Summary: <p>Emotional Eating<br> Making Peace with Food<br> Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes<br> Executive Director, AllCEUs</p> <p>Counselor CEs are available for this presentation at: https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/search?q=emotional+eating</p> <p>Objectives<br> ~ Define emotional eating<br> ~ Explore emotional eating in terms of its beneficial functions and rewards<br> ~ Discuss why restrictive diets do not resolve emotional eating</p> <p>What is Emotional Eating<br> ~ Eating in response to emotions and feelings other than hunger.<br> ~ Eating AT someone (You made me do this)<br> ~ Eating to forget/distract<br> ~ Eating to feel better (release serotonin and dopamine)<br> ~ Eating out of boredom<br> ~ Eating out of habit<br> ~ Not all emotional eaters have an eating disorder<br> ~ You do not have to “binge” to be an emotional eater<br> Why is Eating So Soothing<br> ~ Eating as an infant often involved closeness and parental attention (oxytocin)<br> ~ Caregiver generally happy during feeding<br> ~ Food may be associated with sleep (night time bottle)<br> ~ Eating as a toddler<br> ~ Exploration and mastery<br> ~ Power and control<br> ~ Formation of memories around foods<br> ~ Unhealthy foods usually reserved for treats or rewards<br> Soothing cont…<br> ~ Culturally we associate eating with caring and celebration<br> ~ Low blood sugar an cause feelings of depression/anxiety which are quelled by food<br> ~ Evolution predisposes the human body to crave high-sugar, high-fat, high-calorie foods for quick energy and to prepare for famine<br> What is Behind the Craving<br> ~ First rule out physical causes<br> ~ Low blood sugar (anxiety, irritability, fatigue)<br> ~ Lack of sleep (sugar and stimulants)<br> ~ Dehydration<br> ~ Nutritional Causes<br> ~ High carbohydrate/starchy foods: Serotonin, endorphins<br> ~ Chocolate: Magnesium, serotonin<br> ~ Fatty foods: Omega-3<br> ~ Soda: Calcium<br> What’s behind…<br> ~ Then rule out habits<br> ~ Is there a particular time or activity that makes you crave this food?<br> ~ Are there particular times you mimndLESSly eat?<br> ~ Driving<br> ~ Television<br> ~ Are you going too long between meals then needing a sugar boost (which leads to a sugar crash…)</p> <p>Emotional Eating Interventions<br> ~ Mindful eating<br> ~ Food diary</p> <p>~ When eating…<br> ~ Use a plate<br> ~ Sit<br> ~ Eliminate distractions<br> ~ Focus on the food</p> <p>EE Interventions cont…<br> ~ Try to avoid setting up a binge by<br> ~ Restricting certain foods<br> ~ Buying a bunch of “comfort foods”<br> ~ Going too long without eating<br> ~ Initially distract (bath, walk, call a friend, facebook…)<br> ~ Identify the emotions<br> ~ If it is depression: Hopeless, helpless<br> ~ If it is stress/anxiety/anger: Failure, Rejection, Loss of control, the unknown<br> General Coping<br> ~ Develop alternate ways of coping with distress<br> ~ Distract<br> ~ Talk it out<br> ~ Journal<br> ~ Make a pro and con list<br> ~ Focus on the positive<br> ~ View failures as learning opportunities<br> ~ Identify whether it is worth your energy<br> General Coping<br> ~ Develop alternate ways of coping with distress<br> ~ ABCs: A= _____ C= Emotional Reaction<br> ~ Eliminate vulnerabilities<br> ~ Be compassionate with yourself<br> ~ Urge surf<br> ~ Other tools<br> ~ Close the kitchen<br> ~ Brush your teeth<br> ~ Meditate</p> <p>ACT for Emotional Eating<br> ~ What am I feeling/thinking<br> ~ What is important to me<br> ~ Will emotional eating get me closer to or further away from what is important to me<br> ~ What other things could I do that would get me closer to my goals</p>
