Last updated on August 21, 2024 by Dr. Subashri Thanigaivel
In this fast moving world, you might have missed noticing this important stuff. Let it be the students, the employees, or the idle workers; everybody is slowly getting addicted to a bad habit called binge eating.
What is Binge Eating?
Have you ever seen people arranging popcorn and beverages to enjoy their movie time? Not only that, most of us tend to binge snacks even while scrolling through social media. Students binge snacks during late night study to keep them focused and awake throughout the night. Working people binge on snacks/junk food to get creative ideas or to keep their minds focused while working. Some working people even say, “Hey I have a lot of work pending, I might not have time for lunch, but I will manage with a pack of biscuits”.
Also, we have this new trend popping up;
– “I am so upset, let me have a plate of biriyani”
– “My irritation has shot up, I need an ice cream to calm down”
– “I am so stressed and running out of ideas, one cup of tea can boost my energy”
Are you too addicted to any one of these trends?
So what is exactly happening in the above scenarios? People are not eating to satisfy their hunger, they are on a mission to satisfy their emotions like upset/sad, irritation/frustration, stress/tension, etc.
If you regularly eat anytime or every time to satisfy your instant emotions, then you might never know your actual hunger. This affects the well-being of both your body and mind. And this habit of eating whenever you want at anytime or every time leads to a major disorder called Binge Eating.
How do I know if I am Binge Eating?
Here are some 5 simple measures to identify if you are binge eating;
- You tend to eat food without giving time for digestion. The frequency of having food in a day increases i.e., you keep munching atleast once in an hour.
- Atleast once in your entire life you would have said this, “Oh My God! I have eaten to the fullest, I feel my tummy is about to burst out”. For normal people, this feeling occurs once in a blue moon. But binge eaters feel this now and then due to their poor habit of unlimited eating.
- You don’t feel hungry, but you eat a lot as if you were starving for days.
- Sometimes you feel shy to have a meal with everybody. You don’t want others to remark you as a glutton.
- You generally binge eat when your emotions are disturbed. And at the same time, you will also feel bad about your binge eating habit. But you never take action against it.
RELATED: How Does Binge Eating Affect Your Gut Health?
Does Binge Eating affect my body?
From the above measures, did you find yourself a binge eater? Then be aware of how this bad habit is going to affect your body.
You will slowly have these symptoms showing up – tiredness, stomach upset, indigestion, bloating, constipation, nausea, weight gain, etc.
If binge eating becomes your regular activity, then you might even end up with – obesity, diabetes, heart disorders, liver diseases, etc.
Binge eating not only affects you physically, it also affects your mental health. Some mental disturbances that occur due to binge eating are;
- Feeling low
- Lack of focus on any work
- Lack of interest in anything
- Feeling stressed
- Feeling anxious or afraid
- Yearning for solitude
- Low self-esteem
In Ayurveda, binge eating – the habit of having a meal before feeling hungry, eating too much than usual, and eating a meal before the digestion of the previous meal are all compared to Adhyashanam.
How to face my Binge Eating problem?
- Recognize what exactly causes this habit. Is it emotions? Excessive hunger? Or are you simply bored?
- Avoid or quit the reason that makes you binge eat.
- Follow good eating habits like;
- Eat your next meal at the right time after the digestion of the previous meal.
- Eat healthy foods.
- Always include only 50% of heavy food in your meal, if you want to. (for example, taking vada along with pongal or idli).
- Don’t grab eatables like pizza, burgers, or soft drinks during your meal time.
- Eat freshly prepared warm food. Avoid dry foods. Make sure your meal has got enough fat content and includes the necessary amount of liquid portion.
- Stay focused while eating. Keep your mobiles and unnecessary emotions away while having your meal.
- Binge eating is mostly related to your mindset. So practice meditation or yoga to keep yourself focused on a healthy lifestyle.
- Practice regular exercise to compensate for your binge eating habit. This helps in weight loss and prevents obesity.
RELATED: How To Compensate After Binge Eating?
Binge eating is one such condition that can damage your body due to emotional disturbances. So never let your emotions disturb your physical lifestyle like eating, exercising, sleeping, etc. Keep your mind calm and stable and practice an Ayurvedic lifestyle to lead a healthy life.
