My grandmother died.

Well you’re a bloody laugh a minute, Joy!

And I have been emotionally eating.

I’ve popped on a few pounds.

Such is life.

What is emotional eating?

Is it crying when you eat?

Is it finding your food really funny?

Is it getting angry with your breakfast?

Emotionally eating is responding to positive or negative emotions by eating.

Eating food in order to soothe difficult emotions.

Eating food in order to celebrate positive ones.

This is an important part of intuitive eating because it is listening to your body’s NEEDS.

And yes, emotions are part of your body’s needs.

If a child hurt it’s leg, you would wipe the graze and put on a plaster.

If a child was crying, you wouldn’t shun it and tell the child to shut up.

Emotional needs are important as physical ones.

This is controversial when it comes to eating.

But allow to me expand.

A series of life events and my grandmother’s passing means that I have been dealing with negative emotions.

I mean it would be weird if they were positive.

Since I completely stopped counting calories earlier this year, I have been listening to all my body’s needs.

I will admit, I have an issue in burdening others with my problems.

So when times get tough, I isolate myself.

(Yes I know, I need to stop that)

And I have turned to eating recently to soothe my pain.

Dark Chocolate. Nut Butter. Vegan Ice cream.

Put all three together and you have a WINNER.

Weight always fluctuates when you listen to your body.

So I am actively choosing NOT to beat myself up about any weight gained.

But rather thank myself for listening to my body.

Emotional eating get’s some bad SCHTICK!

I had a conversation with someone recently who said to me that,

‘You shouldn’t listen to your body all of the time because it doesn’t know what it needs.

In a time of crisis, FOOD is not the answer.’

This person then went on to say that ‘ALL CARBS ARE BAD’, so let’s not take everything they say as COLD STONE FACT.

Elements of this conversation are true.

In times of crisis, it is important to talk too people about how you are feeling.

That you find acts of self care that help soothe discomfort.

But to deny yourself food and OVERRIDE what your body is telling you it NEEDS, is FOOLISH.

Take it from me.

A person who after 13 years of battling anorexia, then orthorexia and disordered eating, finally kicked eating disorders in the ASS.

Who after over 10 years, finally listens to their body.

My go to in the past would be to over exercise, and undereat, so I would be so tired to shut off my brain.

I was on a constant battle of under performing.

My brain was silenced.

If it wasn’t silenced by drink.

So many of us are in trouble because we stifle what our BODY and SPIRIT NEEDS.

We silence mental health and pain with whatever means necessary.

Being an adult, being a human is hard, and finding ways to self soothe is DIFFICULT.

So how can we ‘deal’ with emtoional eating?

Let’s look at the BALANCE here.

If your body wants MCDONALDS every single day….

Then you need to investigate what your body is really craving here.

Is there a healthier alternative?

Can you make a plant based/beef/turkey burger at home with homemade sweet potato fries and coleslaw?

Is there a way you can make it WHOLEFULLY?

Mcdonalds once in a while is FINE.

Mcdonalds every day is NOT SO GREAT.

90% of serotonin is produced in your gut.

Filling it with refined and processed food full of chemicals on a daily basis, will only acerbate negative emotions.

That being said if you need a Maccy D’s this week – GO FOR IT.

Just don’t do it every day.

If your body craves a bowl of banana nice cream with all the toppings….

Make yourself it!

Listen to your body.

Don’t go overboard.

Your eyes are always bigger than your belly.

Be conscious of sugar intake, even the refined kind.

Sugar is a short sharp hit of happiness.

Too much of it can mess with your blood sugar levels, make you even more hungry and decrease energy levels.

Mindful eating is the key here.

Taking a moment to breathe before you eat.

Plating up your food in a beautiful, appetising way.

Cutting out all distractions e.g. TV, computer, iPad, mobile phones.

Taking your time to eat and CHEW.

Doing this means your body actually associates when it is FULL.

It cues to tell you FULLNESS.

The key to ‘dealing’ with emotional eating is ….

ACCEPTING IT.

All emotions pass.

All things pass.

Turn to your friends and loved ones for support.

Talk to a therapist or support line.

Shower yourself in self care.

Eat proper meals with proper snacks.

Don’t undereat.

And allow yourself to eat emotionally when your body needs it.

It’s okay to look after the vulnerable child in you.

I’m making sure I’m eating big wholesome foods at the moment.

Food that fills me up and is packed full of goodness.

I’m a big lover of curry and this one packs a punch full of flavour.

My Pumpkin Chickpea Curry.

The pumpkin adds a natural sweetness which I’ve enhanced with cinnamon and ginger.

I have a secret to cooking chickpeas for those with IBS or digestive issues.

Ooooh exciting!

I soaked the chickpeas, rinsed them and cooked the curry for a while to not only stew and increase the flavour. But to also mean that the chickpeas are gentler on the stomach and easier to digest.

The sweetness is similar to a korma without any of the cream. I’ve added chilli to give it a kick more savoury.

The vegetables and chickpeas are full of fibre so great for filling you up. Paired with brown rice and you’ve got an excellent slow release carbrhydrating meal.

Pumpkin Chickpea Curry

Serves: Two

What you’ll need:

• 110g brown rice
• 1 can of tinned pumpkin.
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 finely chopped white onion.
• Half a knob of garlic, grated.
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp of ground coriander
• 1 tbsp of garam masala
• 3 cardammon seeds.
• 1 tbsp of ground cumin.
• 1 tsp of medium curry powder.
• 1 chopped chilli.
• 1 tsp of salt
• 250ml of vegetable stock.
• 2 julienned peppers of your choice.
• 75g of chopped butternut squash.
• 1 handful of chopped coriander.

How to make it:

• Finely chop garlic and white onion.
• Drain chickpeas, soak in water for 5 mins then rinse over the sink in a colander.
• Put a wok or large saucepan over a medium heat and start to heat the vegetable oil.
• Add the onion and fry until translucent.
• Add all spices, chopped chilli, cardammon seeds and grated ginger. Fry until aroma is released.
• Add sliced peppers, butternut squash and chickpeas and toss round the pan until coated in all the spices.
• Add the tinned pumpkin puree into the pan. Pour cold water into the can and swill till all residue pumpkin has been collected. Add to the pan. Stir.
• Add vegetable stock and salt. Stir.
• Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for 45 minutes-1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• In this time, start cooking the brown rice. When finished drain and serve.
• Serve the curry and top with chopped coriander. EnJOY!

Emotionally eating is completely natural.

Make sure you are nourished.

Feed your body.

Listen to it’s needs.

Much love,

Joy

xxx