Have you ever walked through your front door after a long, exhausting work day and immediately reached for a bag of chips or a sweet treat or a glass of wine? True, you may actually be hungry because you were so busy the entire day you barely had time for food except for a few cups of coffee and a granola bar? Sound familiar? If so, know that you're not alone.

What Is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating is the behaviour where individuals eat in response to emotions rather than hunger. 

Emotional eating isn't just about feeling down or feeling "stressed". Surprisingly, research shows we might reach for comfort food during both positive as well as negative emotional states. Whether you're stressed, anxious, bored, or even excited, food can become a coping mechanism.

The relationship between our emotions and eating habits is far more complex than many realize. When we reach for comfort food after a stressful day or find ourselves mindlessly snacking while watching TV, we're experiencing what experts call emotional eating.

Emotional Eating and Menopause

Emotional eating is a concern during the menopause transition due to its potential impact on weight and overall well-being.  During menopause, hormonal fluctuations, particularly the decrease in estrogen, can influence eating behaviours. Estrogens have been shown to affect eating patterns by modulating the brain's response to food and emotions, potentially leading to increased emotional eating during this period. 

The menopausal transition is associated with an increased risk of disordered eating behaviours, including emotional eating, due to these hormonal changes and the accompanying psychological challenges

We will discuss the intricate web of factors that influence this behaviour, with special attention to hormonal changes, particularly during menopause, and provide practical strategies for developing a healthier relationship with food.

The Hormone-Emotion Connection

Our hormones play a crucial role in both our emotional state and our eating behaviours. During menopause, fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels can trigger various changes in our body and mind. These hormonal shifts can affect three key hormones: insulin, cortisol, leptin and ghrelin.

Insulin is the hormone our pancreas secretes when we consume any food that has glucose. Our body requires insulin to allow glucose to enter the cell and exit the blood stream. The issue with insulin and menopause is that our cells become less responsive to the hormone signal of insulin as we enter this transition. It causes our cells to require a larger signal of insulin in order to respond. Something called "insulin resistance".

It unfortunately causes a cascade effect of pro-inflammation and causes our body to "turn on" the fat storage molecules which also leads to weight gain.

Leptin and ghrelin, our hunger and satiety hormones, which can become less effective at signaling when we're truly hungry or full. Leptin is the hormone signal from the digestive tract that tells the brain "I'm full". The brain doesn't get the message and the individual continues to eat. Some patients have issues with leptin.

"Ovarian hormones play a leading role in female obesity, with estrogens promoting lean body mass and decreasing appetite, while progestins may increase binge eating and emotional eating." (2017, Leeners, et al.)

The Impact of Chronic Stress

Modern life's constant demands create a perfect storm for emotional eating. When we're stressed, our bodies release cortisol, which historically helped our ancestors survive by promoting fat storage and increasing cravings for high-calorie foods. In today's world, this same mechanism can work against us, especially when stress becomes chronic. 

Our brain isn't wired to find pleasure in food – it craves connections with people and nature. When we emotionally eat, we're often seeking something deeper: connection, relaxation, or stress relief.

The "Food Noise" Problem

We live in an environment saturated with food messaging. Social media, advertisements, and even well-meaning health advice can create what nutritionists call "food noise" – constant mental chatter about what we should or shouldn't eat.

This noise can disconnect us from our body's natural hunger and fullness cues, leading to:

• Confusion about what constitutes "healthy" eating

• Guilt and shame around food choices

• A cycle of restriction and overeating

• Difficulty distinguishing between emotional and physical hunger

Practical Solutions for Better Emotional Balance

Instead of offering quick fixes or restrictive rules, let's explore sustainable strategies that address the root causes of emotional eating.

1. Develop Emotional Awareness

Start keeping an emotion-food journal or diet diary. Before eating, pause and ask yourself: "Am I physically hungry, or am I feeling something that needs attention?" This simple practice can help you identify patterns and triggers.

2. Create Hormone-Supporting Habits

• Establish a regular sleep patterns to help regulate hormone production. Sleep is crucial for hormone regulation and hugely impacts glucose, insulin, leptin and ghrelin levels just to name a few. I am a big fan of sleep trackers such as the apple watch, swoop, oura ring. You can read more about them here.

• Incorporate movement you enjoy and do something you like that is active, every day.

• Include protein (I suggest at least 25-30 grams of protein at each meal) and healthy fats in your meals to support hormone balance. Certain proteins like tyrosine and tryptophan can help balance hormones and improve mental stability. Foods like organic turkey, eggs, spinach, and bananas can support your mood and reduce sugar cravings. You can download my free protein guide here I created for my patients.

• Consider working with your primary healthcare provider to address specific hormonal concerns and if medications are required as they are for many of my patients.

3. Build Stress-Management Tools

Rather than turning to food as your only coping mechanism, develop a variety of stress-relief strategies:

• Deep breathing exercises - I am a big fan of box breathing a simple tool you can use daily here.

• Short meditation sessions - see the top apps here.

• Gentle movement or stretching

• Go for a quick walk, do some air squats or jumping jacks

• Call a friend or family member

• If meal times are stressful, I strongly suggest meal planning and developing "go-to" easy-one-pot meal ideas are fantastic for this. I highly recommend using an instapot for these meals that are healthy and quick. They do require some pre-thought but once you get in the groove it's very easy.

4. Turn down the Food Noise

• Unfollowing social media accounts that make you feel guilty about food

• Creating boundaries around diet talk with friends and family

• Focusing on how foods make you feel rather than their "good" or "bad" labels

• Trusting your body's internal wisdom about hunger and fullness

5. Practice Self-Compassion

Remember that emotional eating is a normal human response to difficult feelings. Rather than beating yourself up about it, approach yourself with the same kindness you'd offer a friend. This might mean:

• Acknowledging that changing long-standing habits takes time

• Celebrating small victories in developing new coping strategies

• Understanding that "perfect" eating doesn't exist

• Treating yourself with patience during this life stage of menopausal transition

6. Practice Mindful Eating

• A simple mindful eating technique can transform your relationship with food:

• Pause before eating

• Reflect on your food's origin

• Observe colours and aromas

• Chew slowly, savouring each bite

• Express gratitude

7. Create a Space that Supports your Goals

• Keeping nourishing snacks readily available - I suggest doing a kitchen clean-up and getting rid of snacks or junk food that may make you want to 'indulge' when you are trying to eat healthy and stay on track.

• Creating designated eating spaces away from screens - I suggest to my patients to always eat away from their desk and in a separate room/area altogether if possible.

• Planning regular meals to prevent extreme hunger - Intermittent fasting is not my favourite thing for women in menopause. Skipping meals especially breakfast is a no-no when it comes to patients who have issues with high cortisol and food cravings already.

• Organize your eating space to be a calm place, remove clutter and keep the space minimalistic.

Moving Forward from here

Remember that improving your relationship with food is a journey, not a destination. The goal isn't to never eat emotionally – that's neither realistic nor necessary. Instead, aim to develop a broader set of coping tools and a deeper understanding of your body's needs.

By addressing the multiple factors that influence emotional eating – hormones, stress, environmental cues, and emotional needs – you can create lasting change that goes beyond simple food rules. This comprehensive approach acknowledges the complexity of human eating behaviour while providing practical steps toward a more balanced relationship with food.

So next time you reach for that sweet or savoury food, ask yourself: Do I really want this treat, or do I need a good conversation, a moment of calm, or a different way to manage my stress? Don't be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. 

To your best health,

Dr. Amy Tung, ND, MSCP

Naturopathic Doctor | Menopause Society Certified Practitioner

References:

Decandia, D., Landolfo, E., Sacchetti, S., Gelfo, F., Petrosini, L., & Cutuli, D. (2022). n-3 PUFA Improve Emotion and Cognition during Menopause: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091982.

Lankila, H., Kuutti, M., Kekäläinen, T., Hietavala, E., & Laakkonen, E. (2024). Associations of menopausal status and eating behaviour with subjective measures of sleep.. Journal of sleep research, e14155 . https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14155.

Leeners, B., Geary, N., Tobler, P., & Asarian, L. (2017). Ovarian hormones and obesity.. Human reproduction update, 23 3, 300-321 . https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmw045.

Vincent, C., Bodnaruc, A., Prud'homme, D., Guenette, J., & Giroux, I. (2024). Disordered eating behaviours during the menopausal transition: a systematic review.. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2023-0623.