New positive relationship with food
Overeating
Overeating is a new phenomenon within society, particularly in western cultures where access to food is plentiful. In fact, we need only look at our global obesity rates to see that perhaps we are loading our plates a little too high
Whether we are suffering from the very physical and mental effects of overeating
such as bloating, excess gas, tiredness and heaviness, or the more
emotional symptoms such as feeling flat, guilty, regretful or beating
ourselves up, most of us can say we are familiar with
the ‘overeating’ blues
The question is then here to be asked. Why do we continue to make the same choices sa in eating more when clearly it is not conducive to our physical and mental health and wellbeing
???
The question is then here to be asked. Why do we continue to make the same choices sa in eating more when clearly it is not conducive to our physical and mental health and wellbeing
???
Like with all patterns and addictions, this question is one that is
very personal and can take time to unravel, however, it is not
impossible. The process of understanding why we turn to food for
comfort, and the triggers that go along with this, involves a great deal
of self-honesty along with a genuine willingness to be super kind and
compassionate towards oneself.
In keeping it simple, here’s a 3-step guide to developing greater self-understanding and a more positive relationship with food.
(1)
Always bring Acceptance and Understanding to Yourself
There is not enough said about the value of bringing acceptance
and understanding to oneself throughout any process in life, and our
diet is no exception. If you are aware that you have a tendency to
overeat and would like to change this, remember that it can take time to
make those changes. Acceptance and understanding is a great place to
start. Some will find this simple, and for others it may be more
difficult, but remember not to compare. Your relationship with
acceptance is your own, and the more of it you have the more you will
ensure that the negative feeling of guilt or shame, or being down on
yourself, will have no air time.
Unfortunately, having understanding for oneself doesn’t take away the bloating, tiredness, heaviness, irritability and the other physical consequences that result from overeating, but it’s definitely a good start.
(2)
Practice Regular Self-Care
Another factor that is often underestimated is self-care,
which simply refers to those loving choices throughout the day we make
towards ourselves. These choices can be small or large such as: brushing
our teeth every day with the purpose to keep them clean and healthy,
making sure we get enough rest in the evening, taking the time to
exercise each day (even if it is simply a 20 minute walk) or creating
stop moments throughout our day to check in with our body and how we are
feeling. These things may seem simple but they go a long way when it
comes to supporting our bodies and our choices, food and otherwise,
thereafter.
The more we care for ourselves, the less likely we are to make choices that are over-indulgent or harmful to our bodies, and the more awareness we will have when we are looking to make such choices. Making self-care our everyday focus builds a rock solid foundation in our lives, and something we can come back to when we seemingly fall off the wagon.
(3)
Take Responsibility
It can be incredibly empowering when we take responsibility for
another area of our lives, and our diet is no exception. Being
responsible with our food choices and the quantities we eat allows us
the space to explore why we are overeating in the first place. Once we
get to the core of what it is that triggers us to overeat, be it an
anxiety we are holding in our bodies, the need to comfort ourselves, or
when something arises that we do not want to feel, taking responsibility
for this allows us to develop a greater awareness of ourselves, our
bodies and therefore more understanding is on offer. It then becomes a
constant cycling or deepening of our relationship with ourselves, with
food and with life.
Our body is the greatest marker we have when it comes to the types and quantities of foods we need to eat for good health and wellbeing. It communicates with us in many subtle and sometimes very obvious ways with its huge array of feelings and symptoms. Listening to our bodies more is a great starting point to developing a healthy relationship with our diet, and one we need never stray from
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