Dig into a bowl of mac & cheese, let the oozy, gooey goodness of the melted cheese fall sensuously on your tongue, feel the bite of the macaroni as your teeth sink into it. Close your eyes and sigh! It takes you back to carefree days when everything was right with the world. Or how about a plate of meatloaf – that spoonful of goodness, meat, and sauce, hits the spot on a cold winter’s day, doesn’t it? Decadent chocolate ice cream is just what the doctor ordered whether you are celebrating or whether you are weeping at your love life!
Celebrating everything good and the bad….
Everyone has a comfort food that they love. Comfort foods vary from culture to culture, country to country. You crave a warm, decadent meal that you would not under normal circumstances. You are so calorie conscious and careful, but you have a happy moment, you get that job you wanted or you get engaged or worse the love of your life turns out to have feet of clay and what do you do? You reach out for that rich fudge brownie that you normally are never tempted to eat!
Does food really help us?
Psychologists tell us that you eat comfort foods to up the feeling of positivity, to modify your mood when down. Did you know that men look for meat and casseroles while women turn to ice cream and other snack foods ? Could it be that women just don’t want to cook when they are stressed while guys like to think of their mother’s pampering?! Comfort foods remind you of family & hearth and good times with friends. You get a rush of nostalgia when you take a mouthful of southern fried chicken! There are so many more that you may personally associate with something or some experience that was good in your life!
What It Does…
All this comfort food eating is making us fat, say dieticians. It’s probably okay to indulge once in a while if you have been eating right and exercising regularly. What’s a cheat-day in between? As long as you indulge once in a while, you should be able to eat your favorite food and not feel guilty.
Psychologists tell us there is no real relationship with food and humans! Ha! Tell that to the guy celebrating his promotion or that girl who just graduated high school or to the person who just had a bad day! We know the importance of food for comfort don’t we!?
