You CAN Stop Emotional Eating – Here’s How

Monday, July 09, 2018

KENTE BATES, Oregon Sports News

Emotional eating is a very real problem in America today. When you are experiencing work stress, relationship clashes, financial strains, or health challenges, you and your body instantly look for an escape. Mindless eating becomes a temporary way to “soothe the savage beast”.

Emotional eating negatively impacts your sleep, weight, and mood. You can practice the following behaviors to wean yourself off of using food to ease your emotional pain.

Practice relaxing techniques.

Deep breathing, visualization, and meditation are helpful methods to combat both emotional and physical stress.

Enter herbal tea.

As simple as it may sound, drinking a cup of your favorite herbal tea may chase away the urge for chips, cookies, or candy. You don’t need to spend a lot of money at a health food store because chamomile, valerian, or decaffeinated green tea can be bought at your grocery store.

Take an inventory of your kitchen.

Purge the food items that are high in sugar, high in calories, and that do not have any nutritional value.

Sing or dance.

Lifting your spirits with creative activities will improve your mood.

Bring a pet into your life.

Household pets have remarkable effects on our psyche. A beloved pet will soothe you, distract you, and alter your self-destructive behavior.

Keep a journal of your eating habits.

A written record of what you eat and when you eat it will bring to light how food affects your mood.

Try to find solutions to your emotional eating triggers.

Not all problems can be solved easily, but supplementary income can help with financial matters. If there is work stress, more efficient work habits might reduce your frustration at your job. Calm discussions will bring more peaceful resolutions to personal conflicts with the people in your life.

Get active.

When it comes to stress and depression, exercise is, indeed, a powerful remedy. An important thing to consider about exercise is that you should choose an activity that you physically enjoy. Remember, exercise is not a miracle worker, but it will elevate your mind so that food is not your sole source of comfort.

Find a hobby.

One of the best ways to spend idle time is to immerse yourself in a hobby. You do not have to have an extravagant or expensive hobby to benefit from the joy and self- expression that you will feel when you are engaged in a hobby. Adult coloring books have been touted to be the newest trend for relaxation and creativity. Lastly, laughter- it’s free and easy. Various faiths throughout history have attested to the power of laughter to lift the spirits and to forget about your troubles.

Emotional eating can’t be fixed with prescription drugs or fad diets. There are no diagnostic tests to confirm that you are an emotional eater. This addiction to food is a personal battle that can be won by identifying your triggers, adopting new habits, and staying motivated. If you fail, you must forgive yourself and know that you can continue to try again until you no longer feel helpless about food.

Knowledge of self is one of the “master keys” to winning in life. THE BASICS ALWAYS WIN!!