The first step in resolving a problem is finding the root cause. In the case of most problems, including stress eating, the neuroscience of why we do what we do is far ahead of public awareness. The purpose of this series of blogs is to give you a quick "update" on why we overeat.
Is it time for Dad to eat?
As a nutritionist (in my early work at UCSF) and now, as a health psychologist, I knew my own food intake wasn't about my values or my knowledge of food. My dad was chronically ill and his food intake was central to our family's functioning. The question was, "Is it time for Dad to eat?" I learned that what one eats, determines their health, vibrancy, and, ultimately, their life or death.
My problem was rooted in a wire in my brain that triggered me to overeat, and it wasn't until I rewired that circuit that I became sensible about food. I started eating flexibly and without judgment. Eating really healthy most of the time became my norm.
Peace at last. I share the story of my overeating wire's encoding in this video.
Why We Overeat #1: My Story
Dr. Laurel Mellin, Founder, EBT and the Brain Based Health Movement www.ebt.org
Let your mind wander back . . .
After watching it, please allow your mind to wander back to the first time you remember having a "special" relationship with food, such that eating put you on a false high, an unnecessary low, or into numbness. All three are the emotional signs of stress eating, and when you begin to explore when that moment of encoding occurred, you are on your way to understanding your stress eating and yourself.
Thanks for watching this video and learning more about Brain Based Health. Everyone needs these tools to truly control their stress to help prevent or to more effectively treat overeating.
If you know anyone who is suffering from stress eating or overweight, send them a copy of The Stress Eating Solution book OR a membership in the community (ebt.org) so they can instantly download the Brain Based Health app and start moving through stress to joy!