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In This Issue:
Featured Wellness Message: Making Happy Memories Around the Table
Recommended Resource: Mindful Eating from Thich Nhat Hanh
My Psychology Today Article: 5 Thoughts to Support Healthy, Relaxed Eating
My Featured Post: What You Need To Know. A deep dive into purging behavior, including how to get started on recovery.
Struggling with food?
Hi Friends,
As autumn rolls in, bringing the cool breeze, falling leaves, and the back-to-school season, it’s a perfect time to reset or improve your eating habits.
That’s why I’m excited to share some tips that can make healthy, free and natural eating a little bit simpler for you.
Start by nurturing positive self-talk. Reflect on a time when you had a healthy and balanced eating routine. Write out the positive thoughts and affirmations that remind you of your ability to make intentional, healthy choices once again.
Focus on the gains you’ll achieve, not on what you’ll lose, by treating yourself to meals that energize you and bring you pleasure.
Whether you will be roasting marshmallows for smores during a weekend camping trip or fasting and feasting during the Jewish High Holidays, having a healthy relationship with food can positively impact the memories you make.
​Create gentle “nudges” in your environment.
Think of nudges as subtle reminders that guide you towards healthier choices while still maintaining your freedom. For instance, placing bowls of fresh fruits and nuts on your kitchen counter is a great nudge that invites you or your family members to grab satisfying snacks when hunger strikes.
Minimize wandering thoughts and negative distractions. Pay full attention to what, when, and how you eat.
Appreciate the source of your food and tune in to the sensations in your body before, during, and after each meal.
Read to get started? Here are some mindful eating tips:
1. Instead of cutting foods out, focus on adding more variety and increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you include in your meals and snacks.
2. Express gratitude for your food and acknowledge the efforts of those who made it possible.
3. Take a moment to pause and assess your hunger level before you start eating.
4. Engage your senses to fully experience the flavors, textures, and aromas of your food.
5. Slow down and savor each bite, chewing thoroughly.
6. Pause during your meal to notice when you’re comfortably satisfied and pleasantly full.
7. Don’t let too much time pass between meals and snacks, because getting too hungry may lead to impulsive or mindless choices.
8. Prioritize reducing stress before eating. You might want to wiggle your toes, take a few deep calming breaths, or place a hand on your heart and send yourself or someone else thoughtful wishes of loving kindness.
With an intentional approach, your journey towards free, natural eating can begin today. My loving kindness wish for you is this ― rather than obsessing over calorie counts or perceived flaws―
I wish you countless days of making happy memories around the table!
XOXO Dr Gia
If a self-guided, self-paced course might be helpful, you can find out more about Overcoming Emotional Eating and Finding Freedom with Food: 7 Weekly Lessons plus bonus content at www.eatingisnatural.com – course launches in 5 days.
No matter what, don't give up!
​
Mindful Eating from
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health:
​“Even if you can’t be totally mindful at every meal, if you can say a blessing, silently if necessary, or offer up a prayer for someone, something beyond yourself and your food, the prayer helps to transform eating into something that affects not only our hunger at that moment but the greater world.”― Mary DeTurris Poust, Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God​
I Think Therefore I Eat: 5 Mindsets for Healthier Eating
Choosing to eat in a healthier manner, without the restrictions of dieting, involves an important shift in mindset. Dietary thinking is often associated with rigidity, self-blame, and feelings of failure. Thoughts like these can reduce feelings of agency, induce pressure, lower self-esteem, and ultimately even push you toward giving up, fasting, dieting, losing control, or rationalizing.
Instead, replace those thoughts with energizing, practical, and loving thoughts that support your desire to take care of yourself through healthy eating, diet-free. Following are 5 evidence-based thoughts that you can engage in to support healthy, relaxed eating. Each person’s mind is unique, so give each of these thoughts a try and see which is most effective for you.
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Purging Behaviors: What You Need to Know
Eating disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent. They affect individuals of all ages, gender, and cultural backgrounds. It’s a significant public health problem, and the numbers are quite alarming. Unfortunately, cultural norms —of toxic dieting and fixation on weight— are making the problems worse. Despite the disheartening realities of eating disorders, getting help early is important because it leads to better outcomes.
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