There are many problems that can be caused by food. Some people struggle sometimes with eating too little or too much. As Mary Turk explains in her book Food and Emotions she explains how food can correlate with a person's emotional state and health. She also states, "Compultive overeating sometimes is a substitute for love and friendship" (42). Therefore meaning that food can either be a sustitute for an emotion or even a mockery, like in anorexia and bulimia. She also talks about how these disorders may be caused by emotinal roots to begin with.
I thought this chapter in Mary Turk's novel was very informative. I felt as though she was trying to get a point across that an eating disorder is more than just a person wanting to lose weight or gain weight, but it's also about the emotional attachment between the food and the individual. I felt like this was a good way to get her views across and it was a really interesting chapter.

Turk, Mary. Food and Emotions. Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2001. 42-49. Print.

Is Food Really Your Friend?

When listening to the Medical News Today Video it explained about how many people look to food as their friend. One woman who was interviewed on the footage even said, "It was something that soothed, it was something that made the bad things go away." But the problem that many people face is the control of emotional eating. Certain people will eat to fill an emotional void, but then turn around and feel guilty for filling that void. This video talks about this vicious cycle and mentions certain individuals who had to fight the emotional attachment made between them and food. One very interesting fact that I heard was that "75% of over eating is tied to emotional needs." This just proves that there is a tie between food and emotions.

I thought this video was very interesting. I felt as though the Medical News Today staff made a video that was very informative and effective. It provided case studies and statistics which I felt made it an impact on its viewers. I was very intrigued by this video and thought that it made several valid points.

"Emotional Eating - When Food is Your Best Friend ." Medical News Today. Web. 13 May 2010. http://medicalnewstoday.healthology.com/hybrid/hybrid-autodetect.aspx?content_id=3954&focus_handle=losing-weight&brand_name=medicalnewstoday.

http://medicalnewstoday.healthology.com/hybrid/hybrid-autodetect.aspx?content_id=3954&focus_handle=losing-weight&brand_name=medicalnewstoday

Emotional Eating

A lot of people have the problem of eating their emotions. When a person feels stress, love, or even depression, food can become a factor. In the book Food and Emotions, Mary Turk talks about these things. She first mentions how food and love can often be connected. She explains that "Food can become a symbol of love and care. Later food may fill emotional needs,too"(35). Mary Turk also talks about depression and how it correlates with food. She talked about how when some people suffer from depression, that they basically eat their sorrows. Another interesting topic she mentioned in her book was stress and food. Often times it is known to be unconsious and that the person really doesn't think about what they're eating they just eat anyway. The final correlation she makes is crowds and food. She talks about how when someone is in a big crowd they are influenced by the eating habits around them even if it's not healthy for them. Most people feel the emotional pressure to participate in the food that is at that specific event.
I thought this chapter was very interesting and I learned some very attention-grabbing information. I didn't even realize that all of these things can effect eating patterns. I thought that Mary Turk's book was very informative.
Turk, Mary. Food and Emotions. Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2001. 34-41. Print.

Food Choices

Many people crave certain kinds of foods such as salty, sweet, crunchy, and spicy foods. Some people may even crave caffeine. But what people may not know is that based on the kind of food you choose may reveal how someone is feeling or wants to feel. In this very interesting video featuring a doctor named Dr. Deanna M. Minich, she descibes some of the emotions linked to these food choices. She explains first how sweet foods may cause a person to say that "we're lacking fun, we're lacking joy, and we want something sweet on the tongue even if it's for a couple of moments." This meaning the person needs more entertainment and happiness in there lives. The second kind of food that this doctor talks about is spicy food. She explains how when a person wants spicy foods that they may feel like they need a kick in their life. She says that these are normally the go-getters who want adventure but can't get it, therefore, they eat spicy food in order to fulfill that desired kick. The third item is salty foods. Dr. Minich expresses how when a person is drawn to salty foods, that individual is usually stressed and just want to relax, so they turn to the salty flavor to unwind. Caffeine is the fourth thing that she talks about. Caffeine is used as a boost for people who are mentally tired. By using this kick, the individual may feel a jult of newly produced energy. The final category of food that the doctor talks about is crunchy food. People who eat crunchy foods normally crave attention. By using that texture it makes a person feel as though they can fill that void.
I thought that this video was very interesting. I didn't know that certain people are attracted to different foods because of their emotional state. In a way though I do feel that sometimes these reasons and unconscious desires are a little far fetched. I did think it was fascinating to see the different food categories and how the doctor interpreted them though.
"What Your Food Cravings Say About Your Emotions." A M Northwest. Web. 8 Apr 2010. http://www.katu.com/amnw/segments/47070852.html.

Food Cravings

Many people have cravings no matter if it's chocolate or a caffeinated drink. Mary Turk talks about the effects of food cravings on an individual in her book Food and Emotions. One very interesting thing that she talks about is most people's longing for chocolate. Chocolate has actually been chemically tested and as it turns out, it contains certain chemicals that cause "good" neaurotransmitters to be released in the brain. The chemical Phenylethylamine has been found in chocolate which is also the the same chemical released when someone feels love. When Mary Turk states "Food says love" in her book it just proves that food can effect a person's emotions (30). Food can console someone, make someone feel loved, and also be someone's burden. In her book she talks about how some people struggle with addictions to certain foods and caffeine. The important thing is just to know how to control that craving. The last thing that I thought was very interesting was Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). In this novel Mary Turk talks about how when there are hour changes in the fall and winter it can actually change a person's mood, sleep patterns, and eating habits. She said that when a person suffers from this disorder they are actually drawn to carbohydrates in the fall and winter to fill the void of not having the pretty weather. Mary Turk has very interesting points about food and emotions that are just fascinating.

While reading this chapter of Mary Turk's novel it made me make a lot of correlations in my life to what she is talking about. Because she does talk about aspects that effect me, it gets me really interested in this topic about food and emotions. When she talks about how chocolate has been chemically proven to improve someone's mood I just thought that was so thought provoking. Because chocolate is one of my favorite foods, the author made me think about how it may effect me personally. Luckily I haven't had to experience a food addiction to the severity that I just have to have it, but it was interesting reading about how some people struggle and have to cope with the constant longing for that specific item of choice. When Mary Turk talks about SAD I never even knew that existed. I learned a lot about that disorder and how it effects individuals and their food cravings. She made really good points in her book and it got me even more interested in the topic of food correlation with emotions.

Turk, Mary. Food and Emotions. Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2001. 27-33. Print.