed a special issue that aimed for research articles investigating nutritional status, lifestyle/dietary alterations, as well as the use of supplements concerning SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 outcomes. In this editorial, Dr. Ronan Lordan from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. William B. Grant from the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center in San Francisco present these non-pharmacological advances in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Importance of Vitamin D and Zinc Two studies were published in this special issue that supported the idea that vitamin D deficiency is pervasive among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 – one from the United Arab Emirates and the other one from Russia. Both studies emphasize that sufficient vitamin D levels may be clinically relevant, acting as a predictor of COVID-19 patient outcomes. Another study from Saudi Arabia was a clinical trial that involved 69 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients that were hospitalized with mild to moderate COVID-19 in 2020 and showed that higher supplemental doses of vitamin D achieve much more favorable clinical benefits. Moreover, patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 had substantially lower serum zinc concentrations than non-infected individuals; nonetheless, the difference between zinc concentrations for those with mild and those with moderate disease severity was not significant. Also, the use of high-dose zinc salts found significant improvements after only one day of treatment Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals In this Special Issue, two natural products known as Glycyrrhiza glabra extract and hesperidin may have a role in inhibiting viral entry via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), which are two pivotal cellular proteins that SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter mammalian cells. Furthermore, the author group from Poland has also reported that vitamin D was actually the most popular supplement during the second wave of the pandemic that started in September 2020; more specifically, vitamin D was taken by 23%, 38%, and 33% of study respondents during the first, second and third wave of the pandemic, respectively. Other researchers that have contributed to this Special Issue had a much broader research interest in the potential nutritional requirements and supply chain issues that arose during the pandemic, highlighting programs in the United States distributing healthy meals and snacks. Unintended Consequences of COVID-19 Response Another salient research area tackled in this Special Issue was the unintended consequences of the COVID-19 response. One notable example is the study that showed weight gain among school teachers in Long Island (New York) who switched from in-person to online forms of teaching. Emotional eating during the pandemic is also an issue, as demonstrated in Norway with a notable increase in high-sugar foods and beverage intake. The authors have also suggested the need for nutritional and psychosocial education and interventions during regular pregnancy monitoring. In conclusion, additional broad-ranging research endeavors will be needed to fully grasp how the majority of the adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 could be prevented through diet, supplements and lifestyle changes. Journal reference: Lordan, R. & Grant, W.B. (2021). Preventing the Adverse Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 through Diet, Supplements, and Lifestyle. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010115, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/1/115 To read the original article click here.

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Emotional Eating: Why Are You Doing It & How Do You Stop?

AHA Publisher — Fri, 01 May 2020 07:00:22 +0000

Christine Ruggeri, CHHC via Dr. Axe – Do you use food to address your emotional needs, rather than fueling your body? If so, you are one of many people engaging in emotional eating. It’s common for people to turn to food for comfort, especially in stressful, difficult times. When you’re in middle of an uncomfortable, emotionally draining time in your life, practicing mindful eating can feel like just another task on your plate. But as you probably know, emotional eating doesn’t make you feel any better afterward. In fact, it leaves you feeling guilty, sad and out of control. That’s exactly why it’s so important to learn how to practice intuitive eating and focus on using food to fill your stomach, not your emotional voids. What Is Emotional Eating? Emotional eating is when you eat in response to negative emotions or stress. This can be done consciously or unconsciously, sometimes occurring when a person is undergoing a stressful, uncomfortable situation, or even when he or she is bored. For most emotional eaters, food is used to soothe feelings of sadness, loneliness, anger and fear. Research shows that emotional eaters attempt to self-medicate and self-regulate their moods with food, usually in the act of overeating. Life events that are perceived as negative can trigger emotional eating and even weight gain. But emotional eating can also be used fulfill a feeling of deprivation, which may occur when on a diet or restricting calorie consumption. An emotional and physical emptiness is being “filled” with food when you eat. For emotional eaters, the food provides a temporary wholeness, but it doesn’t last long. Emotional Eating Cycle Emotional eating is an unhealthy cycle that’s repeated over and over again, sometimes allowing the problem to get out of control. For people dealing with daily emotional eating, it’s a type of binge eating disorder. The emotional eating cycle is continuous. It begins with trigger that leads to discomfort and promotes eating, even if you aren’t actually hungry. The stages of emotional eating are: Stress or trigger occurs Turn to food for comfort Temporarily feel relief Develop feelings of guilt and sadness Repeat Why do we use food for comfort and engage in this harmful cycle? For many people, the fullness they feel from food takes the place of fulfillment they lack in other areas of life. There can be a feeling of emptiness that’s stemmed from relationships issues, issues related to self-esteem and worthiness, and feelings of isolation and loneliness. Emotional Hunger vs. Physical Hunger If you’re an emotional eater, you may be getting cues for emotional hunger confused with physical hunger. It helps to understand the difference between the two types of hunger, so here’s a simple breakdown: Physical Hunger Develops over time Comes with physical signs, including empty stomach, lack of energy, stomach growling, moodiness You want to eat a balanced meal and you’re open to eating different foods While eating, you use your senses to enjoy the food After eating, you feel full and satisfied You don’t experience feelings of guilt after eating Emotional Hunger Develops randomly and quickly Doesn’t come with physical signs of hunger but is triggered by emotional discomfort Comes with specific food cravings (like for sugary or salty foods) You stress about your food choices and tend to label foods as “good or bad” You ignore portion sizes and overeat without even noticing Usually doesn’t come with a filling sensation after eating You feel like you’re eating in a trance Leads to feelings of guilt, regret and sadness How to Stop Emotional/Stress Eating Good news — there are ways to combat emotional eating. Research published in the Journal of Eating Disorders indicatesthat promoting exercise, mindful eating, emotion regulation and positive body image could have positive effects on emotional eaters. 1. Identify Your Triggers Perhaps the most important step is overcoming emotional or binge eating is identifying your triggers. What situations, conversations, experiences or feelings occur when the cycle begins? To pinpoint your triggers, try keeping a journal that describes what occurred before you began eating, even when you weren’t physically hungry. Then look for patterns and work to redirect your behavior or reaction to the trigger. Instead of reaching for comforting foods, have a list of healthy alternatives that will help you to work through the discomfort. 2. Avoid Severe Calorie Restriction Are you constantly on a diet and restricting calorie intake? If you overthink your meals and snacks and continue a dieting mindset, you may be more likely to “eat your emotions.” This is because you are eating to comfort the feelings of deprivation and you are unsatisfied with your body and diet. To stop overeating in moments of discomfort, try to eat more mindfully instead of dieting. Pay close attention to your physical hunger cues and prepare filling, healthy meals for yourself. A healthy diet can be very fulfilling, especially when you add in healthy fats and high-fiber foods. 3. Pay Attention to Your Body Humans need to eat to fuel their bodies. You should expect to be hungry several times a day. Some basic hunger cues are a feeling of lightness in your stomach, growling stomach, headaches and weakness. Ideally, you wouldn’t wait until you’re feeling fatigued to have a meal or snack, but you’d get a sense of when you’ll need more food to maintain energy. If it’s difficult for you to tell the difference between emotional and physical hunger, try creating an eating routine. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time every day. You can also add in one or two snacks, if needed. Your body will adjust to these meal times, and if you feel tempted to eat outside of these times, you’ll have to think twice about whether or not you’re really hungry. 4. Enjoy Meal Times and Engage Your Senses When you’re eating, try to remain fully engaged. Use all of your senses to enjoy the meal, including the taste, smell, colors and texture. While eating, slow down and make it last. Don’t rush meals, and try not to multitask while you’re eating. It also helps to sip water in between bites and tune in to your body as you eat, paying attention to the full feeling you get after finishing your portion. 5. Find Another Emotional Outlet It’s safe to say that many of us need to get more comfortable feeling uncomfortable. It’s normal to have moments of stress, anxiety, embarrassment, fatigue and boredom. Instead of managing discomfort with food and the act of eating, find another emotional outlet that will help soothe and validate your feelings. Some healthy ways to ease stress, anxiety and discomfort include: meditation and prayer walking outdoors yoga or stretching bike riding jogging calling a friend journaling or creative writing taking a warm bath drawing or coloring 6. Practice Self-Care and Acceptance Be kind to yourself, and avoid negative self-talk. Being judgmental and critical of yourself will only lead to feelings of worthlessness and anger, furthering the emotional eating cycle. To stop stress eating, you’ll have to change the way you treat yourself and perceive your own value. Conclusion Do you experience food cravings after a stressful or uncomfortable situation? If so, you’re not alone. Many people experience emotional eating, and for some, it becomes a form of disordered eating that leads to feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Emotional eaters are triggered by stressful situations, restriction, discomfort or boredom. This sets a viscous cycle in motion, leading to binge eating and then guilt. Emotional eating is harmful because it alters the way you feel about yourself. To stop emotional or binge eating disorder, pinpoint your triggers, find healthier emotional outlets, begin an eating routine and be kind to yourself. Reach out for support from loved ones or professionals to help you navigate your feelings. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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