How to Improve Emotional Eating

Whether we are stressed, depressed, happy, bored or scared, emotional eating can get the best of us. If you aren’t careful, you can become victim to emotional eating and it can wreak havoc on your health and life. FYI, emotional eating is eating in response to emotions rather than hunger. Signs you’re an emotional eater include:

• A sudden, urgent craving for a specific food.
• The hunger craving is ‘above the neck’ meaning that it begins in the mouth and mind instead of your stomach.
• You feel guilty about eating
• You don’t notice, or stop eating in response to fullness. Its just automatic or absent minded eating
• You tend to reach for food when you feel upsetting or stressful emotions

It can be frustrating to not see fitness results when your eating habits get in the way which is probably why people resort to super restrictive diets, not knowing that it can make cravings worse and start the emotional eating cycle all over again.

This is why I wanted to offer some tips to help you break that cycle! Read below to learn more about emotional eating and how to break the cycle.

Mechanisms that Influence Emotional Eating Habits & Patterns

Cortisol: this hormone naturally increases when stress is high. Stress induced cortisol triggers greater food consumption… especially carbs.

Serotonin: This is a ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter that regulates appetite and sleep patterns. Carbohydrate consumption plays a role in how its released. When these levels are abnormal, the body tends to crave carbs and poor nutrient foods as a subconscious way to supplement serotonin levels. Abnormal serotonin levels are also linked to depression, OCD & ODD

Sleep: When sleep is lacking, your appetite increases by 23%. Inadequate sleep also increases blood sugar levels and contributes to insulin resistance and the average American is deprived by sleep by at least one hour a night.

Dopamine: Is another ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter that controls the brain’s pleasure and reward centers. Some greasy, sugary, calorie dense foods can trigger a rise is dopamine that can make people binge eat to keep that good feeling going.

so if you want to control your eating habits, you need to…

Recognize your Triggers

Make note of when you reach for those snacks and determine whether you are reaching for them because your are really hungry, if you are trying to fill an emotional void or numb some uncomfortable emotions. If you find yourself reaching for food when you aren’t hungry, when you are super stressed or anxious or when your are emotional drained or distraught, then chances are, you are just reaching for that food for emotional comfort or to try to nourish a nutrient/ hormonal deficiency.

Get Plenty of Rest

Getting a good night’s sleep is challenging for many people, especially those dealing with chronic stress or mental health issues. Take advantage of the deep sleep period between 10pm-2am to wake up resfreshed and rested in the morning. Get your body into a good sleep routine and aim to go to bed before 10pm and wake up around 6am. Over time the body will eventually get used to this routine and you will naturally become tired around 9:00pm or 9:30pm. Having a sleep routine can become one of the most effective changes one can make for improving sleep. When we sleep, the body has the opportunity to rest, restore, and heal itself at a very deep level.

Stay Active

Begin small with exercise. A good starting point is to briskly walk twice a week for 20 minutes. After that, move up to three times a week for 30 minutes. A few weeks later, try to increase it to 4 times a week for 40 minutes. Finally, go walking five times a week for 50 minutes. It is essential for all of us to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Walking is a valuable time to be used for solitude or to connect with friends, family or animals. If you enjoy going to the gym then do that as well. Not only does exercise help to regulate hormone and promotes good sleep, but it will also help you to regulate your stress which can contribute to your mood and food cravings

Manage Your Emotions

Before reaching for food, determine whether you are truly hungry, or if you are just trying to feed your emotions…

• If you are stressed, take a step back and meditate or practice some deep breathing.
• If you are sad or emotional, journal or work through those feelings instead of eating them.
• If you’re bored, get up and do something!

 

Have Fun and Play

Movement and play improves quality of life and as adults, many people seem to forget how to do that. Sometimes people forget to just let go and have fun doing something out of the ordinary like roller skating, jumping on a trampoline or getting down on the floor with a child and playing like they do. Studies have shown that play can relieve stress, improve brain functions, stimulate the mind and boost creativity, and improve relationships as well as one’s connections with others.

Take care of Yourself

Self-care is one of the things that many busy people neglect. It can be easy to be there for other people, for family, work, the communities, but what about the self? When you give to the point of depletion, you do not have anything truly worthwhile to share with others. When you take the time to fill up your tank, you can then give from a place of abundance and joy. For tips to practice self care, check out my blog post on self-care by click here.

Reduce Stress

Stress is a natural part of life but when not properly manages, it can contribute to weight gain, hormone imbalances, and chronic inflammation to name a few. Here are a few suggestions for stress management:

• Practice deep breathing
• Practice meditation
• Practice Mindfulness
• Decompress
• Laugh More
• Listen to calming music
• Exercise
• Practice gratitude
• Practice self care methods as discussed earlier

For more tips on managing stress, check out these blogs:

• How to Overcome Stressful Situations in 4 Easy Steps: 
• Defining Stress: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Stress
• 10 Steps to Manage Stress 

Supplements to Help Manage Emotional Eating

OK so if you have a hard time managing your stress, mood or emotions, then you may be dealing with a hormonal or nutritional imbalance. Below are a list of supplements that will help you control your emotional eating habits:

Vitamin C: Plays an important role in shielding the body from the effects of emotional, mental and physical stress.

5-HTP: A precursor to serotonin that relays a signal from the gut to the brain and tells the body to stop eating.

Chromium: Stabilizes blood sugar and helps to prevent carb cravings

Magnesium: Helps with psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and sleep disturbances.

Omega 3- Fatty Acids: improves general health, well being, mood, cognitive function.

Glutamine: Good for sugar cravings and low blood sugar. Your body uses this as an emergency fuel source when you haven’t eaten recently. Works in as little as 10 minutes

Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral complex: A high potency multi-vitamin/mineral supplement is crucial because when the body is not receiving the proper nutrients for optimal health, it is easier to reach for a quick fix type of food that temporarily boost mood but does little for the body. Vitamins have many benefits such as supporting weight loss, enhancing adrenal function, and balancing out mood boosting neurotransmitters. Make sure you take a high quality vitamin that has activated B vitamins so that they are actually being used by the body. If you would rather get those vitamins from a natural source, then it would be best to work with a professional who knows how to make a a balanced diet to work with your lifestyle.

Also, if you are looking into taking supplements, make sure that you purchase high quality supplements that have the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) seal to make sure that you are actually taking what is on the label instead of consuming cheap fillers like powdered rice or houseplants which was found in 4 out of 5 herbal supplements sold at GNC, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart.

Herbs and Botanicals Used to Reduce Emotional Eating

Ginseng: Ginseng increases energy while boosting mental and physical performance. It is an anxiety reducing adaptogen and enhances resistance to stress. When you reduce your stress and lower your cortisol levels, you are less inclined to grab carbs or sugary snacks to feed your cravings.

Dandeilon: This herb is well known for detox support. It is helpful for cleaning out the kidney and liver while assisting in the removal of toxins from the body. When you detox your body, you naturally become more clear- headed, energized, less irritable or moody and less inclined to crave sweets and salty snacks to keep your mood balanced.

Essential Oils to used for Emotional Eating

Rosemary: Rosemary can be used for stress relief, healthy digestion, cardiovascular health, to relieve dandruff, to relieve pain and as a disinfectant. A 2007 study showed that Rosemary significantly decreases cortisol in the saliva.

Rose: Rose has similar calming benefits like Rosemary. In a 2009 study, a group receiving rose essential oil rather than the placebo through their skin felt greater feelings of calmness and relaxation.