*Trigger warning* Eating for Health and Wellness

[Guest_1055]

I have been struggling eating and eating healthy foods over the last couple of weeks. I really do not want to go back further to how I use to eat, that is eating junk food, takeaways, copious amounts of chocolate, processed junk and comfort eating.

Finding it challenging to stay motivated to actually prepare what I know helps me feel better mentally, emotionally and physically. Plus I have been feeling overwhelmed with other stuff happening in my life, which somehow makes it more challenging. The old unhealthy comfort eating thing is coming back. And I think I am getting concerned and scared about that. I so much do not want to go back to how I use to be. I was so sick. Plus I now have some physical things not right in my body , so I need to be more careful and mindful of what I eat. ( Pre cancer cells , high blood pressure )

I was eating really well since Febuary of this year, it’s just the last couple of weeks I haven’t.

So I would like to use this thread to help me be accountable to Beyond Blue people. So like a diary where I can post and report what I eat. And also any healthy eating tips, motivating strategies to help eat better or anything related to healthy eating for our bodies including our mental health.

[Guest_1055]

Rest of the day... Sultanas (quite a few) Dinner was: roast sweet potato, mashed potato, cauliflower and green beans with gravy. And another one of those nice creams I made earlier. As well as a hot chocolate ( water, cacao, coconut sugar, soy milk)

[Guest_1055]

I have been reading and researching ways to help myself. I came across this website, and thought wow this sounds like me. As I read further I found I came across this

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/diets/emotional-eating.htm

Identify your emotional eating triggers
"The first step in putting a stop to emotional eating is identifying your personal triggers. What situations, places, or feelings make you reach for the comfort of food?"

I thought about feelings. There has been quite a few lately. Feeling rejected mainly by a certain person in my life. They may not be rejecting me, but it is how I perceive there actions towards me. It just feels so very sad inside of me, when that happens. Think I mostly crave chocolate at those times.

Loneliness and lonely. I do not have many friends at all. And don't connect much with other people. Boredom may be mixed up in that. I am not sure which food I go to when I feel like that.

Places and situations.... I do eat junk when I watch movies and read sometimes. Eating chocolate goes with reading a fiction book. If it's raining and cold, I sometimes crave hot potato chips from the takeaway. And if I am feeling sad too, I may want hot chips as well.

Going to the local organic food store, I may buy vegan chocolate there. I use to buy maccs anytime I took my hubby to work as I passed it on the way back . I have not done that for a few years now.

I cannot think of anymore at the moment

[Guest_1055]

Diary of food today...

Homemade baked beans on oaty seed bread (cannelloni beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, salt)

I 200gm block of chocolate 👎(not good choice)

Roast vegetables with gravy (potatoes, cauliflower, corn, green beans)

3 dates

1 hot chocolate (water, cacao, coconut sugar, vanilla, soy milk)

Feeling ok today. Ate chocolate out of habit.

[monkey_magic]

Hi Shell,

I like your choice of food today. Yes, including the chocolate. I would have polished it.

My food today was bacon, eggs, toast.
Rice with spinach, onion, fish.
Chicken, broccoli, onion, peanut sauce
Biscuits with butter
Hot chocolate
Garlic bread
Coffee

Half good, half bad I reckon.

[Guest_1055]

Hey Steph, do you have issues with food as well, is that why you wrote what you had?

[monkey_magic]

Hi Shell,

I don't really have issues with food but I do have issues with weight. The two of them go together I know.

Since being medicated I've become obese. My metabolism has slowed right down.

I really shouldn't be eating much at all but I have to eat.

My problem has more to do with what the medication has done to my body.

I used to have a fast metabolism and could eat whatever I wanted. Not these days though.

[quirkywords]

Different medications affect different people in different ways,

my medication makes me thirsty and hungry, at first I put on a lot of weight but over the years I have kept it down to a few kilos.

it is more about my emotions and my relationship with food,if I am well I can eat well if I am angry or upset or sad etc I make poor choices.

quirky

[fred4761]

Hi Shelll and everyone,

I read a book called The Mind-Gut Connection which explains the link between food and your gut and brain function/emotional health. Reading that gave me a better understanding of how food affects my mental wellbeing and has helped me to make better food choices.

That being said, these past few months my diet has been all over the place. I lost my motivation to cook and some days it seemed easier to go without eating than eat something unhealthy and deal with IBS. I am trying hard to get my meals back on track.

Over Spring and Summer I love making green smoothies for breakfast. They make me feel so energised and I find it is a great way to add variety to my diet. Over the cooler months my body almost seems to find it harder to digest the smoothies on an empty stomach so I stopped having them. Maybe I need to try a soup instead? Although I don’t know if people normally eat soup for breakfast? I guess it couldn’t hurt to try.

[quirkywords]

Fred

i have heard of the book but not read it,

I can eat smoothies and soups tear round,

is that weird?

i eat soup 3 times a day sometimes.

in some overseas countries , there is no cereal but flush, many cheeses, fruit dried and fresh, halva, lots of pastries, soup etc. i think we can expand out breakfast choices.

quirky

[Guest_1643]

Hi Shelll,

I like your food lists and love reading about the grainy bread, i've been eating a lot of fruit bread and it really gives me a pick- me up. I do struggle with comfort eating and eating meals.
I think it's related to depression and at times not having the energy or interest for cooking. Sometimes I'll spend so much effort cooking and not even enjoy what I make, so comfort food seems quick and easy.
Your food lists seem beautiful with some gorgeous hot chocolate and good quality breads. I hope you get some favourites in there. Do you find the hot chocolate soothing?
There is a brand called Loving Earth that has a beautiful sugar free hot coco mix that comes in a little tin. I've been mixing it up with almond milk and feeling pretty good!! Out of milk tonight but tomorrow I'm going to top up again and sooth myself into calm. I'm taking care of a cat at the moment, so drinking hot chocolate with her sitting by me is very lovely 🙂