Eating to soothe our feelings is natural and normal. 

Human beings have been doing this forever. Food is more than fuel. It’s a source of joy, social connection, and comfort. If we eat a bag of chips after a stressful day from time to time, it’s not the end of the world. 

If it becomes a regular habit to numb out negative feelings with food and it begins to impact your health, it’s time to do something about your emotional eating. 

Constant emotional eating is not a sign that you’re weak. It’s a sign that your anxiety, sadness, boredom or burnout has become so painful for you that you’re desperate for relief. Food is a quick way to get a rush of feel-good chemicals in your brain so it becomes your go-to source of relief. 

So much advice around emotional eating focuses on distraction. Go for a walk! Drink some water! Eat a healthier alternative! But none of these strategies address the root cause of your emotional eating - your emotions. 

So how do you stop emotionally eating? Get support for your mental health. Learn how to feed yourself with foods that lower anxiety and regulate the mood. Get tested for nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances that can impact mental health. Get help coming up with a list of supplements and natural remedies that can address your anxiety, stress or sadness. Try acupuncture that focuses on calming down your nervous system. Get help figuring out how to cope with stressors in your life.  

These are some of the ways that I help my patients every day with their emotional eating as a naturopathic doctor. 

Do you have questions about emotional eating? Click the button below to contact me.