Archives

Addicted to Processed Foods?

Apr6

Many of the foods we reach for when we get stressed out are packed with sugars, fats, preservatives,  salt, and myriad other substances, some of which we cannot even pronounce.

Food addicts rarely crave celery, carrots, or broccoli when the triggers click. We are more likely to go for chips, candy, cookies, ice cream, or other snacks that are high in sugar,  fats, and sodium.

Unfortunately, these foods are highly processed and full of additives that may cause a food addict to crave them even after the emotional stress has eased.

Processed foods are readily available. You can grab a package of lunchables, a bag of chips, a package of wings and a soft drink,  a slice of pizza, or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s at a drugstore, gas station, or supermarket at any time of the day or night.

This presents a few problems. For one, you don’t have a lot of time to consider your decision. Fast food, a fast decision. Then there are the aftereffects like gas, bloating, upset stomach, lack of energy.

Food is supposed to give you energy, not take it away, something to consider when making a food choice. All those additives may contribute to your food addiction by affecting hormones in the body.

Overeating prepared foods with lots of fillers, salt, corn syrup, dyes, and MSG (which has many names and can be found in numerous processed food items) can cause bloating and weight gains of as much as 10 pounds overnight.

The best way to avoid overeating junk foods is to prepare your own food, but since many people have gotten spoiled by convenience foods that you just pop in the microwave for a few minutes, another suggestion might be to just cut back.

If you eat packaged foods every day, cut back to twice a week. Cook a meal three times a week and use the leftovers in creative ways for lunches and healthy snacks.

When you buy chips, buy a small package instead of the economy size so when you eat the whole bag, it will be only one or two servings.

Wean yourself off sodas which are usually very in sodium that can cause you to retain fluid and try flavored water or iced tea, or watered down juice.

If you’ve been eating deli foods and other prepared foods for any length of time, it may be hard to go back to regular foods.

Carrots and broccoli don’t have to be smothered in a fatty ranch dressing to give them flavor. They already taste good–well, the jury’s still out on broccoli.

If you think you’re addicted to processed foods, you may be right. Make a pot roast and take a roast beef sandwich to work for lunch. Add a few strawberries or an apple with some cheese.

Treat yourself to a nutrient rich meal that tastes good. You could get used to it. After all, everyone deserves a healthy body.

Sadness and Food Addiction

Apr3

Lately, I’ve met quite a few people who admit that they binge when they get lonely. They aren’t angry. they just don’t want to be alone and so they eat.

But it isn’t just loneliness. It’s sadness. Regardless of what is making you sad–and usually it’s something that’s happened in the past–there is an absent-minded eating pattern going on.

Sadness is depressing. It saps your strength and steals your energy. When your energy is low and you’re a food addict or an  emotional eater,  you probably turn to food.

Yes, food addiction triggers are many and sometimes they surprise you. I wouldn’t have thought of sadness as a trigger, but it is.

One thing I’ve learned is that you have to be in touch with your feelings at all times if you’re going to beat a food addiction.

Stay away from people who make you feel sad, and stay close to those who make you feel good about yourself.

Choose people who accept you as you are so you won’t always be guessing about how to act when you’re around them. The more you can feel comfortable in social situations, the less likely you are to resort to food when sadness sets in.

In other words, don’t worry, be happy.

Forgiveness is Important for Food Addicts

Mar28

When food addictions take over your life, you can become very hard on yourself even to the point of self-hate. This only makes the food addiction worse.

We all do things that we regret. We can’t do anything about the past but if food addiction and emotional eating have become patterns in your life, there is something you can do about them now.

Before we can move from one state of being into another, we must be able to forgive ourselves for whatever we have done, or think we have done. Only when we do this can we move forward.

Children live in the moment, so they forgive easily. It’s harder for adults to live in the moment because there is always some past mistake or future possibility that we seem to want to focus on, taking us away from the moments in which we have the most power.

Food addictions and the agonizing emotional trauma that is always lurking underneath can keep us in a place that is sad, shameful, or just plain uncomfortable, for a long time.

When we have these feelings, we don’t like ourselves. When we don’t like ourselves, there is the tendency for the food addict to self-medicate or even self-destruct with food.

Self-hate, anger or even impatience with yourself can keep your heart closed, and if there is any time your heart needs to be open, it’s when you’re feeling bad about yourself.

So today’s tip is simple: Forgive yourself for not being perfect, for making some mistakes. That will allow you to let the past go and experience each moment fully without judgment and without regret.

Forgiveness clears out the negative feelings and lets you begin anew each day. Live each day fully, with your attention in the moment, and without persecuting yourself for something you cannot change.

Keep your heart open so that love can flow freely in both directions. The three most powerful words in the English language are said to be “I forgive you”.

Practice saying them daily in the mirror, and watch your eating patterns and your life change for the better.

Healthy Eating Promotes Weight Loss

Mar25

Have you ever noticed how often the words “healthy” and “balanced” are used in the same sentence? When it comes to food, these are very important words.

Here is a short YouTube video with some great information about what foods you need to eat in order to have a balanced diet. I hope you enjoy it.

If you’re interested in learning more about raw foods and how they can help you lose the weight and keep it off, click here.