Healing the Emotional Connection with Food

Emotional eating…we’ve all heard about it but do we do it? Are we ready to admit it? I am. I’ve been looking into this subject recently and I really want to get back to a place where I feel good about my relationship with food. I want to create a rhythm where I feel as great as I can, as often as I can. If you do too, then follow along…..

I think we need to, one, realize where we are at, and secondly move to a transition stage to healthier eating habits, then thirdly, to a happy maintenance state. I will start this message with the first.

It is our mental/ emotional relationship with food, not the food itself that can make it seem tough to eat optimally.

Our consistent eating patterns, peer pressure, unconscious needs, cultural patterns and so on persuade a huge part of our consummation of foods. We need to distinguish between these patterns and true hunger with a healthy intuition about what, when, where and how much to eat, then we will be on a great pathway to healing.

Are you ready to let go of the patterns that no longer serve you? Let’s begin at the beginning, our past. Take a few minutes to truly examine your history with food and patterns you see. This is such a simple & rewarding task, yet very few ever do it. To guide you, you may ask your self:

·        When did I start overeating/or eat unhealthily?

·        What were the things going on around me at that time?

·        How did I feel during and afterward?

·        What was it that I overate?

·        What/Where do I overeat now?

·        Which foods do I crave?

If you don’t identify with overeating, adjust the questions here, to suit your particular situation.

·        Are their any foods you suddenly started eating a lot of, at any time?

·        What was happening then?

·        Do you find yourself suddenly eating that food again in similar circumstances-for example, if I’m upset?

·        Do I use food in a way that is unhealthy to me?

·        What were those circumstances?

·        How did I feel when I ate that way?

·        What was I eating?

·        What are the main things I eat now?

·        Which foods do I crave?

Use your journal here and just sit with yourself for a few moments and get in touch with your self. It can be very rewarding. I can also be challenging to really see what you’ve been doing and see it, maybe for the very first time.

After this step, it is time for a reward. Put on the pot of water for a warm cup of herbal tea and relax on your favorite comfy spot and listen to some wonderful music, you deserve it! You’ve worked hard to go deep within.

You may try this recipe if your so inclined:

Zucchini and Carrot Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 zucchini, julienned
• 2-3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dulse flakes
• Dash Nama Shoyu

DIRECTIONS

This simple dish is at its best when the vegetables are sliced into very long, thin strips. You can make the strips with a gadget that can be found at country fairs. It looks like a poor man's mandolin. It has scary-looking razor-sharp blades which you drag the vegetable across. A similar machine with V-shaped blades is occasionally advertised on TV and can be found in some kitchen gadget stores. Pulling the carrot and zucchini across the cutter the long way rather than on their ends creates 4-6 inch strips. Even if you are slicing by hand, try to achieve this effect.

If you are using a mandolin, don't watch television or have a conversation at the same time. These pieces of equipment are sharp and dangerous and require one hundred percent of your attention!

Combine carrots, zucchini, oil, garlic, dulse and Nama Shoyu in a bowl. Toss.

Serves 2-3.

Orange Tahini Dressing

NOTES

A delightful light dressing that only takes a few minutes to make. Its simplicity invites variation. Try adding 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1-2 teaspoons tamari. Or, add 2 teaspoons poppy seeds and 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• pinch sea salt
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dulse flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon curry powder

DIRECTIONS

In bowl, add orange juice gradually to tahini, stirring after each addition. Add salt. Dressing tastes fine as is, or add spices to taste.

Yields approximately 1/2 cup