Are you addicted to eating?

ANJALI MUKERJEE

I can resist anything but temptation,” a client once said. Never before has there been so much tempting variety in food that it is really hard to resist! To add to this, ours is a culture that glorifies food — most of us live to eat. This has led to a sort of ‘food addiction’ among people. And this addiction is health threatening simply because it is the least noticed and the most common.

The best thing about an addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, coffee etc is that at least people are aware that these are harmful habits! But an addiction to food usually goes unnoticed until it becomes a threat to health.

A child, who is addicted to food, especially junk, may become overweight and develop problems like bronchitis, asthma, knee pain, backache, lethargy, depression, etc. He may even become an introvert due to weight issues. An adult, who is addicted to food and eats out three to four times a week, may become overweight and develop type-2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol with high triglycerides and low HDL, chronic fatigue, inability to concentrate, knee, joint pains etc. Eating junk is like committing slow suicide. Addiction to food is dangerous simply because it is socially acceptable and does not attract attention unlike addiction to alcohol, drugs, smoking etc.

Why do we overeat

Indulging in food is something most of us do when we are tired, lonely, hungry, angry, excited and/or happy. We often justify overeating by accounting it for special occasions or our liking for particular foods. The truth is that food is one of the greatest pleasures in our life, which brings not only physical, but also psychological satisfaction. For instance, chocolates not only satisfy hunger but also fight depression. Foods stimulate our taste buds. This is the main reason many people are not able to give up their food habits, despite knowing their harmful effects. Foods of your choice probably make you experience inner completeness and satisfaction.

Health tips for compulsive eaters

· If you are addicted to ice-cream, try freezing watermelon cubes or papaya cubes and eat them slowly whenever you have the urge to eat something cold and sweet.

· Throw all junk food out of the house so that it does not tempt you. Instead keep low-fat snack foods around you like whole wheat or soya biscuits, garlic sticks, whole wheat rusk, soya nuts, bran biscuits etc. These foods are low fat and tasty and may satisfy your need for tasty yet healthy snacking.

· Eat small meals throughout the day and do not skip meals.

· Have a bowl of vegetable soup first, while eating out to stave off hunger.

· Drink 10-12 glasses of water every day to get rid of the toxins (byproducts of overeating).

· Remember you need to drink 1.5 litres of water for every 1,000 calories consumed. If you stick to this rule you may not need to overeat as the water will make you feel full.

· When you get hungry, opt for healthier food like fruits, vegetables and sprouts instead of junk food. Eat the food slowly to calm your nerves.

· Do not stock your home with sweets, cookies, cakes chocolates, chips., frozen junk food, etc.

· Before you start eating your favourite food, drink a glass of water. It will make your stomach full and you will eat less.

· Include simple exercises like walking for 30 minutes. It naturally suppresses your appetite.

· Include protein in meals like paneer, fish, eggs, soya milk and nuts. Consume healthy fats like olive oil in salads. This will keep you full for longer duration.

· Consume lots of vegetables. These provide fibre and have high-water content, so these make good low-fat fillers. Include these as a snack in between the meals and not just at lunch or dinner.

· Avoid long intervals in between meals. Do not wait till you are starving, irritable, or unable to concentrate. It will make you overeat to get rid of the uncomfortable physical symptoms. Start eating when you have initial signs of hunger and stop when you are 3/4th full. Carry handy snacks like roasted chana, assorted nuts or fruits like apple or pear. ( when you are out of the house)

· Remember, it takes your body just three weeks to get over your `favourite foods’. These three weeks may be hard but you will get rid of that `cola addiction’ or that chocolate addiction for life!

There are many ways to keep you on the track of healthy eating. It not only needs will power but also requires rescheduling of your thoughts and behaviour. You can get tempted to overeat but remember moderation is the key to successful management of these temptations. Overeating will only temporarily satisfy your taste buds and leave you craving for more.

The writer is nutritionist, founder director-Health Total. She has a website www.health-total.com