Break Free From Emotional Eating
How many times have made a food selection based on your emotional state? I’m guilty of it too. What would you do with the skills on how to break free from emotional eating?
How many times have you planned to order a well-balanced meal, but then had a bad day at work or had a fight with a friend and decided at the last minute you were going to order the pizza or burger and fries?
Or ladies, if you are having your monthly cycle chocolate cake sounds like the perfect thing to make you feel better. Or you heard about following a Paleo or Keto diet so that becomes what you believe to be the best fit for you and you start to follow that type of eating.
So many aspects affect your day-to-day diet. Your mood, beliefs, emotions, hormones, etc. all play a role in what you eat. It is important to consider that when it comes to your health. I believe all food groups are important, it is how we put them together that has a truly big impact on our health.
These are patterns I look for in my client’s food and mood journals. I want to know if they are choosing food more often than others and what their mood is like during those times. It provides a bigger picture of what is going on in their lives.
My point is sometimes, you eat what you are in the moment. Your food choices are not just about satisfying hunger or nutritional needs; they are also a reflection of your emotions, beliefs, and circumstances. Once the connection between your feelings and your plate is understood, that is when improved health comes into full play.
Emotional Eating
As you know emotions have a huge impact on your eating habits. Your beliefs about food and nutrition also have a profound impact on food choices. Sometimes beliefs like veganism, Paleo, and Keto, become more than just food choices; they become part of your identity. It is crucial to understand your own body’s needs and preferences because there is no one-size-fits-all diet that suits everyone.
Hormones
Hormones play a significant role in regulating appetites and your cravings. Hormonal fluctuations can create specific food cravings like chocolate. When you can recognize these hormonal triggers, you can then better understand your choices are make informed decisions.
Mindful Eating
The key to eating mindfully is to be self-aware. Once you are attuned to your emotions, beliefs, and triggers you can then align with the long-term goals that you have set for yourself. A good practice to implement is to pause and reflect before making decisions based on temporary emotions.
This is what makes my Food and Mood Journal so useful to my clients. It shows emotions along with food choices. These are never met to pass judgment; it is more to gain knowledge into patterns so I can better support you.
By embracing self-awareness, you can use food for your health goals. Food is NOT just fuel for our bodies, it is nourishment for the mind, body, and spirit.
#emotional eating #food cravings #food triggers #healthly eating #hormones #mindful eating #mindfulness #nutrition beliefs