Emotions and our Eating Habits

We know that when we are stressed we could be more likely to reach for comfort foods and/or overeat if we don’t find other ways to address our emotions.

But, why do we feel like “eating our emotions” in the first place? And what can we do to break the cycle?

 

The Role of Emotions

Dr David Simon is the CEO, cofounder, and medical director of The Chopra Center in California USA. Here, he explains how important it is that we recognise the connection between emotion and our eating habits.

“Our emotions play an essential role in our eating habits. We learned early in life how putting something in our mouths soothed upset feelings. Whether it was a breast, a bottle, a pacifier, or a thumb, all of us were conditioned to associate our mouths with comfort. It's not surprising that adults under stress resort to smoking, drinking, or excessive eating. In addition, when we experience stress, our bodies release hormones that cause us to conserve energy, and recent studies have shown that disturbed sleep patterns associated with stress increase levels of hormones responsible for appetite.”

Recognising the difference between Emotional Hunger and Physical Hunger

According to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center’s web site, these are the keys:

1.    Continue reading below...

1.    Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

2.    When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.

3.    Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4.    Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5.    Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

 

Becoming in Tune with our Habits

Dr Simon David goes on to suggest some ways in which we can become more in tune with our emotions and eating habits.

 

1.    Practice meditation to manage your stress.

2.    Exercise regularly.

3.    Eat the six tastes at every meal, ensuring that you have spicy and bitter foods to stimulate metabolism.

4.    Honour your appetite, eating only when you are hungry. Stop eating when you're comfortable, not when you're stuffed.

5.    Learn conscious communication skills to meet your emotional needs.

6.    Drink ginger tea before each meal.

 

What other things can you think of to minimise the stress in your life?

 

 

Kids' Nutrition - Time Saving Tips

You know the drill: Our kids need lots of nutritious and energy-packed food to help them grow, learn and keep active. While we’d all like to ideally cook fresh wholesome meals and snacks for our families all the time, it is not easy to find the time or energy to do so.

I thought I’d share a few shortcuts that I use to cut down on time in the kitchen when trying to provide nutritious food for my kids (and myself!)

The Big Chop Up

Something that works for me is to do one big fruit and vegetable “chop up” once per day. Then, I only make one big mess to clean up rather than constantly dragging out the chopping board. For example, at 2pm, before I go to pick up the kids from school, I cut up vegetables and fruit for:

·         Today’s afternoon snack,

·         Tonight’s dinner,

·         Tomorrow’s lunchboxes.

I basically cut up all the same things in one big batch. So, one day it’ll be carrots, cabbage, apple and celery so I can make coleslaw for dinner and lunch and carrot and celery sticks for afternoon tea and lunchboxes. The next day it might be lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and capsicum for a big salad in a bowl that I then divide up into containers for the next 24 hours.

Grab and Go

If I don’t get a chance to do my big chop up, then I rely on easy to pack foods like bananas, a carrot (just washed, not peeled or cut), apples or whole cucumbers to get those nutrient-rich foods into the lunchboxes – basically anything that’s wholesome and easy to grab and go!

Nuts

Keeping a container of nuts in my handbag helps with the munchies when we’re doing a quick car trip, or as a protein top-up straight after school.

Lunch Meat

Freezing small portions of leftover roast chicken makes it easy to include protein in their lunch without relying on deli meats loaded with preservatives.

Of course, I don’t have it all together, far from it! But in terms of making my kids’ lives healthier and my life easier, these shortcuts help to keep us from falling into the “Just go and grab a packet of chips” habit every day. J  

What are your tips for healthy and quick nutrition for your family?

 

Rhonda Mackay

 

*Rhonda is a writer and mother of 2 girls. She has a special interest in emotional health and enjoys both the laziness of the school holidays and the peace of the school term in equal amounts! ;)

School Bags and Spinal Health

Fashion can often get in the way of health when it comes to choosing the right backpack for our children to carry to school. Here are a few tips on choosing not only the right bag, but also the right way to carry that backpack to reduce the chance of spinal damage.

• Choose a backpack with 
• Broad should straps that are padded and adjustable
• A padded and stiff surface that will be in contact with the child’s back
• A waist strap to keep the bag firmly on the spine and to distribute weight evenly on the hips (this will actually make the load feel lighter)
• Width of the bag to not exceed chest width
• Lowest point of the bag to sit no lower than the hollow of the lower back

•  When packing the backpack, ensure  
• The child never carries more than 10% of their body weight
• They wear their bag over both shoulders
• Pack heaviest items closest to their back
• Pack only what they need for that day

You can learn more about backpacks and spinal health from the Chiropractor’s Association of Australia at http://www.chiropractors.asn.au.

Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oo342IhzH8 to see what Dr Joe Ierano had to say to Channel 7 on the subject of backpacks and spinal health.

 

*Image courtesy of www.chiropractors.asn.au

Kids' Week - Movement

Sitting at a desk or computer all day can place stress on our bodies and, in particular, our spines. It is especially stressful on young growing spines.

According to the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, unnatural postural strain whilst using a computer mouse for extended periods can cause an array of problems. Poor posture when using the mouse tightens the shoulder muscles and decreases nerve and blood flow to the involved shoulder, arm and hand.

Of course in our modern world it is not realistic for us to expect our children to never use a computer or mouse for an extended period – after all they are using them at school, for homework and for fun. Balance is the key and by implementing the following strategies, you will not only help your child’s spine but also educate them on the importance of caring for their posture. 

·         Take regular stretching breaks – every 30 minutes is recommended by the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia

 

·         Encourage them to periodically stretch during class (when appropriate) or stand up and change position to avoid strain on their spine 

·         Demonstrate how you look after your spinal health by not slouching in front of the computer 

·         Show them how to rotate their arms and shoulders to put them through their full range of movement, reducing strain on the joints and connective tissue

After school is also a great time to give the spine and body a break from being sedentary. Jumping on the trampoline, walking the dog or going for a swim are all activities that promote spinal health, muscle movement and relaxation. Also, avoiding electronic devices just before bed helps to slow down young minds and bodies for sleep.

Basically, balance is the key and if your children know that to enjoy good health, they need to combine sitting down with regular movement, it will set them up with good habits for life.

 

 

Back to School!

February is Kids’ Month at PCC!!

To coincide with the return to school, we thought we’d focus on some issues regarding our kids’ health as we head into another school year.
Firstly, we are looking at how we can help our children (and ourselves!) emotionally when we return to school after the break.

Speak positively about the school holidays

We know that as parents you are excited about school starting back as you return to routines and don’t have to keep the kids entertained all day! ;) There are bound to be times in the holidays that you haven’t felt like the best parent or your children have driven you crazy! Try and let go of thinking of those times and as the holidays come to an end, have a chat to find out what your kids liked most about the holidays and share what you enjoyed too. Telling them positive things about their time at home with you reminds them that although you’ve been fed up sometimes, they haven’t been pests the whole time!

Listen

Have you ever heard your child say something like “I don’t want to go back to school! I hate school!” Yep, most kids say this as the start of term looms near. And, it may well be that they’re just grumpy about not being able to sleep in anymore. Or they could be concerned about who their teacher is. One way we can respond is to say “You’ll be alright; you’ll see all of your friends again!” or “Why don’t you like school? You’ve got it so easy!” When we say this, what your child might think is that you haven’t listened and are just palming him off.

Instead, another way to respond is to sympathise (without going overboard) and let your child know that you have heard them and that you acknowledge it is hard to go back after a long time off. Something like “Yeah, it’s hard to get back into routine and not be able to sleep in anymore, isn’t it?” or “You’ve enjoyed running in bare feet all summer, it’ll feel weird to wear shoes and socks again, won’t it?” After all, adults feel that way after a holiday too!

When we respond to children this way, two things happen: Firstly, they feel like we have listened to what they’ve said. And secondly, if there is a real issue with school that they are concerned with, a conversation has been started, making them feel more inclined to open up about exactly what it is they are worried about.

Ease yourselves into it.

After a long break, it’s very hard to automatically jump back into our old routines. Go easy on the after-school activities and extra things on the weekends at first, particularly if your children are young. As a parent, you will also need time to adjust and get used to packing lunches and running here and there. Taking time to relax and reward yourself after having the kids at home with you and juggling work and childcare could be just what you need to get the term off to a great start.

Rhonda Mackay


*Rhonda is a writer and mother of 2 girls. She has a special interest in emotional health and enjoys both the laziness of the school holidays and the peace of the school term in equal amounts! ;)

 

 

 

Magnesium - Why is it so important?

After last week’s post, our good friend and Naturopath Sharon Hespe commented on the benefits of magnesium to help with the symptoms of TMJD. So today, we thought we would talk about magnesium and how important it is for the healthy functioning of our bodies.

Magnesium is an element that is essential to all living cells. As our body is unable to produce its own magnesium, we are required to get it from other sources (see below). Magnesium is essential for:

·         Muscle and nerve function

·         Blood glucose control

·         Energy production

·         Enzyme functions

·         The transport of calcium across cells

 Some signs that you may be low in magnesium:

·         Muscle cramps

·         Dizziness

·         Fatigue

·         Anxiety

·         Nausea

·         Type II Diabetes

·         Poor memory

·         High blood pressure

 Foods that are high in magnesium:

·         Almonds

·         Cashews

·         Black beans

·         Avocado

·         Potato with the skin on

·         Bananas

·         Oatmeal

·         Salmon

·         Broccoli

 

If you are concerned about your intake of magnesium, talk to either Alisa or Sharon (www.sharonhespe.com) will help you to understand how you can improve it and advise whether or not a supplement may be helpful.

Common Ailments and Chiropractic Care

Today we start our series of posts looking at common ailments and how Chiropractic care can help with management of pain and ultimately healing of your body. Once each month we will look at a different health concern and discuss what you can do naturally to help your body.

Firstly, we are starting at the top of the body with Chronic Jaw Pain or TMJD.

 

What is TMJD?

TMJD stands for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction. It is characterised by chronic pain and restricted movement of the muscles surrounding the jaw’s chewing joint and the joint that connects the lower jaw to the head. Pain and discomfort can also radiate through the face, head and neck. TMJD makes chewing and sometimes even talking uncomfortable and/or painful.

 

What is the cause?

It is thought that TMJD is caused by many factors, but primarily tension through the jaw from clenching, grinding teeth whilst awake or asleep and excess chewing of gum seem to be the main culprits.

 

What can you do?

The first step is to get to the source of your TMJD pain. Are you particularly stressed or anxious? Do you habitually clench or grind your teeth? Finding and dealing with the root cause will put you on the road to recovery. Also, regular Chiropractic adjustments will help release tension, and realign the structure of your palate and jaw to ensure correct biting and chewing motions are being used.

 

To help reduce stress and tension that may be present as you sleep, ensure you are properly winding down before bedtime.30 minutes of quiet time preparing the body and mind for sleep instead of transitioning straight from the computer, phone or TV to bed will help ease tension in the jaw and face and ready you for sleep.

In the meantime, pain relief is best achieved by regular stretching and relaxing of the jaw muscles, hot and cold packs and keeping a close check on your stress levels to keep your pain under control as you heal.