Tag Archives: emotional eating

Habits To Change

Healthy Me, , , ,

Overeating

Overeating is one of the most common and dangerous dietary habits. It is natural on festive occasions such as holidays or parties to eat more than usual, but many of us have turned up to the level of our satiation state so that we need to eat a large amount of food to feel satisfied all the time. This is contributed to by a great many emotional and psychological factors that may have started in our early years. It is often influenced by our parents and family members and by your own insecurities and self-image.

Overeating often leads to obesity, which is a factor in many often diseases. The over-consumption if food also causes stress to the digestive tract and other organs and can lead to the overworking and weakening of those areas. Congestion or stagnation occurs more easily with overeating.

These problems need to be dealt with at level from which they arise. If they stem from a nutritional deficiency, so that the body is craving missing nutrients that should be discovered and corrected. If they are of recent onset, stress may be the source.  More often, though, overeating is a long0term and deep-seated problem that needs to be dealt with on both the psychological and nutritional levels.

Moderation in eating is a very important habit to develop. Eating small meals several times a day instead of one or two large meals is probably better for most people. Balancing flavors as well as types of food will help satisfy us and may lesson our desire to eat more.

Under-eating

In recent years, there has been growing concern over problems associated with under eating, such as the medical conditions known as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Under-eating usually has a strong stress or psychological component, which can range from being too nervous or concerned about an upcoming event or relationship, to part of a full-blown psychosis.

All forms of under-eating, skipping meals, or eating only limited foods will lead to poor nutrition and eventually, to problems from protein, calorie, vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Other symptoms include lack of energy and subsequent weakness, malnourishment of internal organs, skin problems, and hair loss. Severe weight loss in spite of regular eating may indicate an underlying medical condition and warrants an evaluation by a doctor.

People who under-eat are often overly concerned about obesity or have a distorted self image. This is more common in women and in teenage girl who become very body conscious or are concerned about becoming too shapely. Often, being very thin is similar to being fat in that it makes us less attractive and is a protection against intimacy with others. These issues may come up during sexual development—that is, in adolescence.

Anorexia means “loss of appetite,” and anorexia nervosa means not eating because of “nervous” or psychological problems. The majority of people with that condition are young females who want to be trim, or to be models or ballerinas, which require a long and lean body.  This may not be the natural body shape of many people, who literally need to starve themselves to maintain that weight or shape.  Bulimia is voluntary vomiting by people who wish to get rid of food just eaten so as not to absorb the calories and add weight.  Many “bulimics” and “anorexics” also use laxatives pills or take regular enemas to clear out the intestines more rapidly. All of these problems have strong psychological bases and usually require counseling as well as a lot of support from loved ones.  Occasionally, these situations become extreme and as with overeating, can be fatal.  Fortunately, these conditions are often short-lived, and those troubled by them see their way clear to begin a new balanced diet and create a newly shaped body and self-image.

 Eating Late

This is a common problem among people with busy daily schedules. Food often acts as a sedative and helps us to physically relax.  After a meal, more blood goes to our digestive organs and away from our areas of physical and mental activity.  So eating lightly during the day, getting hungry at night after work, and then eating our main meal in the evening is a convenient pattern for most schedules. However, going to bed on a full stomach is not necessarily helpful for digestion or sleep. The food may just sit there, undigested through the night, so that we wake up full and sluggish. Eating late can become a habit that robs us of our vitality.

It is best to try to eat earlier in the evening, ideally before dark, and not too heavily; to engage in some activity, both mental and physical after dinner; and to eat very little in the two or three hours before bedtime. When we have not eaten enough through the day, it is wise to eat lightly in the evening also and sleep well to awaken energized for some exercise and a good, hearty breakfast.

Rigid Diet

Many people develop rigid eating patterns and consume only a limited selection of foods. This inflexibility is often based on a preference for certain tastes or just a discriminating personality. Teenagers and elderly people are subject to this lack of flexibility (as more some health food fanatics) more often than other areas of the population. Sometimes this is based on fear, rebellion, lack of adventure, or just being stuck in an attitude that will not allow them to be open to other ideas. They just maintain themselves on a few foods, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, and sodas for the younger crowd, or eggs, toast, potatoes, and meat in the older group.  All lack the freshness and vitality found in natural foods. There are people who develop what I would call positive restrictions in their diet. We all have certain foods are clearly best avoided.  Restricting foods such as meats, milk or chemical-containing foods may be based on certain philosophical or health choices. However, being too rigid in our diet is usually not in our best interest.

It is difficult to get people to change when they do not wish to, especially in regard to what they eat. They already know that they wont like it before they even try. Sometimes, consulting with a nutritionist and doing a diet analysis by evaluation or computer can show people the excess or lack of nutrients in their diet, and this may educate and influence them to make some changes.

Emotional Eating

We have already discussed overeating and under-eating, but there are other issues surrounding the use of food in dealing with stress and psychological troubles. Some people eat when upset or depressed; others cannot eat at all in this condition. Our emotions strongly influence our eating behavior, so if we want to maintain a more balanced diet, and thus more balanced life, we need to learn to deal with our emotional states in ways other than with food.

Using hunger as a guide, integrated with a regular eating plan, we create our basic diet. If we are overweight, we need to plan our meals to include less food; if underweight, we will include more food and calories and then maintain a balanced diet when we are at a better weight.

We can learn to deal with stress, sadness, frustration, depression and so on through self-development techniques, through counseling, or through mental affirmations and visualized, all good ways to clear these problems—or at least not let them take hold of us and run our lives. There are very few issues that are important enough to take precedence over our health.  And not using food to cover up these important feelings. Thoughts and issues are crucial to maintaining our health.

Liquids and Eating

Many of us drink liquids with our meals. This is not really good practice, since extra fluids can dilute the digestive juices, making it more difficult to break down food. Drinking water before meals or sometimes after them is much better. A small amount (less than a cup) of water with meals may help dissolve the food and stimulate digestive juices.

Water is generally our best beverage and consuming about eight to ten glasses a day (most of us will need less when we consume a higher amount of fruits and vegetables) is very helpful for weight loss and keeping the body functioning. It is best to drink two or three glasses about 30-60 minutes before dinner to reduce the appetite a bit. Sweetened soda pops should be avoided.  Milk is a food (to be used sparingly by adults), not a beverage to be drunk with meals. Many people feel that a bit of alcohol before many people, and this enjoy meal probably not too detrimental when done occasionally. Overall, it is wise to be aware of needs and drink when thirsty and its is best to drink only between meals, giving our digestive tract the best shot at getting those nutrients ready for out cells.

Addition habits to Cultivate

Preparation – of both our food and ourselves is helpful. Food made with awareness and love adds that little extra, and when we take the time to prepare ourselves to receive nourishment, such as with a little prayer or some quite time, we also give ourselves the chance to get the most out of our meal.

Relaxation – around eating is a good habit to develop. This is part of preparation and digestion.  After a fair-sized meal, it is important to take some time to let digestion begin. After about an hour, we can begin some light activity. A walk is ideal. However, most of us cannot afford the luxury of taking this time around meals. When I cannot, I try to follow the Warrior’s Diet of frequently small snacks, through the day, until I can take more time to prepare and eat a proper meal.

Exercise – is very important to keeping our body healthy and utilize the nutrients that we consume.  I do not recommend exercising for at least an hour, or longer, after eating. It is usually several hours after a meal before my body feels right doing any vigorous activity. Often, I exercise first and use eating, as a reward for doing the physical activity that I feel is needed. Early in the day before breakfast, and after work before dinner, are the two best times for exercising.

 

Adapted from “Staying healthy with nutrition”

Treating Emotional Eating Naturally

Healthy Me, ,

Here are 2 simple questions for you:

1. Do you eat or eat more when you are feeling tense, under pressure or stressed?

2. Do you tend to feel better when you eat more especially if you are feeling stressed out or nervous?

If you answered yes to either, chances are you could be an emotional eater, who eats to suppress their emotions and true feelings. Many people eat out of boredom, but most people who tend to eat when feeling overwhelmed or stressed, actually do that because psychologically they actually feel better, even though physiologically the body does not feel so – as most emotional eater tend to overeat carbohydrates – chips, cookies, bread, pasta, chocolates among other things, which will raise the blood sugar and in turn affect the functioning of the pancreas that produces the insulin and eventually will effect the triglyceride and the cholesterol levels as excess sugars in the body are eventually turned on fats. This will in turn effect the functioning of other organs, and of course ultimately the endocrine system

So if you are dealing with emotional issues that are keeping you from your perfect weight, you need to do the following:

1. IDENTIFY WHY YOU OVEREAT / EMOTIONAL EAT – Easier said then done you say? No, before the next time you grab for that bag of chips, take a piece of paper and a box of colored pencils, and then write down how you are feeling at that time – exhausted, overwhelmed, stress, nervous, anxious, whatever the emotion is.  YOU NEED TO FIRST IDENTIFY THE EMOTIONS. Overeating or self medicating with food is not the answer – stop punishing your body for what your mind is feeling. You need to find strategies to deal with the emotions in the mind as opposed to eating them away, and your body will thank you.

2. FOCUS ON EATING WHATS RIGHT FOR YOUR BODY – When you are stressed, the types to foods you need to avoid include the following: alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar and carbohydrates and of course, tobacco products. Did you know that if your body is craving any of these, you might be lacking in certain key nutrients and vitamins? So instead of having detrimental foods for you body – eat healthier foods which are packed full of nutrients, and will help reduce your cravings, and not to mention, you body will thank you and you will feel better.

3. AVOID EATING ON THE GO – Most of us who have very busy lives tend to do this frequently. How you eat your food is very important. So if you are rushed with time, try to have a healthier shake instead of rushing through a barely chewed meals which will in turn affect your digestion. Eat in peace, enjoy every bite, savour what you are eating, enjoy the colors, textures and the type of foods you eat. EAT CALMLY.

These are simple suggestions on what you could do.

You could also check out our weight loss section for more information.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Lifestyle Modifications To Decrease Emotional Eating

Healthy Me,

As the weather gets colder, most people have a tendency to stay in as to keep warm and comfortable. A warm cozy room, with the golden fire blazing in the brick fire place, your pet curled up beside your couch, and you sitting wrapped in a thick heavy blanket reading your favorite book, with that warm cup of cocoa / tea. Right! If life were only that picture perfect!

The truth or reality for most people is way different due to the lives we lead, our past experiences and the people we interact with. These tend to effect our moods and emotions and we quite often take comfort in eating as a way of coping with or handling these situations without realizing the detrimental effect this can have on our health, self esteem and our sense of being.

Here are a few lifestyle modifications you can make to change this emotional eating pattern:

  1. Eat only while sitting down in ONE designated area for meal times.
  2. Eat slowly and savor each morsel of food. Enjoy the colours, textures and aromas of the food.
  3. Put down your fork between bites and converse with others. Some of the best conversations we have are over our meals.
  4. Encourage the family to pick out healthier foods choices – here are some examples: have yoghurt instead of sour cream, have freshly cut up vegetables with your sandwich as opposed to having potato chips, try kelp granules instead of salt, try using a combination of olive oil and butter, as opposed to using plain butter.
  5. Instead of using large dinner plates, try to use smaller plates. This way you limit the portions of food to half of what you may have eaten otherwise.
  6. Instead of putting out bowls of food on the table, put them at a safe distance away from the table, and if you go back for seconds, ask yourself on the way if you really need to.
  7. Leave the table as soon as you are done eating or when your stomach is satisfied, you do not have to finish everything in your plate or all the food available.
  8. At a restaurant, try to ask for smaller portions, limit intake from the breadbasket to one roll, and ask for the dressing for salad on the side.

Additional tips while going grocery shopping:

  1. Go for groceries after a full meal.
  2. Preplan your meals and create shopping list based on the meals. Only purchase what you need for the meals.
  3. Limit the amount of money you take for shopping for grocery to the amount that you would need for your shopping list only.
  4. Try to avoid taking kids to the supermarket when you shop for groceries for your meals.
  5. Stick to the aisles that have your required food items. This way you save time and money, and have saved yourself from purchasing items that you will later regret for having in the house – sugary snack and salty chips.

Snacking too much?

  1. Substitute other activities for snacking.
  2. Postpone a desired snack for 10 – 15 minutes.
  3. Keep a bottle of water with you when you are watching television or doing other activities.
  4. Avoid snacking while watching television and other activities.
  5. Stock up the house with healthier food choices.
  6. Snack on fresh fruit and vegetables.
  7. Try to keep all food in cupboards where it can be seen.
  8. Don’t starve yourself. Treat your self to a small indulgence that you enjoy.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.