A problem shared...
GP and mother-of-four Clare Bailey gives her indispensable advice How can I beat those biscuit binges?
QI HAVE always had a tendency to resort to comfort eating when I’m stressed. Before lockdown I took a healthy lunch to work and avoided snacks, but the challenges of being at home have smashed any willpower I had. I often have a knot in my stomach and feel on edge. Whenever I buy packs of biscuits ‘for the kids’, I find myself surreptitiously munching through a handful at a time, even when I’m not hungry. My daughter loves to bake so we always have cupcakes in the cupboard. My clothes are getting tighter and it feels a bit out of control. What can I do?
AYou are not alone: as a nation we’ve been eating far more snacks and finding ourselves less in control thanks to the pandemic. We all respond differently to stress, and comfort or emotional eating is how many people cope.
It has little to do with hunger, and instead is about using food to make ourselves feel better.
Many of us over-eat occasionally, reaching for the Hobnobs as a quick fix when bored or anxious. But when that becomes a frequent way of coping, not only is it likely to affect your weight and health, it might also make you feel worse about yourself in the long-term.
Sweet, fatty and highly processed foods like cakes, ice cream or milk chocolate are engineered to stimulate our pleasure receptors, making them irresistible. once I open a pack of crisps, I have to finish every last crumb.
Here’s what’s happening to your body: the stress response can trick it into ‘fight or flight mode’, raising your levels of stress hormones like cortisol. To prepare you for action, it increases cravings. This may help in an emergency, but with ongoing stress, cortisol is likely to drive you to eating more. This is called emotional eating.
How do you know if you’re an emotional eater? The urge or craving to eat comes on suddenly and for specific foods; you eat beyond feeling full, yet still find it hard to stop; you eat mindlessly or when you’re not feeling hungry.
The solution is rarely about willpower as that comes and goes. Instead, think about your triggers: what derailed you? Why is it difficult to get back on track? How can you respond better next time? ‘If/Then’ strategies can help. For example if you are feeling restless and heading for the biscuit tin, then you might find a magazine or listen to an audiobook instead.
Eat mindfully and slowly, paying attention to your surroundings and to the food. Spend time preparing it, appreciate how it looks, the taste, texture and flavours. Turn off the TV, and don’t look at your phone while eating as being distracted will mask the signals that you are full.
Be kind to yourself — don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon, just get straight back on. Enjoy your food and remember it’s oK to include the occasional treat. But if you are binge-eating at least once a week for three months you should see your GP, as you may need specialist support.
YOU can write to Clare at drclarebailey@dailymail.co.uk or Scottish Daily Mail, 20 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6DB
LAST month, the shooting of singer Lady Gaga’s dogwalker and theft of her French bulldogs shocked the world. But for millions of UK owners, it simply highlighted the frightening rise in dognapping. In 2020, incidences of the crime rose by 250 per cent in some areas, as demand for lockdown pets led to a shortage of sought-after breeds such as spaniels and ‘designer’ crossbreeds including cockapoos, with prices for puppies soaring. But what can you do to keep your dog safe?
ALICE SMELLIE and her two working cocker spaniels, Bumble and Skye, test out security gadgets, while vet Dr Stewart Halperin, who has a practice in Bruton, Somerset (stemcellvet.co.uk), gives his thoughts.
TRUE STEEL
Petloc dog lead and collar with steel cable and combination locks, £50, petloc.com WHAT IT IS: A lead with a difference. The Petloc has combination locks at both ends and steel cable along its entire length, as well as around the collar area. This means you can secure your pet outside shops or in a vehicle and thieves can’t detach the lead or cut through it. Many owners now attach one lock to their belt for extra safety. ON TEST: I hadn’t realised our two poorly trained dogs might be our most valuable possessions. In fact, any thief would be disappointed, as they are both spayed and quite old. The lead is surprisingly light and easy to clip around Bumble’s neck and then to my belt, so I am hands-free. I’ve never dared leave them outside a shop but this would reassure me. STEWART SAYS: Thumbs up for this. Normally I’d warn against leaving dogs outside shops in case they are snatched but this solves the problem. Don’t leave for them long, though. 9/10
KEEP THEM INSIDE Dog-G8, from £49.95, dog-g8.com
WHAT IT IS: The Dog-G8 is a slender, portable metal safety barrier that attaches to doors and folds in and out like a concertina as they open and close. It’s like a baby gate for dogs, to stop them getting out of the house and into the hands of thieves. The barriers are 88cm high and the brackets can be attached to any uPVC door with high-grade adhesion tape, or screwed into a wooden door or post. The gate can be detached from the brackets and used elsewhere. When the door opens, the Dog-G8 does too and your dog is kept inside. ON TEST: I’m not aware of any dogs being stolen near our house but the postman tolerates our spaniels trying to get in his van every morning, so this is just what I need. If we manage to get away this summer, I’d definitely take one. They are perfect for a holiday let, where I might worry about opportunistic thieves. STEWART SAYS: This is a great way of keeping dogs in the house, so you know where they are while still being able to open the door. Dog thefts aside, it’s also excellent for preventing them getting onto the road. 7/10
TRACK THEM DOWN
Tractive GPS dog tracker, £24.99, box.co.uk WHAT IT IS: A plastic waterproof tracker which attaches to your dog’s collar. It links to your phone and has worldwide location tracking and activity monitoring. ON TEST: The biggest appeal for me is that you can set a virtual fence using the Tractive app and be alerted if your dog leaves the ‘safe’ area. I set a boundary of 100 yards, then pop the Tractive on Skye, who is completely unbothered. You do have to sign up to the app, which starts at £3.75 a month. STEWART SAYS: Every time we put a microchip into a dog, people ask about tracking, which we’re unable to provide at the moment. My only issue is that it goes on a collar, which is fine for a runaway dog but not if they are stolen. The first thing a thief will do is remove the collar. 6/10
THEFT ALARM
143db Personal Alarm and Strobe, £9.99, doghorn.uk WHAT IT IS: A small personal alarm that emits a 143db highpitched siren sound, audible up to half a mile away and lasting up to two hours. It’s easily activated with a pull on the attached ripcord, and there is a strobe torch as well. ON TEST: This would make me feel safe from all manner of attacks. The noise is piercing. I give it a couple of seconds, which is enough to know that anyone near by would be aware of a problem, no matter how remote the walk. STEWART SAYS: Alarms are a great idea. You should frighten off anyone thinking of taking them. 9/10
LONG LEAD
Canicross Adventure Trail Starter Set, from £89.99, K9trailtime.com WHAT IT IS: Keep your dog safe on a long lead (see main picture). Canicross is a comfortable way of exercising with your dog while keeping him/her attached to you at all times. The kit comes with a harness for the dog, a wide waist belt for the human and a stretchy bungee line up to 2.8m long. Your dog thinks he’s in The Call Of The Wild and you don’t feel as if you’re going to fall over, yet it’s not so long as to snag on things. ON TEST: Normally I do run with Bumble and don’t like to let him off the lead in case he is grabbed or — more likely — vanishes after a squirrel, yet I find it annoying being tugged along. I put my legs through the holes and strap on the belt. My back feels fully supported, and Bumble and I run as one. This is game-changing. STEWART SAYS: Keeping them close is a good idea. 9/10
TOP TIPS
From JUSTINE QUIRK at doglost.co.uk (the largest lost & found dog service in the UK)
■DON’T put details about your dogs on social media, such as where you walk and what food they like. But if they ARE stolen, go straight on social media and ask everyone to share pictures.
DON’T stop walking your dog. Just vary the time and route.
■ASK a vet to check the microchip (they can fail); and ensure your details are up to date.
■IF YOUR dog is stolen, tell the police immediately. Next, alert the microchip company, then the local dog warden, local vets and rescue centres, and register with us, doglost.co.uk. Finally, share on social media to raise awareness, and ask people to share.