During many sessions with my clients who have battled disordered eating and chronic dieting, I have often heard statements like: “I constantly think about food and have an internal debate with every meal about whether it’s good or bad for me,” and “Why can’t I just shut down these invasive food thoughts in my head? As soon as I finish breakfast, I start stressing out about the next snack or meal.”

All of this sounds quite familiar to me, as I battled similar “food demons” for almost 15 years and lost the battle every time until I began studying nutrition academically and learned how to nourish and accept my body. What my clients and I experience is nowadays called “food noise.”

“Food noise” refers to the constant, intrusive thoughts and mental chatter about food, eating, body image, and diet. These thoughts can be persistent and distracting, often causing anxiety or preoccupation with what, when, and how much to eat. For many people, food noise can disrupt their ability to eat intuitively and enjoy food without guilt, shame, and stress.

Key Characteristics of Food Noise:

• Persistent Thoughts: Continuous mental dialogue about food choices, meal planning, and calorie counting.
• Preoccupation with Food: Overthinking about food, including what to eat next, what not to eat, and how food will affect their body.
• Anxiety and Guilt: Feeling anxious or guilty about food choices, leading to stress around eating.
• Distraction: Difficulty focusing on other activities because of ongoing thoughts about food and eating.

Causes of Food Noise:

• Diet Culture: Societal pressure and norms around dieting and body image.
• Disordered Eating: Patterns of restrictive eating, binge eating, or other unhealthy eating behaviors.
• Nutritional Deficiencies: Lack of essential nutrients (e.g., B vitamins, iron) can sometimes lead to increased preoccupation with food.
• Psychological Factors: Stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues can intensify thoughts about food.

Managing Food Noise:

• Mindful Eating: Practice being present and mindful during meals to help reduce anxiety around food.
• Balanced Diet: Ensure a well-rounded diet to minimize nutritional deficiencies that can trigger food thoughts. A dietitian can help you understand and define what your personalized balanced nutrition should look like and how to plan and structure nourishing meals and snacks.
• Therapy and Support: Work with a therapist and dietitian, especially those who specialize in disordered eating and an intuitive approach to eating.
• Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself and recognize that it’s okay to enjoy food without guilt and give yourself permission to eat.

I will be honored to help you understand and manage food noise, and improve your relationship with food and overall mental well-being by diving deeper into the root causes and working on all the above-mentioned concepts.