A Holistic Approach: Set Yourself Free From Emotional Eating.

Sadly, the information available to you on binge, compulsive and emotional eating is often not very holistic (meaning, treatment doesn’t usually address you, the individual). When the solution is not holistic, this often means you are taken down a road of antidepressants, appetite suppressants and left to figure it out for yourself. This simply doesn’t work.
When women come to me for help they’ve usually been severely restricting calories for weeks at a time “being really good” only to start binge eating and feeling out of control. It’s very cyclical and if you want to break the habit you must be willing to try something new.
I have some strategies and recommendations so you don’t feel alone – there is help!! You would be shocked to know the number of women I consult on a weekly basis with disordered eating. Rest assured, I can relate as it was all too familiar to me in my teen years. Here are some joyous health tips, a holistic approach.

* Stop dieting. Deprivation leads to cravings. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make. They eat very little or skip breakfast and then gorge themselves at dinner. If this sounds like you, then focus on eating a healthy breakfast (which includes all 3 macronutrients: complex carb, lean protein and good fat), delicious lunch, small afternoon snack and a healthy dinner. If you ignore your hunger signals, you basically turn your appetite control hormones into OVERDRIVE at night making you want to eat everything in sight and then wake up with no appetite the next morning. Always start your day out right with this: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/lemon-water-how-much-why/

* Avoid temptation. You’re much more likely to overeat if you have junk food, desserts, and unhealthy snacks in the house. Remove the temptation by clearing your fridge and cupboards of your favorite binge foods. Have a treat once in a while when you are feeling emotional stable. This will help you come to grasp with the fact that food is NOT your enemy. Avoid labeling foods as “good” and “bad”.

* Never ever feel guilty about an episode. If it happens and you binge/overeat, forgive yourself the next morning and be done with it. Avoid punishing yourself by restricting your calories, this is going to set you up for another episode – do you see how it’s a vicious cycle?

* Love yourself. Emotional eating gets out of control when we don’t put ourselves first and then use food to soothe us. Easier said than done right? You might be a mom, a successful business owner, a daughter looking after ill-parents — but remember, you will be a far better care-taker if you always put yourself first and then take care of others. So how do you do this? Here’s the first step to embrace your feminine side, appreciate your beauty and learn to love yourself again: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/love-your-nakedness-heres-how/

* Balance those brain chemicals with exercise. Not only will exercise help you love your body more by increasing your confidence, but it also lifts depression, improves overall health, and reduces stress. The natural mood-boosting effects of exercise can help put a stop to emotional eating

* Do something that makes you joyous. Everyone has a passion or a therapy for healing. For me, I love to paint so if I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed with life, I turn to my canvas and I express my emotions by painting. About a month ago I consulted a client who would binge and purge about 2-3x per month. We uncovered in her session that she LOVED animals. So she decided she would volunteer at the animal shelter 1-2x per week on the days that she felt particularly vulnerable. Find your joy and just do it.

This is really the tip of the iceburg in terms of holistic strategies for overcoming emotional eating. The key is that the approach must be individual to you. Last summer when I was developing the curriculum for EAT WELL FEEL WELL, I scoured the book stores and the internet looking for resources and strategies to help my students. I came across this amazing writer, Marcelle Pick who is an OB/GYN NP and an expert in emotional eating. She has a very valuable article which is very holistic-minded and I encourage you to check it out.

In my practice, I consult women from all over the world because this problem is widespread. Please know that there is help out there for you and you are not alone. This isn’t something that you just have to “deal” with. There are so many things you can do to feel better now. I hope my article brings you some peace of mind that you have the power within you to heal your emotions and feel fabulous again! The side effect of getting yourself back on track is of course… joyous health!

from:http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/a-holistic-approach-set-yourself-free-from-emotional-eating/