Feeling Good With Comfort Food
We eat to live. Some people will say they live to eat. I suppose the idea could be subjective, but regardless, food is necessary to our survival. We share meals with people we care about because it’s a place we have commonalities, feel connected, feel safe, communicate with those we care about, or are related to.
Meals like this are wonderful. It benefits both our physical and mental health. When we are sick, sad, stressed or even grieving, being with other people, and even sharing food helps us recover from whatever we are going through at the time.
So, there is food…and then there is ‘comfort food.’ I can tell when I’m stressed, I will eat; well, at least snack. I’m not a bit hungry, but want something to munch on; sweet or salty.
There is a lot of documentation apparently, indicating when we want comfort food, it’s often tied into our upbringing, ancestry, and even traditions our family had when we were young. That may or may not be true for everyone, but I can tell you, often when I reach for my ‘comfort food’ it does make me feel better, at least for a while.
What I find, however, is most of the ‘comfort foods’ I reach for are high-calorie, and usually processed—filled with sugar, chemicals and preservatives my body does not need! Those extra calories will eventually find there lodging in places I’d rather not see! Not only that; all those ‘additives’ can cause health issues I’d rather not deal with, like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, if I don’t put an end to it, and other problems. I know processed foods containing sugar kicks my arthritis in,— in short order!
While ‘comfort food’ can be a good thing in order to get us through tough times, is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Can ‘comfort food’ be bad for you and if so, what are other options?
Food is best used as ‘a medicine for our body.’ That sounds odd, but in many ways it’s truth. We visit a doctor to help us when we are sick, in pain, or for some other issue. Sometimes, the best ‘medicine’ is in what we eat!
Our young children are gaining unwanted weight at an alarming rate, as are adults across the nation! When a disability—whether it’s crutches being used from a fall, a surgery that has us bed bound, or a necessary wheelchair, each altering our mobility, the chances for weight gain is greatly enhanced.
Alternatives to ‘comfort food’ might be a way to reduce the harmful effects of the ‘not so healthy ingredients found in the food’. Preparing favorite foods from scratch, is an option. That reduces the negative ingredients greatly! Additionally by preparing protein rich, healthy salads early in the day when you aren’t horribly hungry, might also help!
What are your favorite comfort foods? Are they honestly good for you, or might you need to look at other options, to make it more so?
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