What Is Food Noise?

The pause, even simply a breath, taken between hunger and eating, is the first step toward taking control.

– Melissa McCreery

Introduction

In the fast-changing technology & having an abundance of information in this information age, we have come across lots of information and distractions in daily life and that extends to our eating habits. Have you ever come across the term” food noise”? It is not the different sounds created by your foods during eating. Food Noise is the phenomenon of unhealthy eating habits caused due to various external factors. The main purpose of this blog post is to discuss what is food noise, why it matters, and how can you stop food noise naturally.

What Is Food Noise?

Food Noise covers all the external & internal factors that affect your eating habits. It includes everything from advertising by various food companies, big restaurants, food parks and delivery agencies, social media channels and the availability of unhealthy snacks at your workplace, Eating emotionally & eating while watching various screens. Let’s down some common sources of food noise:

1. Eating emotionally: –

Generally, when we are under too much stress, anxiety, anger and sadness, we eat more unconsciously. Here food is used as a medium for the sake of suppressing our emotions to some extent not for nourishment.

2. Marketing and Advertising:-

In the food industry, various food distribution agencies are spending billions of dollars annually on marketing and advertising. This will impact both the eating choices we make and the quantity of eating.

3. Social Gatherings:

Different social gatherings like parties with friends or colleagues, Weddings or social festivals, Anniversaries etc can lead to overeating or making unhealthy food choices.

4. Fast & Unhealthy Lifestyles:-

Nowadays in a fast environment, most have a focus on work & income. If we ask them what is the main purpose of their income they will say for a good living. But in reality, by focusing more on work they do even not get little time to eat peacefully with mindfulness. So taking their food during busy schedules of work leads to overeating and unconscious eating.

5. Emerging reach of foods:-

Due to the increase of so many shopping Malls, Food courts or parks, different food companies’ exclusive stores, different food delivery agencies etc., varieties of food are available to attract and reachable to all. This is also now becoming a major reason for the habit of overeating and food Noise.

6. Eating with watching various Screens: –

The increase in engagement in different screen watching [Like Laptop, Tab, Mobile, and Television etc] also is the reason affecting overeating & unconscious eating. Most of the children are also being trapped in this bad habit of eating while watching screens. By doing so, there is no mindful eating for which portion control cannot be possible. It makes food noise and impacts on the health of the body.

Generally, a very small mass of people are aware of this Food Noise. But it is one of the unhealthiest habits making people unhealthy and obese. This habit will keep you for overeating and decrease the power of mindfulness and conscious eating. If we are aware of this and adopt the steps or strategies discussed below, then we can be able to stop this food noise habit naturally to being healthy and active.

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How to stop food noise naturally

As we discussed, Food Noise can affect our health directly or indirectly. So, stopping food noise naturally is very important and challenging. It can be possible by having a positive mindset to stop food noise. Stopping food noise naturally involves adopting mindful and holistic approaches to eating that promote a healthier relationship with food. Some natural strategies  are furnished below to help you reduce food noise:

1. Plan for  5 Balanced Meals Plan:-

• Plan 5 balanced Meals [3 main meals as Breakfast, Lunch and dinner and 2 snacks] having macronutrients, micronutrients. Fibers etc to fulfill hunger and energy.
• Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, green vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts & seeds etc a balanced nutritious diet.     

2. Listen to Your Gut:

• Observe and listen to your Gut. Observe at what time, you are feeling hungry and ensure whether that hunger is natural or emotional.
• Consume food only when you genuinely feel hungry. The best practice for this, you fix a specific time for all 5 Meal plans of the entire day. 
• Feel your Gut when fully satisfied with the hunger then stop to take extra food.

3.  Practice Mindful Eating:

• Try to Eat Mindfully to avoid Food Noise,& Healthy Digestion & better absorption of Nutrients.
• Take your food silently and consciously. It will not only help you to stop food noise but also help in good digestion & energy conversion.
• Always concentrate on the taste, colour & smell of each bite of food for better results.
• Try to avoid any type of distractions like Mobile. TV Laptop etc and any other noise while eating food so that you will be able to stop food noise.

4. Create a Supportive Environment for Healthy Food Choices:-

• Keep varieties of Nutritious foods, and groceries in your Kitchen and Refrigerator so that a supportive environment will be created for healthy food choices. 
• Make a rule in your home that no processed foods and junk/unhealthy foods are allowed in the home.

5. Make a habit of reading the Food Labels :

• Learn to read and interpret the nutrition labels of each food item. Try to observe the serving size and ingredient list also.
• Try to figure out any unrealistic health claims and misleading marketing. Be cautious and refrain from misleading claims & benefits shown in advertising.

6. Practice Portion Control:

• Take your meals on smaller plates so that portion size of eating will be controlled.
• When you are planning to dine out occasionally, you may share your dishes to control overeating.
• It is very important that for nourishment & energy, you can decrease the quantity of eating by increasing the quality of same with the addition of nutritious food in eating plate.

7. Manage Stress Effectively:

•  As we know when we are under stress/ anxiety & anger, at that time we eat more. So, by adopting so many stress reduction techniques we have to reduce stress and anger so that food noise can be stopped.
• Try to spend some time of your day with nature to bring calmness to your mind.

8. Be in a Healthy Connections:-

•  Whether you are eating at home or outside, try to eat with family members or friends so that you will get a happy and relaxed ambience of eating.
•  Share your goals to reduce food noise with your near and dear for their immense support and encouragement.

9. Sound Sleep & Excercise

• Try to have adequate sound sleep which has a direct impact on the level of hunger & fulfilment.
• Do some moderate exercises of at least 30 to 45 Mins daily which can help to manage the stress and to alleviate the emotional eating.

Stopping food noise naturally is a gradual process that involves reducing external & internal factors responsible for food noise, using various strategies of mindfulness eating, adopting balanced nutritious meals with portion control, creating a healthy environment of healthy foods & healthy communities for getting healthy eating choices & avoiding overeating. Managing Stress with adequate sound sleep and consistent exercise, By implementing all the above steps you can be able to develop mindful and quality eating to stop the food noise to a greater extent.

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Does food noise affect the weight loss process?

Yes, noise in eating can remarkably affect the weight loss process. Food noise can be defined as the external and internal factors that affect your eating habits, and it can have a direct impact on your ability to lose weight. As discussed below:

1. Overeating:

Food noise can lead to overeating, which is a primary obstacle to weight loss. External influences like larger portion sizes, enticing advertisements, and social pressure can encourage you to consume more calories than your body needs.

2. Emotional Eating:

Eating during emotional feelings due to stress, anxiety, sadness, and anger can cause Food Noise. Emotional eating can lead to consuming high-caloric and low nutrient dense foods which will affect your weight loss results.

3. Mindless Eating:

Mindless eating can also be one of the reasons for Food Noise. Where you eat without paying attention to portion sizes or the feelings of fullness. This results in high-calorie consumption.

4. Poor Food Choices:

The external influences of food noise can lead to poor food choices, such as opting for convenient but unhealthy fast food or sugary snacks. These choices can hamper your weight loss goals.

5. Inconsistent Eating Patterns:

Food noise can interrupt your natural hunger, leading to irregular eating patterns. This habit can make it challenging to create a sustainable calorie deficit, which is necessary for weight loss.

6. Stress in Life:

Stress and anxiety in life can be the reason for Food Noise which can increase cortisol levels in the body. Increased cortisol can result in high storage of fat in the abdomen, making it difficult to achieve the weight loss goal.

7. Lack of Awareness:

Food noise can disconnect you from your body’s signals of hunger and fullness. This lack of awareness can prevent you from recognizing when you’ve eaten enough or when you’re genuinely hungry.

To facilitate a successful weight loss process, it’s crucial to reduce food noise and cultivate a mindful approach to eating. This involves paying attention to your body’s hunger and fullness signals, making healthier food choices, managing emotional eating, and creating an environment that supports your weight loss goals. By addressing food noise and adopting mindful eating practices, you can improve your chances of achieving and maintaining your desired weight while promoting a healthier relationship with food.

Thank You for Reading this Article till the end. Hope you have gathered some knowledge on Food Noise and how it affects our Health & weight loss process. Also, we have discussed how we can stop this food noise naturally. So, try to stop Food Noise for a healthy & active life.

Please share your esteemed comments below.