The dangers in our favourite comfort foods

Homemade chicken soup, macaroni and cheese, curry and rice, bread pudding. These are comfort foods; they give us a sense of well being when sick, distressed, far from home or lonely. Each person has their own favourite comfort food, often something from childhood that is soothing and creates a sense of well being.

Although these foods bring us comfort, they are often high in sugar, fat and carbohydrates which can cause weight gain, raise blood pressure, and affect the heart and liver.

“There is actually science behind why we feel good when we eat these foods,” says Wendy Levin, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at The Scarborough Hospital. “Starchy foods raise our serotonin levels, which makes us feel good. And warm foods release endorphins which can cause us to feel less pain and fewer negative effects of stress.”

But the calorie and fat count in some of these favourites can be high. For example:

• Homemade macaroni and cheese – 466 calories, 23g fat, 45g carbs
• Homemade chocolate chip cookies –330 calories, 16g fat, 46g carbs
• Beef Patty – 300 calories, 14g fat, 34g carb
• Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf (100 g) – 220 calories, 7g fat, 31g carbs
• Small fries – 250 calories, 13g fat, 30g carb
• Mixed Nuts (½ cup) – 400 calories, 35g fat, 15g carb

“You don’t have to stop eating your favourite comfort food altogether,” says Wendy. “But you can adjust the recipes to make them healthier, eat smaller portions, and enjoy them less often. Moderation is the key.”

Recipes can always be adjusted by reducing the fat, adding less salt, less sugar or using sweeteners in place of sugar.

When does a diet become an Eating Disorder?

Many of us have experimented with crash diets, trendy exercise routines, calorie counting and a love-hate relationship with the bathroom scale because we may be dissatisfied with our bodies. But when does common concern become an obsession, and ultimately lead to an eating disorder? 

“An eating disorder begins to develop when an individual demonstrates goal-directed behaviour to lose weight, even when they are already clinically underweight,” says Joanna Blanchard, Mental Health Therapist at The Scarborough Hospital. “Pressure can come from media images that have likely been manipulated, and individuals aim for the physically impossible.”

However, many people are exposed to the same media, but do not develop an eating disorder. While societal and familial pressures or existing mental health issues such as depression can play a role in developing this mental illness, the direct cause remains unknown.

Some signs that an individual may be struggling with an eating disorder include:
• Restricted calorie intake
• Excessive exercise
• Excessive use of laxatives and/or diuretics
• Rapid weight loss

Often considered a ‘women’s disease,’ research shows that over the past few years, eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are affecting an increasing number of men.

“Traditionally men aspired for a muscular figure, but the modern male model is slim, which can put pressure on men to lose weight,” says Stephanie Luke, Child and Youth Worker at TSH.

Stephanie adds that athletes, who gain a competitive edge from weight control, are a high risk group. For example, wrestlers are seven to 10 times more likely to develop an eating disorder from a constant pressure to maintain a specific weight range.

Despite the goal, an eating disorder is the most lethal mental health disorder. It damages normal body functions, which can lead to several physical conditions including malnutrition, dehydration, esophageal damage and heart failure.

To learn more about eating disorders and other health and nutrition topics, please join us for the It’s Time to Talk Speakers’ Series, “Food for Thought: You Are What You Eat,” on March 1. Click here for more details.