Food fads?

[Zaf]

Does anyone else notice the type of food they fancy/eat depends on how their illness is doing?

It struck me recently that one of he first signs I got I was slipping into depression again wss a craving for sweet and carbohydratey things plus peanut butter, when I'm beginning to feel better I lose the cravings for them

[Lol]

Carbohydrates are serotonin regulators and rebuffers, your body very cleverly knows that when you have eaten them in the past you have had a release of serotonin and it has elevated your mood.

[Depina]

that's interesting. I crave sugar and carbohydrates, but at the moment I'm not and I am feeling better at the moment.

[Lol]

Biology rocks  />.

[Zaf]

Thanks lol, I thought it might be something to do with blood sugar,   I think biology would rock a bit more if my seratonin behaved itself in he first place

[angel3077]

I crave junk food but I thought it was a comfort thing. I am the same near my time of the month. Yea seratonin needs a kick up the bahookie

[Lol]

It is a comfort thing. Your body needs the comfort of seratonin release to elevate your mood. The emotion of comfort is a pleasant and positive one.

[Munchroom]

I find that when my mood goes, so does my appetite - completely. Whereas people 'comfort eat' when they are feeling low, I go to the opposite extreme and stop eating altogether. My stomach just feels like a massive tangle of wool (much like my head...) and I cannot stomach even the yummiest of foods...

[Lol]

At this point you will be past the 1st signs and into depression/anxiety full on.

[Zaf]

I think you're right lol, when I am at my depths I barely eat, even the tastiest morsel seems unappetising

[Munchroom]

No... unfortunately not. This is usually one of my first 'early warning' signs that things are not going too well. I have always suffered with borderline anorexia and I think really its only down to the support of those around me that I haven't yet crossed that 'line'.

Chris will bribe me to eat - even tiny amounts and my mum will phone to encourage me to get out and start making food - and thats on a good day.   I am always concious about putting on wieght - even though I tend to vary in clothes size from a 6 to a 10, so I know I am not 'fat'... but theres always that fear that once I 'allow' myself to eat when I want to, I'm not going to be able to stop. Obviously this has got worse over the last 18 months or so and I still have days where I hardly eat at all and feel absolutley fine mood wise.

The ironic thing is - I love food! I love shopping for food and I love preparing food for others, its just the fear of allowing myself to enjoy it too much....

[Lol]

Gosh that is very difficult for you. Eating disorders are almost never about whether or not we enjoy food, but rather a fear of somthing else. You do very well controlling this. Maybe it is an early warning sign for you not to eat because you start to feel the need to take control. One of my early warning signs is excessive need for tidyness and cleanliness (not to the point of OCD) and trying to control my environment and the people in it! It must be SO annoying for everyone else!!!!! Is starts with just small things that only effect me, then I'm trying to control EVERYTHING. It's like I can detect a storm coming so I start to lock everthing down so that we'll be alright when it comes.

[Tinkerbell]

Gosh! Yeah I crave sugary thing too when I feel low and when I feel ok I don't hardly eat at all.

[Munchroom]

mmhmm! Yep - I do like to feel I am 'in control' at times when I very obviously am not... Also, I have got myself a reputation for being a bit of an OCD freak at work. I do nightshifts and its usually quite quiet once everyone is settled... I'm out in the kitchen scrubbing the floors, sinks, cooker, the tray holder stand thingy.... anyone that does nights with me is like 'um... you dont have to do that, just wipe the sides down!' but once I notice something is unclean, I have to clean it... I must be a bit of a nightmare to work with in all honesty... 

[Zaf]

I can relate to the control thing lol, in fact my counsellor and I discussed it a fair bit when I told her that I become obsessive that things are done 'right' and will even fly into a rage if they arent, this always happens in the few weeks prior to actual depression hitting me.