HOW I BEAT EMOTIONAL EATING by Cynthia Edwards

Ever found yourself angry or upset or even sad and then in the kitchen, looking for something to soothe your emotions? If so, then you been involved in emotional eating. We’ve all done it.

As a small child, when you cried, your parents gave you a cookie or a piece of candy to quiet you. Here in New Orleans, we celebrate the passing of our loved ones with a repass - food, fun remembrances and drink. It all helped to ease us into a world of taking care of our feelings by taking care of our palate, putting something in our mouths that helped ease the pain and take away the frustration - just for a little while.

At it’s best, emotional eating will pass in a few minutes. At its worst, it can take over your whole life and cause uncontrollable eating for long periods of time. According to nutritional experts, 75% of all overeating is caused by emotions. So if you have suffered from emotional eating, you’re not the only one.

I use to eat to ease the pain of rejection, relieve stress or just to get through a frustrating day or moment. I binged on foods that went straight to my waistline and stressed me out even more. Potato chips (hot and spicy and crunchy), popeyes, hot sausage sandwiches all helped me get through tough times. They also added unwanted pounds to my body. After years of eating to soothe and comfort myself, i decided to change the game to my advantage.

Yes, i still get frustrated and stressed and even pissed off at times. But there’s a difference! I grab carrots for my sweet tooth and for my crunchy craving. I grab oranges and apples too. I peel the orange while working out my anger. Poor defenseless fruit! The apple is cut up and cored, stored in a baggie until i can get my hands on it. Broccoli is another good way to ‘chew’ on stuff that bothers me. Cauliflower is too!

Occasionally, I still want to ‘bite’ somebody. But i choose a baby carrot instead of a nacho chip. Try this method for a few days: when you’re angry, chew on a broccoli or cauliflower floret. If you’re sad, try a banana or a few blueberries or even a pineapple chunk. When you get bored, peel a kiwi or try a starfruit or a mango. Experiment with fruits and veggies that you haven’t tried before. And then, after a couple of weeks practicing this method, get on the scale and see if there’s a difference. Or try on a pair of jeans that were sorta snug, see how they fit. Or go for a long walk and see how your heart holds up. You’ll notice a change.