What triggers your emotional eating?

Have you ever thought about the emotions, experiences, and life situations that trigger your emotional eating? From boredom to stress, sadness to loneliness, or the ever-lingering anxiety, these triggers can lead us to seek comfort from food. A gruelling day at work often leaves us craving a reward for making it through, and that's where emotional eating can come in.

For many, food has become a coping mechanism, a temporary relief from life's challenges. However, it's a fleeting escape that rarely brings lasting comfort. More often than not, the aftermath leads to shame, guilt, and self-loathing - far from the reward you were seeking.

Think about it – when faced with a hard day, a packet of biscuits becomes the automatic response. But what if, beneath the surface, what you truly need is a way to de-stress, find stimulation, or simply get some rest?

This survival mechanism often turns into an ingrained habit, one that's developed from early childhood – were you ever given a treat to sooth you as a child? With the prevalence of dieting behaviours you are likely to have become disconnected from your body, making it all the more harder to know if you are eating for hunger or something quite different.

When working with clients, one of my goals is to guide them towards more helpful ways of feeling better by focusing on self-care and non-food-related rewards. Often, they do not feel worthy of doing positive things for themselves – is this the same for you?

It can be an empowering exercise to reassess your behaviours in a non-judgemental way and ask yourself – is this truly serving me? Is it time to explore what does? Take a moment to identify activities that can become a part of your daily life. What brings you joy? What makes you feel good? How can you relax and de-stress?

This needs to be individual to you, but here are some examples to consider:

🎵 Immerse yourself in calming music

🧘‍♂️Dedicate a few minutes to yoga or Pilates

🚶‍♀️ Take a gentle walk in peaceful surroundings

📰 Enjoy some quality time with a favourite magazine

🌿 Find tranquillity by sitting quietly in the garden

🛁 Indulge in a soothing bath

📞 Connect with a good friend over the phone

🧘‍♀️ Take 10 minutes for peaceful relaxation

Use this as an opportunity to improve the quality of your life and build in new ways of feeling joy and enriching your experience of life.

THE SIMPLE STEPS TO TAKE:

1️⃣ Recognise when you are turning to food as an emotional crutch.

2️⃣ Seek out alternative ways to make yourself feel good. (That do not involve food)

3️⃣ Try out the new choices - see what resonates with you.

4️⃣ Adjust and adapt until you find a helpful solution.

5️⃣ Keep practicing until it becomes second nature. You might find you don’t always manage - this isn’t about berating yourself. Instead observe without judgment what might have happened and try again next time.

Ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and making peace with food? Start by downloading my FREE guide, 'Breaking the Cycle - Your First Steps to Healing Your Relationship with Food.' This invaluable resource will help you:

This structured 4 step guide is an essential resource for anyone who suffers from emotional or disordered eating.

In this guide you’ll learn how to: 

✔️Understand the best way to structure your eating routine

✔️Develop a better understanding of your body’s appetite cues 

✔️Navigate snacking to help you reduce cravings and feel satiated

✔️Use the journaling pages (included) to gain a deeper understanding of your eating behaviour, thoughts and emotions 

Also included: 

✔️My free appetite tool 

✔️My free journaling pages

✔️Snack ideas

Why I have a problem with ‘What I eat in a day’ content

In today's age of social media, we're bombarded with influencers, celebrities, and so-called 'experts' sharing the details of their daily food intake. We're told to eat like them if we want to look like them, be as healthy as them, or achieve wellness as they have. While I’m always interested in food inspiration and recipe ideas, this narrative can be problematic for everyone, especially for young people growing up with the pervasive influence of social media or particularly if you struggle with your relationship with food and your body.

Famous celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, and Gwyneth Paltrow have openly shared their daily food routines, often emphasising that they never deviate from this plan. The message is clear - follow their lead, and you'll achieve the same results.

Similarly, social media often presents a small, carefully curated, and excessively filtered part of someone's life. We don't really know what their relationship with food is like, and what works for one person certainly doesn't work for all.

We are all unique individuals with our own health history, biochemistry, and genetics. Each body has different requirements when it comes to food intake, nutrients, and calories. Everyone has their own food history and relationship with their body.

SO what could it mean for those constantly absorbing these messages?

Social media platforms have become ubiquitous in our lives, and with them, the prevalence of 'What I Eat in a Day' posts has soared. These posts are considerably influential and affect our perceptions of food, body image, and well-being.

Myths and Misconceptions:

Social media creates an environment where we are exposed to curated, picture-perfect representations of others' lives, often with a focus on diet and exercise. This curated content can be misleading and detrimental, especially if you are already struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating. Many myths have become deeply held beliefs about food, portion sizes, and calorie intake. Unfortunately Many 'What I Eat in a Day' posts promote restrictive diets, which can be extremely harmful and contribute to disordered eating and eating disorders.

Creates Anxiety, Guilt, and Shame:

If you face the daily challenges of managing their relationship with food, these posts can exacerbate feelings of anxiety, guilt, and shame. This content has the potential to trigger past trauma or reinforce negative thought patterns.

Low Self-esteem:

These posts often lead to questioning your own choices and self-worth, making you feel inadequate in comparison. This can spiral into a vicious cycle of low self-esteem and self-doubt. It's easy to fall into the trap of comparing your eating habits, body, and lifestyle to those portrayed in these posts.

What Can You Do About It?

If you want to continue using social media, consider looking at the content you encounter with a critical eye. Think about who is posting this content and what they are trying to promote. If these things are triggering or driving unhelpful thinking about your eating and body, then block and unfollow them.

You can also work on creating a more helpful feed by following accounts from creators of all body sizes, ages, races, and genders who promote body neutrality, acceptance, and a non-diet approach or talk about eating disorder recovery.

Focus on what foods feel good in your body and what your body needs. If you need help with this, you can download a free guide like "Breaking the Cycle," which offers four actionable steps to improve your relationship with food and your body.

The key is to prioritise your own unique needs and well-being. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to food, and your relationship with your body is a personal journey that should not be dictated by online trends.

If you are struggling with your relationship with food right now, be sure to down load my free guide ‘Breaking the cycle – your first steps to healing your relationship with food.’

 This structured 4 step guide is an essential resource for anyone who suffers from emotional or disordered eating.

In this guide you’ll learn how to: 

✔️Understand the best way to structure your eating routine

✔️Develop a better understanding of your body’s appetite cues 

✔️Navigate snacking to help you reduce cravings and feel satiated

✔️Use the journaling pages (included) to gain a deeper understanding of your eating behaviour, thoughts and emotions 

Also included: 

✔️My free appetite tool 

✔️My free journaling pages

✔️Snack ideas

Should I Be Using a CGM? The Truth About Continuous Glucose Monitors

You’ve probably seen people talk about continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Perhaps you’ve seen the adverts for Zoe or the Glucose Goddess or maybe you’re spotted people wearing a small white disk on their upper arm and wondered, what it is? 

What Are Continuous Glucose Monitors?

CGMs are devices designed to continuously track blood glucose levels in real-time. For individuals with 2 diabetes, this technology is a crucial tool for monitoring and managing blood sugar levels. High blood glucose levels can pose severe health risks, and dangerously low levels can be life-threatening.

However, in recent years, CGMs have gained popularity among individuals without diabetes. People with prediabetes and those simply looking to improve their overall health have started investing in these devices. In particular, the Zoe program, endorsed by high-profile celebrities and influencers, claims to offer personalised nutrition advice based on CGM data. But is it all it's cracked up to be?

The Pros and Cons of Blood Glucose Monitoring (for non-diabetics)

Stabilising blood glucose for people without diabetes, is beneficial in terms of feeling satiated, energised and preventing cravings. It's one of the many aspects of eating behaviour and nutrition–that I help my clients with. However, this can often be achieved without the need for expensive monitors.

Here are some important points to consider:

Unhealthy Obsession:

Continuously monitoring your blood glucose levels after every meal can lead to unhealthy, obsessive behaviour. This constant tracking can add stress and anxiety, particularly if you already have an unhappy relationship with food. It's important to strike a balance between monitoring and living a healthy, stress-free life.

One-Dimensional Approach:

Focusing solely on blood glucose levels may lead to eliminating foods with other health benefits from your diet. For instance, many people eliminate porridge oats because they cause a blood sugar spike. However, a more balanced approach involves adding protein and natural fats to your oatmeal, along with other forms of fibre such as mixed berries, to help stabilise blood glucose.

The Role of Insulin:

In a healthy individual, insulin is usually effective at lowering blood sugar levels relatively quickly. This natural mechanism helps maintain glucose homeostasis in the body.

Other Factors Influence Blood Sugar:

It's crucial to recognise that it's not just food that affects blood sugar levels. Factors like poor sleep, stress, physical activity, and even your menstrual cycle can all influence your blood glucose levels. Blaming spikes solely on food may be misleading.

The decision to use a CGM should be made carefully. While CGMs can provide data for some individuals, they do not consider the whole picture from a holistic perspective. An unhealthy focus on one perspective when it comes to what you eat can not only be unproductive but potentially harmful. Whereas balancing nutrition and eating habits with an overall well-rounded lifestyle that includes sleep and stress management and regular movement is more the key to better overall health. There's more to health (and life) than the numbers on a glucose monitor!

P.S. Are you longing to find food and body freedom?

Would you love to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

Come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. In the group my aim is to help you cut through the confusion and anxiety you feel around food and eating along with sharing motivation and steps you can take to get off the diet rollercoaster for good. And what’s more it’s free to join!

If you would love to leave your years of dieting behind you and create positive change in your life then come and join us now!

Time for a new approach to chocolate at Easter?

For those of you who find yourselves constantly thinking about food and what you should not be eating, Easter can be a tricky time. Chocolate eggs are all around; in every shop and TV commercial – and perhaps at home where you wouldn’t ordinarily have it.

Of course, chocolate is available all year round – and many of you may feel anxiety around it and other forbidden foods all the time. However, from working with hundreds of women who struggle with their relationship with food, I have witnessed that at this time of year (along with Christmas!) the stress surrounding food anxiety can go through the roof.

BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY...

I've included a selection of strategies to choose from. Remember if you change nothing then, nothing will change, so call it an experiment and give some a try….

1. Work on your ‘all or nothing’ approach to food – studies show that having exposure to foods regularly will reduce the power of that food and intense cravings for it- and you are much more likely to be able to eat it in a balanced way.

2. If you enjoy dark chocolate, go for that over milk or white chocolate, and ideally something with a higher cocoa solid content. You will experience less of a blood sugar spike, meaning less cravings, plus more of the benefits that cocoa brings ( more on this shortly)

3. Try eating your chocolate after a balanced protein and veg based meal– this again will reduce the resulting insulin spike, reduce cravings and be healthier all round.. If that’s not an option, try eating some with a little protein at the same time, such as a small handful of nuts.

4. Avoid eating too much in one go with the intention of getting ‘rid’ of the chocolate sooner.  Eating a whole egg will lead to an energy crash and more cravings later on, not to mention, feelings of disappointment in yourself that you have ‘failed’ somehow.

5. Plan so you can make helpful choices. Ensure you have plenty of balanced foods to hand. And its important not to allow yourself to get too hungry. Many of my clients admit that they thought being hungry was a good thing and tried hold off eating for as long as possible- often resulting in a binge later.

6. Work on bringing consciousness to your decision to eat! If you are an emotional eater this will take some practice. Work on catching yourself before mindlessly reaching for the easter egg. Are you physically hungry? Or is there something else you are needing? If you do have a binge – avoid beating yourself up about it. Instead notice with curiosity what you think may have lead to it.

7. Most importantly If you do want some chocolate, then decide to mindfully and with intent. Sit down, eat it slowly and take pleasure from it – because I can assure you there is nothing wrong with that.

8. And don’t forget that chocolate does have health benefits too. Better quality chocolate has more, but even the processed stuff contains the polyphenols found in cocoa and carries some benefits for the microbiome residing in our gut. Cocoa in chocolate is packed with important minerals like iron, potassium, zinc and selenium. And did you know that chocolate also contains phenylethylamine; the same chemical your brain creates when you’re falling in love…?

If you struggle with your eating, don’t battle with it alone. It is possible to find food freedom and create balance in your mind and your life. I work with people just like you, who need a new approach  so they can reclaim their life.

Book in a complimentary call HERE to find out how I can help.

Please also come and join us in FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, FREE Facebook community- a safe place where you can feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I do live videos in the group each week to discuss a new topic to support you on your journey and I share, food ideas, motivation and supportive practices daily – it’s free to join!



Trapped in the diet cycle? Why 'all or nothing' thinking keeps you stuck

I help many women who are desperate to break free from dieting, having spent years or decades trapped in the cycle – exhausted by the headspace it consumes and misery it brings. They feel overwhelmed and confused not knowing how to eat without being on a diet and worry about what will become of their weight.

Many of my clients are overly restrictive with many fears and rules around food. Some find themselves binge eating or feeling out of control around foods. Others may be compelled to exercise excessively.

'ALL OR NOTHING' THINKING LIES AT THE HEART.....

All or nothing thinking lies at the heart of all of these distressing challenges and the inner dialogue is often 24/7.

This dichotomous thinking leads to attempts at restricting foods perceived as bad for their health or their weight. For most people this is unsustainable and often results in binging or emotionally eating the very same ‘forbidden’ foods.

The cycle goes like this; Eat the perceived ‘bad’ food, and automatic thoughts that follow are I’ve eaten really badly, I’m a bad person, I’m greedy, I have no willpower, I’ve blown it again. I need to start again tomorrow/ next week/ on Monday and so on.

Anxiety is often coupled with these thoughts. This may lead to skipping meals or severely restricting caloric intake. It may lead to a bout of punishing exercise to make up for ‘falling off the wagon’.

WHERE TO START...

If this is something you recognise with the way you approach your food, try removing the moralistic value from the foods. Yes, some foods are more helpful for our health than others but it is ok to have all types of foods some of the time.

Instead, focus instead on quality, nourishing foods you can add in to your diet. These will help you to feel better, lift your mood and stop punishing yourself.

When working with my clients we often work on visualising this work as a journey. I ask my clients to picture themselves on a cycle ride. Yes, they will hit bumps in the road. They may come off the bike every now and then – and that is normal and expected but that doesn’t take them back to the beginning of their journey. They just need to dust themselves off, get back on the bike and continue on.

If this s something you struggle with don’t battle with it alone. It is possible to find food freedom and create balance in your mind and your life.
I work with people just like you, who need a new approach  so they can reclaim their life.

Book in a complimentary call HERE to find out how I can help.

Please also come and join us in FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, FREE Facebook community- a safe place where you can feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I do live videos in the group each week to discuss a new topic to support you on your journey and I share, food ideas, motivation and supportive practices daily – it’s free to join!

Would you love to be able to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food? Click the button below to join.

Easy nutrient packed snack recipe to satiate your sweet cravings!

Snacks. This is something that throws many of the women I work with off balance

Their thought sequence goes something like this…..

I need something sweet

What can I have instead?

I shouldn’t be snacking – I won’t have anything

I will just have half of something

I shouldn’t have gone back for more

Now I feel really bad – why did I do that?

And though we work on shifting mindset around lifting restriction on forbidden foods to help reduce their ‘power’, there is usually much more to be addressed

But what if you could make a quick sweet, tasty snack that gratifies that urge whist simultaneously helped to keep your sugar cravings at bay?

Well, I have the very thing for you. These chocolate chia bites are packed with protein, natural fats and fibre and will help to regulate your blood sugar and keep you satiated. Here’s the recipe:

Chocolate Chia Bites 

Ingredients

·         1  cup ground almond

·         3 tablespoons pure maple syrup ( this can be adjusted for sweetness)

·         1 cup desiccated coconut

·         ½ cup melted coconut oil

·          ¼ cup chia seeds

·         2 teaspoons vanilla essence

·         2 tablespoons cacau powder

Method

1.      In a food processor, combine coconut oil, ground almonds, coconut,  maple syrup, chia seeds cacao and vanilla essence

2.      Line a small tray and press down the mixture so it is flat and compact 

3.      Put in the freezer for 10 minutes to allow it to set

4.      Then remove from the tin and slice into squares

5.      This can be stored in a container in the fridge or freezer

If you are feeling particularly decadent, you could drizzle some melted dark chocolate over the top before cutting into pieces

I would love to hear what you think of this recipe- just hit reply and let me know!

If you are someone constantly battles with what you think you ‘should’ be eating, finds yourself on a diet rollercoaster or perhaps struggles with emotional eating or bingeing, there is a way to free your body and mind from the endless misery it brings.

Introducing foods that will support your physiology is just one piece of puzzle alongside building a healthy mindset, eating psychology and appetite and satiety reconnection to name a few.

I have worked with hundreds of clients who have found themselves fighting this daily battle and I’m working on an exciting new short foundation programme to help you transition to a calm, balanced and joyous approach to eating

***KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE NEWS ON THIS COMING VERY SOON

P.S. Would you love to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

Come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. In the group my aim is to help you cut through the confusion and anxiety you feel around food and eating along with sharing motivation, supportive practices and steps you can take to get off the diet rollercoaster for good. And what’s more it’s free to join!

If you would love to leave your years of dieting behind you and create positive change in your life then come and join us now!

Is dieting really the answer to emotional eating?

As someone who works with women who consider themselves to be emotional eaters, I’m asked this question ALL the time. But what defines an emotional eater? And will dieting stop it in it’s tracks?

To some extent we all emotionally eat. During celebrations we might eat some delicious cake when we’re not hungry. Perhaps because it’s a happy event, to be social, connect with people, take joy from the whole experience. It might not have been a conscious decision to eat the cake.

Often, emotional eating isn’t a problem that needs solving. Sometimes we do eat for comfort when we are feeling sad, angry stressed or alone. It is a coping mechanism we can turn to for a sense of solace. Comfort is after all defined as ‘a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint’.

However, emotional eating can be complex. When it becomes our ONLY mechanism for soothing ourselves, and leads to anxiety, obsession, and overwhelm, emotional eating is no longer our friend.

The difficulties occur when it becomes a never-ending cycle, channelling feelings of guilt and shame. Often ‘all or nothing’ thinking is at the heart of this cycle - ever said to yourself “I’ve blown it today so I may as well just carry on”?

Many women battle with this for years of their life and repeatedly turn to dieting to put a stop to it. If this resonates – let me ask you this, is dieting the solution to your emotional eating or the solution to the feelings of contempt you have for your own body?

The problem is that dieting (AKA food restriction) often plays a role in emotional eating or bingeing. The scientific literature explains that there are several complex mechanisms and research is still ongoing. Put simply we know that dieting often leads to food obsession, hunger and intense cravings. Perhaps you are burdened with those relentless thoughts 24/7, that hijack your headspace on a daily basis? Dieting is not the solution but the fuel to the fire.

SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

• Learning to be able to clear your head of diet thinking and cultivate a new mindset; giving yourself the permission to eat what you love without feeling out of control.

• Learning to eat in a way that helps you to feel satisfied so that you no longer have cravings

• Learning to reconnect with your body and know when to start and stop eating

• Learning to acknowledge your emotions, not push them away and find other, more helpful coping mechanisms.

AND WHERE CAN YOU START? 

If perpetual dieting has left you in a muddle about food and eating, and you feel overwhelmed anxious and confused about what, how much and when to eat? I would love to hear from you.

What are your main challenges? What would you love to know and learn? Where do you need support? How would you like to feel?

Your input will help me tailor my content and support for you – just hit reply and let me know :)

I have worked with hundreds of clients who have found themselves fighting this daily battle and I’m working on an exciting new short foundation programme to help you transition to a calm, balanced and joyous approach to eating

***KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE NEWS ON THIS COMING SOON

P.S. Would you love to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

Come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I will be sharing tips, simple recipe, meal, and snack ideas along with strategies, motivation and supportive practices and its free to join!

It’s time to release yourself from the shackles of diet culture + empower yourself to create positive change in your life.

Make peace with your body + build a happy relationship with food

Have you been on and off diets for years of your life?

Are you ‘in your head’ 24/7 worrying about what you will eat, what you have eaten, your weight or your shape?

Do you constantly compare yourself to others or avoid social situations because of how you feel about your body?

Perhaps you binge eat and feel out of control around food?

Maybe you turn to food as a way of coping when you feel stressed, frustrated or down?

Or could it be that you feel shame or judged by others?

.......you are not alone

In case you don’t know me, I’m Marcelle Rose, registered nutritionist, emotional eating coach + eating distress specialist.

I’m on a mission to help women make peace with their body and build a happy relationship with food so they can live their fullest life.

I would love you to come and join me in my Facebook community The Food Freedom Collective

Where you will find:

• Information surrounding the myths and misconceptions surrounding food and eating

• How to cut through the diet culture crap

• Mindset help and support

• Motivation and steps to get off the diet rollercoaster for good

• Discussion and information on how to work through specific challenges

• Tasty and nutritious meal and snack ideas + inspiration

And be part of a supportive private community that gets you without feeling shame or judgement

because you do not have to battle this alone

And what’s more it won’t cost you a penny!

My top picks for this month

This month I’m sharing a practical technique to help you achieve your goals, the top foods to help with hay fever and my favourite podcast of the month. I would love to hear what you think and if there’s something you would like to recommend– do hit reply and let me know!

A technique I’m loving to help you achieve your goals

A study conducted by Dr. Blaslotto at the University of Chicago, found that when we visualise achieving something we are more likely to actually accomplish what we set out to achieve.  This study asked one group of basketball players to practise taking shots at the hoop for 20 minutes a day, another group to do nothing and the third group, to imagine taking shots.

Those who did nothing did not improve. Those who practised or imagined practising improved at the same level! This is because the neurons (nerve cells) in our brain, interpret imagery in the same way they would if actually performing the action. We could all use this trick to help us to achieve what we are setting out to do.

My pick of the foods to help with hay fever symptoms

Some foods have anti-histamine properties and disrupt or block histamine receptors, helping to reduce allergy symptoms. These include foods that contain the plant chemicals quercetin and beta carotene, and those high in vitamin C:

Quercetin containing foods: Onions, garlic, goji berries, asparagus, all berry fruits, apples, kale, okra, peppers, plums and red grapes.

Beta carotene containing foods: Sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, red and yellow peppers, apricots, peas, broccoli, dark leafy greens like kale, and romaine lettuce.

Vitamin C containing foods: Blackcurrants, blueberries, peppers, kale, collard leaves, broccoli, kiwis, mango, courgettes, and cauliflower.

Local honey also may be helpful because although it contains trace elements of pollen, over time it may help your body become more familiar with the pollen entering your system and reduce the inflammatory response it makes.

A Podcast I’m loving

This I Weigh podcast by Jameela Jamil is a firm favourite of mine. Jameela ends each podcast by asking her guests ‘What do you weigh?’ She isn’t meaning the number on the scales but instead invites them to recognise their worth, what they are proud of and have achieved.

This episode was recorded with Reese Witherspoon back in April 2020. Warning- there is some swearing, and it does get a little bit cheeky, so not for little ears or for you if you consider yourself to be on the prudish side!

I was initially drawn to this podcast as I often ask my clients to brainstorm the things that they value most about themselves – Its particularly common for the women I work with to struggle with poor body image and low self-esteem. This exercise can be extremely powerful if practiced regularly

P.S. Would you love to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

Come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I will be sharing tips, simple recipe, meal, and snack ideas along with strategies, motivation and supportive practices and its free to join!

It’s time to release yourself from the shackles of diet culture + empower yourself to create positive change in your life.

Emotional eating: 5 simple steps to manage your triggers

Most people emotionally eat from time to time but difficulties can occur when this becomes your habitual default. Using food as a coping mechanism, perhaps to numb your feelings or provide some comfort is likely to impact your mental and physical wellbeing in the long term. Often the initial feeling of relief, comfort or pleasure that you receive from the reward centre in your brain, turns quite quickly to feelings of guilt and shame. This affects how you feel about yourself, your confidence and self-worth. Keeping you stuck in a never-ending cycle.

Triggers develop as part of our survival response. However, when we are emotionally triggered and don’t recognise it, we can engage in many unhelpful behaviours that just keep us stuck in a relentless pattern. A difficult conversation or situation, seeing a particular person or being in a specific place may all be potential triggers.

If for example, you are always triggered by a family member (perhaps because of the way they always speak to you) and it makes you feel anxious, angry or upset. At this point you feel the urge to eat chocolate because you have trained your brain to react in this way. You have accessed memories from the past and your automatic reaction maybe I can’t deal with this – I need to eat the chocolate.

Helping people to overcome emotional eating is my mission and is the foundation of the work that I do with clients. I feel it’s important to share this 5-step process that can be used for ANY emotional trigger that leads to emotional eating.

5 STEPS TO MANAGING EMOTIONAL EATING TRIGGERS:

1)      Notice that you are being triggered and pause –and connect with your body take some deep breaths. Notice that when you breath into your belly properly it will expand and will then contract as you breath out.

2)      Recognise you are having an emotional reaction. Become aware of the physical sensations that this reaction brings to your body. Perhaps you notice tension in your tummy, your heart is beating faster, or you might be holding your breath. When you notice your common physical reaction, this can help you to respond in a different way.

3)      Give yourself time to observe what is going on in your brain and your body. Ask yourself ‘What am I really feeling? Avoid judging your emotions as good or bad and allow yourself to feel the emotion even if it is uncomfortable.

4)      Question what story are you telling yourself - is it true really? Notice the thoughts causing these feelings. This may not come straight away – perhaps leave the room or even go for a walk.

5)      Decide how you want to respond. By now you will have observed the trigger that led to your emotional response. You may have come to realise that your reaction was out of proportion or you have created a story that wasn’t even true. Now is the time to claim the power and chose your story with your rational thinking brain. You can choose to think of the situation differently. What will you tell yourself that will be more helpful?

If the emotional trigger is something that cannot be avoided, you will be able to put a plan into place before you next encounter it. With practice, your old automatic reaction will subside and you will find it easier to choose how to respond. The key to this is repetition.

If you stuck in a cycle of emotional eating, bingeing or yo-yo dieting and need to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food, come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community. This is a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I share tips, simple recipe, meal, and snack ideas along with strategies, motivation and supportive practices within the group and its FREE to join!

It’s time to release yourself from the shackles of diet culture + empower yourself to create positive change in your life.

Why dieting is not your friend

Chronic dieting has many many undesirable affects - some of which you might find surprising.

In this video, I discuss the common problems that come with yo-yo dieting. You may recognise many of these within yourself.

If you would love to break free from the endless cycle of dieting, but have no idea where to start, join my FREE mini course - it won’t cost you a penny and will gently start you on your transformational journey to food freedom. 

The FREE 5-day mini course, Break Free from Food Guilt, to gently start you on your transformational journey. 

The course will start on 11th January and If you join up by the 1st December you will also gain access to my quiz where you discover your emotional eating ‘type’ and receive a personalised feedback report with tips on where to start.

Simply click the button below to find out more and join!

What you need to know about sugar addiction

Sugar addiction – is it real? Does this white substance really rival the addictive nature of drugs and alcohol? And can we do anything about it?

According to eminent endocrinologist Dr Robert Lustig the food industry is intentionally working on ‘hacking’ our brains to foster addiction to junk foods and sugar by manipulating our brain chemicals. Though there are two opposing camps of thought on this, there is a growing consensus that like other substances open to abuse, sugar and junk food are addictive in nature.

This theory is all to do with the dopamine and serotonin see- saw. Dopamine is the reward brain chemical that tells us we want more. Any substance or behaviour that releases dopamine in the extreme, has the potential lead to addiction. Serotonin is the brain chemical that tells us we don’t need any more but too little of it may lead to low mood and depression.

The constant supply of dopamine can keep our brains in the continual pursuit of happiness because it destroys our ability to feel happy. Couple that with low serotonin levels leading to low mood and this can set the stage for the onset of addictive behaviours.

But what is the connection between these chemicals and sugar? Sugar stimulates a dopamine release in the brain. Eating sugar or ‘white’ carbs such as pasta or white bread causes our blood glucose to spike and our pancreas to release insulin dropping our blood sugar levels right down – this is why we crave as we want more of that reward. When serotonin levels are low, we crave carbohydrates and sugar to help lift our serotonin levels and make us feel happy.

Over the last 40 years, sugar has become ever more present in our daily lives. Stationary shops, petrol stations and even fashion stores, display sugary products at checkout points convincing us that we need that chocolate bar when clearly that’s not what we entered the shop for. Vending machines in offices, hospitals and schools are crammed full of junk food products. 

We are constantly bombarded with advertising on social media and TV. Most junk food meals come with a sugary soda drink (significantly upping the sugar content of the meal).

This combined with chronic stress in our daily lives, when we are yearning for a fix, for something to make us feel better, a reward for getting through the day creates the perfect storm.

The government has been actively attempting to tackle the media contribution to our nations unhealthy eating habits. In 2018, the sugar tax was introduced to reduce sugar in fizzy soda drinks and in August this year, a ban on advertising junk foods before 9pm was introduced in PM Johnson’s fight against obesity. This may go a short way to help but in no way addresses the many complex components involved with sugar and junk food addiction, compulsive eating and obesity.

The good news is that sugar addiction can be addressed. Firstly, eating to support your physiology and reduce cravings, can go a long way. (You can find out more about this in my video HERE) But we also need to address what else you are needing in your life. How else can you achieve that dopamine hit without relying on food?

If you think you may have an addiction to sugar, are unable to break free from the endless cycle of yo-yo dieting, binge eating or constantly overeating I want you to know, you are not alone. I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I can help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.

Taking the first step to food freedom is often the hardest. The fear of the unknown and letting go of repetitive behaviours that are keeping you stuck, can be scary. That’s why I created a FREE 5 day mini course, Break Free from Food Guilt, to gently start you on your transformational journey.