AVOIDING ‘TRIGGER FOODS’
IUSED to joke that whenever I ate groundnuts — you know, the ones with the shell still on — I just couldn’t seem to stop until the bag was empty. It didn’t matter if I was sharing it with people or if I was eating alone. None would be left for later.
I also used to joke that certain foods called out to me — they knew my name! I would be so enchanted, and fall under their spell. It could be a slice of cake, chocolates or just plain ice-cold soda.
I knew they weren’t good for me. I knew that giving in to these indulgences once too often would get me into trouble, especially when diabetes, hypertension and heart problems run in my family. Unfortunately, I never knew how it really affected me — the science behind it all.
All these are called “trigger foods”. This is something I learnt not too long ago. Avoiding them is something I’m trying to incorporate into my daily life now. To think that all this while I thought I had some sort of eating disorder or food addiction! And how I had been so tough on not only myself but also my loved ones for not being able to avoid or give up foods that could kill them in the long run. I thought we were all genetically weak-willed when in actual fact the other half of the story lies in the food that conditions our behaviour, habits and response.
Trigger foods vary from person to person. However, common features are very sweet, fatty or salty, or all combined. Think of a bag of crisps followed by a bar of chocolate washed down with soda or an ice-blended drink in one sitting. Not only are they loaded with calories but the combination is disastrous for you.
Researchers who studied this reported that our brain responds to both sugar and fat by releasing endorphins (also known as happy hormones), which help relieve pain and induce feelings of pleasure and euphoria. It takes you on a high before crashing down, and you need to have another fix soon. If you respond to this cycle long enough, your eating pattern and choices become habitual and you will become overweight and end up with myriad health issues.
Situations that cause you to reach out for trigger foods vary too — stress and boredom being among them. Sometimes you’re not really hungry. You’re just thirsty but your body triggers a hunger response. To find out if you’re more thirsty than hungry, drink a glass of water first. If you’re sated, you’re just thirsty but if you’re still hungry, then by all means have something to eat.
Caregivers tend to reach out for junk food when under stress. It doesn’t help that food sold at convenience stores are usually made of refined ingredients that are high in calories. These foods may satisfy your hunger for the moment but usually contain ingredients that could contribute to insulin resistance which leads to diabetes.
Research shows that eating highcalorie food gives a temporary calming effect on the body. A report recently published in Physiology & Behavior suggested that the stress response system plays a role in how we crave foods and store energy.
“When the body is under stress, the neurochemicals that help balance our moods do not function properly and the body releases stress hormones. These stress hormones, called glucocorticoids, cause cravings for high-sugar and highfat foods. Overconsumption of these foods can lead to more fat being stored in the abdomen. The weight gain puts you at higher risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes,” the report stated.
I know this all too well. The years that my late parents went in and out of hospitals, those nights in the emergency room, days of vigil when their conditions were uncertain, wreaked havoc on our routines. Healthy eating, normal sleeping hours and places became abnormal. There were days when I just survived on coffee and chocolates. As for exercise. what exercise?
After all those years of living on edge and many more years recovering after their death, I am finally learning about how it affected me. Caregivers tend to undermine their own health when their loved one is ill.
In my recent quest for eating healthy, wholesome food, I went to the convenience store and found that the only things that were really bona fide good were the bottled water and bananas. Even then, they were suspect. Is the bottle BPA free? Are the bananas genetically modified? Every other item was highly processed, loaded with sugar and chemicals.
While researchers reported that it is okay to have some junk food every now and then, it is something to be aware of if it derails you from being sensible and eating healthy.