Why do we eat when we're anxious?
by Bronwen de Klerk

Many of us eat when we are stressed and anxious - and often our cravings will be for foods that are sweet or at least high in carbohydrates. Maybe this tendency can be explained if we take a look at the Traditional Chinese Medicine view of the 5 Elements. (TCM is a system that has been developed over almost 3,000 years.)

In TCM there is a concept called the 5 Elements. The 5 Elements are: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. When thinking of the 5 Elements, it is best to see them as categories of concepts that are grouped together rather than the actual substances they are named after. Some of the phenomena grouped under these categories are:

Let's look specifically at the Earth Element. The organs that fall under this element are the Stomach and Spleen - our chief digestive organs. The negative emotion of the Earth element is anxiety and worry. What this means is that when we are anxious or worried over long periods of time, we are likely to deplete the energy of the Earth element - and thus the digestive organs (Stomach and Spleen). When this energy is depleted, to try and regain some sort of balance, your body will start to crave food for energy. This will often be sweet or high carbohydrate foods - (high GI foods from a Western perspective, or the 'taste' of the Earth element from an Eastern perspective).

This might explain why we tend to eat when we are anxious or worried - our bodies are trying to keep us in balance. Eating is probably not the best way to try and attain balance though. By constantly eating, especially unhealthy foods, we further tax the digestive system and deplete its energy. The more depleted the digestive system is, the more we might feel this overall 'anxiety' and the more we might want to eat - thus perpetuating the cycle.

Obviously if you have a craving for something sweet, it is best to have a piece of whatever it is. It only becomes a problem when you are constantly eating to fill an 'empty' space that isn't physiological hunger. How do you regain balance without eating? When next you feel the desire to overeat because you are anxious, try some of the following to energise the Earth element:

• Do exercise to strengthen your muscles or , alternatively, do some stretching if you are feeling exhausted (the muscles are the 'tissues' relating to the Earth element).
• Have a massage that focuses on energising the Stomach and Spleen points and meridians.
• Breathe deeply into the stomach so that the diaphragm can softly massage and relax the digestive organs.
• Eat foods that are healthy, but that will also energise the Earth element. Some good examples are:
  Brown rice, oats, winter squash, carrots, peas, sweet potato, pumpkin, onions, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, nutmeg