How I Beat Binge Eating

The first time that I can remember having binged, I was eight years old. I couldn’t find anyone to play with during lunch hour (the girls in my class had a habit of hiding from me), so instead, I bought a few chocolate bars from the vending machine and sat in a corner on my own. As each bar was devoured, I felt less and less upset and a sense of numbness overcame me. Food became my best friend and for over a decade, I binged every single day, if not multiple times a day.

At the age of twenty-one, I finally hit my breaking point. My binge eating had become all consuming and had stolen everything from me: my happiness, my relationships, my academic success, and so much more. I finally found the courage to speak to my doctor and to open up about the behaviours that I had been keeping a secret for so long. I was officially diagnosed with a binge eating disorder and it was then that I began the extremely challenging but equally rewarding road to recovery.

You may be asking yourself, what exactly is binge eating anyways? Common symptoms can include: eating an unusually large amount of food rapidly in a small amount of time, feeling that your eating behaviour is out of control, eating even when you’re full or not hungry, eating alone or in secret, and feeling depressed, disgusted, ashamed, guilty, or upset about your eating.

Another question that I am commonly asked is: what causes someone to binge eat? The answer varies greatly from person to person, but binge eating is commonly linked to trauma, difficult emotions, and difficult memories. Binge eating is also often the result of physical or mental restriction. Engaging in binge eating is not a choice or something that you can blame yourself for. It is simply your body’s innate way of coping and trying to keep you alive. Binge eating does not discriminate and can affect people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. The good news is that with the right knowledge and support, you CAN stop binge eating and heal your relationship with food (even if you’ve tried a hundred different times, a hundred different ways, and aren’t feeling very optimistic).

Here is an oversimplified explanation of how to stop bingeing:⁣

STEP 1 — STOP DIETING & EMBRACE INTUITIVE EATING

It is very likely that you have been, or still are, dieting. In Western culture, there is immense pressure for women to maintain a certain weight and shape. Diets are often marketed as a way to achieve the thinness that is idealised and to avoid the fatness that is stigmatised in society. Unfortunately however, dieting does not work in the long term and actually increases your risk of gaining even more weight than you lost initially. The main reason why diets don’t work is that they prescribe far too little food. When we do not eat enough from all food groups, the body tips into a state of semi-starvation. If we do not respond to this hunger by eating, the physiological pressure to eat builds up until we are driven to eat. When we are physically and psychologically driven to eat, we often eat more than we had planned, eat foods that we had previously tried to avoid, or lose control to the point of binge eating. When this happens, we may worry about how this eating will impact our weight, diet more strictly than ever before to ‘make up’ for it, and set ourselves up for a vicious cycle to overeat or binge again. In contrast to dieting, intuitive eating is all about embracing internal cues of hunger, fullness and satisfaction. By embracing intuitive eating, you will learn to reject the diet mentality, make peace with food, and truly honour your body.

STEP 2 — LET GO OF ALL OR NOTHING THINKING

It is common for those who struggle with binge eating to think in terms of black and white. For example, you may tell yourself that you aren’t allowed any chocolate at all. As a result, when you inevitably end up eating a piece of chocolate, you will feel as though you have completely failed. Once you feel this way, it’s easy to think, “now that I have broken the rule, I may as well eat all the chocolate in my house.” The truth is that one piece of chocolate won’t change your body or impact your health in any measurable way and therefore, the most successful and sustainable approach that you can take is to accept the existence of a grey zone.

STEP 3 — COPE WITH YOUR EMOTIONS WITHOUT USING FOOD

Distress is part of life and you cannot avoid experiencing it. Among those who binge eat, it is common to be especially sensitive to intense emotions. Therefore, they utilize food as a means to manage their moods, and achieve short-term relief by avoiding or getting rid of negative feelings. It is essential to learn to tolerate and bear up under pain and distress. This means that you become aware of, and accept, yourself and your current situation in a non-judgemental way. This is when distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills are needed.

STEP 4 — IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS

In order to stop bingeing, it’s critical to determine what triggers the binges in the first place. Firstly, consider what your favourite binge foods are. Next, think about what individual purpose they might be serving. What are you feeling when you’re bingeing? Are you feeling frustrated? Anxious? Are you feeling empty? Bored? Once you’ve determined why you’re bingeing, think about ways that you can meet those needs other than with food. For example, if you’re feeling anxious, you could meditate or if you’re feeling bored, you could call up a friend and go for a walk with them.

STEP 5 — GET BACK ON TRACK

It’s unrealistic to think that if you’ve struggled with binge eating for any amount of time, that you’ll be able to stop cold turkey and that it’ll never happen again. If you do experience a lapse and binge, the most important thing that you can do is be compassionate with yourself. Imagine how you would treat a friend if they confided in you that they had binged, and treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding. The second most important thing that you can do is plan your next meal and ensure that it’ll be balanced with a source of protein, carb, and healthy fat. Lastly, take some time to engage in deliberate self care whether it be physical (ex. getting enough sleep), emotional (ex. creating healthy boundaries for yourself), psychological (ex. learning something new), or spiritual (ex. connecting with nature).

Please remember that no matter what your challenges are or how insignificant they may seem at times, they are valid. You deserve to free yourself from obsessive thoughts and worries about food and your body. If you’ve been looking for a sign, this is it. This is the nudge you’ve needed to seek help and to take back control of your life. I offer a 12 week 1:1 coaching program and I have created a course designed to help you beat binge eating & find food freedom. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please feel free to connect with me on social media or check out my website! I look forward to hearing from you.

Nutrition, Personal Story
Jul, 07, 2020

3 Culinary Herbs To Cultivate Calm

What if I were to tell you that your kitchen herbs aren’t just delicious additions to sauces and stir-frys, but are actually useful for many of the modern nervous system challenges we face today?

As a nutritionist and herbalist, I often see culinary herbs overlooked in favor of less common medicinal plants to support nervous system challenges like anxiety, melancholy, or overwhelm.

Maybe culinary herbs are overlooked because we perceive familiar as less exciting or perceive simple as ineffective, but whatever the reason, when we overlook culinary herbs, we miss out on an accessible, affordable, easy way to support nervous system health.

Culinary herbs made it into our kitchens precisely because our ancestors were well aware of the plants’ many health benefits and they recognized the utility of having something both delicious and medicinal for regular use.

The three plants detailed here, rosemary, basil, and sage, though not exhaustive of what each plant offers, provide the unique ways that each plant engages with some imbalance in the nervous system, as well as safety considerations and how to use it outside of its culinary applications in daily life.

WHEN IN NEED OF UPLIFTING FORTITUDE AND FOCUS:

Rosemary — Rosmarinus officinalis

I once heard rosemary described by a fellow herbal student as having “big tree energy,” and if you’ve ever taken a deep breath of this small, but mighty plant, you understand the truth of this phrase. Just one whiff transports you to an evergreen forest — it is at once uplifting, strengthening, and fortifying.

And, while rosemary is perhaps most oft talked about for its ability to support memory, rosemary has a long tradition of alleviating anxiety, relieving stress, and improving energy levels.

Rosemary is particularly equipped for those days where we want and need to focus, but the day seems to be antithetical to our desires — just one of those overcast, sleepy, dreary, mood-dampening kind of days. In these moments, rosemary helps to enliven our spirit, focus our mind, uplift our mood, and ground and direct our internal resolve.

In terms of safety, rosemary used in cooking is safe for all (as long as you have no known allergies). Though among individuals that are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have high blood pressure, taking it in larger, therapeutic forms, such as a tea or tincture, should be avoided. Also, though it relieves feelings of anxiety in some folks, it can have a stimulatory effect that heightens anxiety in others, so like all new herbs, start low and slow to find what works best for you.

To take as a tea, measure 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh, muddled rosemary, add 1 cup of boiling water, steep for 15 minutes, strain, and enjoy. Rosemary can also be added to a bath or foot bath to refresh the mind and body.

WHEN IN NEED OF INTERNAL SUNSHINE AND GENTLE SLEEP SUPPORT:

Basil — Ocimum basilicum

Basil, a favorite in sauces like pesto, has a bright, herbaceous aroma that gives an indication of how it supports — through uplifting moods while calming stress and anxiety.

Basil is interesting because it is paradoxical, effective for both relaxation and stimulation. In Mediterranean countries, it was used both before bed to support relaxation and sleep, while it was also used upon waking to enhance alertness.

Basil is best suited for those who may be feeling melancholic, downcast, or a sense of nervousness, and who may struggle with insomnia or falling asleep. One of the traditional ways basil was prepared for sleep-support was in a cup of tea a few hours before bed, but because it is not strongly sedative, it can be taken any time throughout the day without causing a groggy feeling.

While the culinary use of basil is safe, similar to rosemary, large amounts of basil in therapeutic forms should not be taken during pregnancy.

To take as a therapeutic tea, measure 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh, muddled basil, add to 1 cup of boiling water, steep for 15 minutes, strain, and enjoy. And, of course, fresh garden basil can also be prepared into pestos that are frozen and eaten in the middle of winter when greens, and a hint of sunshine, are most welcome.

FOR TIMES OF OVERWHELM AND AGITATION:

Sage — Salvia officinalis

Culinary sage, though historically heralded for its many health benefits, has been all but forgotten today for its use in mental health. This herb, though, is particularly useful for modern states of overwhelm, mental lethargy, and melancholy.

Sage is particularly suited for those times when we have created a circumstance that results in feeling overwhelmed, such as overcommitting our time, or we are feeling overwhelmed by a situation that doesn’t necessarily need to be stressful. These feelings are then amplified by a sense of anger, frustration, or agitation about the overwhelm that we are feeling or creating for ourselves.

In these instances, sage helps us to metabolize our frustration, get grounded in reality to assess what does and does not need to be done, and transform the overwhelm into a sense of calm competence.

Sage, like rosemary and basil, is considered safe in culinary amounts, however larger, therapeutic uses should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation. Additionally, sage is generally not recommended to be taken continuously for longer durations, so if you do decide to start drinking sage tea, intermittently or less than three weeks is ideal.

To take as a tea, measure 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh, muddled sage, add 1 cup of boiling water, steep for 15 minutes, strain, and enjoy.

Food
Jul, 07, 2020

My Favorite Matcha Collagen Recipe With Vital Proteins

I used to drink coffee all. the. time. In fact, some of my earliest memories are of me sipping coffee from my own mug at my great-grandparent’s home.

I loved how it made me feel — the boost of energy and, for a child under ten, also the boost in sophistication I felt it provided.

But then a few years ago, I went through a spell where I was nauseous all day, every day. I could barely eat anything and it seemed my day started and ended with nausea. I wasn’t pregnant and nothing I did made me feel better. Eventually, I went to the doctor for help.

The answer: try cutting caffeine.

This was prior to my Hashimoto’s diagnosis and lifestyle changes, so I was very doubtful that cutting caffeine was going to do anything. I had been drinking caffeinated coffee literally my entire life. Why NOW would I be intolerant of it?

But lo and behold, caffeine was the source of my nausea. A week or so after cutting it all together, my nausea was gone for good.

At first I just switched out my coffee for decaf but then I found I wanted something more… I wanted something that had flavor, a creaminess, a coziness, and something that also had health benefits.

While I notice almost immediately if Starbucks accidentally gives me a full-caffeine Americano instead of decaf, I’ve found that I can tolerate the small, softer effects of the caffeine naturally found in matcha (though I don’t drink it for the caffeine).

Which have made Vital Proteins Matcha Collagen a staple in my morning routine. I have literally one to two (okay maybe sometimes three) cups every morning. Not only do I find comfort in the routine of enjoying my favorite drink in the morning, I love that it is also good for me.

BENEFITS OF VP MATCHA COLLAGEN

10g of Collagen Protein which is good for your joints and ligaments, and your skin, nail, and hair health

Rich in antioxidants which protect and keep your cells healthy (which keeps you healthy)

Matcha naturally has L-theanine, an amino acid which promotes a state of relaxation and a calm alertness

While the directions on the canister read that you can simply add the Matcha Collagen straight to hot or cold liquids, I have found my own recipe to elevate the flavor to my tastes. It is so, so good and I could literally drink it all day.

HOW I PREPARE MY VP MATCHA COLLAGEN

1 scoop Matcha Collagen
Splash of homemade almond or cashew milk
Pinch of maple or coconut sugar
Hot water

You can get more precise if you want, but I just find it’s easier to eyeball everything to fit in my 10-12 ounce mug.

I love that VP makes it easy for me to have my favorite drink at home while supporting my body and health at the same time. It’s so nice to be able to have extra collagen, antioxidants, and L-Theanine without having three more pills to swallow.

For $10.00 off your Vital Proteins order shop using this link.

Food
Jul, 01, 2020

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