Naturopath Lauren Jane Discusses Emotional Eating and Its Management
Exploring the Concept of Emotional Eating with Naturopath Lauren Jane
In a recent interview, naturopath Lauren Jane shares her wisdom on emotional eating, a common challenge for many individuals. As part of a four-part series, Jane explores this topic in depth, providing advice on managing this habit and fostering a healthier relationship with food and emotions.
Jane explains that emotional eating involves consuming food in response to feelings other than physiological hunger. These emotions can range from sadness to joy, with comfort foods often the go-to choice. Unlike mindful eating, such as enjoying a piece of cake at a birthday party, emotional eating is typically mindless and can lead to guilt and shame.
Common triggers for emotional eating include boredom, stress, and loneliness, among others. Recognizing these patterns requires self-awareness and curiosity, rather than falling into cycles of shame.
Addressing emotional eating requires practical steps. Jane suggests rating hunger on a scale to increase awareness of habits, questioning feelings before reaching for food, and keeping a food-and-mood diary. By understanding the emotions driving this behavior, individuals can better manage emotional eating.
Naturopathic principles can also play a role in managing emotions and reducing the urge to eat for comfort. A holistic approach to nutrition involves waiting for physical hunger signs before eating, practicing mindfulness, and using herbal medicines to support the nervous system and stress response.
Alternatives to emotional eating include learning mindfulness, practicing breathwork, taking breaks, and engaging in activities that manage stress and anxiety. Additionally, journaling, seeing a counselor, and adopting a balanced diet can help reduce emotional eating.
Jane encourages individuals to honor their emotions without food, finding healthier coping mechanisms and developing a more sustainable relationship with food. Her free emotional eating survival guide offers a starting point for those seeking to overcome this challenge.
In short, recognizing and managing emotional eating requires self-awareness, mindfulness, and alternative coping strategies. By integrating naturopathic principles into a personal approach to emotional eating, individuals can develop a more balanced relationship with food.
- Naturopathic principles, such as mindfulness and a balanced diet, can help reduce the urge to eat for comfort and manage emotions.
- Learning mindfulness, practicing breathwork, taking breaks, and engaging in activities that manage stress and anxiety are alternatives to emotional eating.
- Journaling, seeing a counselor, and adopting a balanced diet can also help reduce emotional eating.
- By understanding the emotions driving emotional eating, individuals can better manage this habit and foster a healthier relationship with food and emotions.
- Naturopath Lauren Jane's emotional eating survival guide offers a starting point for those seeking to overcome this challenge, emphasizing self-awareness, mindfulness, and alternative coping strategies.
