Think you get on just fine with your daily bread? Maybe there's an unhealthy side to the relationship you don't know about.
The ingredients of a successful friendship ...
Even though there's no relationship counsellor for this kind of thing, we've discovered the five commandments to a healthy relationship with the stuff that fills your tummy:
- Thou shall eat when you are hungry.
- And stop when you are full.
- Thou shall maintain a healthy body weight.
- Thou shall eat regular meals and snacks every three to four hours.
- Thou shall not be obsessed with eating ... and food in general. No matter what.
- Got it? Scarily, not all girls do get it and that's the reason so many of them fall into dangerous food traps or "danger zones" without even noticing.
Diets straight from no-no land
We know, we know, we've said it a trillion times - diets are bad. And yes, restricting your food intake is just another diet without a fancy Hollywood name.
There are plenty of unhealthy eating patterns we've all been guilty of falling into - such as trying fad diets, vegetarian binges and meal skipping - so we're not putting you in the naughty corner for having considered doing at least one of them before. But, just to update your health IQ, all of the above can cause nutrient deficiencies, low mood and energy levels, fatigue, difficulties concentrating and scariest of all, the risk of developing an eating disorder.
"Obviously weight gain is also a danger, if excessive calories are consumed," adds Susie. "But more importantly is the danger of emotional eating. If left unmanaged, long term depressed moods and distress can develop into significant health issues."
Scoffing when you're sad
They say chocolate is the way to a girl's heart, when the heart in question has just been crushed by a loser guy. And chocolate isn't the kitchen cupboard's only victim after a break-up either.
It's called emotional eating, and according to DOLLY Dietitian Susie, it refers to periods of abnormal eating behaviour sparked by sadness, loneliness or anger. "People find their emotional discomfort is lessened once they eat," says Susie. "Often it's sweet or salty food, which instantly makes them feel better."
Nothing else to do? Refrigerator, here I come!
Boredom eating is pretty self-explanatory - it usually worms its way into your life when you have nothing to do. And eating simply becomes that thing to do instead of pulling your eyelashes out with boredom.
What makes emotional eating different, explains Susie, is that it's directly related to a certain feeling and eating is not just a time-waster until you get your next phone call, but a way to make yourself feel better. But that feeling doesn't fill the void for very long ...
Put the relationship to the test:
Ten statements, ten boxes to tick. Think you can pass the test? Tick the box next to each statement that applies to you and we can be the judge of that.
- You're digging into a yummy bowl of pasta and you're so full you could explode, but you force yourself to fork it up some more because it's so damn good.
- You're the first of your friends to try the new diet Paris or Britney is apparently hooked on.
- You skip breakfast everyday
- You sometimes "forget" to eat lunch
- You raid the fridge like it's your last day on earth when you're home alone.
- Sometimes you let your tummy growl for hours
- You're one of those "package readers" and know how many calories a tic-tac has in it.
- You have bets with yourself to see how long you can go without food
- You dig into your secret stash of lollies when you're having a sucky day
- You tell yourself you could live without food just to be skinny
How to get back to the safe zone
So, you've strayed into the danger zone? Susie's number one tip is: remember food is simply fuel to let your body function properly. "Seek help early if you know your eating patterns are abnormal," she says.
"Manage other symptoms such as low mood or weight gain appropriately by discussing it with your GP. GPs are usually a good point of call to lead you in the right direction."
