YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Autumn 2018 | Page 8

MATT O’NEILL
Matt is a dietitian and the founder of the SmartShape Centre for Weight
Management. Find out more at www.smartshape.com.au
PUT THE BRAKES ON
COMFORT EATING
Do you eat to feel better or to avoid emotions you’d rather not feel?
Nutrition expert Matt O’Neill shares his tips to stop this harmful habit.
omfort eating is when you eat
in response to emotions, as a
way to help yourself feel better.
It’s an all-too-common occurrence but
when overcome, can liberate you from
excess calories and guilt. Because
comfort eating has many causes, the
solutions are equally varied, but here are
six strategies that may help you
overcome a comfort eating habit.
C
1 Eat nutrient-rich
You can reduce your susceptibility to
emotional eating triggers by nourishing
yourself with the correct balance of
vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If
you eat a diet that is filled with wholesome,
nutritious foods then you’ll rebalance
your body chemistry which will help you
feel fuller for longer and less likely to
crave sweet treats or snacks.
2 Be emotionally aware 
To help identify specific emotional eating
triggers, log your feelings around food in
a journal or similar. Or simply ask
yourself before you eat, ‘What am I
feeling now?’, ‘Will food truly make me
feel better?’, or ‘Is there anything other
than food that will make me feel better
right now?’ You won’t always have the
answers, but it’s a good start.
3 Eat in sync with hunger 
Before you mindlessly eat, pause to
check you are biologically hungry and
not just overeating out of habit or for
reward. Listen to your stomach more
8
often, and you’ll soon become more
mindful when you eat.
4 Moderate your mood 
If you are feeling stressed, force yourself
to take time out to relax. If you are bored,
add tasks to your schedule, and start
planning non-food rewards when you
have a win. Managing moods without
food will reduce the hold food has on you.
5 Makeover your comfort food 
If you can’t stop the automatic comfort
eating at first, then make the conscious
decision to eat something better when
you do get cravings. For example,
instead of indulging in high-calorie
confectionary, slowly eat a bowl of
delicious berries. Or when you feel the
need for a salty or crunchy snack reach
for some celery and hummus instead.
Every time you make the switch, it will
become easier.
6 Move forward with
support 
Sometimes, the reasons for
comfort eating can be
complex and confusing.
Rather than battle alone,
speak to someone you
can open up to, or get
professional support
from a counsellor.
Breaking free from
comfort eating with
the right help can be
truly life-changing.
YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2018
Apply these strategies and you’ll
experience a great feeling knowing you
are building a healthy relationship with
food that also delivers results.
Makeover Your
Comfort Food
If you suffer from sugar cravings,
then it’s time to swap lollies for
berries. So when you think lollies,
simply cut and paste the word
‘berries’ – even the frozen variety
are fine, as they have almost the
same nutrient levels as the fresh
ones. Try freezing fresh grapes and
sliced watermelon as a healthy,
nutrient-rich alternative to sugar-
laden iceblocks. Of course, the best
strategy is to avoid keeping any
traditional comfort food in the
house. After all, you can’t eat what
you don’t have on hand!