Emotional nutrition and nutritional supplements in the food pyramid

The food pyramid has undergone some changes through the update of the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC). The evolution of society and its habits can be seen reflected in the « Dietary guides for the Spanish population (SENC, December 2016) ». A recommended reading guide where we can observe some very interesting appraisals.

Specifically,

1. Emotional feeding

Emotional balance is another aspect of updating the pyramid. Emotional feeding studies the relationship between emotions and intake, how we respond to situations of anger, anxiety, frustration or depression through food intake.

It is an increasingly important factor since it determines our purchasing processes, preparation and subsequent food intake. The roller coaster of emotions should not define the diet carried out, sadness or stress should not lead to intake of more fatty and carbohydrate rich foods. Therefore, more and more is appealed to the concept Mindful eating, which would be translated as conscious eating.

This type of food aims to promote healthy relationship with food. How? Paying attention to the whole process, increasing the commitment to what we eat and in what way. In addition, this type of concentration can help us to get rid of prejudices about physical and emotional sensations, meaning that we can « recognize and respond to satiety, or recognize but not respond to different inappropriate cues that encourage eating like advertising, boredom Or anxiety, among others. « 

       2. Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional supplements are located at the top of the pyramid as the perfect possible complement to the diet, with dietary prescription coming from health professionals. The recommendations foresee that their consumption should be preceded by a lack or need for reinforcement, which should be destined in an individualized way since not all of us have the same deficiencies or needs.

Supplementation, as the guidebook points out, « consists in the use of isolated nutrients or in combination which are given in pharmaceutical forms (tablets, capsules, powders, syrups) », but why are they necessary?

The belief that balanced and varied diets are a guarantee of the contribution of nutrients and energy can be disassembled. The need for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is not covered many times despite fulfilling the indications of nutritional pyramids, therefore and because each person has some needs, we resort to nutritional supplements.

In addition, the desire to achieve optimum health has caused that the conventional amounts appear insufficient and necessary contributions far superior to those that we have been consuming, reason why the recourse to the supplements to try to reach the nutritional well-being is more and more common.

Source: Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) (December 2016) Food guidelines for the Spanish population. Retrieved from: http://www.nutricioncomunitaria.org/es/noticia/piramide-de-la-alimentacion-saludable-senc-2015