Food and Feelings: How Your Mood is Linked to What You Eat 

Each of us experience a variety of feelings and moods throughout the day. But how well do we recognise what we are feeling at any given time? The key to understanding feelings and mood is self-awareness, and the ability to easily recognise and identify our feelings.

For many of us however, this ‘emotional fluency’ is not something we have been taught to practice in our daily routines.  Instead, we act on our feelings and unconsciously act out certain behaviours, which affect various aspects of our lives, including what we eat or drink each day. Have you ever found yourself turning to food when you’re stressed, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored? This is an example of how food and our feelings are inextricably linked. 

Feelings or ‘emotions’ are a constant presence in our lives, and are more amplified at different times of the day. Emotional Fluency is the process of understanding how we feel at any given time by being able to name or express these feelings clearly.  

Martin Segilman, the founder of positive psychology, designed the PERMA Model, which is central to his hypothesis that we can build resilience through enhancing optimism over pessimism.  

• P – Positive emotion 
• E - Engagement
• R - Relationships
• M - Meaning
• A - Accomplishments

The PERMA Model focuses on cultivating positive emotions such as  joy, gratitude, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love. 

Implementing the PERMA model involves small daily actions that can lead to significant changes in our wellbeing.  Even if you feel a certain way about something, how you act is within your control.  For example, optimistic people can conjure up positive feelings faster than pessimistic people. They bounce back from setbacks and understand that a single failure or small obstacle does not have to drag them down. They believe that they are in control of their life and that control makes them feel good. In short, resilient individuals use positive emotions to bounce back from negative experiences. 

Being aware of and being able to manage your emotions leads to greater EQ (emotional intelligence). More on EQ here: Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ) (helpguide.org) 

Each of us have our own unique childhood, adolescent, and adult experiences that make up a large part of who we are.  Our early experiences contribute to our emotional literacy, shaping how we express our full range of emotion.

Some of us were taught to recognise and express our feelings in a healthy way, while others experienced something different. Our upbringing influences how we deal with stress and emotions, including the strategies we use to satisfy our feelings and moods, such as using food as a form of comfort.  

The good news is that we can all learn how to tap into and express our full range of emotions in a healthy way, even if as children we were told that certain feelings were not ok. When we learn to express our full range of emotions, we avoid unhealthy habits that have developed when our emotions are redirected into negative behaviours and outcomes, such as emotional eating or drinking. 

When our feelings are not recognised, they may manifest through unconscious behaviours as an attempt to express or satisfy them to some extent. In psychological terms, this is called 'displacement,' a facet of a strategy called 'repression.'

One example of this is 'Racketeering,' where we unconsciously extort from ourselves by turning our feelings into negative behaviours, such as emotional eating, leading to feelings of guilt afterwards.  

The key is to understand that negative behaviours don’t happen randomly; there are often underlying reasons for why we act the way we do. However, by practicing self-reflection and making healthier decisions, we can consciously avoid these negative behaviours and work towards better health outcomes.

Food plays a key role in our daily lives. It is the source from which we get our energy (calories) and our sense of ‘fulfilment’. We feel very satisfied with what we have tasted, eaten or worked towards achieving, like a meal in a nice restaurant, or eating our own home-grown vegetables.  

According to research,  increased stress levels are having an impact on our health and wellbeing, which affects our daily mood. Mood is the combination of our feelings/emotions and our thoughts at any given time. For example, if we are thinking negatively about our work, aspects of our present situation or indeed aspects of ourselves, this negative thinking affects how we feel, which can then lead to our choosing to do something that can have a negative behaviour outcome. 

At any stage in this mood process we can intervene, by recognising that we are thinking negatively about something and choosing to think differently, or connecting with how we are feeling and deciding how best to express this feeling such as choosing not to act on an impulse or do something that we know in the long run will not benefit us, such as emotional eating .   

The seasons of the year can also affect our mood. Often, we find our exercise routines have changed in response to the weather, our social habits and our eating habits too are affected as we spend more time indoors and snack more instead of having regular healthy meals.  

The key is that we are the drivers of our own routine, not the weather, which is completely out of our control. The more we become aware of how we are being affected at various times of the year, the more we can plan for this and have structures in place to help us make the right choices. Healthy routines promote healthy minds and a sense of empowerment when we feel we are tackling things, which boosts confidence and self-esteem. 

Let’s address the connection between mood and emotional eating. We’ve all been there, downing biscuit after biscuit because we are feeling stressed out.  

You can find yourself doing this several times during the week leading to a new routine setting in that is not beneficial to your health and wellbeing.  

The trouble with emotional eating is that after the pleasure of eating is gone, the feelings that cause it remain. And you often may feel worse about eating the amount or type of food you did. That's why it helps to know the differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger. By reflecting on your habits and making conscious choices, you can avoid the trap of seeking comfort in food. 

With some self-reflection and effort, you can avoid the trap of trying to boost your mood with emotional eating with these tips: 

• Ask yourself, when are you more likely to comfort eat - the morning, lunchtime, afternoon, or evening?
  
• Are there specific days, weeks, or months where you struggle more? Recognise patterns to better prepare. 
• What thoughts and feelings often lead you to making these mood-related food decisions? 
• Develop positive affirmations to remind yourself not to act impulsively on these feelings. 
• Find alternative ways to express your emotions, such as taking a break to talk with others, writing down your thoughts and feelings or engaging in physical exercise. 
• Set some clear boundaries around shopping or the kitchen during these times of day. 
• Reflect on your routine and make adjustments to prioritise healthy meals and breaks.  
• Before reaching for a snack, ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if you are seeking a quick mood fix. 

By understanding the connection between your mood and food choices, you can empower yourself to make healthier decisions. Through self-awareness and conscious choices, you can break free from unhealthy behaviours and cultivate a positive relationship with food and your emotions.