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How to Shift from Emotional to Empowered Eating

When it comes to emotional eating, most of us experience some degree of it, whether conscious of it or not.  Emotional eating is defined as “eating when feeing stressed, angry, frustrated, lonely, anxious, bored or depressed.”  Some experts estimate that 75 percent of overeating is a response to our emotions.  Like a drug, eating certain foods act like a vice or a temporary fix when experiencing challenging situations or emotions.

Emotional eating is closely related to cravings.  When it comes to your body’s cravings, you may tend to judge yourself in a negative light, feeling like you have failed each time you indulge in chocolate chip cookies or a bag of chips.  In order to redefine and transform your relationship with food, it can be helpful to look closely at how you are relating to your cravings. 

There is a strong belief that food cravings are something to fight and giving into them reflects a lack of willpower. However common this belief is, it’s completely false.  To shift how you are relating to food and your cravings, first let go of your inner critic and exercise self-compassion.  View food with a fresh perspective; see yourself as an experiment and simple observe. Doing so helps release any negative mind chatter and self-judgement which tend to perpetuate self-punishing repetitive cycles and food drama.

Are you ready to let go of the food drama?  The first step to shifting to empowered eating is to change your perspective.  See that your cravings are actually valuable messages, signals from your body pointing to what you are needing in the moment.  Due to the overwhelming amount of information about health and nutrition out there, you may have learned not to trust these signals and feel confused about what to eat.  You may be following a particular diet plan and therefore fighting or ignoring your body’s signals in order to stick with the plan. Although well intentioned and temporarily workable, the majority of outside prescriptions around food are not sustainable or helpful in the long run because of their fixed nature.  They do not address your changing individual needs or teach you how to listen to what your body is calling for each day, week or season. 

Once you clearly recognize what your body is calling for rather than following what you “should” or “shouldn’t” be eating, you will begin to trust and know what you truly need to nourish yourself in each moment – and it’s not always food. Sometimes it’s a physical need and often times, it’s as simple as getting some fresh air, taking a nap, mental break or self-care day.

It is possible to shift from emotional to empowered eating. 

[Adapted from Molly’s book, Energizing Nutrition: A New Food Paradigm]

*To continue the conversation and discuss your health and wellness goals, CONTACT US 

 

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Huff Post interviews Energizing Nutrition on Healthy Eating

From mason jars to pre-cleaning to splurging on some nice dishware.

The Huffington Post recently interviewed us for their Spring article on simple tips for healthy eating.  Check out what myself and other health experts had to say: 

Divide the fridge into sections (and CLEAN IT.)

Many people keep fruits and vegetables in the crisper drawer of their fridge and fill their pantries with boxed and canned goods, but how many of us really go beyond that? 

Molly Lee, holistic health coach and founder and director of Energizing Nutrition, said that further organizing your fridge and the rest of your kitchen can make it easier when you’re cooking.

“Have different sections for different categories of food,” she said. “It prevents cross contamination, but it also is organized so you can make a well-balanced meal.”

Consider revamping your dishes (and don’t forget about mason jars)

Lee told HuffPost that “organization is the key” when it comes to a kitchen that will help you eat healthier, but having an appealing kitchen can also help. 

“If you have chipped plates or you don’t have the right equipment, it’s not going to be pleasurable to make food,” she said. “A beautiful bowl, plate and mug that you love can really go a long way for making sort of a ritual.”

Don’t sleep on mason jars, either.

“You just stack your favorite ingredients,” Lee said. “You can stack greens, nuts and seeds, chickpeas, tuna or leftover chicken or feta cheese, and it’s easy. Plus, it looks beautiful and you won’t forget about it because it’s clear.”

For those with a sweet tooth, Lee suggested adding organic Greek or plain yogurt to fresh berries and low-sugar granola (make sure it’s naturally sweet, not made with a ton of added sugar). 

Read the full article here.

Looking to kickstart your health for Spring and Summer? CONTACT US today to discuss your health and nutrition goals.

Published

Beat the Winter Blues with these 9 Vitamin D Foods  

Are you feeling the Winter Blues?  Check out IntegrativeNutrition.com’s article on how to boost your mood, energy and immune system naturally with Vitamin D foods:

Our bodies are intricately tied to the environment around us, and as the seasons change we develop different nutritional needs. In the spring and summer we benefit from the abundance of vitamins and minerals that come from fresh, local foods. We sweat more and need to hydrate, and we’re careful to avoid sunburns.

However, in the winter there are fewer fresh food options, we crave more warming foods and protein for energy, and we need to make up for lower exposure to sunlight.

Vitamin D is considered the “sunshine vitamin” because our bodies produce it after skin exposure to UVB light. It plays a role in hormone regulation, immunity, and calcium absorption.

In winter, when our skin is covered and more often indoors, Vitamin D is particularly important as many of us can become deficient.

According to research, about 42% of people have inadequate levels of Vitamin D, and this deficiency can contribute to bone loss, cancer, cardiovascular disease, frequent infections or illness, depression, muscle pain, hair loss, impaired wound healing, and other symptoms.

Blood levels of at least 30 ng/mL are considered optimal.

While it may be tough to book weekly tropical getaways for the sake of your health, you can increase your bio-available levels of Vitamin D through certain foods:

  • Cod liver oil
  • Sardines and herring
  • Salmon (wild is best)
  • Mackerel
  • Eggs
  • Caviar
  • Raw milk
  • Yogurt
  • Beef liver (opt for grass fed)

Of course, we realize these are not vegan foods, and most are also impractical to consume on a daily basis. So while there are some other foods that contain Vitamin D, such as mushrooms and tofu, the amounts there would not be enough to avoid deficiency. This is where a supplement can help fill in the gaps, with recommendations ranging from 400-1000 IU per day.

The best way to maintain healthy levels of Vitamin D in winter?  Spend time outdoors, especially on sunny days!

Turn your face to the sun, expose your hands if it’s not too cold, and go for walks regularly. There are many other benefits to mild exercise outdoors in winter.

And we know what you’re all thinking, can you sunbathe indoors near a window to help your body produce Vitamin D? Nope, sorry. Most windows block out the ultraviolet light you need, so this won’t help, but it does feel good!

How are you taking care of yourself this winter?

We’d love to hear from you!  CONTACT US to discuss your health and nutrition goals.