Before you start reading, be sure to note that this is really important information in the P.S. at the end of this post.
A few days ago I was reflecting on my long and windy relationship with food.
I haven’t always had the best relationship with food. I can remember stuffing my face in college to numb out my feelings of loneliness, stress, uncertainty, and so forth.
Food was one thing that I could count on to get me through it all. It did serve a purpose but with a HUGE detriment. I was numbing out the pain but I was also blocking my potential. I BET YOU CAN RELATE!
I am so grateful to be in a different space now and to be able to share the experience and wisdom that I have gleaned.
If you have a relationship with food that is less than optimal know that there is another side.
BUT how does one get there?
You can start by learning what you are really craving. It might feel like you are craving food but once you dig a little deeper you will probably find that you are actually craving something different.
So how do you dig a little deeper?
When I am having a persistent food craving the first thing I do is ask myself if I am physically hungry. When I began doing this the answer didn’t always come quickly but eventually, it always comes.
My first goal was to ask the above question at least once a week. Then I was willing to ask at least once a day until finally, I began asking myself this question whenever I had a food craving.
I found that the manner in which I ask and the space that I find myself in makes a difference. If I asked as I was opening the refrigerator door I wasn’t very successful at getting an answer. If I waited until I was starving and then proceeded to ask I also didn’t get a clear answer.
So what did work?
Step One: Pull Away From Life
I found that if I was willing to pull myself away for 5 minutes, to pause if you will, I began to hear what my body needed to say. Pulling away basically means removing myself from life and going to a quiet space so that I can sit and breathe.
Step Two: Locate the Sensation
Pulling away and breathing allows one to feel the body and locate where the craving sensation is being held. For me, it is usually in my throat and solar plexus – the space between and at the bottom of my ribs.
Step Three: Ask what you really crave.
Once I locate the sensation I can then ask, “What am I really craving?” while I focus deep within or under the sensation. I can ask, “What am I really hungry for?” Sometimes the answer is a particular food, sometimes it is rest, sometimes it is affection, and sometimes it is physical exertion.
Step Four: Take Action
Identifying what you really crave is not very helpful unless you can give your body what it really craves even if you have to tell it to wait for your next break or until the end of the day.
Remember: IF YOU CAN SPARE FIVE MINUTES TO BINGE YOU CAN SPARE FIVE MINUTES TO GIVE YOURSELF WHAT YOU ARE REALLY HUNGRY FOR!
Do this and you will begin to blossom into your best self.
P.S. If you suffer from persistent food cravings you are going to want to know about the hormone leptin, which signals to your brain that you are done eating. This can be blocked by certain foods you eat, specifically cane sugar and flour creating cravings. I will be doing details posts about this soon and share everything you need to know in my
consciouslivingstrategist foodcravings overeating whatdoyoureallycarve
