I have been reading a brilliant book called "Eating the Moment" by Dr. Pavel Somov a practicing psychologist in the area of mindful eating. In one of the chapters I read last night he discusses emotional eating.
He gave me some "food for thought" on reasons we eat to make ourselves feel better. He explains that from birth, our parents first go-to for an upset baby is to feed it. Many cultures, including our own, show love by providing food and treats. In fact, our family dinner time is centered around the reality that eating, as we discuss the ups and downs of our day, is food for the soul.
He goes on to explain that instead of trying to change the fact that we go to food for comfort, we should instead make sure that our choice in coping truly helps. Here are some of his ideas.
1. We should make a conscious choice to turn to food to cope with stress or emotion. Not just veg out in front of the TV with a bag of potato chips, but verbally proclaim 'I feel , I choose to eat , to make me feel .'
2. We should take the time to determine what our actual comfort foods are, instead of wasting calories on foods that don't really hit the spot. Find the food that heals you and stock up on it. You shouldn't make it a forbidden food, because then your emotional eating is full of guilt and doesn't really heal you. Instead stock up and put it in a special place, then label it "medicine" as it is medicine for the soul.
3. Then carry around a little post- it pad and write yourself a prescription for some soul medicine. This gives you at least a point to stop in a check whether the food is helping or not. Write down "1 cup of ice cream" or "3 cookies". Then at least stop and emotionally check whether that was enough or even the right prescription. You can write another prescription if needed.
The point is to be mindful of what your doing, why your doing it, and whether or not it's helping. Don't just mindlessly eat . . . let the food you choose really feed your soul.
I think this is a great idea! I know that emotional eating is "suppose to be" baaaaaad. But there are times when I just really really really need something to sooth my fraying nerves. Suggestions like go for a walk, talk to a friend, etc . . . most of the time just aren't appropriate fixes for what I need in that moment or it is impossible to do in the few minutes I need before I go apewall. My food of choice is coconut water. From the moment it passes my lips it is soothing to me.
ReplyDelete!!!! Wow!!!! Deja Vu of deja Vu!! That was really really weird!!!!
I had always thought emotional eating was something I was supposed to help people get past. Find other things to do instead. But Dr. Somov's ideas of the use of emotional eating just feel right.
DeleteYou aren't going to make much progress trying to stomp out something that has been so ingrained in you since birth. Especially when the point that decisions need to be made are fraught with emotion and not logic. So you work with it.
He states that emotional eating is not the problem, in fact it is a valid form of self-comfort. The problem, he says is "mindless emotional overeating". That's where the suggestions aim at making you more aware and conscious in making decisions.
Ah, Brilliant!
Great Post!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm going to check out that book--great thought!
ReplyDelete