DNA Mumbai Anniversary: Comfort zone cuisine

We have all grown up hearing terms like ‘comfort food.’ For some its rajma-rice or dal-khichdi, while dal-dhokli with spoonfuls of ghee on top tends to be a preferred dish for feeling relaxed as well. 

It has been observed many times that certain people working away from their native place miss their mother’s meals to such an extent that they bribe office colleagues with exotic food like pizzas and pastas in exchange for their home cooked lunch box containing simple chappatis and vegetables. 

However, the past 13 years have seen the need for comfort food escalating drastically, especially in metros like Mumbai. 

The term has taken on a whole new meaning, especially when people are going through a rough patch in their professional and/ or personal lives. 

The craving for not very healthy food items increases and binge eating becomes almost second nature. Chocolate obviously tops the list as do ice cream tubs. Peanut butter consumed straight from the jar, pizzas with extra cheese, double portions of french fries - the list goes on and on. 

But this works the other way too. There are certain food and drink items that can affect your mood when you either consume them in excess or in lesser quantities than needed.    

As Dennis Simsek, founder and host of ‘The Anxiety Guy’ podcast explains, even though many studies have been carried out to test the connection between mood and food selection, the relationship between positive mood and food habits is still not completely clear. 

Some studies suggest that individuals in good mood tend to go for nutrient rich foods, which are low in salt, sugar, and fat along with increased weightage to long-term advantages of eating such healthy meals.

Deciding Factors

Certain studies show that people with future-oriented and long-term thinking and goals tend to make healthy food choices irrespective of their current mood. 

Other research gives evidence to the tendencies of people in good moods to opt for healthier foods if they believe that the current positive mood will last. 

However, if they do not feel that the mood will last, then they are more likely to go for comfort foods to maintain the mood.

There is proof about gender differences on how mood affects the food choices. Studies have shown that women have a tendency to consume comfort foods when feeling lonely, depressed, or guilty. 

Men on the other hand tend to reward themselves with pasta, soups, and steaks for the upbeat state of their minds, he points out.

Consumption Guide

Similarly, NHS Nottingham University Hospitals, emphasise that the link between food and mood simply lies in getting enough of the ‘good stuff’ found in the right foods. 

The human diet nowadays consists of a lot of ‘junk’ food with very little nutritional value which makes people more tired and lethargic, and often leads to weight gain which has further negative effects on mood and self esteem.

The most important thing is to eat regularly and include the main food groups in your daily diet: starchy foods (such as rice, potatoes and bread); fruit and vegetables; meat, fish, eggs and beans; milks and dairy foods; and foods containing fat and sugar. However, be careful not to eat too much sugar or fat, and to eat more of the ‘good’ fats – unsaturated and Omega-3 rich foods. 

Mini-meals consumed at regular intervals are really the best way to take things forward. This is because not eating regularly means your blood sugar will invariably drop, and consequently, your mood will drop with it as well, triggering off yet another vicious cycle of comfort food cravings.