Balance with Food and Feelings

The other day I discussed the importance of food distribution and how it relates to hunger and food cravings. Today I want to talk about finding balance with food and feelings.

If you eat nutritionally balanced meals appropriate for your calorie and nutritional needs, you should be satisfied. But, if you are out of balance emotionally, chances are you still might over eat or even binge. When feelings are uncomfortably intense you may feel like you cannot bear to deal with them. Somewhere along the line you have learned to cope with life's ups and downs by using food. It usually happens somewhere in childhood when "having a cookie" made everything better somehow. But we are adults now and a cookie really doesn’t make things better in the long haul. What do you do then?

Start by realizing that feelings are only feelings. Be brave and feel the feeling head on and realize that no emotion will kill you. It may not feel comfortable but you can really survive it. 

What are you feeling? Where did it come from? What is it telling you? And I strongly encourage you to find someone safe who you can talk about it with. Once feelings are shared and literally exposed to the light of day, they no longer control you in the same way.  (Again, keep in mind healthy eating is also a must because almost every single nutrient is pertinent to emotional health is some way.)