Tacos At The Stroke Of Midnight

It's just about Midnight, and I've just left work or the KRFF studios in downtown Fargo.  I want to go home, but my stomach is absolutely growling and I don't want to go to bed with it empty, something I blame on my sleep schedule.  So, I get in my car and go off in search of food, hoping to satisfy whatever craving I have that night and go to bed full.

You're probably thinking right now "This is a huge problem", and believe me when I say that I agree 100%.  Eating so close to bedtime is something that I've read countless articles about online and have heard about straight from the mouth of countless health professionals.  So why do I do it then?  Because I'm hungry, and when I feel hungry I feel nauseous for some strange reason, and so I naturally go out in search of food.

I feel though as if I need to learn to cook more or get myself into the habit of buying healthier foods to eat at bedtime.  When I get off of work, the strongest urge is always to head to the Taco Bell that I go to over by the hospital, the only one in town that's consistently open until the time they say they are.  If I decide to head home instead, I'll end up reaching for the chips or cracking open the package of Oreos. Or worst of all, I cook up a Bob Evans pasta tray and eat that.  As you can probably tell after reading this, I naturally reach for the cheesiest, most MSG and sugar laced foods available at this time of the day, and I'm sure you're surprised when I say that I very much enjoy salads and fruit too, just not at this time of the day for some reason. 

Sometimes, I think my anxiety pushes me towards comfort foods.  I don't want to claim I have food addiction because I have not been diagnosed with that condition.  When I've had a bad day and my anxiety has run amuck to the point where some of the depression symptoms it can cause start to set in, I do something that some of my friends have dubbed "eating our feelings", meaning that I use food as a way to improve my mood.  You could also call this "stress eating", and oh goodness me do I do it a lot still, especially with Taco Bell.  It's a very tough habit to break stress eating is, and while I've had success leaving things be for a while and avoiding it, it always creeps back up like an old friend just trying to say hello. 

I find that, when trying to avoid stress eating or overeating, one of the hardest humps to get over is the mental hump.  Telling yourself "I just ate three hours ago, so there's no way I need all this crap right now" can be one of the hardest things to accomplish.  But with a little work, it's not too hard.  You also need to stock up your pantry with things you can eat when you're hungry that are healthy and will help your body, so that instead of going out to eat and rewarding your brain's pleasure system by satisfying the cravings that you'll have again later that day or week, you have the fruit or vegetables that are loaded with nutrients and will make you want more of those instead.  Trust me, I really enjoy a good salad or a tray full of things like strawberries and blueberries.  I actually have some of those in my fridge that I should probably either eat or toss within the next few days if they haven't gone bad already. 

I have gotten better at not eating so late into the day in the recent weeks.  I come home and just walk straight past the kitchen and go into my room and get ready to enjoy my evening before I head to bed, no food included.  It's just me and the TV or the computer.  And if I do get hungry, I've been trying to stick to smaller amounts of things so that I don't conk out on a full stomach.  I've had mixed success with it so far, but I'm getting better. 

Smart shopping is also something I need to master.  Breakfast bowls and microwavable waffles have an awesome taste, but what about a bowl of fruit instead?  How about some apples and peaches instead of that box of crackers or bag of potato chips?  Why not get the ingredients to prepare a stir fry instead of getting heat and eat sushi?  These are decisions I should be getting better at when going shopping, and maybe the next time I head to Walmart on my day off to stock the fridge and cabinets, I'll try to avoid the items in the middle aisles, and just do a tour of the outer wall coolers and then the produce department, skipping the snack aisles and the deli/bakery areas altogether.  I mean, if other people can do it, why can't I?  I can do the same thing as these people, if I truly put my mind to it.  Maybe then, I'll no longer be eating tacos at the stroke of Midnight, realizing that my Quesarito has sour cream in it when I specifically asked them not to and holding back the urge to subtweet Taco Bell on Twitter.

So, I invite you to join me in trying to stress eat less and start consuming foods healthier for the body and soul.  I've heard pulling from the garden is great, or even hitting up the farmers' market.  You do you, and I'll do me.  Together, we can work towards leading happy, healthy lives and increase our life expectancy, working towards a healthier future.