Emotional Eating

Disordered Eating

December 8, 2010
By Jodi Burke

This is something that most of us probably have. It happens because we are not listening to our bodies well enough. We can have distorted eating habits when we eat the food we eat out of convenience and because it is what is readily available. We also distort our relationship with food when we tie it with emotions. Food should be more than that. You need to have a healthy relationship with what you eat. It needs be something that nourishes you and it not something that can cause you harm.

Let us look at some of the reasons why we may not be eating in the healthiest way possible.

We eat for taste. It is only logical that we do so. But, many of our methods of preparation, microwaving food, for examples, takes away the nutrients that make food good for you. As a result, you are left deficient and in need of more. This, however, can lead to a disordered manner of eating where we are ingesting foods that do not really give us what we need. We may eat a lot, but we remain poorly nourished.

We eat for convenience. Many people say that if they had the time, they would make healthier choices when it comes to meals, but since they always seem to be in a hurry, they choose to eat for convenience. We open packages and eat what we have been taught as ‘food’, but is it real?

Many believe that it is much more convenient to pick up a processed burger than making a healthy meal yourself. This is where they are mistaken.

You can certainly put together a quick salad or a meal that is made up of mostly raw and organic food and instead of choosing junk food, choose something natural, an apple perhaps? It is just a matter of knowing what to do and where to go. If you still think that you are pressed for time, don’t worry. You can always take things slow. Just introduce a bit of raw food into your meal each day. Soon, you will be able to find that making your own raw meals is not as inconvenient as you initially thought it would be.

Another reason causing disordered eating is that we associate food with emotions. Many eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, and even orthorexia come about because we attach emotions to our food. In all these cases, there becomes a very negative relationship with what we eat.

Deciding to starve yourself shows that you are not comfortable in who you are. The same goes for bulimia plus an added amount of guilt and not wanting to feel, or a stuffing down of emotions. Orthorexia on the other hand, is an obsessive take on healthy food to a point when it is no longer good for you. Some people also use food to numb their pain. They stuff themselves and keep doing so ignoring any full signals because they cannot deal with some of the issues they may have.

These reasons, plus a lot more can seriously harm you physically. Plus, it destroys what should be a nourishing relationship with what you eat. Keep in mind that healthy eating has to be real, it should be balanced, and moreover, it should be nutritious. Pick raw and organic whenever you can.

For more inspiration, motivation or support on raw foods, recipes, healthy eating, having a healthy relationship with food and yourself, drop by http://www.healthyandraw.com and subscribe to Jodi’s posts. You will also get a free e-book on Getting Started Going Raw.

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