Emotional Hunger: How To Explain It And How To Intervene

Emotional hunger: how to explain it and how to intervene

It is usually thought that when you feel hungry it is because the stomach is empty, but it is not always like that. Emotional hunger even if it is an unknown term for many, the truth is that it is a very common phenomenon in people who suffer stress.

Emotional hunger refers to the desire to eat as a consequence of anxiety, and not of the physiological need. That is, food intake is used as a way to manage negative emotions and relieve psychological discomfort.

Eating is a very pleasant activity for all, but if you do not have control over the quantity and type of food you run the risk of causing health problems, such as overweight. Therefore, then we will deepen what emotional hunger is and how to overcome it.

How to differentiate emotional hunger from real hunger

Both sensations are experienced very similarly. However, feeling hunger is not the same as being hungry. There are essential differences that are worth mentioning:

Emotional hunger appears suddenly: on the contrary, real hunger gradually appears at a certain time, according to the eating habits of the person.

There is preference for hypercaloric foods: the body does not demand fruits or vegetables, but junk food, processed or sugar -rich foods. This is because hypercaloric foods are much more pleasant and activate the reward circuit, thus generating a sensation of well -being and happiness.

While satisfying real hunger produces a feeling of pleasure, emotional hunger produces feelings of guilt, shame or dissatisfaction.

How to overcome emotional hunger

The first step to overcome emotional hunger is to understand that the focus of the problem is not food per se, but the use made of it. There is nothing wrong with eating sugary food occasionally, but this becomes problematic when it is done to deal with a stressful situation.

• Look for other ways to download stress

Because emotional hunger is a consequence of stress, if it is first possible to eliminate psychological discomfort, it is very likely that you feel hungry.

To eliminate stress, it is preferable to resort to other healthy activities. Exercise, practice meditation, or be in contact the circle of friends are only examples of healthy activities that positively influence mental well -being.

In addition, these activities function as a distractor, so that the person does not think of food while he has the mind occupied in any other task.

•  Acquire healthier eating habits

Eating habits largely regulate the behavior of each person. Establishing healthy eating habits is very important

One of the great enemies to establish healthy eating habits is eating between hours, or pecking. If the stomach is not educated that there are a few specific hours of intake and other digestion, it will demand food at all hours.

Another aspect that has to be taken into account is what foods must be most frequently included in the diet. It is popularly said that fat is an organ and has its own life. So if one frequently ingested unhealthy meals, it is more likely that the body continues to ask for fatty and sugary foods.

• Pay attention to your body sensations

Emotional hunger, unlike real hunger, is experienced throughout the body. Recognizing the physical sensations it causes is very useful to know that the desire to eat are not a product of a real need, but of stress.

Real hunger manifests as a feeling of vacuum or stomach pain. For its part, emotional hunger shares many of the symptoms of stress: increased heart rate, feeling of air, or increased sweating in the hands.

This self-consciousness exercise is known as conscious or mindfulness eating food, and it has been shown to be a good predictor of healthy eating behaviors. 

Eat his head and not with the heart

Having a healthy relationship with food is one of the most important aspects of health. This means that food has to be a way to feed and nourish us, but not a way to comfort us.

In the process to control emotional hunger it is key to recognize that the need for food corresponds to anxiety. The next step is to look for another healthier way to download stress. This is easier than it is believed, in fact it is not necessary to interrupt the activity that was being carried out. It is enough to make deep breaths to calm down.