Does your mood dictate you’re eating habits? By Rehan Riaz Merchant

According to Rehan Riaz Merchant, just as much exercise helps the seizing of high sugar or carbs can help well in the weight loss journey. Breaking the link between your emotional state and food intake can be the first step towards successful weight control in 75 percent of cases says, Rehan Merchant. Recognizing there is emotional relation to food intake may help you adopt healthier eating habits.

Studies confirm Stress-related disorders

A second study by Nicholas Troop at the Institute carried out from 1993 to 1995 found that women with eating disorders were less likely to respond well to stress and overcome the problems it posed than those without eating disorders.  It is often difficult to establish exactly what has caused the anxious or depressed state. The loss of a loved one, work pressure, or relationship problems are obvious enough causes but anxiety and depression can also result from more deep-seated psychological problems that may need to be examined with the help of a professional counselor.

Depression leads to deficiencies.

Depression can in turn lead to dietary insufficiencies or imbalances as sufferers often neglect their dietary needs or turn to high-fat or sugary food for some sort of comfort. A lack of some micronutrients, particularly B vitamins and vitamin C, can contribute to depression and a vicious cycle of nutritional imbalance and depression may follow. Make Exercise a Habit, At All Ages Says Rehan Riaz Merchant

Dieting and depression

Primary studies of women suffering from obesity advocated that the majority of sufferers overate directly in response to stress, anxiety, and depression. Later studies, however, have indicated that the relationship between appetite, eating habits, and emotional health is more complex than this. Research at the University of Toronto suggested that stress-induced overeating was a result of dieting. It was discovered that women who diet and therefore restrain the triggers to your eating you can be prepared and either avoid these sit or have healthy snacks on hand. If answer yes to one or more of these questions there may be an emotional factor affecting you’re eating habits.

QUESTIONS To Ask yourself

• Do you eat more when you are alone, for example, when watching television?
• Do you give yourself rewards of chocolate or sweets if you’ve had a difficult day?
• If you’ve broken your diet and eaten an Ich dessert, do you feel so upset that you might as well give up and eat what you like for the rest of the day?
• Does looking in the mirror or weighing yourself make you so depressed that you need the treat to cheer you up?
• Do you eat high-tat ‘energy foods, such as peanuts, crisps, and chocolate, to give you a pick-me-up boost when you’re down?

Dieting and Forbidden fruits

According to Rehan Riaz, merchant weight control should be supported by diet. Dieters tend to have strict rules about eating. For example, many foods are described as forbidden’ – usually those that are high in fat or sugar. If they eat forbidden food. They break a psychological rule which often leads them to decide that, as the diet is broken anyway, it may as well be forgotten until the next day when it can be started afresh. Breaking a diet rule can also contribute to a cycle of perceived failure, which in turn leads to a loss of self-esteem and a comfort-eating response.

Dieting itself can therefore contribute to the cycle of anxiety and overeating. It can be very helpful to analyze your emotional state about your food intake. Keeping a diary, for example, of what you ate and how you felt at the time may help you to pinpoint any emotional issues that need to be confronted. For example, did you eat a large number of biscuits while thinking about a relationship problem? Once you have established a link it is important to take steps to address the emotional problem. In the case of serious anxiety or depression consulting a counselor may often be the best solution.