Here’s the good news. The Paleo Diet removes many of the triggers that prompt emotional eating. There are no additives like MSG to trigger cravings, no sugars to scramble your energy, no carbs to upset your tummy. The transition from processed carbs, grains, and sugars to unprocessed foods like meat, fish, vegetables, and nuts stabilizes blood sugar and appetite.
Paleo adherents find they are tuned in as much to their energy as the taste of food, that they can tell which foods support their energy and health and which foods deplete them. Once that happens, it’s rare to be vulnerable to binging and emotional eating.
With Paleo you can eat as much as you want. There is no portion control, weighing or measuring. Eat what you need to be satisfied, energetic and free of hunger.
Paleo followers feel better. They no longer experience the headaches, body aches, joint problems and digestive disturbances that are part of the mainstream diet. Their energy and enthusiasm is high.
My book, Paleo Desserts: 125 Delicious Everyday Favorites, Gluten- and Grain-Free, can be a companion, a resource, and a joy as you give up industrial food. It’s the alternative way to enjoy your favorite desserts and snacks without sugar, grains, or additives. Cupcakes, Apple Pie, Tiramisu, Black Forest Cherry Pie, Lemon-Berry Parfait, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Whipped Coconut Crème – it’s the tastes you love and the healthy ingredients you need to launch a new approach to food.
Whether you eat Paleo or not, find healthy snacks to replace the chips and chocolate. Make sure you have carrots and guacamole, celery and almond butter, nuts and seeds.
Get enough sleep. A new study that looked at the relations of food to sleep revealed that sleep deprivation makes you eat more. “When people were sleep deprived, they ate an extra 549 calories per day,” says researcher Andrew Calvin, MD, MPH. Over a week’s time, that could add up to a pound of weight gain. Read More.
More Strategies:
To prevent boredom and mindless eating:
- Instead of eating when you’re not hungry, go for a swim
- Post on Facebook
- Read a novel
- Download a movie.
Substitute other rewarding and pleasant activity for eating. Positive distractions!
- Call someone you love talking to.
- Take your dog for a walk.
- Water your plants and talk to them.
- Set up a twitter account and tweet about your progress.
- Take a class. If stress is a major factor in your emotional eating, look for a class in
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Qigong
- Stretching
Write a list of the most stressful times of the day. Does your boss shout? Do your kids ignore your requests?
- Does the TV news upset you? When do you automatically reach for food rather than acknowledge that something is stressful? Awareness will help you find an alternative way to cope. It might be a good time to get out of the kitchen.
- Start a journal of your feelings
- Meditate for a few minutes
- Find a video game that intrigues you.
- Find a buddy and talk each other through the stressful times.
Be aware and proactive about stressful people in your life. Do your in-laws call to complain?
Is your neighbor antagonistic? Now’s the time to limit your contact with toxic people. If you are on your way out every time they call, they might find someone else to haunt.
Take the first step on a new path that leads to energy, health and well-being.
See Emotional Eating Part I: It’s Complicated! (put in link)
