How to Eat through Heartbreak

What feeding yourself looks like on hard days. Plus: Dijon, Dog Day Afternoon, and Long Distance Love.

Morning everyone. I started writing this yesterday afternoon, with the news playing in the background. I had wanted to write about something else entirely, but this topic - on eating through heartbreak - feels more apt.

Heartbreak isn’t exclusive to romantic relationships ending. It can come from the weight of the news streaming in - horror after horror. It can be the accumulated strain of economic pressure, climate anxiety, and the sense that the world is asking more than we can give.

Heartbreak comes from paying attention.

When we experience heartbreak, it registers as stress. Stress affects appetite, digestion, and decision making. Physiologically, this often shows up as elevated cortisol and altered blood sugar regulation. During heartbreak, appetite can become inconsistent and unreliable.

For some people, it disappears completely. For others, it bec…