Why do we call them comfort foods? You know, the cinnamon roll, chocolate, fried chicken, chips, cake, donuts, cookies, etc.

They make us anything but comfortable.

Those comfort foods give us tight pants, not comfortable.

They give us muffing tops and spare tires that hang out over the tops of our jeans.

They give us swollen ankles and fingers, rashes in weird places.

They give us dirty looks and nasty remarks from people we don't even know.

They give us health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol, rashes in odd places, stressed joints, and so on.

They give us that horrible, I'm a bad person, I can't lose weight, I have no self control, I'm just stupid feeling after we have a binge.

So, why in the h*** do we call them comfort foods?

We need to make a new list of comfort foods.

Lean chicken, salmon, mahi mahi, tuna, anything that ends in berry, oranges, apples, bananas, green beans, peas, broccoli, squash, brown rice, oatmeal, skim milk, etc.

Feel free to add to the list.

I'd also be interested in others feelings and thoughts on the old comfort foods.

I must sound like a broken record, but I do think that these foods have a lot to do with brain chemistry. They have two things going for them: A. You have eaten them in your childhood, which for most signifies a carefree and fun time and B. Almost all comfort foods are heavily carb-based. Eating carbs increases feel-good chemicals in the brain, which...well...make you feel good. It's similar to getting high. People who do drugs want to perpetuate that "high" feeling of euphoria. I would say the same happens when someone eats traditional "comfort" foods. It takes time and tasty, fresh food to reverse that thinking (not completely, I'll still go for cake). I LOVE fresh figs, for one. They're incredibly tasty and I will go so far as to say that they're my comfort food now. I agree with you though, that healthier foods are most likely our real comfort foods as they're tasty and good for us!

I recently made a similar connection myself. My head was telling me I was hungry, but my stomach didn't. Then I realize that I was emotionally hungry for something to ease the anxiety and boredom I was feeling at the moment. Then I actually was able to admit to myself that what I was "hungry" for (something crunchy, sweet, high in fat) actually never did ease that emotional discomfort, but made it worse.
Personally, I'm not even wanting to replace the habitual "comfort" foods with other foods, but to practice consciously acknowledging my desire for comfort and to find it another way.
I do, however, gain comfort when I choose healthier foods because I am choosing them out of self-love.
Great post, Thanks!

I, for some reason, don't have a defined comfort food. I was discussing comfort foods with hubby recently and while I know about his comfort food I failed to come up with any particular "go to" food for me. I don't know if it's a good thing or bad but it was weird to me. I don't know why that is

What I had to finally realize and accept was that "comfort" food is a big, fat lie. What it really is for me is "guilt" food. Sure it momentarily taste good while it's in my mouth, but once it's eaten, it turns on me and tells me that I've gone and blown it. These so called comfort foods have been the cause of countless hours of self-loathing and incredible guilt over being weak to their power. I hate it and I'm struggling every day to overcome their hold on me and to make choices that leave me feeling in control and proud.

No, they do make us comfortable in the short term, and that is more obvious than the long term effects. It's just that we have to learn to face the long term effects as much as the short term effects.

They are foods that are emotionally comforting, usually because we have been conditioned to eat these foods in response to distress when we were kids. Remember when you were little -- "did you have a bad day at school? Just sit down and have some cookies and milk", "did you skin your knee? here's a bandaid and some ice cream". Combined with food associated with happy celebrations (birthday cake! 4th of July Hot Dogs! Christmas cookies!), certain foods bring back happy emotions.

This is why we reach for them in times of stress.

The downside is effects of them (inches on your bum! Muffin tops!) especially when we pass childhood. We aren't running off the extra calories.

So comfort foods make us comfortable emotionally and distress us emotionally too! Gotta change the behaviour to change our lives!!!

Kira

One of the things that I have realized on my long, winding battle with my weight is that comfort foods do not provide me with comfort. I have a friend (who is very what I would call "naturally thin") that can eat a piece of chocolate and she is satisfied. I eat a piece of chocolate and I feel that I want another piece of chocolate. Much like an alcoholic "one is too many and 100 are not enough". I have found that my body (or my mind) does not get comfort from food like others may. It tastes good, but not good enough, I need more. As a result I eat and eat looking for the fix that is just never there for me. It's something that I have to think about constantly and I have to tell myself several times a day "if hunger is not the problem, food is not the solution". I've had to realize that food doesn't satisfy me like it does other people and eating more of it isn't going to magically make it do so. I hope that maybe my realization of this may help someone else who can't quite put a finger on what the real issue is.

My husband is BIG on comfort foods, and is prone to binges because he associates food items SO much with "feeling good." When he was growing up, his family life pretty much stunk. Sucked even. His mother, to this day, isn't very touchy-feely, doesn't hug or kiss ANY of her kids and likes to be alone more than anything else. So for him, as he grew up, she showed her affection by feeding him. He was never a small kid, and had it rough growing up both at home AND at school. I guess she tried to "make it better" for him in a bad way.

He'd have a big breakfast before school and then lunch and snacks there. Then after school, as a treat, she'd take him by Sonic or the local convenience store for a burger or a burrito. Then he'd come home and eat a big supper, which always ended with dessert. Then a snack before bed after his step-dad went nuts and stressed them all out drinking and screaming.

To this day, to thank him for anything he does or just surprise him and make him happy, she brings desserts to the house. Just the other day he went and took her car to wash it and clean it out, and in return she brought over a freshly baked, warm from the oven homemade pecan chocolate chip pie.

Tonight is his night to cook, and he's had a rough day. So he's making one of the things SHE made when he was little to make him "feel better." I think it's crazy...but weenies with barbecue sauce, green beans, mac and cheese and fries. I keep telling him you shouldn't HAVE mac and cheese and fries together...the only answer I get is "my mom always cooked it, so it's ok."