Feeding Our Worries: How Rising Food Costs Are Taking a Toll on Our Mental Health

Randi:
0:14

Welcome to the Women's Mental Health Podcast. We're Randi and Jess, and we are two licensed psychotherapists. We talk about women's mental health, their well-being, and strategies for coping with all of life's challenges.

Jess:
0:26

And how all of it is normal.

Randi:
0:29

In today's episode, we are going to dive into a crucial topic, exploring how the increased cost of groceries is affecting mental health.

Jess:
0:38

Find us and more resources on womensmentalhealthpodcast.com.

Randi:
0:43

Okay, have you ever had these thoughts?

Jess:
0:47

How do food and increased food costs impact my mental health as a mom and wife?

Randi:
0:53

Can financial stress, especially related to grocery costs, contribute to mental health issues? Mm hmm. Are

Jess:
0:59

Are there any groups that are more susceptible to the effects of increased food on their mental health?

Randi:
1:06

costs? How does food insecurity lead to higher costs? How can the increased cost of food affect mental health? Are there

Jess:
1:13

ways to cope with increased food costs to minimize the impact on mental health?

Randi:
1:17

How can I prioritize my mental health when I am struggling financially with the cost of food?

Jess:
1:23

Are there any community resources available for individuals facing financial strain due to higher food prices?

Randi:
1:29

costs? Where can I find financial and mental health support during this challenging time?

Jess:
1:35

And how can I advocate for policies to address rising food costs and the fact that they are affecting us mentally?

Randi:
1:42

What are some self-care practices I can implement to support my mental wealth and wellbeing during financial challenges?

Jess:
1:51

So it's interesting that this is the topic on which we're working right now. I will share that our oldest has moved back home after six years of being in the military and overseas. And so I've always played a game with my kids about grocery shopping. How much do you think this cart costs? Oh gosh. I have done that since forever seventh grade because I remember going shopping on the first time by myself and then I was like, oh god, I can't afford this and I had to put stuff back. So I always want them to be aware of how much we're spending Not so they feel guilty but just so

Randi:
2:23

they're aware of self-awareness and for when they're out on their own, because I feel a lot of us aren't prepared for that.

Jess:
2:30

No, we're going through Costco, and he remembered, Do we want to play the game of how much it costs? And I said, uh, probably not, but yeah, go ahead. And he goes, I'm going to say 300. And I said, Now double that. Yeah. Laughing. And he was like, Wait, what? I go double that. He goes double. I said you haven't been here.

Randi:
2:49

I said, yeah, cause he's been overseas too. Yeah. Food has

Jess:
2:52

gone up so much. What is it? 25 to 50%? No. How much has it gone?

Randi:
2:58

up? It's gone up a lot. I've written a couple of articles on it. So, the cost the food has increased by almost 6%. 6%? That's it? Yeah, which is, well, that's huge for food. But it feels like it's

Jess:
3:12

50%.

Randi:
3:13

I feel like it does. Because I feel like certain products have gone up more overall, but that's like an average. So over the last four years, it has gone up by 25%.

Jess:
3:25

Okay. So that makes more sense to me. That makes more sense. I feel like every time we go to Costco, I'm walking out of there spending a lot of money. What did I buy? The reason we're bringing this up is that it is leading to stress and anxiety. And it's really making me feel like there's a scarcity issue going on. Because I'm like, wow, I keep buying food, and we have more people in the house. And so we're spending more money, and I wasn't. I guess not that I wasn't prepared for it, but I just wasn't used to it again. So I'm like, how do you guys do this when you have so many kids or multiple kids in the family?

Randi:
4:00

Well, and I know a lot of people too, like on food stamps or EBT, because I have worked with the homeless population a lot. It really affects them because they have not seen an increase in their supplementation, but food costs have gone up. say they have kids, and they have a very strict grocery budget, and now they don't know how to make that stretch anymore when it's already stretched. And so, this can really lead to, especially for women and mothers, sacrificing nutrition or compromising on meals, and then that leads to how it affects your physical health and your mental health conditions. It really puts a whole lot of stress on your system, and then things like anxiety, depression or even eating disorders creep up because maybe you're like a mom, or an aunt or somebody who's trying to eat less so your kids can eat more. Oh,

Jess:
4:55

I remember this. Years ago, before I even had kids, I was in undergrad, There was a mom who was telling me that she and her two kids were eating like popcorn. And I was like, Oh, cool. She's like, no, we eat popcorn every night for dinner. And I, and she would even say, sometimes I don't eat dinner. So my kids can, and she was working to improve herself and it was working and she did it. But I just remember thinking, wow. That must be really hard, but people do it

Randi:
5:21

all the time. And think of, too, the shame or guilt if you are struggling to provide for your family due to those financial constraints. And I also have a social media platform that is about saving money and coupons, and we have a lot of single moms that follow us or a lot of larger families that are trying to make things stretch. And this is really one of their number one concerns: financial stress and food costs. And we help people learn how to coupon and save money with that. But still, it's hard when you're in the middle of that. And I can say too that when I was younger, I was on food stamps before, and it was not an easy place to be. I mean, it was only for about six months. I was getting myself out of a situation. But to feel like you need help sometimes or to even ask for that help is so hard mentally.

Jess:
6:22

You know, I kind of laugh. I was walking into a neighbor's house the other day, and my friends across the street were eating. Craft macaroni and cheese, and they're cutting up protein to put in it, and they're like, This is so good. I was like, That is so disgusting. That is my trigger food from when I was a kid. We were so poor. Government

Randi:
6:42

meals. Yes. We were so poor growing up. My husband grew up super poor too. So he talks about

Jess:
6:47

that. Mac and cheese. My mother was like, This is the only protein I could get you on paydays. They would throw it in like a hot dog. Right. To this day? I will not eat mac and cheese and hot dogs, and she looked at me, and I was telling the story, and she goes, Oh yeah, that's, that's shit on a shingle. She goes, and I can't eat shit on the shingle ever again. We grew up on that. And if you know what that is, then you know you're poor. I'm like, yeah, yeah. I know what that is. That was payday food, too. That's meat. And so it was one of those things. It's interesting to see how someone with a different background, like my husband, hates spaghetti. Yeah. That's all they had because she could make spaghetti by bulk for two boys growing up as a single mom. And so. When we eat it, he's like, ah, spaghetti, but it's the same thing. So it's interesting how foods can still trigger your 30, 40

Randi:
7:36

years later. Yeah. And I try to tell my kids too, like you have so many more options than we did. And like how we never had any special foods, like in our house, we never had any name-brand things. And I didn't realize it. Then, it probably led to some of my binge eating disorders, things like that and food insecurities. Not having access to food and then having the financial means to then have access to that food and overindulging in it because you have never had that before. And so you are so worried about not having food. And then things like hoarding or massive extreme couponing can lead because of those insecurities.

Jess:
8:22

That is so true, Randy, because I always make sure my pantry is stocked. And I mean, I've gotten better over the last few years, but it was always because, growing up, we didn't have any food. We didn't have money. We were probably a penny away from living in our car. And so my mother worked really hard. She did everything she could. We survived. It was great. You know, we moved on and everything else, but I still have that. I mean, she is still a baby; she will feed you. She'll send food home with you. It's her love language. I used to live behind the dole plant and the dole pineapple plant. Yeah. I was the little, skinny one. So I believe it or not. Yes, I was up until a certain age. I was the one that they would send over. I would hop the fence and go in; they would have like the dint cans. Oh, yeah. And I would take the dinted cans from the Dole company. Yeah. And I remember doing that, and I'd come home, and we wouldn't know what they were. I'm sure we probably shouldn't have been doing that. I'm sure, you know. Yeah. We all survived. But I would pass it out to the neighborhood because I could.

Randi:
9:28

You were your own little food

Jess:
9:29

bank. I would, yes, because I was the one that could fit through the gate. So they'd have me go crawl up and get it. And so I remember doing all of this at a young age. My kid has no clue. Food shows up on the doortop.

Randi:
9:40

Right. Door dash, delivered. It's hard. It's hard. But. We need to remind people that when you are in this situation, it's hard to see your way out of it. But when you are in this situation and you're facing these financial challenges, it does not diminish your worth or your value. No, not at all. You are not less than that because this is happening.

Jess:
10:00

Mm mm. You are not. This is something that is happening to a lot of people right now because food has gone up and hasn't gotten adjusted. And so a lot of people are struggling, and it's something that we've been struggling with for a long time as a community.

Randi:
10:15

obviously. Mm hmm. And so it's important to seek out community resources like local food banks or assistant programs to alleviate some of that stress. And like I said, even myself. Now, as a professional, knowing I've gone through this, I am okay saying that I was on food stamps for six months and I got off of it. I used it as a tool to get myself out of a place that I was stuck in. And if I hadn't have had that help, it probably would have gotten much worse. Mm hmm. And I wasn't like, I'm going to use this forever. That wasn't my mindset. My mindset was like, I'm going to use this until I am done with school, I get my first job, and I get my first paycheck. And so I can make sure my kids are fed.

Jess:
11:01

Yeah, and get into your community. We have a community page that we share things on.

Randi:
11:06

Yeah, a free community. I give away groceries all the time if my kids won't eat them or if it's something that I find has something in it that we can't eat. My kids have food allergies. I'll be like, Hey, does anybody want this? Like, come pick it up. Like, be that person and pass it on. And also, give back. I give back to the food bank in our community all the time, too, because I feel it's very important that people know that there are options out there and that I can help in any way like that because I've been in that situation. Mm

Jess:
11:35

hmm. I had been ordering these sandwich things from Walmart. Mm hmm. And I thought my daughter was eating them, and she was like, Oh, I don't like those. And you're like, Now you tell me. Now you tell me, because I didn't realize. And so I put it up on the page, and I had four people instantly be like, My kids will eat those. Great, please come get them. Because mine has decided she doesn't like them anymore.

Randi:
11:55

I had gotten the wrong Walmart delivery order a couple months ago, and it was four gallons of milk, which we don't drink. Milk. Dairy milk. And so I was like, Hey, who's, because it was like 6 a gallon, and people are like, all drive from 20 minutes away to come get it because people need it or they knew somebody else that needed it. So.

Jess:
12:14

And. Do you think that is our food thing, then? I'm sitting here, like, processing for a quick second. Because we didn't have any, I hate to see it go to waste, and so I'm happy to pass it on. Yeah. And I think that's where this mentality for, like, the page comes from: a lot of these people live in nice houses, but they still do not want to see waste because they have come from a place of poverty or scarcity. Yeah.

Randi:
12:38

And I think that that's true, but that's great because if you've experienced it and you don't want somebody else to experience it, you're passing on that empathy to somebody else and giving them a hand up. And no judgment either. There is no judgment. I don't care if you want all four gallons of milk that I don't want. I don't care if you want all these popsicles my kids won't eat. I would rather it not also not go into a landfill and not create more waste. too, from an eco perspective as well. I think that it's true; I have seen that there are people too who live in a way where they scrounge for food. And because there's one, we are a wasteful society. We throw away a lot of food. We throw away a lot of vegetables. We don't like the way something looks; it's imperfect, like the dented can or the brown avocado, and we throw it away instead of using it. Some people live off of that stuff because I've seen shows like that. There's so much food and even products wasted and thrown out that just go into our landfills. And why would you not want to give that to somebody? It's like, Nike, they just throw out like all these shoes and they'll destroy them. And they don't give them anything like the homeless shelter. And it's like, why? There are some managers of some outlets and stuff that will, but to me, why would you just create that waste and destroy that product that could put shoes on somebody's feet if you have the ability to do that? and then, too, it's not going into a landfill. It's not creating; it's just having an impact on the environment. It's creating a positive impact. So just how does the increased cost of food really impact our mental health?

Jess:
14:22

I think right now it's really creating this financial stress. This, this, this. Which is leading to anxiety or depression for some people. Mm-Hmm. Um, it's feeling this scarcity,

Randi:
14:33

sleeplessness, insomnia. Yeah, exactly. That doesn't help overall.

Jess:
14:37

And we're trying to stretch our budgets, so we're cutting out other things that we can or can't do, and so it's really making us have to choose what we want to do. And I know there's people out there going; I can't do therapy because I have to go grocery shopping. And so I hate that for people. I wish this wasn't going on, right?

Randi:
14:55

now. Yeah, it's like you have to pick and choose. can I afford groceries this week or gas this week? There's no way I can even afford to go to the doctor, go see a therapist, or tend to my mental health when I can't even get my basic nutrition met. That's another thing too; even having access to nutritious food is something that impacts people overall too. Because I live near Oakland, California, I wrote a paper about how there are not many grocery stores in the city. There's a lot of corner stores that sell alcohol and liquor and, you know, maybe some milk, but nothing that has fruits and vegetables. Access to even get food, let alone healthy food, is also restricted for a lot of people depending on where they live and if they have a vehicle or if they have bus access. we live in a more rural community, so we don't even have buses that go anywhere. Yeah, I was going to say, I don't think I've ever

Jess:
15:56

seen a That's over here. No. Yeah. And the other thing is, a couple of years ago, our kids were getting free lunch at school. It was so nice because I was like, you can grab lunch at school if you want. It was actually very helpful

Randi:
16:09

financially. and all the kids who couldn't afford it were then able to have food scarcity at home. They weren't

Jess:
16:15

pointed out as they were on free

Randi:
16:16

lunch because everybody had access to it. Exactly. And then they took it away, and it really pissed me off because I was too. I believe all kids deserve to have food. And so that was, that's really hard. That's why there are more demographics who are more susceptible and vulnerable to the mental health impact of increased food. food costs. And just, can you speak on that?

Jess:
16:41

Some of the lower-income individuals, lower-socioeconomic individuals, single parents, and seniors.

Randi:
16:48

Oh yeah. There's a huge problem with seniors not being able to get food.

Jess:
16:51

Yeah. listening to my mom talk about how butter's on sale. So she stocks up on it because it got too expensive and she's on a budget. budget because they're retired now. And so it's really hard for certain demographics to really do that. I know we must sound like we're complaining because we're kind of bougie sometimes, but it affects us still. And so the demographics—I really think it's affecting everybody, but it's affecting the people who are already struggling, and now they're struggling even more.

Randi:
17:22

And like we said, choosing between do I get my medication, do I get my groceries, do I Oh, don't even get me started on cost of medication. Oh, yeah. I posted something the other day on my social media about getting the bill for one of my medications, and it was $1,700.

Jess:
17:37

You wouldn't be able to get that. Oh. I mean, how could we even afford stuff like that? Uh,

Randi:
17:42

So how does food insecurity then affect our mental health?

Jess:
17:48

I think you nailed it when you were talking about We don't have nutritious foods, so what does, what happens, Randy, when we don't have nutritious foods? What happens in our brain? You know you like the brain.

Randi:
17:58

Your brain is not yet developing. It's not firing on all cylinders. If you are not getting the vitamins that you require, If you're not getting the food you need, your body is not performing the way it's meant to perform. And so you're going to lack, you're going to have foggy, you know, brain. You're not going to be able to think clearly. You're not going to be able to move, right? Your body's going to hurt, which is going to lead to you being depressed. constant, endless cycle if you can't get out of it. And a lot of this comes from having access or not having access to nutrition.

Jess:
18:32

Exactly. And you mentioned vitamins. Just taking vitamins alone is so expensive that most people don't do it because you have to do it every month and it's so expensive to just do it. Every day, take these vitamins when we should be able to get them from our

Randi:
18:49

food. Mm hmm. And we're not getting them from our food anymore because of the way it's processed.

Jess:
18:54

Oh, another soapbox. Other soapbox. Okay. So, Randy, are there ways to cope with increased food costs to minimize the impact on our mental

Randi:
19:04

health? So you can take some control back. Definitely. I would start with a budget. Riding out what you have and what you don't have, what you need and what you don't need, cutting out anything unnecessary, and making sure you have those core things that you need. Meal planning is huge, which is really hard for me to do, but when I do it, I save so much money on food and I don't waste as much food. Mm-Hmm. and finding. affordable alternatives to things. There are a lot of deals out there. There's a lot of ways to cut corners with coupons, digital coupons, subscribing and saving on Amazon, I used to use extreme coupon, so I'm trying and really exploring resources, even if it's a food co-op or things like that, or a food bank, utilizing any type of programs that is out there for seniors, like meals on wheels and things like that, any way that you can find a way to alleviate some of the financial strain so that you can reduce the mental health burden that it feels like it's weighing you down. So I'm trying to. Make small changes this week I'm going to work on a budget, next week I'm going to work on maybe looking for some coupons, and next week I'm going to work on maybe meal planning. The crock pot is your friend, my friend. When we didn't have two nickels to rub together, I would make casseroles, crockpots, and other things that could last us, and stock up on things. There's a sales cycles and stuff that you can follow too. Like when there's patterns, things go on sale every like three to six months, basically. And if you can afford it, which is a whole other thing too, and have space when things are actually on sale,. But if you don't have the space or the money, then that also puts you on another predicament. But just taking those small steps one thing at a time, I love

Jess:
21:01

that. You said that because I found that the first week we were all back in the house, that I was like, We didn't plan right. We didn't get enough food out. We ended up ordering takeout twice. And I was like, I can't do this. We cannot keep doing this. So I finally said, Okay, all right, well, you're giving me an I'm going to cook Mondays and Tuesdays. The kids together can cook Wednesdays and Thursdays. Fridays is going to be a fend for yourself or find whatever leftovers might still be there. And then I said, Saturday, Sunday, it can be my husband. And that way, we can plan together what we're going to cook. And we're not doing this at the last minute; nobody cooked anything, What's going on?

Randi:
21:37

on. Yeah. And spend more money when it's last minute. Yes. And you're hungry. Never ever go to the grocery store when you're hungry, which is sage advice, but I never listen to myself because I always end up putting crap on the cart that I don't need or don't want to eat because I'm hungry and I'm just thinking about that hunger.

Jess:
21:54

What

Randi:
21:54

I want instant. Right. And instead of what I really like, you need and in doing those things, you alleviate a lot of stress. Yes.

Jess:
22:04

So, Randy, let's go ahead. I think we have been answering a lot of these already. Yeah, I think we answered almost all of them. Oh, my goodness.

Randi:
22:13

Okay, we went kind of, I know. So let's talk

Jess:
22:16

about self-care practices. Okay. what can we do for self-care practices that I can implement to support my mental health during this financial crisis? Challenge, because again, we're talking, it can't be bougie, so what

Randi:
22:30

can I do? So focusing on things that bring you joy, whether that's going for a walk, playing a game with your kids, watching a good Netflix, love is blind, reality TV show, whatever that is, or even just Staying connected to your friends and family, your loved ones, reaching out to them, seeking therapy for this, all those things that can overall impact the rest of your life. And so when you are dealing with stressful things like this, like food insecurity or financial stresses, you have other things to lean back on that bring you joy so that your whole focus isn't on that. on, oh my gosh, like my whole world is falling apart. I feel like I can't deal with this. And just what are some ways that we can advocate for policy changes to really address the cost of food and groceries and how it impacts us, especially as women?

Jess:
23:25

Okay, so starvation diet is not it. No. We're not going to do one of those starvation protests, right? Mm hmm. but we can. Support organizations that are focused on issues related to food accessibility, affordability and mental health. There are a lot of agencies out there that do that. we can stay informed about any kind of policy initiatives going on locally. We can talk to our local mayor. Our mayor will offer a coffee sit-down once a month. Yeah. You can go and talk about those, and we could bring it to them and talk to them and say, Hey, what are we doing for people in the community? What can we do for them?

Randi:
24:03

Unfortunately, things don't change unless you take the steps to make a change with them. And unfortunately, we have to go through a long list of bureaucratic tape and cut through it. And that. It starts with making your voice heard in your community.

Jess:
24:18

showing up and saying, what are we doing? What can we do? Because oftentimes there's a program that we don't know about. And that's, that's

Randi:
24:26

It's because there are so many programs out there. And even when I worked in the homeless community, I was always like, Wait, there's this, oh, wait, there's this. And I was somebody who was giving resources to other people. But. Yeah. There were always new nonprofits or new things that I wasn't aware of. And so on, but once you start talking about it and being out there in your community, you can find those other resources and then help other people with it and pass it on.

Jess:
24:52

I know you said it earlier, but I want everyone to remember that seeking support is a brave step towards better mental health, and really reaching out to your community for other support is also a way to help yourself and your family.

Randi:
25:07

And we hope this episode has shed some light on the impact of rising food costs and groceries and helped offer you some strategies to navigate its effect on your mental health.

Jess:
25:18

Remember, resilience and community support can help us weather these really tough challenges right now.