How Comfort Foods Bring Us Happiness
Sometimes when we receive bad news or need a pick-me-up, we tend to reach for foods that will cheer us up. This method acts as an antidepressant, which allows us to feel better when dealing with life problems.
The cooks at Thurmont Kountry Kitchen are here to share the psychology behind eating comfort foods.
Culture Around Food
All cultures have certain foods that have a special meaning to them. For example, you make a birthday cake to celebrate an individual turning a year older. Another instance could be a potluck at a funeral to show kindness in hopes of making the family who had a loss feel better. Throughout your life, you encounter different events where food can bring joy and comfort.
Behavioral Conditioning
Since we cook specific meals for various occasions, we learned to correlate food with happiness which is called behavioral conditioning. As children, we are told that food will make us feel better (the stimuli), and we believe it (the response). For instance, when we are sick, we crave chicken noodle soup because we think it will cure our illness. We also associate food with our favorite memories. Therefore, we desire certain meals to increase our serotonin levels.
Recurring Patterns
As you reflect on your relationship with food, learn which meals bring you happiness and the reasoning behind it. We long for comfort foods for a fleeting feeling of contentment. We encourage you to understand the connection between your favorite foods and your emotional states, as it may help you get to the root of your problems.
Craving A Home Cooked Meal? Come Visit Us Today!
Based in Maryland, Thurmont Kountry Kitchen is a family-owned restaurant that strives to make customers feel right at home. We provide delicious, affordable homemade meals that won’t fill your sink with dirty dishes.
Contact us today at (301) 271-4071 or fill out a form to learn more.