Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Food is Vital.

We must be MINDful of our Food, Eating Habits, and being able to Recognize and Respond to our True Hunger and Fullness Signals.

Food has become a Source of Pleasure, Culture and Social Interaction and, if we are not MINDful of our Food Consumption, and our Food intake, it can lead to MINDless Eating, which can lead to Over-Eating, which can lead to many Health issues.

Finding a Balance, will Help us Prevent Over-Eating and will Support our Overall Physical, Emotional and Mental Well Being.

Over-Eating can have Serious Repercussions on both our Physical and Mental Health, as well as, our Emotional Well-Being.

Here are ways it can impact us:

Physical Health:
​Consuming more Calories than our Body needs, leads to Weight Gain, whereby the added Weight can put a Strain on our Heart, Internal Organs, Knees and Hips..

This can in turn, result in Obesity, which is a Major Risk Factor for various Chronic Diseases, including Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and certain Cancers. 

Additionally, Over-Eating can cause Digestive issues like Acid Reflux, Bloating, Gas and General Discomfort. 

Mental Health:  
Over-Eating can Contribute to Anxiety and Depression, often due to Worries about Weight and Health. 

It can Disrupt our Cognitive Functions and Concentration, leading to Increased Stress and Mental Fatigue.

Emotional Well-being:  
​Over-Eating can cause us Emotional Distress by Triggering Feelings of Guilt and Shame. 

These Feelings can Negatively impact our Self-Esteem and Self-Worth. 

Having these Feelings, often leads to a Cycle of Emotional Over-Eating, where Food is used as  a Temporary Relief from our Negative Emotions.   

This often causes us to Feel Out-of-Control and can take an Emotional Toll on us, which pushes us to Over-Eat even more.

Addressing Over-Eating is essential for living a healthier and happier life. Understanding why we overeat is the first step toward breaking the cycle.

By identifying our Triggers, we can Develop Strategies to Manage them Effectively.

The 3 Most Common Triggers:

1.  ​Stress:
When we’re Stressed, our Bodies Release Cortisol, a Hormone that Increases Appetite.

Stress Eating can become a Coping Mechanism, leading to the Over-Consumption of Comfort Foods that are often High in Sugar, Fat and Calories.

2.  Boredom:
When we Lack Engaging Activities, we often turn to Food for Entertainment.

Eating can provide a Temporary Distraction from Boredom, which can Lead us to MINDless Eating and therefore Over-Calorie intake. 

3.  Emotional Eating: 
Food can be a Source of Comfort during Emotional Highs and Lows.

Whether we’re Celebrating a Success or Coping with Sadness, turning to Food can become an Automatic Response.

🔺Practice Relaxation Techniques: 
​When we Feel Stressed-Out, this is the Perfect time to do some Deep Breathing Exercises, Meditate, or do some Yoga. 

These Practices help us to Relax which ultimately Reduces our Stress while Promoting a Sense of Calm and Balances our 'want' for Food.

🔺Regular Exercise:  
When we Exercise, it Produces Pleasure Hormones such as Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin, which Improves our Mood, and Reduces our Stress.

This helps us to Feel Good about ourselves, causing us to Eat MINDfully and, On Purpose.

🔺Adequate Sleep:
​Lack of Sleep can Increase Stress Levels and Disrupt Hunger Hormones, which can lead us to the Fridge Freezer to get Ice Cream and Eat the Whole Tub!

​🔺Go for a Walk:
​Physical Activity, even a short walk, can Alleviate Boredom, Uplift our Mood and Reduce the Urge to Eat out of Habit.

​🔺Read a Book:
​When we dive into a Good Book, we are Captivated and Engaged in Reading, rather than Eating!  
​
​🔺Engage in Hobbies: 
​When we seek out our Inner Picasso and Paint, or Play a Musical Instrument, or do Physical Activities that we Enjoy, they will keep our Minds occupied because it Fulfills us and that, keeps us from Eating due to Boredom. ​

​🔺Recognize our Emotions:
​By paying Attention to our Emotional State BEFORE we reach for more Food, we can identify whether we are Truly Hungry or not. 

Or, whether we are Eating out of Sadness, Loneliness or Frustration. 

🔺​Find Healthy Coping Mechanisms:
​One of the ways to Cope with Food is by  Journaling. 

By writing down our Feelings, it helps us identify what we are Feeling so we can create Healthy Emotions so we don’t Over-Eat.

By reaching out and Talking to a Friend, or Seeking out Professional Help for Therapy, can provide us with Valuable Insights and, perhaps other Strategies for Managing our Emotional Eating. 

​🔺Engaging in Mindful Activities:
Engaging in Activities that Promote MINDfulness, such as, Tai Chi, Forest Bathing, or Grounding, can help us Feel Better so we are not Emotionally Triggered to Over-Eat!  

🔺Pay Full Attention:
By Focusing on the Experience of Eating, Turning Off any Distractions like TV and Digital Devices, and sitting Down at a Table to Enjoy our Meal helps us Engage in the Full Attention of Eating.  Check out our Blog on:  MINDful Eating

🔺Savor Each Bite:
Taking Small Bites and Chewing our FUEL thoroughly, helps us Enjoy the Favours, Textures and Aromas of our Food. 

🔺Recognize Hunger and Fullness Cues: 
We must Listen to our Body, and Eat when we’re Hungry and Learn to STOP when we’re Comfortably Full.

🔺Use Smaller Plates:
​Serving Meals on Smaller Plates can help us Control Portion Sizes and Prevent us from Over-Eating. 

🔺Pre-Portion:
Instead of Eating Directly from Large Packages, Portion out Snacks and our Meals into Smaller, Individual Servings.

​🔺Mindful Serving:
When we Dine Out, consider Sharing a Large Portioned Dish, or Eating Half, and Taking the Rest home for the Next Day's Meal.