A Curbed Appetite & Anxiety
Welcome back friends!
Recent events with the COVID-19 pandemic have stirred up a lot of mental health issues for those who are currently struggling or have previously struggled. Each situation is different and valid, you are not alone and we will get through this together. While this is it’s own topic I may one day get into, today I actually want to discuss what mental health can do to your appetite and give tips and tricks for dealing with whatever change comes your way.
Food & Our Love Affair
My relationship with food growing up was always and I mean always, one of comfort. I hated sharing snacks but my need to please everyone made me succumb to peer pressure. When I was young and finally deemed responsible enough to leave our driveway on my bike, I would sneak away to HEB to get sugar cookies and icing. Food helped me cope with the pressures of childhood. One of my favorite memories include sitting on my aunt’s lap, thinking I was a baker as she handed me each ingredient and we created together. I loved and will continue to love how much food can bring people together.
My relationship with food is one of admiration and I try to eat food that honors that. (Translation: I am a food snob. I admit it & I’m so glad my brother doesn’t read my blog to get the satisfaction.) However, life happens and we cope with that in different ways. I’ve always found solace in a pint of ice cream, but I’ve also had days where the thought of eating makes me so nauseous that it hurts. (To be clear, I have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder. I deal with anxiety like many people and studied nutrition in college, so I am acutely aware of what my body needs and how I can best take care of it.) When the pandemic hit and things began looking scary, I developed a few tips and trick for those who experience appetite fluctuations with anxiety that I thought I would share.
Know Your Limitations & Needs
I cannot presume to know anyone else’s relationship with food is like mine. We each have our own and it probably doesn't stay the same in one lifetime. However, what I can predict is what your body needs in terms of carbohydrates, fats and protein. This depends on so many things that are independent to you and there are so many ways to calculate it. The equations were ingrained into my brain, but I’m choosing to spare you all where my professors didn’t. They’re all on this great website and you just have to enter your basic information to get the result. It takes 30 seconds!
In terms of limitations, this can be a tricky topic. I wholeheartedly believe chocolate can help you feel better. I just also realize skipping a meal and eating 4 candy bars will leave me in a bad space too. So eat the ice cream, lick that spoon clean and don't let anyone make you feel guilty about. (This includes your inner bitch. I know, she’s loud. It takes time.) I do want to caution anyone who struggles with purging or binging to take the necessary steps to remain steadfast with their goals.
Recognize When You’re Struggling
This is something I think I will always have to work on. It takes me skipping two meals and half a day of stomach pains to ask what is going on with my body. I’m new to really listening to what your anxiety is trying to tell you and responding in a productive way. When I do though, I think about my routine and what about it got muddled. Sometimes there genuinely wasn’t anything and that’s okay.
It helps me to have a dinner schedule and someone else relying on me to cook whether or not I’m hungry. A food journal would be helpful for someone who doesn’t think about food as much as I do. Or just simply make it part of your routine to talk about what you ate that day with a SO, friend or family member.
Eat What You Can
I’m hesitant to say this because I realize anxiety is going to hit some people differently. If you’re struggling to even get out of bed, I don’t want to place any shame on that. We all do what we can and it’s enough. However, if you are able but simply not hungry or maybe nauseous, your body still needs sustenance. If you aren’t hungry or you’re really nauseous, find something you can stomach like a smoothie or a protein shake. I usually make garlic broth (recipe in my Instagram) to sip on and eat scrambled eggs on such days. Find what works for you and stock up.
Give Yourself A Break
As someone who spends a large chunk of their day thinking about food, I put some shame on myself when I became entirely uninterested in my next meal. What is wrong with me? Who am I without this huge chunk of my life? Is this forever? My dear reader, it is not and tomorrow always comes, even if we don’t want it to sometimes. I am the same person with an entire pint of ice cream in my belly or without one meal of leftover pizza. Let us all remember our journey doesn’t always have to be linear and other people’s perceptions aren’t your reality. Take care of your mind, take care of your body and remember who you are.
Anxiety and it’s relationship with food is something I plan to dive into deeper. If you have something you want me to focus on, leave it in the comments below!
DISCLAIMER: If you think you have an eating disorder or would like to get help for any mental health concerns, follow this link. I am not a therapist, I can only speak to personal experiences and what works for me.
