What the Japanese term "kuchisabishi" says about our relationship to food

If you notice that you go to the refrigerator many times, although you do not want to eat, or lean more on your favorite food, it looks like you have a kuchisabishi. This Japanese word literally means "lonely mouth" or "the urge to put something in your mouth." It is used when they mean that they are eating out of boredom or eating stress.

When you have a kuchisabishi, you are motivated not by hunger, but by the desire to feel that you are chewing something.

This concept also carries a connotation of comfort and reassurance. The word can be heard during kaiseki, a traditional Japanese multi-course meal where a small snack is offered at the start of the meal to "satisfy your kuchisabishi." It is also used to describe the desire of a person who quit smoking to take a drag on a cigarette to relieve stress.

When you have nothing to occupy your mouth with, it "feels lonely." You become like a child who weaned from a pacifier, or like a game character Pac ‑ Manwho needs to eat all the dots in the maze, and rummage in the refrigerator or lockers in search of a snack.

From time to time, we all feel the urge to chew something to calm down or distract ourselves. But if you find yourself indulging kuchisabishi more and more often, this is a serious reason to think about your eating behavior. For example, if you are constantly eating, although you are not hungry, you consume large portions very quickly, and then you feel guilty, this may indicate compulsive overeating.

Think about what really causes your desire, and try to eat more consciously. Find advicewho will help you with this. You may be able to keep control of the kuchisabishi thanks to a food journal, where you will record all the main meals and snacks. Or the habit of storing snacks and sweets in the locker, not in plain sight, and transferring them from a large factory package to the dishes, so as not to eat too much at one time, will help you out.

If you notice that you are snacking more out of boredom, consider how you can entertain yourself in a different way: watch a comedy, go for a walk, chat with friends or do something that is guaranteed to raise you mood.