By Elena Voropay

It's late in the evening, you sit in front of the TV watching a hear-breaking movie. That ice-cream in the fridge sounds so good to complement the evening! Or should you go for the slice of the left-over pizza you gave into a couple of nights ago? No, it's the smooth milky chocolate bar that's calling you! Whatever the temptation, you know you shouldn't have it, it's not good for you, but right this moment you really really want it. It would be OK if you could have just a bowl of ice-cream, just one slice of pizza or just half of that small chocolate bar. But you only start with it, then you have a second helping, and then, feeling a head rush with jittery sensation, you crave something else, usually another 'forbidden' food. After sweets you must have something salty. And so it goes again – after being so good all day you completely blew you diet and you feel like you can eat everything in sight.

Besides giving us energy to live, food does more than fill our stomachs -- it also satisfies feelings and emotions, casing a complex chain of biochemical reactions in the body. When it's been hours since you last meal and you stomach is growling, you feel hunger and a real biological need to replenish energy stores in the brain and muscles. But when it is not the case, and you feel like you need to eat something immediately, usually some specific food, then you fall into emotional eating. So what is emotional eating and what is it about 'trigger foods' that makes you want it, crave it, and think about it in moments of sadness, loneliness, frustration, or even happiness and cheer?

1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly. It's when you feel that you can instantly satisfy your cravings and emotions with a particular food, which most times happens to be forbidden from your regular healthy menu. Physiological hunger develops over a period of time and approached appropriately, you are likely to make nourishing choices.

2. Continuous eating even when the physical hunger is satisfied and the stomach is full brings out emotional emptiness. Falling for the trigger foods may cause you to feel guilty later regretting the behaviour. If you're eating to satisfy an emotional need even when your stomach is full, you're more likely to keep eating. On the other hand, if you're eating because you're hungry, you'll stop when you're comfortably full but not stuffed.

3. Being stressed, tired, agitated, out-of-control or even excited may lead your thoughts to find comfort in food. There is a physiological reason for that, as in these moments your body produces excessive amounts of stress hormones that need calming to bring balance and homeostasis. But a chocolate bar is not going to solve your problems at work and a bag of chips is not a substitute for a friendly shoulder to lean on. Even though you realize that, the temptation is impossible to resist and you decide that for now the food is your pleasing reward, regardless whether your body needs extra calories or not.

These are all patterns of emotional eating. If you have fallen into these patterns at some point in your life, chances are that it will repeat again. Unfortunately, emotional eating does damage to more than just your waist and hips. It can cause medical consequences such as hypertension, depression, gastrointestinal problems, hormonal imbalances and fertility problems. By identifying your eating behaviours you can learn to manage emotional eating and change these unhealthy habits.

1. The first step is to recognise the reason for your cravings. If it has been more than 3-4 hours after your last meal, then you probably need to eat as your body and mind need some nourishment. But if you feel intense emotional attachment to get a food fix, then consciousness and reason should be your guide. Boredom, loneliness, anger, frustration, stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, low self-esteem are all emotions that arise from our thoughts and direct them. The causes may be many, but how we deal with these emotions can start a long chain of reactions and events. Reaching out for food to numb your feelings is not the best solution. It can satisfy your temporary desires, but in the long run you wished you never gave in to eating. This may be the hardest step you have to take, but it may also be the best one.

2. Eat throughout the day and never skip meals. Eating mini-meals instead of the bigger "three squares a day" may help control your appetite by keeping you fuller longer. Skipping meals, practiced for the purpose of cutting down on calories, has the opposite effect bringing you to the state of intense hunger. This adds to your already elevated stress hormones. The result? You are more likely to fill up on easily obtained trigger or fast junk foods. Frequent eating keeps your body chemistry in balance, so you don't have the desire to 'treat' yourself with 'forbidden' foods.

3. Limit the amounts of sugars in your diet. Carbohydrates feed your brain with an amino acid tryptophan which stimulates the release of the body's own natural feel-good brain chemical serotonin. This ultimate “anti-depressant” leaves you calm and satisfied, reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your system while giving you immediate energy boost at the same time. Every time you reach for sugary foods, you truly get a quick fix and your emotions may change for the better. But if you attempt to self medicate with sugary foods on a regular basis, you will notice that it becomes more of a problem then a solution. Carbohydrate-rich foods immediately elevate your sugar and energy levels which will rapidly drop after an hour or so. When this happens, you feel tired and hungry again and are likely to go for a quick sugar fix. And because sugary foods such as cakes and ice-cream require almost no digestion, it is very easy to overindulge on these. Carbohydrates are extremely important for normal body functions, especially for the brain, so don't cut them all-together. Choose high-fiber breads and cereals

4. Eating protein and fat together with fiber-rich carbohydrates creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction in the body making overeating less likely and keeping your energy levels high for longer thus reducing the cravings. Eating protein raises the levels of an amino acid tyrosine encouraging brain's production of norepinephrine and dopamine, also feel-good brain chemicals. Not as well known as relaxing and comforting serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine can keep you energized, lively and alert. Complementing any healthy meal and snack with protein is easy – milk or yogurt with cereal, cheese or nutty butter with apple or rye crackers.

5. Keep your stomach full and don't go hungry. When your stomach is empty, it is calling for trouble making you feel like you can eat anything and everything. Working stomach will curb the cravings and create comfort. If you're desperate for something sweet - eat a banana or yogurt, or even a bowl of high-fiber cereal with fruit and whole milk. Then answer to yourself honestly – do you really want that chocolate and why are you still hungry? Chances are your blood sugar and brain will feel satisfied diminishing the cravings.

6. Simply distracting yourself from food and engaging in another activity that you enjoy can save you from excessive eating. Relaxation, meditation, yoga, tai-chi, slow deep breathing, taking a walk, calling a friend, writing in your journal or a letter to someone, reading a magazine, cleaning your room, taking a bubble bath or even taking a nap can bring you more peace, joy and satisfaction than an ice-cream container. In other words, do something enjoyable and productive to take your mind off the craving and clear your head. Even though it may be difficult in the beginning, once you get to the activity and create this new habit of distracting your emotions, reaching for trigger foods will not be an option for you.

7. Plan your snacks and fill cupboards, refrigerator and freezer with the healthy foods. It may require some organizing ahead, but the next time you will crave something sweet, you are less likely to eat an ice cream if you don't have any. Failing to plan is planning to fail. There is no need to plan radical decisions to never snack again or to never fall into emotional eating – you have probably tried it before, but the pattern subsides. A more reasonable long term approach is to snack on moderate amounts of foods that are good for you. Make a list of nourishing edibles that you like and go shopping on a full stomach. It is much easier to choose nutritious foods when you are not hungry. Think about your snacks as a way to replenish your energy and give your body all the possible vital nutrients you can get. Try fresh fruit and berries, whole-grain cereals and crackers, low-fat dairy, roasted chickpeas and soybeans or crunchy frozen peas and corn.

8. Remember portion sizes and never eat out of container, box or bag unless it is a one-serving size. You don't even need to restrict yourself from enjoying the foods you crave, but be reasonable. If you want to make it a truly enjoyable experience, focus on the quality of the process and make it a mini-celebration. Avoid nibbling in the kitchen where you may eat more than needed or desired. Instead, portion out your snacks, then close the container and put it away. Create a pleasant environment, sit at the table, or even in front of a TV and appreciate your choice. Or, better yet, take it outside and have a small picnic.

Remember that you haven't developed your current habits overnight, so it may take some time to change them. Be easy on yourself and take gradual approach to build new patterns of dealing with emotions. Congratulate yourself every time you step in a positive direction and remember how good it makes you feel. Embracing your emotions instead of combating them can also help you heal in other ways than just dealing with food.

Healthy Quick Fixes:

Believe it or not, healthy food can be more delicious and satisfying than junk food you reach out for during emotional moments. You can fortify your body with nutrients, boost your immune system and fight disease with these yummy nutritious snacks. Each mouth-watering piece will give you protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and some fat to slow the digestion and absorption, giving your mouth, mind and body pleasurable guilt-free comforting feeling. Instead of the trigger food you crave, try these satisfying options:

Ice-Cream: make a smoothie with natural yogurt, a handful of frozen fresh berries, frozen banana, add flaxseed meal for omega-3s and fiber, a scoop of whey or soy protein powder, add a touch of honey or vanilla – mix in the blender with a some ice.

Pizza: top wholemeal slice of bread with pure crushed tomatoes sauce, add fresh basil and garlic, sliced mushroom, a slice of low-fat ham and top with two spoons of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Chocolate: try a chocolate-flavoured protein bar, a cup of dandelion tea with some whole milk and a graham cracker, or a cup of vanilla yogurt topped with raisin bran cereal and a spoon of carob powder.

Chips: drizzle some plain popcorn or toasted wholemeal pita bread with a little butter and dried herbs or spices like oregano or even curry.