Any of you an emotional eater?

Oh My, Am I!

At 48, I think I’ve finally managed to understand why I eat what I eat, and to change those patterns to match my personal health and wellness goals.

48!

Again, remedial, but committed.

So here are some important things I’ve learned, and with which the American Diabetic Association and DBSA agree…

• Nutrition affects your health, energy and mood. Good nutrition helps everyone, but people with chronic illnesses (including depression, bipolar disorder, GAD, etc.) can be more profoundly affected.
• Being aware of what, when, how much, how often, and why you eat might be more helpful than you ever imagined.
• Too much (and for some, any amount is too much) sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or chocolate is likely to cause a mood disturbance. It’s pure physiology, guys! These things dramatically alter our brain chemistry. Remember that fact! consider it before you take the next bite…the next drink…
• Fresh vegetables(the darker the color the better), fruit, oil-rich fish, soy products, flaxseed, wheat germ & whole grains and nuts contain Omega-3 fatty acids and high levels of necessary vitamins and minerals. They’re like money in the bank. Eating them regularly builds physical and emotional stores, enabling you to manage daily life stressors as well as the additional challenges of chronic illness.
• Crash diets literally starve your body. When your body is starved, your brain goes into survival mode. Not wellness mode. Survival mode. Thinking is cloudy, problem-solving skills diminish, fatigue sets in, motivation to move disappears. Sounds  a lot like depression, doesn’t it? Does this seem like a wise and comfortable thing to do by choice? Crash diets cause more harm than good, no matter how much weight you lose.

Okay…what can you do?

• Keep a journalof everything you eat and drink, your activites and your moods for a week. Look for correlations and connections.
• Find out what you crave and eat when you’re stressed. Anticipate the cravings and have a healthy replacement at hand. DO NOT KEEP THE GUILTY PLEASURES IN YOUR HOUSE.
• If you have cravings, distract yourselfwith a physical activity for at leat 15 minutes before giving in to them.
• If your journaling indicates that certain foods and drinks alter your moods, completely eliminate them for a week and note any changes.
• If you experience drastic changes in weight, severely restrict your diet at times, binge, purge, or exercise excessively, talk to your doctor about treatment for a possible eating disorder. Click here for more information.

Mindful eating is the simplest way to improve overall health, and is sometimes the most difficult thing to do; but give it a try. You might be amazed by what you learn and how much better you feel.

Kate

This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am and is filed under Depression, Mental Health, Wellness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.