Being Aware of Your Relationship with Food ~ Naturally Balancing Your Weight Series

This is the first article in a series I will be writing on natural, holistic weight loss and balancing your weight naturally. 

The purpose of eating is to nourish, sustain, balance and heal our bodies. Food was created with living and active components naturally contained within them, all of which are designed to do just this. However, in our society especially, we have been “trained” from an early age to use foods for a variety of other reasons, most of which are highly unhealthy, addicting and binding. This results in the accumulation of unwanted or unneeded weight and the degradation of our overall health. Eating when when our body is not in need is classified as overeating. It is estimated that 75% of all overeating is caused by emotions. 

Critical steps in finding our natural, balanced weight is changing our relationship to food, restoring our connection to food’s ability to heal, nourish and balance our body while addressing other needs in our lives with more appropriate tools, other then eating. The key to this entire process is connecting to our body and its needs on a deep level, thus becoming able to hear and respond appropriately to the body's varying needs at the time they arise. This in itself is a journey, but one worth embarking on, not only in finding our perfect balanced weight but also in reversing health symptoms and achieving the highest levels of health and well being. 

There are 5 predominate reasons we eat. 

1. Social - We eat because we are in social situations where eating is involved. We may be meeting friends at a restaurant, attending a birthday party, event or gathering all of which may provide food. Often times the foods offered in social gatherings are unhealthy, for example chips, highly processed meats and cheeses, soda pop, pizza and fried foods. If we are very social beings, this may add up to a lot of unhealthy food coming into our body, resulting in excess weight and lowered health levels. A great way to get around this problem is to bring your own healthy yet delicious side dish to the event. Another way is to ensure you are pleasantly satisfied with healthy foods prior to the gathering. Then instead of gorging, out of hunger at the event, you merely sample some of the foods. 

2. Emotional - Many times we eat because we are feeling depressed, bored, lonely, angry, anxious, frustrated or stressed. Foods in fact help us to address some of the physiological reasons for our states of emotions. The nutrients contained within foods can help our emotional states increase and stabilize, which is why we have a natural gravitation toward food during these times, but the key is to identify the feelings. Once the true feelings are identified we can go about devising a structure to our intake of foods in a way that brings the greatest levels of health and well being. Other emotions that can’t be addressed by food; loneliness, boredom, anger and stress, need to be identified in the moment they arise and then tools that address these needs should be sought in replacement of food. If we are bored maybe it is a good time to get in touch with what we are passionate about or start on the road to pursuing dreams we have long lost touch with. The key is to identify the feeling and address it appropriately and instead of just reaching for food.

3. Situational - We often eat when the opportunity presents itself. We may walk by a bakery, see an ad on television or be offered food at work. We may eat while we watch T.V. or when we go to a sporting event. These are all times when it is not our body but our mind telling us we need food. They key again is to be aware. Are we eating because we are in need or because the opportunity presented itself? Every thing we bring into our body is either contributing to a state of increased health or degraded health. If we are not in need, we are contributing to a state of degraded health. We must become aware of these situations and keep on walking, saying no to food when we are not in specific need. 

4. Thoughts - Many times we eat in response to negative self talk that we often are not fully conscious or aware of. Thoughts such as, “You will never be able to loose this weight.” or ‘What is the point?” can lead us to eat, even though we are not in need. Self talk is often times very subversive and not something we are fully aware of. Every time before we decide to eat is important to stop, get quiet and listen to our body. Is this food being brought in on a need basis or are we trying to drown out or give into negative thoughts our mind is keeping on a playback real. If we take the time to stop and listen before we eat we can begin to hear what our body is saying and better determine if why we are eating. 

5. Need - This and only this is when we want to eat. Our body sends us signals when food or nutrients are needed. We may be hungry, have low energy, feeling blue, have a headache or have another health symptom arise. Again, the key is to become conscious of these signals our body sends to us, and be able to respond appropriately. It is entirely acceptable and needed to eat when our energy slumps, but we must reach for foods that address and resolve this need completely and healthfully. It is also completely acceptable and needed to reach for liquid or foods with a high water content when we have a headache.  

Being aware of these five eating triggers can help us to make more conscious choices when deciding when, where and how to eat. 

The goal is to become connected and aware of the times in which we are eating, what needs trigger us to eat and what we are eating in response to these needs.

Through Align Holistic Health & Well Being's Your Perfect Weight Program we delve into this issue in depth and utilize tools to help us overcome the unneeded forms of eating. Holistic weight loss address all relationships, needs and habits surrounding food and is the only way to finding Your Perfect Weight naturally and healthfully.


Contact us today to learn more about Your Perfect Weight Program and begin your journey to better health today!


Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC
www.alignholistichealth.com
720-206-4648


A Place Where Health is Transformed