SERIES 1 - || WELLNESS SERIES EMOTIONAL EATING
EMOTIONAL EATING
Emotional Eating is the act of using food to temporarily make ourselves feel better, as opposed to eating because our body tells us its hungry. Many turn to food to relieve stress or boredom, or to comfort us when we need a friend. But what happens when we eat like this ? Well, we often begin to feel even worse and the emotions that we’ve been trying to hide or cover up or even get rid of remain. And worse, they are now accompanied by another negative emotion – guilt.
What are some causes ?
Its linked to our feelings, but situations, places and even people can cause it too. Maybe you felt uncomfortable, insure or uneasy – and you used food to help you ‘get through’ that situation or ‘deal’ with that person. At these times, we can identify our emotional eating triggers. High stress and cortisol can lead to a form of pleasure eating. More stress, more likely you are to eat emotionally.
Lets identify some triggers – what are they?
Are you angry with yourself or someone else?
Do you feel you’re not good enough?
Do you feel stressed?
Are you feeling pain?
Do you struggle to feel good about yourself throughout your day?
Do you feel that you life is super-tough and unfair compared to others?
So here are some tips to combat emotional eating:
Record your thoughts about your food urges in a journal
Come up with your own powerful mantra. For example, “I wont let these feelings consume me and therefore, I won’t emotionally eat”.
Take a five- minute walk. Even if you’re at work-walk around the office or around the block.
Hug your partner, your friend, your kids or your pets, this releases oxytocin the love hormone and that make you feel better.
List three things you like about yourself and stick the list on your fridge.
Participate in cold therapy
Call the person who always make you feel better
Put some calming music on and drink a cup of tea
Practice mindful eating. And make conscious effort to appreciate every mouthful. This will help you adjust your thinking when it comes to eating. Everything that you put into your body should serve to nourish you in some way.
In summary, its important to acknowledge that whatever feelings you have before you grab that tub of ice cream, biscuit or chocolate bar are valid. You are entitled to your feelings and now you need to either sort out the situation or simply accept that right now you’re not feeling great inside. Understand that we learn from everything, every feeling. I like to think of its as an opportunity to grow.
Sarah Xx