Following my previous blog “ Holiday, stress and cravings” where I discussed the difference between emotional and physical hunger, in this blog, I am going to give the SOS tools that you can use in the presence of an emotionally driven impulse to eat and that can deliver immediate help and relief.
1) Deep belly breathing
When you feel that craving rising, pose for a couple of minutes and do some deep belly breathing. If you are familiar with yoga, this is the type of breathing that is done at the beginning and end of a yoga class during the shavasana or corp pose . You don’t need to lay down, you can do it anywhere you are, sitting or standing .
I have added a guide on abdominal breathing in my FB community group
You just need a couple of minutes to reduce your stress response and bring you back into a parasympathetic response (the rest and digest mode of the nervous system vs the fight or flight mode which initiated the emotional craving ).
2) Smell your way out of it
I always curry with me some essential oils… I have some in my handbag and in my working space.
In a stressful situation, I always find it very helpful to use lavender or wild orange oil or a blend called “Balance “ by DoTERRA. I simply put a couple of drops in the palm of my hands, cup my hand around my nose and take a few deep breaths, and I rub a little oil on my pulses or temples.
However, the best oil to curb a craving is peppermint oil. I use mine in the form of beadlets, I take 2-3 and slowly savour them in my mouth. You can also use a good quality peppermint oil in water, 1-2 drops in a large glass of water.
You can find details in the notes for this training in my FB community group “Weightloss, great energy and more focus!”
3) Move your body
Physically remove that negative energy that has accumulated in your system by moving it out of your body.
Depending on where you are, you can think of different forms of movement. It can be a quick 15 minute brisk walk, it can be a bit of jumping on the spot, it can be some squatting in your living room,it can be a short yoga routine but my absolute favourite is dancing.
A quick blast of Beyonce or J.Lo and I am off dancing for 2-3 minutes and I guarantee you that the music plus the body movements will get you away from reaching that tin of biscuits!
4) Have a cuppa
Instead of reaching for food, get into the habits of putting the kettle on and make yourself a delicious herbal tea. I mean it …the point here is that it must be delicious! Investigate and try different ones. Don’t get stuck with the same old combination, it must be something you know will make your taste buds happy.
Teas containing cinnamons, liquorice, manuka honey , star anise, are particularly good at curbing cravings, especially if you are craving for something sweet.
Another great hot drink that you can use to curb your cravings and give you an immediate sense of wellbeing is Golden Milk. A yummy drink made with almond or coconut milk, turmeric, cinnamon and a dash of honey. You can also find this delicious recipe in the FB community.
5) Build a “safe house”
If none of the above work for you, then build what I call “ a safe house”. This is a place where you go, in a moment of need. It can be a shelf in your fridge or in your kitchen cupboard where you have a selection of foods which can satisfy your cravings but they are still healthier options than biscuits, energy bars, crips, bread etc etc
If you don’t work from home and you are based in an office or travel around a lot for work, you will need to rely on something transportable, choose from the list below what is most suitable for your particular circumstances:
Good ideas are:
- Individual portions of nuts and seeds (about 30g)
- Pre-washed and ready to pick berries of any type, as much as you wish
- Individual small pots of Greek Style Yogurt, plain or Coconut yogurt (Coyo or Coconut Collaborative)
- Individual little parcels of dark chocolate 70% plus ( about 30g)
- Pre-prepped crudites ( celery, red peppers, cucumber stick) with a small pot of hummus
Get to know them
All of the above are easy emergency tools that you can add to your emotional hunger busting kit. I also invite you to recognise the triggers of your cravings.
Are they driven by being in a particular situation, environment, a person, a conversation, a painful memory, an overfilled schedule…
Do they happen at a particular time of the day?
What are your feelings when they happen?
Are you feeling lonely, overwhelmed, exhausted, fearful, worried, not in control, confronted, challenged …
I invite you to observe and record in your journal all of this information so that you can start to make sense of what is happening in your life that triggers you to seek immediate relief using food. Awareness is the first step to success.
Next week, I will give you the nitty gritty details on how to eat healthily during the festivity with modifications, hacks, tips on food and drinks so you can enjoy the celebrations and still honour your body and do not derail ( too much ) from your journey to great health and a fit body.
Please let me know in the comments which of the 5 anti-stress eating tools you are going to use. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
With love, energy and care
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