WHY ARE YOU EATING? - DECEMBER 2015 - VOLUME 7 ISSUE 9
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Once again, the holiday season is here, so I thought it would be a good idea to look at what happens when we succumb to emotional eating. That way, if we can see it coming, we can be proactive in stopping ourselves - we can be mindful - before we eat way more than we really want, or the 'wrong things' for the wrong reasons. Find out more below...
Best Wishes for a happy, healthy, stress-free holiday season and a wonderful New Year from Megs, Chanele, Tamia and myself.
- Ramila
These newsletters will help you make better choices for better health. The choices that you make today can either have a positive or negative impact on your overall health. Begin by choosing better. It is a step toward longevity.
Ramila Padiachy
Doctorate of Natural Medicine (DNM)® R.Ac.
1437 Woodroffe Avenue
Ottawa ON (map)
613.829.0427
Why are You Eating?
Is your hunger emotional or physical?
Emotional hunger occurs in response to your feelings.
Physical hunger occurs because your body needs fuel.
Emotional hunger tends to come on suddenly.
Physical hunger emerges gradually.
With emotional hunger, you crave certain foods.
With physical hunger, you're open to many options.
Emotional hunger doesn't notice signs of fullness.
With physical hunger, you stop eating when you're full.
What does your body really need when you have food cravings?
You might be interested in watching a short video of an interview I did recently on CTV. The information is included in the following table.
*Note: Dark chocolate, in moderation, is healthy!
+Plus a supplement.
Specific Traps to Avoid
Sugar: Not so good in your stomach, even worse in your bloodstream
Under normal conditions, when blood sugar levels rise after eating, the pancreas secretes insulin that allows the cells to take in and use glucose (sugar) for energy. When cells become resistant, they don't respond to insulin. The excess glucose builds in the bloodstream and is eventually stored as fat. This triggers carbohydrate cravings and fatigue because the cells are literally starving for the fuel and energy they need to function. Giving in to carbohydrate cravings results in weight gain, and the vicious cycle continues.
Insulin resistance, one of the main components of metabolic syndrome, is clearly on the rise. Why is this? Our early ancestors obtained whole foods from the environment and expended a lot of physical energy to do so. Today most of us consume processed foods laden with sweeteners, and we lack the physical activity our bodies need.
Good news! Insulin resistance can be prevented and reversed through diet and exercise. The Diabetes Prevention Program and other large studies have shown that people with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes can make improvements by losing just 5–7% of their body weight and walking 30 minutes daily.
Note that it's really important to avoid soft drinks and foods containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Other refined carbohydrates are close cousins of sugar and should be avoided for the same reasons, e.g. anything made of refined white flour.
Artificial sweeteners
Studies have shown that most artificial sweeteners, believe it or not, cause weight gain and obesity. So opting for the low-cal version of your favourite soft drink won't do you any favours. In particular, avoid saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, and neotame. Exceptions are xylitol and stevia which are great natural alternatives. A word of caution if you have a pet: xylitol is extremely poisonous to dogs and cats, so don't let them eat anything with xylitol in it.
Water, Fruit and Vegetables
We need water!
Whether or not weight loss is part of your plan, you need lots of good quality water. If you do intend to lose weight, water is considered by many to be a major ingredient for success. It helps you feel full. It cleanses. It heals. And it has numerous other health benefits.
To review, you should drink half an ounce of water for each pound you weigh (up to a maximum of 100 ounces). For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water per day.
There are lots of things you can do to make drinking water more interesting. While most other drinks do not count as substitutes for water, one exception is herbal tea – this gives you all sorts of tasty options. Another way to add variety is to add a couple of slices of cucumber to your water pitcher or container for the day. For variety, you can add a thin slice of orange, lemon or lime; or a sliced strawberry; a small piece of watermelon or cantaloupe. Liquid chlorophyll (see supplements below) is another great addition with its refreshing spearmint flavour.
Vegetables and fruit
As always, vegetables are an excellent choice, as well as fruit in moderation because it's sweeter. Consider the space taken in your stomach by 400 calories:
by oil – it just covers the bottom of your stomach.
by chicken – a few small pieces don't come close to filling your stomach.
by vegetables – your entire stomach is full!
We recommend aiming for at least 5 servings of vegetables each day.
Manage Stress
We've covered stress management in previous newsletters (June 2014 and March 2013), but to briefly review a few basics:
Be physically active. Try to get 30 minutes (or at least 20 minutes if you can't manage 30) of exercise at least as vigorous as walking briskly every day.
Get enough good quality sleep. At least 7 hours a night is very important for managing stress and also for controlling your appetite. It's almost impossible not to eat more (especially carbs) when you're really tired.
Use relaxation techniques. There are many different ones, some of which were outlined in the June 2014 newsletter. Find what works for you and practice your favourite techniques regularly.
Supplements
There are a number of Nature's Sunshine supplements that can help manage stress and emotional eating. You can find information about these products and purchase them in our online store:
Magnesium Complex
Vitamin B Complex
Calcium
Omega-3
Liquid Chlorophyl
Zerenity
If your New Year's resolutions include weight loss with an emphasis on healthy eating, please see our website for information about the weight loss program at our clinic.
For additional information, please email ramila@ramilas.com or call Ramilas Healing Arts Clinic at 613.829.0427 for an appointment. Please continue letting friends and family know about this newsletter. Also, on our website, please see back issues of this newsletter, information about services, products and our clinic, and order products.
References:
What do my cravings say about me? Module 6 in the IN.FORM Participant manual. 2014 Nature's Sunshine Products of Canada Ltd. www.naturessunshine.com
Disclaimer: The suggestions and recommendations in this newsletter are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic. The information is accurate and up to date to our knowledge, but we are not responsible for any errors in our sources of information.
Featured Service
Emotional release therapy is an alternative healing method used to help release a person's negative energy. This technique is widely used in grief therapy and in other areas of emotional trauma. It is also successful in healing both physical and emotional wounds.
Emotional releasing techniques require a person to discover what past hurts and emotions are currently causing mental or physical pain. Once these hurts are discovered they can be released, eventually alleviating the problem and filling the person with positive energy.
Ramila is truly a gifted healer. I left her office with the most amazing feeling that cannot be fully described in words. What I like most about the Emotional Release Technique was the fact that I didn't have to open up and share my feelings. While I am an open and outgoing person, I tend to keep my personal feelings very guarded. In the past I have tried therapy but speaking about my emotions was very uncomfortable for me.
- Delanie, Montreal, QC
