Emotional Eating and Food Choices

What we eat is directly affected by our beliefs.

Think about it.

• If you believe eating healthy is important, then you will eat healthy.
• If you believe food is food and it makes no difference what you eat, then you will therefore eat whatever you want.
• If you believe eating pork is an abomination to God, then you don’t eat bacon.

The food choices we make every day are rooted in some sort of belief system. But, what you choose to eat goes even deeper than that.  You may have the knowledge that eating healthy is the right choice to make, but still struggle to choose healthy foods.

This belief lies in what you think about yourself more than what you believe about the foods.  If you don’t have a lot of self-confidence or don’t love and respect yourself, then it makes it difficult to make healthy choices for your body. Your EQ, or emotional quotient, directly affects the food choices you make every day.   Your emotional state and your belief about both food and yourself determine how much you eat and what you eat. Healthy, positive emotions and beliefs about yourself and food, make for a healthy body as well!

Irregular Eating Lowers Your EQ

Can your eating habits affect your emotions? Absolutely!  Many diabetics and hypoglycemics know this from personal experience.  If they skip meals or eat too much sugar, they can experience extreme mood swings, brain fog and impaired thinking. Those who struggle with eating disorders and very rigid eating habits may also suffer from emotional disturbances.

A UK study found that those who struggle with eating issues like anorexia, bulimia, and crash dieting, struggled with identifying different emotions. The women in the study had all been diagnosed with eating disorders.  They were shown cards with faces displaying different emotions.  These women had a hard time distinguishing between scared, mad and sad. Those with the most severe disorders scored the worst. In 2002, another study linked emotional irregularity with abnormal and inconsistent eating.  They found that these rigid dieters, who had a preoccupation with body shape, had more mood disturbances than those who had a more relaxed view of eating. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666301904453

I believe this lack of true nutrition and proper blood sugar maintenance, only exasperates the problem.  This lack sends these women deeper into depression and apathy.  Healthy, vitamin rich, consistent eating, along with proper counseling and care can bring these women into health and wholeness. However, the strong emotional tie in these disorders can make them very difficult to overcome.

Triumph Over Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can manifest out of a false belief or an out of balance emotional state.  The most common disorders are anorexia, bulimia and chronic overeating.  Though these disorders may look very different, they can all have the same terrible consequences.  The worst of those being death! All three of these disorders are rooted in a false belief about oneself.   Some believe they will never be good enough, while others struggle with shame or a need to control when their life feels out of control. Once you change the belief, the eating habits change with it!  To triumph over an eating disorder, you must believe the right things! Here are some great steps to take to change your negative beliefs into positive ones.  Positive beliefs change our emotional state, which leads to a healthier, happy you!

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  Learn to love yourself:  God created you just the way you are!  No matter what you’ve done or what you look like, He is proud of you and loves you deeply.  Your body is a temple and it should be treated with both love and respect.
• Letting go and letting God: Many times eating disorders are birthed out of control.  When their lives feel out of control, those who struggle with these struggles find comfort in their disorder.  Once you realize that you cannot control your life and that God is in control, you can have peace of mind.  Remember, He has your best interests at heart.  Cast your cares on Him and He will lift you up!
• Start a thankful journal:  Start focusing on the positive and what you are truly thankful for in your life.  Each day, write those things down. When you start having more positive and thankful thoughts, your whole outlook will change.  The book “1000 Gifts” is a great example of how this positive journaling can transform your life!
• Get real with a friend:  You don’t have to trumpet it to the world that you struggle with an eating disorder.  But finding a friend you can trust that can walk with you and encourage you, can make a huge difference.

Wrong Mindsets = Wrong Eating Habits

You don’t have to struggle with a full-blown eating disorder to battle with destructive eating habits. Many people don’t even realize they have an unhealthy relationship with food.  They cannot figure out why there are overweight, diabetic or have high blood pressure.  Sometimes, the answer lies in how we were raised or even in a people pleasing personality.

• Do you feel obligated to finish all the food on your plate? Maybe your parents never let you leave the table growing up until your plate was clean.  You may feel you will hurt the cook’s feelings if you don’t finish the food they prepared.
• Do you have a hard time turning away food that’s offered to you?  It could be chocolate cake from a birthday celebration or holiday baked goods given to you as a gift.  You may not even be hungry, but you don’t want to hurt the feelings of the one offering it to you.  Though these actions may be good intentioned, they can detrimental to your waistline and health.

Being a people pleaser is an emotional battlefield for your food choices.  The reality is, you must learn to start putting yourself first when it comes to food!  Your health should be your priority, not hurting someone’s feelings because you declined their food offering.  Learning to say no is a good thing!  How you phrase your “No” can make a difference as well.  Try using these responses the next time you are offered food that you wish to decline.

• Thank them for the offer.
• Let them know you appreciate them thinking of you, but you have to decline.
• Tell them you are trying to take steps towards better health with healthy eating.

These are all keys to learning to say no in a kind and respectful way.  Remember, saying no is not a bad thing!  It means you respect yourself enough to set boundaries.

Stress Eating

Stress eating is by far the most common unhealthy eating habit.  It has even been commercialized! You often see someone in a movie or television show whip out a pint of ice cream when love throws them a curve ball.  I believe this commercialization has only encouraged more stress eating.

Many people truly believe that it is okay to bury their problems in pint Ben and Jerry’s or a bag of potato chips. The main problem in this is that stress is unavoidable!  We all have stress in our lives to one degree or another.  If we never truly deal with that stress, but bury it in food, we create a habit. Not just a random splurge.  Some people drink to avoid dealing with life’s problems, others battle with drugs, and some people smoke to relieve stress.

Food can just as easily become one of those additions.  Especially sugar, as gives you a sort of satisfactory, short lived “high”.  Some say sugar is more addictive than cocaine! If you feel like you are one of the thousands, maybe even millions, of people who have a stress-eating problem, take heed.  You can overcome this habit!

Eat to live. Don’t live to eat.

Taking a different view of food is very important.  When you see food as a reward or something to make you feel better, you have an unhealthy view of food and are at risk for developing an eating disorder.  Yes, food can be enjoyable.  But, eating should be ultimately about nourishment and health – not about comfort or escape from life’s troubles.

Choose an apple over a chocolate bar or a salad instead of french fries.  The healthier choices may not give you instant gratification, but you will feel better knowing you gave your body the healthy foods it needs.

Turn to a friend

When you feel stressed and overwhelmed, call a friend. Don’t just reach for the chocolate or ice cream. If you talk it through with a trusted friend, then you can walk away feeling less stress and save yourself a lot of unneeded calories!

Journal

Writing down how you feel helps release stress, as well.  If you feel sad or angry, write about it!  You may feel much better after you get it out onto paper.

Have non-food rewards

Have a list of things ready to make yourself feel better that don’t include food.  Maybe it’s a movie with a friend or night at a hotel with your spouse.  Have a money stash for times like these.  Then you can treat yourself with that new pair of shoes or something you’ve been eyeing, without breaking the bank. You can also take a few natural supplements to help with stress eating.  Many times our jobs or family life make it nearly impossible to escape a high stress atmosphere.  Luckily, there are natural supplement that can “take the edge off.”  These are classified as adaptogens.  Adaptogens are substances that help enhance the body resistance to external stressors. I would classify my life as highly stressful.  I somehow manage to work, continue my education, and raise 3 small children.  I definitely keep these adaptogens on hand and find myself taking them often.

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

This herb comes in both tea and pill form.  It is a powerful adaptogen that is both safe and effective.  It has been used for centuries in Indian culture. I enjoy a cup of Tulsi tea almost every morning to prepare my body and mind for the day ahead.

L-Theanine Serene by Source Naturals

This is a brilliant combination of the amino acid l-theanine, GABA, holy basil and magnesium.  All of these ingredients are known for their ability to calm and to improve mood without drowsiness. The dosage recommended is 3 tablets a day.

Ginseng

One of the only adaptogens that also increases energy levels.  It also combines well with licorice root for stress relief and nourishment of the adrenal glands.

A Recipe for Stress

A great way to beat stress eating and avoid blood sugar related mood disturbances is to eat food low in sugar and high in healthy fat and protein.  I have several go-to recipes for this purpose.  They taste as good as the carb and sugar loaded original.  This makes you feel like you’re splurging, but you’re actually nourishing your body! Here are a couple of my favorite “high carb alternative” recipes.  They taste so good even my kids give their approval!

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High Protein Low Carb Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp of plain full fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp of flour (for Gluten Free, use coconut flour)

Directions: Mix the yogurt with the egg.  Add in the flour.  The consistency needs to be similar to sour cream.  Add more yogurt if you need.  Fry your pancakes in a pan oiled with coconut oil.  Flip when browned.  Enjoy with a dollop of coconut oil or pastured organic butter  and a tsp of real maple syrup! This makes only one serving.  Double or triple as needed.

Ice Cream, Ice Cream, We Want Ice Cream!!

It is pretty much a given that the ultimate comfort food is ice cream.  Chocolate is a popular comfort food, as well. A great alternative to dairy ice cream is coconut milk ice cream.  Coconut milk contains healthy fat and immune boosting lauric acid. My husband is a lover of both chocolate and ice cream.  The recipe below is his favorite out of all the coconut milk ice creams I have made.  It is sugar free, dairy free, healthy, and amazingly delicious! Yes, that was a mouthful!  Now, fill your mouth with this goodness!

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Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of canned coconut milk
• 2-3 tbsp of cocoa powder
• Stevia drops to taste (I prefer Nu Naturals brand)
• 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract
• 4 free range egg yolks

Directions: Whisk the coconut milk and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the stevia and vanilla.  Then whisk in the egg yolks.  Chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes and then follow your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Eating

Remember, what you think and how you believe can be the key to healthy eating.  Taking steps to “change your mind” can be one of the healthiest choices you make.  Don’t let thoughts, emotions or bad habits control your life any longer!  It is a choice you will not regret!

Are you a stress eater?  What are your bad eating habits?  What is holding you back from changing those habits?  Please feel free to comment below.