Emotional eating can be huge problem for many during this difficult time. Health Coach Dara Sloan offers some practical tips to maintain a positive mindset AND keep those extra pounds at bay
Adapting to the new reality of Covid-19 social distancing is proving quite a challenge for many of us!
Some of us are built for extreme changes. Others are not. That is perfectly ok. For the past month or more, we have been told to stay home, don’t go out unless we have to, socially distance, work from home, or worse – not work at all.
Though some use this time to find creative ways to financially support themselves, use video calls to keep up with group socializing and focus on self care, others are triggered and in full-on survival mode. They feel acutely the loss of physical human connection, of not being able to congregate, hug each other, etc. This crisis has left people scared, overwhelmed, alone, sad, anxious….and gaining weight. At the same time both real news plus questionable information on social media only adds to our stress levels, raising the stress hormone – cortisol. If we don’t know how to handle or release that stress, many of us will turn to food for comfort and pack on the pounds. We seek comfort during a crisis and end up emotionally and mindlessly eating to cope. Which only makes us feel worse. Plus, the wrong type of food combined with increased stress leads to inflammation in the body. The result is a weaker immune system. Talk about a vicious cycle!
But not all is lost. We have more control over this than we realize. We can control our days, our minds AND what we put in our bodies. Adding toxic foods (sugar, processed foods, alcohol) to our body at this stressful time will only weaken our system. Food not only impacts our energy levels, sleep patterns, and cognitive abilities but it also influences our immune system. When we are running low and hit a slump in the day, can’t think straight, are tired cranky or groggy it’s probably because we’ve consumed foods that released glucose too quickly (simple carbs and sugar), or chosen foods that make our body work harder to metabolize and reduce oxygen levels in our brain.
The best solution is to add immune-boosting foods in your meals daily to stay healthy – especially fruits and vegetables. If you take a look at any pH food chart, you’ll get an idea of foods that are more alkaline, which help neutralize a body that has become acidic from toxic foods and negative emotions. Plus, these foods will also help decrease the likelihood of gaining more weight because they are nutritionally dense, not as caloric and give our cells the fuel for our organs and metabolism to run properly. We don’t want to come out of this heavier and inflamed!
And what about our mental state? The body, mind, and spirit are not mutually exclusive. When you find yourself in a dark place emotionally, you can change your perspective. This is where a practice of gratitude is helpful. COVID-19 is becoming a teacher in some respects. It’s giving us a time to allow our fears, doubts and insecurities to surface so we can address them. When we feel uncomfortable with feeling vulnerable, turning to food to cope is common. Emotional eating is a sign of resistance to the internal self.
So here are some suggestions for how to manage the body and mind for the next month or more:
Reduce the noise to lower anxiety. Keep your daily news consumption to no more than 30 minutes (or even less). Get the updates and move on. Having the news continually running the background is still affecting your psyche whether are aware of it or not. You have a choice in where your mind goes!
Social distance yourself from you kitchen by creating structure.
Stay present. Create a list of things you want to accomplish and cross it off as it gets done. Be proud of what you did not what you haven’t done. If you find boredom leading you to mindless eating divert yourself with a book, writing, watching something educational, taking a webinar, and calling a friend. Also, put a note in your kitchen that asks “Are you hungry or bored?” Drink a glass of water.
Breath work (ideally long deep breaths) and meditation have been found to have an anti-inflammatory response in the body while assisting the immune system and strengthening the lungs.
Feel grateful for what you have done today. This is very powerful in training a positive mindset. So when the stress kicks in, pause and look around at even the smallest thing you can be grateful for to shift your mind.
Crowd out those bad habits. Consume more fruits and vegetables at every meal. The more nutrient dense foods and water you consume, the less snacking occurs.
No one wants to come out of this heavier. Who wants to feel like a prisoner in their body while being told to stay home? If you need further support, I created 4 Week Group Body + Mind Reset. This is a group program coached by me in small groups to allow for more personalized attention. As an Integrative Health Coach with proven results, I’ll be your support and accountability partner as I guide you through structuring your time, building your immune system, losing weight, and improving your mindset so you can feel better.
Stop procrastinating! To break that pattern you need someone to hold you accountable. Any goal I’ve ever attained came with a coach or an accountability partner from competing in triathlons to swimming from Alcatraz to starting a business. Mindset conditioning and weight loss are no different! My new group starts Monday, April 20, 2020. For more information click HERE
You can also find me on the web at darasloan.com and instagram @health_coach_dara
Stay positive and healthy!
Dara R. Sloan, Certified Integrative Health Coach
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(Disclaimer: My role as a Health Coach is not to provide health care, medical or nutrition therapy services; or to diagnose, treat or cure any disease, condition or other physical or mental ailment of the human body. Rather, I’m a mentor and guide who has been trained and certified in holistic health coaching to help others reach their own health goals through devising and implementing positive, sustainable lifestyle changes. Any statements made herein are not acting within the capacity of a doctor, licensed dietician-nutritionist, psychologist or other licensed or registered professional, and any advice given is not meant to take the place of advice by these professionals).
