Everyone always grabs something warm and comforting when they are tired or stressed, like a warm slice of pizza or a bowl of mac and cheese, to find some comfort in their favorite meal. If you are also someone doing this, then you should understand the amount of calm and fulfillment that comes when we eat our comfort food. Comfort food is something that can instantly lift our spirits in every moment of sadness and anxiety. However, have you ever wondered why comforting meals have such an effect on us, and why these foods are an important part of our soul care?
All the effects that comfort food has on our emotions and mood are discussed in this blog, along with its benefits for our physical and mental well-being.
Comfort Food Triggers Positive Memories
A crucial aspect of why some foods are comforting for us is that they remind us of our past. Many people find comfort in home-cooked traditional meals that were cooked by their mom or family members. If someone is deeply missing their family, a bowl of their childhood dish will instantly take them back to their home. This is due to the ability of our brain to capture precious moments of our lives with these meals.
In hard times, one can eat their comfort food to connect with their roots and remember who they are. By doing so, we not only take care of ourselves emotionally but also relive some beautiful memories of our past.
It Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety
By enjoying our favorite meals, our brain releases certain hormones that relax our body and mind after a stressful and stressful day. These hormones are usually dopamine and serotonin, known as feel-good hormones, which reduce anxiety and stress.
For instance, a bowl of warm turkey ramen recipe is more than enough to lift your mood and make you happier after a long day. It is a hearty meal that only takes minutes to get ready. Lastly, preparing and cooking these meals also brings a sense of control for someone who has a lot of devastation in their life.
Comfort Food Can Provide a Sense of Routine
A sense of stability is a feeling that comes after devouring comforting meals now and then. This can be achieved by planning your meals. For example, if you decide to have something comforting every Sunday or after a tiring day, then you will develop a routine that will keep you grounded and calm. This practice also helps you when you are under stress by ensuring that you can enjoy your favorite food as a reward.
Cooking and eating comfort food is a part of self-care in which you can not only enjoy delectable meals but also take care of your mental and emotional well-being. It provides you with the clarity that you have something to enjoy even after staying busy all day.
It Encourages Mindful Eating and Presence
If you are cooking something comforting for yourself, you are entitled to have a very delightful experience, as while cooking, you often develop a rhythm and focus. Moreover, you are highly aware of yourself and your surroundings while cutting vegetables, preparing sauce, or setting the table. All of this focus and attention create mindful eating, meaning that you are aware of what you are consuming and how it will affect you.
Mindful eating also enhances your tasting, which makes the food even more enjoyable. While eating something comforting, you focus deeply on flavors, textures, and the temperature of food, which builds a harmony between the taste and nutrition of a meal. Mindful eating also helps you to focus on yourself and your body by eliminating all distractions.
Comfort Food Connects Us With Others
You remember the meals you used to have with your family and friends on holidays? They were also comfort foods that used to bring you closer to your loved ones. These meals are shared, and hence they create lovely moments of pure communion with our family, developing love and support among family. Our emotional health longs for a sense of belonging that can be developed through these meals.
Furthermore, families who often enjoy shared meals have deeper and stronger bonds, and cooking such meals for others shows that you care for them. Comfort food is a social and personal tool that benefits both individuals and groups as well.
It Can Boost Your Mood Without Guilt
A lot of people think that enjoying their comfort food can make them unhealthy, and they avoid eating it, thinking they will overeat. However, it is a part of self-care, meaning that you are allowed to do as you please without feeling guilty. Eating comforting food is an opportunity to connect with yourself and your loved ones, which regulates your mental health side by side.
It is just an easy way of finding happiness in a bowl. You can consider it as a reward rather than something unhealthy if you plan to eat moderately, then you can enjoy happy moments without worrying about your health. Comfort food can be healing, simple, and nutritious all at once.
It Supports Emotional Healing Over Time
If you are someone suffering from mental health issues like depression or anxiety, comfort food can be a source of emotional healing for you. It can enhance a sense of steadiness for you while you are grieving or stressed. Not many people can share their feelings with others during some setbacks or major life changes. For them, comfort food provides huge support and eases their mind.
Small gestures are a part of healing. Although an appeal might not be a practical solution for your devastation, it can still provide you with a moment of reflection and joy, which creates emotional strength. It helps you to slowly regain your energy and battle all life challenges.
To conclude, we can say that comfort food is a crucial part of our self-care, which strengthens our mental and emotional well-being by reminding us of our roots and creating a routine. These meals are simple, tasty, and guilt-free, which can fix our mood and make us feel more energetic. Trading yourself time to time with comforting food is a very sustainable and powerful practice of self-care and self-love.
