Emotional eating is frustrating to say the least. There is hope however and you can stop (at least most of the time) this self-destructive behavior. You already know that emotional eating is primarily eating to mask difficult feelings. Stress eating is the same. When we experience any unpleasant emotion, we may be tempted to reach for our “sugar/simple-carbohydrate” fix (By simple carbohydrates I mean white flour, refined products, not fruits, whole grains or vegetables.) We also may eat at any time for any reason, whether we are feeling anything or not aware of feeling anything in particular. We may be soothing our boredom or mindlessly snacking through the day. For many of us feeding ourselves becomes disconnected from physical hunger and at times we may not know any other ways to take care of ourselves.
One effective way to stop emotional overeating is by using the Bach Emotional Eating Support Kit. This contains 3 remedies to help you appreciate your body (Crab Apple), remain in control of your eating (Cherry Plum) and to stop repeating your same overeating mistakes (Chestnut Bud). I recommend them to all of my clients and have seen amazing results as clients have been able to manage their food control problems – for many, for the first time.
It is helpful, however to also understand that there is a bigger picture here that goes beyond emotional eating. I am referring to the physical, spiritual and social reasons as well. These are separate but intertwined. Here is a brief explanation:
Physically — When we eat foods high in sugar (or processed flour), fat and/or salt content, we want to eat more foods high in sugar, fat and salt. Our body has a reward system that is important to our survival. It encourages us to seek out pleasurable experiences – like sex and food. So our biology urges us to seek the rewards we experience when we eat foods containing sugar, fat and salt. This makes these foods highly addictive for many of us.
Spiritually – When we fail to take time to nurture our spirits through personal time, meditation, creativity and play, we can easily get wrapped up in the many stressors of our lives. This can lead to a sense of disconnection. And we are likely to experience sadness, frustration, exhaustion, anxiety and even depression as a result. When we feel these particularly unpleasant emotions, we have learned that sugars, fats and salt can provide the temporary “fix” we need to move on. They only work in the short term though so the cravings will reappear. You can count on that.
Socially – When we look around, we notice that we are being bombarded constantly with messages about the importance of being younger, thinner and wealthier. We are encouraged to be perfect and, of course, we can never live up to this image. This can send us to the candy machine or bakery in a heartbeat. We are also being tricked by the food industry and foods are being manufactured to insure that many of us will not only enjoy them but will become addicted to them.
It is vital to be aware and be patient and loving with yourself. Overeating is complex and it is not entirely your fault. Please do not beat yourself up. You cannot know what you do not know, after all. But, now you can increase your awareness and when you are tempted to seek out a sugar/fat/salt fix you can pause and reflect. Ask yourself what’s really going on. You may find that as you become more aware of your body’s reactions to certain foods, the societal messages you are constantly being fed (pardon the pun) and the ways the food industry attempts to lure you into overeating with addictive foods and huge helpings, you will turn less often to food to help you manage your life. Your Bach remedies will effectively assist you as you manage your own life and you will feel proud of yourself as you progress rapidly towards optimal health and perfect weight.
Dr. Denise
