Do you think you self sabotage your healthy eating efforts?
Are we merely being “silly” and lack willpower to get the body and health we have been told we want or need? I do not think so. Normal human needs protect us from the harm that dieting does.
Mindful Eating can be helpful in so many different aspects of healthy eating: it can help naturally reduce portion sizes (if you tend to over eat due to emotions or mindlessness), it can help reduce emotions that can lead to eating when not hungry and improve confidence in food choices. It does, however, take some practice to truly work. That is why actively taking part in activities that increase mindfulness are integral and is how/why this series came about! Here is what Rachel, the Grounded Therapist, had to say about Mindful Eating in Part 2 of our series: I really wanted to […]
Originally written in June 2015. Updated May 2020 I wrote this blog a while ago, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe it is more relevant than ever. Sadly, rather than embrace an all foods fit mentality in this time of uncertainty, diet culture instead is doubling down on BS about food, immunity and even weight gain during quarantine/isolation. I consulted with a client the other day who wanted to admit something embarrassing. The admission started out like so many others that I’ve heard: “I’ve never told anyone this but… when everyone is in bed, sometimes I sneak into the kitchen and eat […]
Recent research has found that avoiding temptation works better than relying only on willpower when faced with temptation. (You can see the original article here: Restricting Temptations: Neural Mechanisms of Precommitment) The idea of avoiding “tempting” foods in order to eat less of them seems rather obvious. However, does it work well for everyone? This particular study didn’t look at food temptations, so can we expect the same results? I think this is a more complicated answer than initially thought and it will depend on how you avoid temptations. Let’s imagine that the food temptations we are talking about are foods rich in calories, […]
Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. These guidelines may be easy to understand but are definitely harder to follow. The idea of “eating mindfully” is a new trend in the weight management world. The concept draws on our innate ability to listen to our body’s signals of hunger and fullness. However, many of us have stopped listening to these signals a long time ago and have a hard time unscrambling the messages. One step towards clearly hearing and understanding these signals is to first recognize what they are in their physical form. What exactly do […]