When sick or sad, people gravitate to comfort food – but does it make a difference?

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The answer is nuanced, as comfort foods can provide both emotional relief and potential drawbacks depending on the individual and circumstances. Comfort food has been shown to improve mood temporarily, especially for emotional eaters. Studies suggest that the palatability of food plays a significant role in mood enhancement, with tastier foods providing greater comfort during moments of sadness or stress. Emotional eaters often experience satisfaction and mood improvement after consuming comfort food, while non-emotional eaters may not derive the same benefit, particularly under stress. Additionally, comfort foods can evoke nostalgia and positive memories, acting as social surrogates that remind individuals of meaningful connections and moments of belonging.

From a physiological perspective, consuming sweet and fatty comfort foods can release dopamine and serotonin, chemicals linked to pleasure and mood elevation. This process can dampen stress responses in the body by reducing cortisol levels and activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, these effects are often short-lived and may lead to unhealthy eating habits if relied upon excessively.

While comfort foods can provide immediate emotional relief, they may also contribute to negative health outcomes if consumed excessively. High-calorie comfort foods rich in sugar and fat are associated with weight gain, metabolic risks, and increased likelihood of depression over time. This creates a feedback loop where individuals turn to unhealthy food to combat stress but experience worsening mental health as a result.

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Food asphyxiation is in the news today – and is WAY more dangerous than marijuana.

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These findings suggest public health efforts might be disproportionately focused on substances with lower mortality rates while overlooking more common dangers like food asphyxiation. Increased education on proper eating habits, especially for at-risk populations like the elderly, could potentially save more lives than efforts to prevent marijuana overdoses.

Nothing is better on a winter night than pasta – go the extra step with this cannabis infused tomato sauce

Super Bowl weekend, cold weather, or just the need for some comfort food? Try this mouthwatering pasta with an optional marijuana kick. This pasta will make your mouth grateful for winter as it warms you up and tickles your tastebuds. And it has the benefits of being able to help you relax if you add in some cannabis.

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Todd Gray is a highly accomplished chef with a rich culinary background. Gray was appointed one of the inaugural State Department Chefs representing the U.S. in Italy and Canada. Well-known in the culinary world, he has appeared on several cooking shows with renowned chefs like Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, and Tyler Florence. In 2013, he co-authored the cookbook The New Jewish Table with his wife, Ellen Kassoff. Chef Gray’s extensive travels for culinary research have taken him to the Middle East for the Museum of the Bible and to New Zealand for the Cervena Council. 

Gray and Kassoff have developed numerous hospitality projects, including Salamander Resort and Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, Watershed at the Hilton Garden Inn, Equinox on 19th and Muse at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Gray will be a featured speaker at February Women Who Grow Conference.

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