The Other Break up Body – Dealing with
Emotional Eating
I wrote an article a while ago
about two people who dealt with their break up in a positive way. However, not everyone has the same level of determination
and positivity. Others take the other route and succumb to the pain. They grab
a pint of ice cream and hope they’ll find comfort in its frozen, creamy
goodness. Add that to a state of
depression that robs them of the will to do anything.
Weight gain does not happen overnight
but the tricky part is that you gain weight faster than you lose them. Emotional or stress eating comes right after
a break up and without support, it gets worse and it gets harder to get back on
track. The sad part is, by the time
people realize what’s happening; they are 30 pounds heavier and more depressed
than ever.
But no matter how bad it gets, it
can get better. The sooner you realize
you have a problem, the better. We are all wired differently and for some, the
realization is enough to get us on track while others require a little bit more
from Mother Nature and science. Our body
is complex machinery that requires hormones and transmitters that make sure
everything works properly. Serotonin is
one such hormone and it has everything to do with our mood and appetite.
Serotonin and your mood
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found in the digestive tract
and in blood platelets and is responsible for the regulation of a variety of
functions in the body such as mood, appetite, and sleep among others. What’s interesting is the fact that people
suffering from depression or are stressed have very low levels of serotonin.
Because of this correlation, doctors prescribe pharmaceutical drugs that raise
serotonin levels as treatment for depression and stress prevention. And as for stress eating, the theory is, the
better you feel, the lesser you eat.
Increasing your serotonin
Health experts recommend exercise and consumption of
tryptophan rich foods to increase serotonin levels. Serotonin starts off as tryptophan and is
found in protein rich food such as meat, chicken, dairy food and nuts. However, consuming a protein rich meal
somehow results in a drop in serotonin levels.
This is because the tryptophan competes with other amino acids in a race
to the brain and only a small amount of tryptophan gets through. This can be
counteracted by consuming a carbohydrate rich meal to produce a good amount of
insulin that helps process tryptophan into serotonin. A daily dosage of vitamin
B-6 also help increase the rate of tryptophan-serotonin conversion.
Weight Gain Issues
For stress eaters, the food treatment is not a good idea
since you will need a hefty amount of protein and carbohydrates to help
increase serotonin levels. Exercise is a
good idea but of course, if you are in a depressed state to begin with, the
prospect of going to the gym may not be appealing. This is why medications and
supplements are widely recommended by health professionals. Depending on which health professional you
consult, recommendations range from pharmaceutical drugs such as SSRI
(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRI (serotonin and
norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) to non-mainstream supplements such as Saffron
Extract, African Mango extract and Garcinia Cambogia or brindle berry extract which
are available online.
Taking Control
It may seem that there is a pill for every ill but in the
matters of the heart and d a broken one at that, a pill may not be enough. It takes will power and a sense of self
preservation. And in some cases, surrounding yourself with good friends with a cheerful
disposition may be just the all the treatment you need.
References:
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