6 Nourishing Ways a Nutritionist-Dietitian Uses Food to Heal Heartbreak
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As a nutritionist-dietitian, here's how I nourished my heart amidst grief.
As I am writing this, the song What Becomes of the Brokenhearted is playing on repeat in the background. The song conveys that heartbreak takes away the peace, and I agree. It takes my appetite too.
As a nutritionist-dietitian, here’s how I nourished my broken heart and beat my poor appetite caused by heartbreak.
1.) Eat small, frequent, nutrient-dense foods.
The medley of emotions that I experienced throughout the first two weeks affected my mood to eat. But as I am only going through a phase, I made a pact with myself to strive for proper nutrition in order to function properly.
Thus, when I'm in a light mood at a certain time of the day, I eat meals that are simple to prepare yet complete in calories. I consumed a variety of the following:
Yogurt
Dark-colored fruits
Lean chicken soup with dark-colored vegetables or noodles
Porridge with boiled egg
Lean chicken congee
Tuna sandwich with cheese
Soy milk and crackers
As a nutritionist-dietitian, I find these meals less chewy and soft to digest, which helped since I hadn't had the energy to eat in the aforementioned weeks.
But of course, as I moved along, I would occasionally treat myself to a serving of my favorite ice cream or a bar of dark chocolate.
There was a time, however, where my taste buds could only accept chicken congee. So, the entire day, my meal subsisted on a cycle of chicken congee paired with dark-colored soft fruits.
2.) Be mindful of overeating and undereating.
I accepted the difficulties that accompany heartbreak. Although I don't like it, I believe that experiencing these uninvited emotions is normal. I mean, after all, I am a person.
Nevertheless, I resisted letting the dense cloud of unfavorable thoughts that was hovering over me cause me to disregard my well-being. I have to admit that juggling self-care and heart healing is hard. I would constantly train my mind to eat healthy despite being under mental and emotional strain.
Since I had no desire to eat, I found that little, frequent feedings throughout the day were effective for me. Skipping meals would lead to hunger pangs and possibly binge eating. In addition, I don't consider food as a way to reward my emotional state because doing so may lead to overeating.
When undergoing a challenge like heartbreak, it's important to think of food as nourishment, a way to provide the body with proper nutrients while we put a lot of energy into repairing the wounded heart and making a full recovery.
Originally published on my now-deleted blog under a different title. It has since been updated for lovewithhyacinth.com .
3.) Limit salt intake.
I limit my sodium intake to avoid feeling heavy and bloated the following morning. A high-salt diet also has a detrimental effect on my mood in general. I find it more upsetting when I am having crying spells (due to heartaches) and also have a distended stomach linked to sodium bloating.
I mean, I still want to fit into my jeans, especially when the heartbreak fades. Even in the middle of a storm, my goal is to come out happy, healthy, and beautiful. For me, that's the best kind of victory.
Therefore, I minimized eating cured, processed, and canned foods, as well as highly salted snacks and chips.
Once in a while, though, I would give in and have a small bag of my favorite corn chips. But I do not think of it as a staple food, more so in this state of sadness.
4.) Choose energy-boosting whole foods.
I find this guideline helpful, given that I felt weak the first two weeks, probably due to the energy I expended on sobbing and entertaining negative thoughts.
To provide the brain with the glucose it needs, I included in my meal plan foods rich in complex carbohydrates yet unsaturated in simple sugars, like:
Bread
Grains
Noodles
For skin, hair, and body structure maintenance, better immunity, and hormone support, I incorporated protein sources such as:
Lean meat
Low-fat dairy
Eggs
Lastly, to sauté my lean meat, I use vegetable oil, a source of healthy fat for energy supply and appetite sustenance.
Note: For cholesterol control, limit egg intake to three per week, no matter the cooking style.
5.) Stay hydrated.
I was going through a string of emotions that would frequently cause me to cry. As they say, a broken-hearted soul experiences an overwhelming range of emotions. For my part, I would notice that I would feel sad, lonely, frustrated, and/or worried. Yes, breakups and heartbreaks can be so confusing that I would only express those pent-up emotions by crying. Somehow, it’s therapeutic, as I would feel calmer afterwards.
But crying for a long time may cause dehydration since the body loses water and electrolytes through tears.
To prevent this, I made sure to:
Drink water regularly.
Consume hydrating foods such as soup, fruits, and my choice of milk.
6.) Include antioxidants in my diet.
Antioxidants protect the cells in the body from damage caused by free radicals, which is a type of molecular reaction that occurs during our internal bodily processes.
I incorporated antioxidant-rich foods like:
Papaya, tomato, and melon (dark-colored fruits and vegetables).
These may help prevent the negative consequences of emotional stress brought on by heartbreak, especially in the initial stages when I lacked the strength to exude inner joy.
Conclusion Updated
These guidelines are generic, but they nevertheless aided me physically and emotionally. That, along with the emotional support from a few remarkable people, helped me through this phase.
Yes, I find heartbreak to be debilitating. But I know that steadily we can recover from this heart-wrenching episode. Slowly, yet there is constant progress; that's what matters most.
Since no specific diet exists for breakups, I still suggest maintaining a balanced diet with both moderation and variety.
Seeking professional assistance during this tough time can also be beneficial.
