Stressed ka ba? Kain ka muna! Usapang emotional eating with Jo Sebastian | Share Ko Lang
Tuwang-tuwa tayo sa mga video ng mga mukbang challenge. Pati nga Pinoy celebrities, nakiuso rin.
Pero alam n'yo bang nagsimula pala ang mukbang bilang solusyon sa lungkot nang pagkain mag-isa?
Kung bakit, 'yan ang pag uusapan ni Doc Anna kasama ang nutritionist at content creator na si Jo Sebastian ngayon sa #ShareKoLang!
Pero alam n'yo bang nagsimula pala ang mukbang bilang solusyon sa lungkot nang pagkain mag-isa?
Kung bakit, 'yan ang pag uusapan ni Doc Anna kasama ang nutritionist at content creator na si Jo Sebastian ngayon sa #ShareKoLang!
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00:00Mmmmm, not delicious.
00:05Delicious!
00:08We are so happy with Mukbang Challenge videos,
00:12even the Filipino celebrities are into it.
00:15But did you know that Mukbang started as a solution to the loneliness of eating alone?
00:23Why?
00:24That's what Doc Ana and Nutritionist and Content Creator Joe Sebastian will talk about in Shareko Lang.
00:38Hello, Kapuso!
00:40I am Dr. Ana Tuazon, your storyteller and psychologist in Shareko Lang.
00:45Does it ever happen to you that when we are emotionally down,
00:49that's when we crave for our comfort food?
00:51That's when we crave for our comfort food?
00:55Why?
00:57That's what Nutritionist and Content Creator Joe Sebastian will talk about in Shareko Lang.
01:03Hi, Joe! Welcome to Shareko Lang!
01:05Hi, Doc! Thank you for having me. I'm very excited for this conversation.
01:10Our relationship with food is not just with eating it.
01:14The thing is, we also love to watch food.
01:18That's a big industry now.
01:20I watch food on YouTube all the time.
01:24I really enjoy it when people are watching food and then I get hungry,
01:29and then it makes me think,
01:31I think I want tonkatsu for dinner.
01:34One offshoot of that is, for example, the Mukbang.
01:38The binge-eating videos.
01:42It's so satisfying for so many to watch.
01:45At the same time, it's not one-way.
01:48That also changes our standards of what it means to enjoy eating.
01:55Enjoy eating by eating more.
01:59Do you have any thoughts at all about this Mukbang trend?
02:04The Mukbang trend started off as a way to not feel lonely when you eat.
02:09It's a social aspect now.
02:12It was more of a broadcast you're eating.
02:15Before, people were just eating normal portions.
02:19It's like you're with someone when you're eating.
02:21You're watching and you're with someone.
02:23So you don't feel lonely.
02:25But it changed.
02:27Social media needs to be entertaining.
02:29Shocking.
02:31If not, I don't want to watch this.
02:34So that's when Mukbangs became more of a food challenge.
02:36Eat all of this food.
02:39It becomes normalized.
02:41Mukbangs should be like that.
02:43I think it was the shift of the trend that made it more of a negative thing.
02:49But it started off as a very helpful, positive thing for those who live alone.
02:53Those who need someone to eat with.
02:56That social aspect was there.
02:58Social media really just changes so many things.
03:01It gets misconstrued.
03:03It's important to remember that there are things for entertainment.
03:06When you're watching, it doesn't mean they're always eating like that.
03:10You have to know when to understand what is for entertainment
03:15and what is also more of what you need or what you can apply to your life.
03:21Now, there's another trend.
03:23Maybe not so trendy now, but I remember there was a time
03:26that people in the Philippines were taking pictures of people eating alone.
03:31In a restaurant.
03:32There were a lot of layers.
03:35There was even shaming.
03:37Yes, there was a lot of shaming.
03:39I remember that because you said that the social aspect of eating is big.
03:46It's not just our relationship with food,
03:48but I guess our relationship with other people vis-a-vis food.
03:53We said that the Filipino word for I love you is kumain ka na ba?
03:57Yes, or tarasain.
03:59Yes, that's the Tagalog word for I love you.
04:01So, what do you think about that?
04:04Because Filipinos are very social eaters.
04:07We rarely do eat alone.
04:09Actually, I enjoy eating by myself.
04:12I discovered that.
04:14But it's not the norm.
04:16It's not the norm.
04:18When I go there, for one, the waitress is like,
04:20just one, right?
04:22Yeah, that's true.
04:24So, tell me a little bit more about the social aspect
04:26and maybe the solitude aspect.
04:29Because that's what I also enjoyed.
04:31While eating alone can have its great benefits,
04:34you can also learn how to listen to your cues.
04:37But also, it's important to know what you need in the moment.
04:41If you need to listen to your cues,
04:44maybe it's time to take a step back.
04:46But if you feel like you need a little bit more comfort and celebration,
04:50especially since for a long time,
04:52a lot of people were isolated during the pandemic,
04:55sometimes people are really just craving that connection,
04:58just be mindful as you hang out with your friends
05:01to still listen to your body as much as you can.
05:03Now, we asked our loved ones
05:06about their relationships with food.
05:10So, we asked some of them
05:12when they get used to their comfort food.
05:16So, one of our loved ones said,
05:17whenever I'm sad or stressed,
05:20the other one said,
05:22when I reward myself for something I achieved.
05:25So, it's common, right?
05:27I treat myself, right?
05:29You said celebration,
05:31eating for celebration.
05:33And then, our other loved one said,
05:35when I'm really tired,
05:38eating makes me happy.
05:41What is it about food that makes us so happy?
05:46I think it's really one,
05:48the impact on your energy levels.
05:52Because once you fuel your body,
05:54you're literally giving your body energy when you eat.
05:57So, all of these things, I always tell my clients,
05:59it's not a bad reason to reach for food.
06:02If that's what gives you happiness
06:05or gives you company,
06:08or if it's the one that makes you feel less stressed.
06:13There's always a reason
06:15and it's very valid.
06:17You just have to really understand
06:19when it becomes the only source of comfort,
06:23when we overdo it,
06:25and when it's no longer helpful.
06:27Because we notice that sometimes,
06:29it doesn't become helpful anymore.
06:31That's why it's really important
06:33to diversify the possible places
06:36to feel the relief that we need.
06:38For example, I usually really emotionally eat when I'm lonely.
06:42So, when I feel lonely,
06:43I feel like my food is my companion.
06:45Like, hello, it's just us.
06:47We're bonding here.
06:49But I noticed what helped me most
06:51was to talk to somebody,
06:53to play a game online with a friend,
06:55or play cards with my sisters.
06:57It really helped lessen that loneliness.
07:00So, sometimes, other strategies are more effective.
07:03We just need to know what those are
07:06so that we have a balance
07:08with food and with, of course,
07:10the other coping mechanisms.
07:12So, there's a big difference
07:14between food makes me happy
07:16versus only food makes me happy.
07:20Yes, exactly.
07:22Like I said, the emotional toolkit
07:24or the toolbox that we have.
07:26If food is one of the many things
07:29that bring us joy,
07:31bring us comfort,
07:33then why not?
07:35Let food comfort us.
07:37But if I don't eat now,
07:39I won't be happy anymore.
07:41Hold up, hold up.
07:43So, we should just chill.
07:45If this is a relationship with food,
07:47you should just chill.
07:49Low maintenance, not jealous.
07:51Not clingy, right?
07:53You and me, food, and no one else.
07:56Yes, exactly.
07:58So, we also asked our partners
08:01if eating is their solution
08:03when they're stressed.
08:05So, one partner said,
08:07you can never go wrong with food
08:09as long as you control what you eat
08:11The other said,
08:13all emotions are for the food.
08:16Happy, sad, all of it,
08:18food is the solution.
08:20The other said,
08:22because stress spelled backwards
08:24is desserts.
08:26These are our pro-food partners.
08:30So, I think we mentioned this already.
08:32So, it can be a stress buster,
08:34it can be a soother,
08:36it can be a comfort.
08:38Sometimes, comfort food,
08:39not because we're sad.
08:41Comfort food because it's nostalgic for me.
08:43It's another big reason.
08:45I enjoy food because
08:47I can be a time traveler
08:49when I eat.
08:51It brings you back.
08:53The perfect bowl of sinigang
08:55is just like, oh, perfect.
08:57There's a different layer of memories.
08:59And then, the different kinds.
09:01For example, this is my mom's sinigang.
09:03This is my grandma's sinigang.
09:05So, it can even bring back
09:07loved ones, etc.
09:09So, that kind of comfort
09:11is definitely food-ish.
09:14It sounds like food is okay
09:16in that regard.
09:18But if it's the only source of comfort
09:20or any kind of comfort that you need,
09:24it's still food.
09:26So, if the comfort you're actually seeking
09:28is a social company,
09:30food can only go so far.
09:32And then, the secondary emotions
09:35if you feel ashamed and guilt
09:37or you start to have body image,
09:39issues,
09:41and you judge yourself for that,
09:43you're less likely to seek company
09:45because you feel more ashamed.
09:47So, it actually sabotages, in a way,
09:49the thing that you're looking for.
09:52It becomes a cycle, essentially.
09:55I wonder if,
09:57food in Filipino
10:00is so ingrained
10:02in our cultural identity.
10:04It's a Filipino love language.
10:06Food,
10:07taking care of someone,
10:10the idea of hospitality,
10:12never-ending food,
10:14salubong food.
10:16So, for us,
10:18that's the symbol of our generosity.
10:21So, actually, if you say no,
10:24no thank you, I'm full.
10:26Oh, are you ungrateful?
10:28Didn't you appreciate what was cooked,
10:30what was given,
10:32what was cooked for you?
10:34So, I wonder, that's why for us,
10:35it's more normal,
10:37more acceptable,
10:39in sum of oppression,
10:41that you eat as much as you like
10:43because that's also how we express
10:45that we appreciate them.
10:47That's also why scarcity mindset
10:49is such a big thing
10:51for a lot of Filipinos
10:53because we're afraid of running out.
10:55That's why we always prepare
10:57a lot of leftovers,
10:59always give to everybody,
11:01always have a take-home.
11:03Because we also have
11:05that leads into
11:07eating as much as you can
11:09because you're afraid
11:11that you're going to run out
11:13or you're afraid that it will be rude
11:15or a bad impression.
11:17So, it's part of,
11:19like you mentioned,
11:21it's really culturally ingrained
11:23in many, many different ways for us.
11:25That's why we need to understand
11:27what role that plays
11:29so that we can address it.
11:31What are the many, many reasons
11:32that determine people's way of eating?
11:39How do we learn more
11:41about our relationship with food?
11:43And the first thing we do
11:45is to dissect first
11:47what impacts your relationship
11:49with food from all of those
11:51different things,
11:53from childhood, grade school,
11:55even yesterday,
11:57what happened that impact
11:59your food choices today?
12:01into four types of hunger.
12:03So, number one is physical hunger.
12:05So, that's your literal need for food
12:07where if you were a car,
12:09you're low-gas,
12:11you really need to refuel.
12:13Number two is your mouth-taste hunger.
12:15So, this is your cravings.
12:17Like, I want something crunchy,
12:19I want something salty,
12:21something sweet.
12:23It's still very valid,
12:25but at least you understand
12:27that it's mostly a mouth-taste thing
12:28or this is where
12:30you don't feel hungry
12:32but you know you need to eat
12:34because you'll get hungry later
12:36or you know you don't feel
12:38your cues yet
12:40and you have to regulate that.
12:42And then number four is
12:44your emotional hunger
12:46which is usually our attempt
12:48to address something through food.
12:50Something that may or may not
12:52be addressed through food.
12:54And the reason why it's important
12:56to know this is because
12:58there are different types of hunger.
13:00For physical hunger,
13:02you will of course eat something
13:04that is physically satisfying.
13:06For mouth-taste hunger,
13:08you would eat something
13:10that would satisfy that
13:12if it's sweet or salty.
13:14For practical hunger,
13:16then of course we have to
13:18work on our meal timing.
13:20And then for emotional hunger,
13:22it's creating your emotional toolbox.
13:24It's understanding
13:26why you reach for food
13:28but actually my question is
13:31is it possible
13:33to have an emotional reason to eat
13:39that's okay?
13:41It's okay because
13:43you need to emotionally address something
13:45so I reach out for food.
13:47Is that ever okay?
13:49I think it is fine.
13:51It's perfectly okay
13:53but you have to recognize
13:55when it's too much.
13:56When you don't have
13:58other outlets
14:00to help you cope with your stress
14:02or whatever you're feeling.
14:04But also too,
14:06you have to understand
14:08if you're using it just to numb yourself
14:10so you never feel what you're feeling.
14:12So if you're stressed
14:14and you're just eating
14:16so you're not stressed
14:18but your main stressor is still there
14:20it still keeps coming back
14:22and you don't address it
14:24then that's when you have to be like
14:26yes rather than just turning to food.
14:28And usually we also experience
14:30a second level of emotional eating
14:32which is guilt
14:34for reaching for food.
14:36You're stressed.
14:38They feel bad.
14:40They feel ashamed
14:42of themselves sometimes.
14:44And it adds this extra layer of
14:46oh well I'm such a bad person
14:48for reaching for food when I'm stressed
14:50now I'm even more stressed.
14:52So it becomes a secondary level
14:54of emotional eating
14:56for reaching for food.
14:58It's fine.
15:00If it gives you what you need
15:02go for it.
15:04But also make sure you have space
15:06to address what is causing
15:08all of these emotions
15:10and that you also diversify
15:12your coping mechanisms as well
15:14so that food is still effective
15:16and we also are able to
15:18know when it's becoming
15:20a little bit of a negative relationship.
15:22So are there guidelines
15:23for using food
15:25to manage our emotions
15:27in a way that
15:29doesn't get us into trouble?
15:31It's not a clear set
15:33because everyone is still different
15:35in the way that they address certain things.
15:37But the first thing also
15:39I usually focus on is
15:41addressing your main hunger.
15:43Because sometimes your emotional hunger
15:45is actually physical hunger
15:47that is super intense.
15:49So when you're really, really hungry
15:51it feels emotional.
15:53And a lot of my clients
15:55actually experience that more.
15:57Even me.
15:59Before, I thought I was an emotional eater.
16:01I always eat when I'm stressed.
16:03I realized that I don't eat.
16:05I skip breakfast.
16:07When there's a snack,
16:09I don't eat that.
16:11Or when I eat, I eat just a little
16:13so that I can move on.
16:15And then I realized,
16:17I'm so hungry
16:19that's why I eat.
16:21And then it feels emotional
16:23when I layer out of the way.
16:25First, make sure you are physically fed.
16:27And then now you can better understand
16:29your emotions
16:31so that we can pinpoint them better.
16:33Like, what is the best way
16:35for you to address sadness?
16:37For you to address fear or anger?
16:39Maybe it's not actually food.
16:41But we'll find out
16:43when we're sure that we've addressed
16:45our physical hunger.
16:47So one of our last clients
16:49who shared,
16:50it's also a coping mechanism
16:52for other people
16:54to eat to fight stress
16:56instead of getting angry or tantrum.
16:58Instead of just eating,
17:00they're forced to eat.
17:02Is there something like that?
17:04I mean, I guess we can talk
17:06as psychologists and nutritionists
17:08that there's a hierarchy
17:10that's okay in the scheme of things.
17:12It's not so bad.
17:14I actually see that a lot with my clients
17:16where it's like,
17:18I always emotionally eat.
17:20I'm using alcohol as well.
17:22So sometimes it is
17:24the lesser evil in a sense
17:26because, of course,
17:28there's a lot of things
17:30that are way worse than food
17:32in the grand scheme of things
17:34when it comes to coping
17:36with our emotions.
17:38But then it always comes back
17:40to recognizing when it's too much.
17:42Because anything can always be too much.
17:44And if we put it in that hierarchy,
17:46even if it is in that hierarchy,
17:48in the excess of it all,
17:50it can be very, very bad.
17:52So like we mentioned,
17:54yes, of course,
17:56food can be one of the lesser evils
17:58in terms of emotionally coping
18:00with your stress.
18:02But it can still be a very negative thing
18:04when we overdo it.
18:06And I know it's hard to hear
18:08because I just want an answer
18:10that I can apply directly.
18:12But it's hard
18:14when you're dealing with emotions.
18:16It's never one size fits all.
18:18It's never just do this,
18:20do that.
18:22It's how you yourself
18:24can understand
18:26what you need
18:28and the tools you need
18:30to help you push back.
18:32And that's why one of my favorite things
18:34to teach is curiosity
18:36rather than judgment.
18:38If you ate too much today
18:40instead of,
18:42oh my God,
18:44you're so weak,
18:46you can't control yourself.
18:48What if we ask,
18:50my stress today really built up
18:52and I really just needed a release.
18:54And okay, I will just be more mindful
18:56of that next time.
18:58So if you have curiosity,
19:00you also have a solution.
19:02Oh, I ate too much
19:04because I didn't eat today.
19:06I'll make sure to eat throughout the day
19:08so my hunger doesn't build up.
19:10Or, oh, I ate too much
19:12because I didn't eat vegetables
19:14so I wasn't satisfied.
19:16Okay, I'll try to add more veggies.
19:18So that's my main approach
19:20so that you have solutions
19:22because if you're just judgmental
19:24about yourself,
19:26you'll just be like that
19:28and then it will be a cycle again.
19:30Yeah, and the reality is
19:32even though I'm the one asking you
19:34to give us something concrete,
19:36because even if they're begging for you
19:38to tell them what to eat,
19:40how to eat, and when to eat,
19:42honestly, even if you actually
19:44give them an answer,
19:46they won't follow, right?
19:48If it's that easy,
19:50they won't listen.
19:52So even if there is an answer to that,
19:54that's not the real answer for them
19:56because, as you said,
19:58at the end of the day,
20:00you will understand
20:02what your relationship with food is.
20:04Are you enemies? Are you lovers?
20:06Are you something in between?
20:08It's complicated.
20:10Okay, thanks again, Jo.
20:12So what I really understood
20:14is that it's not just about food.
20:16It's that relationship
20:18which is just like any relationship.
20:20We need to understand
20:22ourselves.
20:24We need to understand
20:26what food is for us.
20:29And as you said,
20:31that kindness and that curiosity.
20:33And, you know,
20:35let's not judge ourselves.
20:37Let's also know
20:39not to be judged
20:41like, hey, permission I ask
20:43to be reckless.
20:45So with all relationships,
20:47we need to take care of it
20:48and do it responsibly.
20:50Thank you, Doc.
20:52Yes, thank you so much for this space
20:54to share this story.
20:56And I really love what you're doing.
20:58So thank you so much.
21:18You're welcome.
21:48You're welcome.