*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]

Dinner.... Lentil and veg shepherds pie ( lentils, mushroom, onion, garlic, carrot, tomatoes, green beans, corn, cinnamon, all spice, cashews, mustard powder, vege stock, potatoes)

300mls of above juice

2 figs

[Guest_1055]

I have been looking for stuff on binge eating. Came across this ytube channel

The bingeing Therapist

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYf8xhFVYXXp98Y9f1pk9hg

[Guest_1643]

Hi Shelll

Sorry you are struggling. It is not the easiest during these times to eat well. Those smoothies sound really amazing. Green juices are meant to be great for the skin, I hear (added bonus). I've always struggled as I don't like the taste so much, so have never been good at drinking them.

I think finances do play a part for me as I can't always afford to buy expensive or quality ingredients. Sometimes I starve myself , don't feel deserving of food, then I overeat at the nxt meal...i think trying to lose weight for me messes up my body and eating patterns, in a way i've been starving for years worried about eating well, then binge eating and have gone up and down in weight. (at the moment pretty big).

It's hard to not eat three meals a day etc, sometimes I have to force myself to eat during the day I just don't have the hunger or interest in it, but that's when i end up starving and eating sweet things just to get energy....

[Guest_1055]

The deserving of food is interesting, would that stem from childhood for you? I can see some of my issues with food and what I think about my body stems from my childhood.

And yeah green juices and smoothies are good for the skin. Especially cucumber and carrots. I do recommend smoothies if you have a blender. Do you think you may be able to tolerate a mostly fruit smoothie with spinach? Maybe you could, as the fruit masks any taste of anything green.

And I do hear you when you say you don't like the taste of green though. I never did either. I hardly ate any veges at all at one time. My taste buds changed over time, as I ate more vegetables and less junk. So maybe yours could too.

I am trying to think of some less expensive healthy foods...

Oats are pretty good. As is brown rice. Beans and lentils are also pretty good value. Maybe sweet potatoes.

Do you struggle with anxiety as well? Some people find it hard to eat then... no appetite.

[Guest_1055]

Todays Food log....

Hibiscus tea

Breakfast.... Smoothie. coconut water, orange, mango, pineapple and kale

Lunch... 👎👎👎1/2carton of hot chips. (too much salt, could not eat the rest)

Grapes

Dinner... 2 slices homemade vegan pizza. Large salad ( lettuce, cabbage, carrot, capsicum, corn) roast potato

Ate no chocolate or processed food today. So thankful for that. Ate the hot chips though. 👎👎☹️

[quirkywords]

Are comfort foods different from emotional eating.

I can eat a comfort food sparingly but when I am emotionally eating I find it hard to stop.

The trouble is chocolate falls into both categories.

Like fruit and wonder can you eat too much?

like vegetables too but not as much as my fruit.

[Guest_1643]

Hi Shelll

thanks for your caring

yes abslutely comes from childhood, my only love was through food really no one really acknowledged me. I actually ate very little and was very skinny. Then when I moved overseas alone for the first time I began binge eating I guess to feel loved. I felt pretty abandoned and lonely in my family.

I didn't feel I really deserved good and clean food and would buy the cheapest and dingiest available. i lived in america where the culture was to overeat... it was crazy!

I think i could proabbly train myself to like green stuff with something sweet like pineapple or banna mixed in. You mentioned the kale is sometimes not even traceable. How are you doing today?

[Guest_1055]

Oh wow, I also felt not noticed, and lonely in my family. And like no one really loved me or showed much interest in me as a person.

It was like you grow up with this hollow space inside of you. Inside of our hearts. But don't really understand it when you are little. So food fills it up when it should be love going into that space. That is how I see it for me.Think that is pretty much what you said there anyway.

I needed to work through forgiving my dear parents and I am starting to realise they did the best they could.

I am so sorry Sleepy you experienced what you did whilst growing up.

I wonder if you feeling like you do not deserve good and clean food is somehow connected to worth? Might be. I lost what I was going to say there Sleepy. I guess it is not quite clear in my own mind.

I would say try the spinach first in the fruit smoothie. Then proceed up to kale, then other greens after that.

I am doing just ok I think. Struggled a bit with self consciousness at the shopping centre today. I could not wait long for the person who I was with go through the checkout, because of that awful self conscious feeling. So headed out to the car. But yeah I am ok

[Guest_1055]

Yeah I do not know if comfort food is different to emotional eating.

Maybe everyones idea of comfort food is different. Like I have heard pasta is a comfort food. And dairy cheese and even cows milk is. I do like and eat pasta occasionally and not much of it. So it is not a comfort food personally for me. I never crave it either when I am sad etc.

What is you comfort food anyway besides chocolate Quirky ?

Emotional eating I think is that you are eating to fill some sort of void in your life. Thinking the food is going to fix it. Like make you happy, feel loved etc. Or perhaps used as a way to handle stress or boredom. That's my understanding anyway.

As to the fruit... I am not sure about that either. And I like eating fruit as well. Guess it could become emotional eating. I would rather eat lots of that then junk crap food though. At least you are getting nutrients out of eating it.

People on keto may think differently.

[Guest_1643]

hi Quirky, I was wandering about comfort foods. Bear with me but I'm not sure it's a bad thing, I think comfort foods have a place and can be healing. Comfort foods can also have maybe a nutrient we are seeking? Like Shell mentioned about drinking dairy milk - I would say that is a comfort food I have which still makes me feel better.
Would be interested if you feel comfortable to hear more about these ideas....