8 Ways to Avoid Emotional Eating

Let's be real here for a second...no matter how good you are at getting your "meal plan" down, how great you are with your health journey, no matter how much you love to workout...emotional eating can sabotage even the strongest efforts to get healthy & lose weight!  I have been on a constant journey for 3 years now with my emotional eating & love/hate relationship with food.   I have learnt my triggers that set my binge into overdrive.  For years I battled with not wanting to eat for fear I would gain weight (when I was already struggling with a weight issue), then I would binge eat to the point being sick,  then feel depressed about the choices I made, sending me back into the cycle of under eating.

The triggers will absolutley vary person to person but I believe there is a common theme for all of us:

Unpleasant emotions: When we are feeling shitty, eating (and in my case, sweets) boost your serotonin level (your sexy, feel good hormone) and lowers the level of Cortisol in the body...giving you that temporary lift in your mood.

Childhood Roots:

When you hurt your finger, did your mom reach for a cookie to make the boo-boo better? When you were down, did you grandma offer up your "comfort food"?  Emotional eating can root right back to childhood! When this isn't always a bad thing for our littles to feel better in the moment, when it follows us into adulthood where we experience far more "boo-boo"s, it becomes a problem-causing crutch.

Social Situations:  for me, this is a BIG one...go out with the girls, its automatically considered a "wine night".  Date night with hubby <--- WINE.  Visit with family from out of town...sugar packed, high fat dinner followed with WINE.  See the trend here?  Social situation cause breaks in your willpower to stay on track, i mean, how wants to be the host who offers water and plate of grilled asparagus??  This is a hard situation to break as society makes it so easy to pick on the people who tend to follow the health trend. (gluten-free much?!)

Regardless of your personal triggers for over eating, emotional eating, or addictive eating...HAVE NO FEAR! I am living proof you can break these habits <3  Here are a few tricks I use to fight off my emotional eating monster:

1. PLAN YOUR DAY

Meal planning, food prep, and knowing whats happening in my food world ahead of time has been a BIG game changer for me! First off, I am a meal skipper...this leads to drop in my blood sugars. Remember the hormone thing I talked about before?? Well this sends it straight for disaster! I plan my meals no more than 2-3 hours apart, this way, i keep my sugars right where they should be and I don't overindulge thinking I'm never going to eat again (yes, I'm dramatic)  For tips on how to meal prep, check out Clean Eating

2. FIND FOOD ALTERNATIVES.

If your eating because you’re stressed, unwind by taking a bath or cuddling on the sofa with a blanket. Find a book you love and indulge in that. If your feeling lonely, call a friend or plan a coffee date!  If your irritated, GET OUTSIDE! Breathe slowly & deeply through your nose a few times. 

3. EXERCISE MORE.

I don't know about you, but i fell AMAZING after a killer workout. I feel a sense of accomplishment, freedom, satisfaction & sexiness. <--- this, my friends, is a completely different boost than the boost I get from a food rush.  Exercise is cleansing to the body, a great way to boost those happy-hormones I talked about before and will keep you on your health journey track instead of sabotaging it.  Im not saying you have to kill yourself for 3 hours in the gym. Try this: when your feeling like hitting the kitchen, do 3 Sun Salutations.

4. FILL UP ON THE GOOD STUFF

Cravings...they aren't as much of a mental thing as you would think! They are actually your body telling you that your lacking something! The best way to get around this...eat a well-balanced diet FULL of veggies, fruits, & seeds.  You should be eating more than half of your food in the form or raw or steamed veggies.  Don't like veggies? guess what, your body rejuvenates its taste buds every 2 weeks! keep eating it even if your not a huge fan...you tastebuds learn to recognize the good stuff & will start to crave this!! COOL EH?!

5. SAVOUR THE EXPERIENCE

I'm a foodie! So my foodie tip of the day for you...enjoy the moment. Eat slowly, appreciate your food.  Notice the flavours, the texture, the creation. Notice the smells and the colors. Think of all the beautiful things your food has to offer in the form of vitamins, nutrients, minerals... Sounds intimate right?! IT SHOULD BE! You should have a close, healthy relationship with what your putting into your body, after all, if its going in, it BECOMES YOU! 

6. SET YOURSELF FREE.

Meditation...when I say this people automatically get weirded out and picture sitting in a quiet, candle lit room with their legs crossed humming some ritualistic tune...GET REAL!  Start super simple. Sit in a comfortable position, even cross legged for effect ;) Close your eyes, pay attention to your breathe. take a full breathe in through your nose for 5 counts, then out for 6 counts...in for 5, out for 6...in for 5, out for 6. follow your breathe until you can feel its rhythm. Focus on nothing but the breathe. once you feel in a relaxed state, take a BIG inhale in through the nose, decide what you need to LET GO OFF (whatever is ailing your heart) and breathe it out. Breathe out the bad, negative, shitty, awkward stuff. Breathe in positive & happy thoughts.  SIMPLY RIGHT?!?!?! Please, give it a shot.

7. GET ENOUGH SLEEP, CUT OUT THE BOOZE

These are 2 things I have come to terms with...operation as a zombie is not sexy, nor is a dependancy on wine to feel great. Get in your 8 hours.  Set a bedtime routine you LOVE! Invest in a great anti-aging face serum you LOVE & are excited to use at bedtime. Wash your face, get cozy, read a book.  On the wine, its a sugary shitstorm whether is has the health benefits or not...LIMIT IT! and try to avoid right before bedtime, it screws with your sleep patterns.  And believe me, when i've had a glass of wine or 2, I have NO problem hitting the kitchen to find some cheese of a starchy snack.

8.  BE GENTLE ON YOURSELF

WE ARE HUMAN. We are going to have good & bad days. Someone asked me yesterday, do you ever eat theatre popcorn?? if so, do you just not eat all day to earn it? HELL YES I DO eat that popcorn! And no, I eat healthy as usual.  <--- get the popcorn, enjoy each kernel slowly, then get back on track. Don't beat yourself up.  Know that you are on a marathon journey, not a sprint. Don't burn yourself out by restricting everything all the time. If you find yourself in a binge, remove yourself, recognize what triggered it & let that go.

If there is one thing I have learnt from this journey to get my health in check, it's to  remember why your starting. Have a set reason you are driven to accomplish what you've set out.  Personally, I have my WHY written out in many places...when I feel like failing, I remember why I started.

Tomato Coconut Curry Soup with Chickpeas

I don't know if it was all the travelling or the cold, rainy Spring weather we are getting but I was in SERIOUS need of some homemade, comfort food soup yesterday! I am on a HUGE coconut curry kick so here is what came out of it!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, organic
• 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
• 2 cup vegetable stock (240 ml)
• 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger 
• 3 tbsp Cilantro
• 
  

Directions

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, Cook until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, ginger, garlic and bay leaf and cook for a few more minutes, until fragrant, constantly stirring to avoid burning.
2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable stock, and coconut milk  and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes until potatoes are just tender.  Add the chickpeas and chopped spinach and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.  Add Cilantro, salt & pepper to taste!

This soup makes AMAZING leftovers as well! 

Summer Slimdown Compound Effect!!

There are 15 weeks left until Summer is here

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Healthy Taco Casserole

I was lazy tonight & really need to go grocery shopping!! Here is what we came up with...so good, tastes like cheat food! 

Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (I used venison)

1 cup macaroni (all I had was some brown rice ones shaped like farm amimals!)

1 packet smart taco seasoning (I make my own)

1 can organic stewed tomatoes 

1.5 cup organic tomato sauce

2 cups water

1 cup frozen organic corn 

1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef in a large pot, drain.

2. Add taco seasoning, corn, water, tomato sauce, and tomatoes and bring to a low boil.

3. Add noodles, reduce to low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes depending on variety (brown rice noodles take a little longer)

4. Once noodles are tender, top with cheese, turn off heat, put lid back on for 5 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

*21 Day Fixers*

Full green container

1 red, 1 blue, 1.5 yellow, 1 green

Empower Project

Let me tell you my story how I got to this point...
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My entire life I was a subject of self-doubt, self-sabotage, blaming the world for my shitty luck, comparison artist, emotional escape guru and a stimulation junkie...bitter, judgemental, unaccepting of constructive criticism. It took me 3 years to turn my entire life around..ALL THE SOUL SEARCHING, studying, learning, trusting...has lead me to this point & I'm ready to share it with the world!

My Self-Doubt...(i guess goes a lot with the comparison game)..I struggled with ADD as a child which I carried through my teen years and early part of adulthood. I would start something and couldn't finish it. I would have incredible ideas that would stem from my colourful mind but would never act on them either not knowing where to start or knowing i would fail at completing it. <---People like this in society need guidance and structure...not to be told they are spacey or scatterbrained. She is class clown, she is a partier, she is too young to be a good mom, she is obsessive or loud...no wonder we don't feel we are worthy.

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Self-Sabotage...your legs are too short (thanks for that abercombie), your hair is thin, your fat (ill call it big boned), you aren't a good reader so you just shouldn't try, I am THE BEST at procrastination, I did all of the things I wasn't supposed to...all because it gave me a false sense of control. I had a HUGE enemy within me, the voice 90% of the time louder than my own.

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Comparison Game - this is something I will ALWAYS battle, but i have learnt how to detect when I am falling into this & deflect it. She is smarter, she knows things I don't, she is more educated, its her background, genetics, money....ALL BULLSHIT. I AM THE BEST DAMN KC there is...I WILL OWN THAT <--- this took a lot of time to come to.

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Emotional Escape Artist - All of the above this make you feel like a train wreck BUT its easy to cover this up. Partying, smoking, drugs, drinking, lying, fake smiling, fit-in game, dreaming but not acting...i got really good at this. This is a mask and fixes nothing. *Insert downward spiral here*

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Stimulation Junkie...OK HERES THE PLAN <---i will just cover up everything I am feeling with things that will temporarily draw me away from how I'm feeling! In an out of relationships because new is exciting, hanging with edgy people people because the thrill of being a little shit is exciting, everything in the emotional escape section above...EXCITING! Let me tell you a secret...when you find your calling and something you are so damn passionate about you could cry, it makes you want to get out of bed every morning, its ALOT more exciting than the all the fake stuff.

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FAST FORWARD 3 YEARS....

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None of the previous topic control me anymore. I have found a place of complete emotional freedom, complete emotional and mental control. I am a part of the healthiest relationships, friendships and am partnered with the love of my life for all the right reasons. I have learnt to self-love, self-health, self-trust. My self-doubt turned into believing I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to...i have gone on to be the CEO of a multiple 6 figure a year business from home, leading a team of wonderful, empowering women. I have learnt to draw negativity out of my life and attract insanely positive things. I have gone on to speak to thousands of people about these topics...the breakthrough.

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I am not stopping there....I KNOW first hand how it feels to feel lost. to KNOW you were meant for so much more. To know there is a world out there waiting for you but you aren't sure where to start (and often feel like its currently working against you).

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I want to put my story out there....I want to BE THE CHANGE. I want to share my journey with as many women as possible, being the person they can say "If she did it, I can too!!" I want to spread my passion for EMPOWERING WOMEN as far as I can!

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INTRODUCING ***THE EMPOWER PROJECT*** A daily group where I can breadcrumb my experiences, share what I've learnt, teach topics of health, self-love, chasing your dreams and trusting your gut! A place where we can ask questions, learn together, discuss those hard to talk about topics and EMPOWER EACHOTHER! ~Inspiration, Balance, Self-Care~

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WE CAN BE THE CHANGE!!!! Request to join the Facebook group ***EMPOWER PROJECT***