chilove
11-29-2009, 02:38 PM
I find that when I'm working with clients stress and emotions are always what throws them off track. It is so easy for us to turn to food for comfort and the holidays are very stressful times for many with all the family issues and social gatherings, high expectations, etc....
Some things that help are:
Remember that the amount of time that you will get to "enjoy" that comfort is very, very short compared to the consequences that you will regret later. Is it really worth feeling ill and disappointed in yourself afterwards for just a half an hour to 45 minutes of temporary sensory pleasure? When you think about it that way, the choice is obvious.
Remember that your brain only thinks that the food will make you feel better because it is a habit that you have developed over time. Remind yourself that every time you resist those cravings you are strengthening the neural networks in your brain to establish healthier coping skills. Every time you give in you are strengthening the old neural networks and it will only make it harder to break those bonds in the future, like grooves in a record or a dirt road.
Remember that eating some food that is off of your food plan will NOT make anything better. Afterwards the stress, problem, sadness, ect will still be there and you'll have to deal with it somehow then anyway. Try to pretend that you have already indulged and finished whatever you wanted to have and then go on about the business of dealing with the issue at hand in a more constructive manner.
Remember that what you are really craving is nurturing, soothing, peace, comfort, love, security, and a sense that everything is OK. Ask yourself what else you can do to create even some small semblance of those feelings and do it!
Have a few tested and tried "craving buster" raw recipes that you LOVE that you can rely on to help get you through these times. When I first went raw seven years ago these were raw brownies and a delicious frozen milkshake (recipe below) when I was craving something sweet and dehydrated egglant pizza slices (just thinly sliced eggplant with marina sauce) or mexican flax crackers with salsa and guacamole if I was craving something savory. ALWAYS have these favorites hand for those "craving crisis" moments.
There are many other things that help but I hope this offers some assistance.
My craving buster milkshake:
some coconut milk or coconut water as a base
4 or 5 frozen bananas
a couple of heaping tablespoons of raw almond butter
(add vanilla or cacao if you want a vanilla or chocolate shake)
Blend it all up and it is super delicious!! It ALWAYS kept those cooked food cravings at bay.
Blessings!
Audrey
www.rawhealing.com
Some things that help are:
Remember that the amount of time that you will get to "enjoy" that comfort is very, very short compared to the consequences that you will regret later. Is it really worth feeling ill and disappointed in yourself afterwards for just a half an hour to 45 minutes of temporary sensory pleasure? When you think about it that way, the choice is obvious.
Remember that your brain only thinks that the food will make you feel better because it is a habit that you have developed over time. Remind yourself that every time you resist those cravings you are strengthening the neural networks in your brain to establish healthier coping skills. Every time you give in you are strengthening the old neural networks and it will only make it harder to break those bonds in the future, like grooves in a record or a dirt road.
Remember that eating some food that is off of your food plan will NOT make anything better. Afterwards the stress, problem, sadness, ect will still be there and you'll have to deal with it somehow then anyway. Try to pretend that you have already indulged and finished whatever you wanted to have and then go on about the business of dealing with the issue at hand in a more constructive manner.
Remember that what you are really craving is nurturing, soothing, peace, comfort, love, security, and a sense that everything is OK. Ask yourself what else you can do to create even some small semblance of those feelings and do it!
Have a few tested and tried "craving buster" raw recipes that you LOVE that you can rely on to help get you through these times. When I first went raw seven years ago these were raw brownies and a delicious frozen milkshake (recipe below) when I was craving something sweet and dehydrated egglant pizza slices (just thinly sliced eggplant with marina sauce) or mexican flax crackers with salsa and guacamole if I was craving something savory. ALWAYS have these favorites hand for those "craving crisis" moments.
There are many other things that help but I hope this offers some assistance.
My craving buster milkshake:
some coconut milk or coconut water as a base
4 or 5 frozen bananas
a couple of heaping tablespoons of raw almond butter
(add vanilla or cacao if you want a vanilla or chocolate shake)
Blend it all up and it is super delicious!! It ALWAYS kept those cooked food cravings at bay.
Blessings!
Audrey
www.rawhealing.com