With 2020 dishing out a global pandemic, a contentious presidential election, and murder hornets, many Americans are looking to indulge in some self-care. Having a nice meal is a means of self-care, whether you’re looking for something to fuel your body and mind or for dishes that bring you comfort.
Common Methods of Self-Care
Physical: Examples of physical self-care are exercising, eating nutritious foods, stretching, drinking lots of water, and taking frequent walks to dull the impact of a sedentary lifestyle.
Emotional: Examples of emotional self-care include setting reasonable boundaries, surrounding yourself with people who love and support you, supporting your friends when they hit a rough patch, letting yourself feel your emotions instead of pushing them away, and being kind to yourself.
Psychological: Examples of psychological self-care are seeing a therapist, growing in your personal or professional life, and reflecting on the things you like about yourself and the things you want to work on.
Spiritual: Examples of spiritual self-care are meditating, journaling, spending time in nature, and practicing mindfulness.
Food as self-care falls under the physical and spiritual categories.
Using Food for Self-Care
Consuming food to feel better is common, and there are a couple of ways that eating qualifies as self-care.
Healthy foods that make you feel better in your body or mind are “physical” forms of self-care. These are foods that provide tangible health benefits, such as the following:
Complex carbohydrates give you energy. Some foods that provide complex carbohydrates are quinoa, sweet potatoes, and brown rice.
Lean proteins sharpen your mind and improve your reflexes. Some lean proteins are chicken, fish, and eggs.
Fatty acids improve your brain and nervous system. A few of these are fish, eggs, nuts, and flaxseeds.
If you want food as a source of comfort rather than for health purposes, it falls under the “emotional” or “spiritual” categories of self-care. “Comfort food” gets its name from the sense of calm it evokes when you eat it.
For some, comfort foods may be dishes from childhood or from a favorite restaurant. They evoke happy, soothing memories.
Others may prefer to eat simple carbohydrates such as mashed potatoes, bread, or pasta. Foods like these release dopamine, which makes you feel good.
Others may crave dessert when they think of self-care. If this is the case, your reward may be a serotonin spike (another chemical in the brain that makes you feel good).
If you turn to comfort foods during times of stress (or to celebrate), try not to overindulge. If you eat sugar and simple carbs too frequently over time, it will eventually make your serotonin and dopamine levels drop, putting you at risk for depression. You may also put your health at risk when you don’t eat enough nutritious foods.
Tips for Using Food as Self-Care
Plan your comfort meals so you can look forward to them. It’s not just the actual eating that makes you happy—it’s the anticipation as well.
Practice mindfulness as you eat your meal. Focus only on your food and how you feel eating it. Think about how the food tastes and smells and its texture. Try to avoid distractions like your phone or TV, and stay present in the moment.
Plan your comfort meals or snacks as a reward for finishing a difficult task. To keep yourself from doing this too frequently, you can plan it in advance. For example, “When I finish this project, I’m going to get my favorite food to celebrate.”
Determine the easiest way to get your food. Until COVID-19 dissipates, you may want to find a restaurant that offers curbside takeaway or contactless delivery.
Again, you must not turn to comfort food too often. For it to be effective, you need to dedicate these meals as a “treat.”
If it’s nutritious food you want, spend some time perusing the menus from restaurants in your town and picking out a few dishes you want to try.
Food is a popular form of self-care, whether you want nutritious foods that improve your mental and physical health over time or foods that bring comfort but fewer health benefits.
Take care of yourself by ordering takeout or delivery at www.menufy.com or by downloading our mobile app (Android or iOS).