Are you an emotional eater? Do you turn to food for comfort when your feelings are churning inside?
Your experience with food doesn’t have to be disappointing. Today I’m giving you three tips to help you enjoy food from a calm and healthy place.
Resources to support you:
- 3 Healthy Food Tips True to Your Type 1 Nature!
- 3 Healthy Food Tips: Grab & Go Options for the Type 3 Woman
- 3 Healthy Food Tips to Help You Stay on Track, True to Your Type 4 Nature
- How to Allow Yourself the Comfort Food Provides
- Empath Clearing: Get Rid of Negative Energy that Isn’t Yours
- Get your meal plans from Super Healthy Kids
- Food Cravings? Overeating? Heal Your Struggles Today.
Wow I relate 100% to this! I go overboard on emotional eating and the comfort food, and I have very sensory memories of my favorite foods. I can even “taste” it when I think about those particular foods! Some of my fave healthy foods that go along with my t2 energy are oatmeal with a healthy sweetener and fruit, yogurt, smoothies, sweet potatoes, and any soup that has lots of good protein and veggies in it. I like to make a soup and pour in extra left over veggies to make it richer. Coconut oil is also great to add some healthy rich creamy fat to things. I’m going food shopping today so this video will be so helpful 😀
Andrea, I love macadamia nut oil in addition to coconut oil. You’ll have to try it if you haven’t already.
I agree, Andrea! I eat much like you do… although I minimize dairy.
I never realized that turning to food was an outward expression which goes against my inward nature. Makes sense now why it won’t be an effective option to sooth (besides the obvious). I turned to food as a teen and early adult for comfort and had a dysfunctional relationship with it. It has taken years to overcome this challenge but I now see food as nutrition and energy rather than a way to get my emotional needs met. One drink that I absolutely love to enjoy because of it’s comfort is coffee. I don’t drink it for the caffeine, I drink it for the smell and warmth and coziness of it. I have been eating a ketogenic diet for several months now and have realized that I am taking to the high fats. They are creamy and filling which makes me feel safe and secure oddly enough.
Im a Type 1 but I relate to what you are saying! I drink coffee for the same exact reason and it’s funny that im reading this today because today is first day on the keto diet! lol. Which leads me to wonder if some of this could also be applied to secondaries 2’s although just not as much as a Type 2 🙂
I love black tea with milk because of the same feeling of comfort and warmth even if its cooled down. Ive been doing the ketogenic diet too and the high healthy fats are amazing to curb out cravings and they fill you so nicely that and the intermittent fasting that allows me to feel relaxed in the control my being while being healthy
I love coffee. With lowfat cream and a little bit of stevia.
Very interesting video, thank you Carol. As a type 2/1 I love being in the kitchen cooking healthy foods, prepare a beautiful table with decorations (i.e. candles, flowers, etc), I love warm, smooth, unctuous, oil-rich foods. My go-to is sweet potatoes with a little butter, sprinkled with walnuts, and a little apple spice mix. Making time to eat is the most important, even if it is just a cup of tea. But, what I am puzzled about when I watched your video and read some of the comments, I cannot eat or even look at food when I am upset. My throat tightens and there is no way I can find comfort in food, or even water. Does any type 2 feel this way?
Leilah, I’m also a type 2 and when I am under a great deal of stress, I also get that tightness in my throat and can’t think of anything to eat that sounds good or comforting. It has to be more stress than usual, though. When I have minor to moderate stress, I want ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and mexican food! ha ha.
Thank you Julie, so glad to know I am not the only one !
Like you, I cannot eat when I am upset. My stomach is in turmoil and putting food into it is just not possible!
My daughter explained to me how we sometimes experience energies at the opposite end of the spectrum.
i relate as well. I also have a hard time eating around others while I’m at a social event. Eating during my first date was torture! I also get uneasy eating around others that are really fast eaters and feel I have to keep up with them.
Having a nice and healthy meal before I go to a social event is how I cope with it. I feel good and nourished when I leave my home. Now I can just socialize, connect, and not worry about eating, while I pretend to eat and push my food around in the plate.
I wait to eat at the event as it is a reason to stay busy rather than having to deal with the anxieties of conversations and socializing! lol
I am a slow eater, too. (2/1) I can start before everyone else and I will still be the last to finish. If I’m on a date with my husband, he knows we cannot rush dinner. He has learned to be very patient with my slower pace of eating.
I am like you 2/3 but i was reprimanded for being too shy and eating too slowly (I put it in the back of my mind until I tried to profile myself and its very upsetting to realise this) so I had to revert to my T3 energy andmade myself a total tyoe 3 with fast eating and being an extrovert when it always made me feel a bit wrong in my skin!! now I know with and I am so grateful for this knowledge and I try to eat slower and in stages (when the kids let me!) The funny thing is that I also married a 3/2 that acted more like a T2 because his mother is a very strong T3 women. So we eat slowly both of us and I am trying to be more 2 while helping him be more dominant and assertive…and its hard work!!!
Leilah, I am a 1/2 and also love being in my kitchen cooking healthy foods, and setting a beautiful table with decorations (one of my favorite ways to celebrate all the holidays throughout the year). I wish we could have a 1/2 and 2/1 dinner party!
That would be fun, I know we would get along really well. Bon appetit !!!
I am a 2/4 and definitely lose my appetite when I’m upset.
same here. My throat and my stomach tightens when i am very upset. But I´ve seen type 2 that eat when they´re stressed more than very very upset. But i prefer to eat a bit at an event so I can ignore all the other people around.
Interesting! A few years ago I went on a raw food diet. A lot of the meals were really good but I found I was craving warm comforting foods.I also found nuts to be too heavy for my stomach. Needless to say, I didn’t stick with it.
Also tea is one of my favorite all time comforts.
I second tea!
Such an interesting video, but this is one area where I don’t relate to, even as a T2. I love ALL kinds of foods, including soup, but I tend to lean more towards fresh, crunchy crispy foods, like the ones mentioned in the T1 food video. One is my secondary.
I’m seeing a lot of comments on the secondary playing a factor. Mine is S4 so I’m curious now to hear what Carol has to say about T4 food/eating.
Me too. I hate warm drinks and enjoy ice in everything. Maybe it’s my S4 peeking through.
I agree with storm7. Many people have made fun of me for having ice in my glass of milk. They say, “What’s the matter -isn’t it COLD enough for you?”
My husband and I have a joke that I rate where we have been on our travels by the food, I remember clearly and enjoy reliving the food we ate. My favourite food is soup, I think I could live off soup if I had too. Greek yoghurt, herbal tea, fresh pressed vege and fruit juices, slow cooker casseroles, bananas (you can make them very smooth in your mouth), avocado on toast with lemon, poached or scrambled egg… ok I’ll stop now! Oh, and I love apples (my secondary 1) 🙂
What makes loving apples a 1? I love apples all my life and I am 2/1
Luba, loving the sweet, light, crisp quality of fresh fruit is very Type 1!
I didn´t know, and I haven´t got an oz of T1 in me but i love me some raw fresh fruit.
Oh, good grief, this is me!! Was talking to my mom about my childhood, and my memories are, “…and we would stop for donuts here…”, ” that’s where we would have sundaes…”. I never connected that to Type 2!
Though I am not a T2 (I am a 4/1,) I can very much relate to using food to comfort myself when stressed. Sometimes my S1 comes out to playfully admit that I am “stress eating” as I am in the midst of doing it. (And I never reach for carrot sticks when I’m in that state!) Thank you, Carol, for the reminder to do the healing work instead. And to reach for some healthy, warm tea as a way to nurture myself. My mom was a 2/1, (I believe,) and food was her way of showing us love and to soothe us, so that is likely where the pattern started for me. I have an opportunity to heal the discomforts that are prompting me to reach for food. Then, I’ll remember the (non-food) love of my mom over a cup of warm tea!
I am seriously in love with Prepear. Thank you so much for recommending it. I spend so much time sifting through all of the recipes trying to figure out what we are eating for the week, and it can get quite overwhelming. This makes that job much easier. And, although I am a 4/1, I can very much relate to everything you said in this video. Especially the part about being emotionally connected to warm, soft, gooey chocolate chip cookies. My T2 husband makes the best (it’s actually just the Toll House recipe, but I talk them up as if they were his own creation because it makes him feel good).
My tendency is warm foods as well, like soups, stews, and baked main dishes. One thing about me as a T2 is that is has to be the certain recipe I grew up with: Mom’s baked macaroni and cheese, Grandma’s meatloaf, Grandma’s beef stew, my sister’s chocolate cake, my best friend’s brownies. The foods I love to make are all connected to someone I value, and that makes perfect sense to me.
Comfort food for me is a salted runny egg on buttered toast.
Another great video! I never thought about the types of food I gravitate to – that they would be comfortable. I really don’t like crunching on carrots, or celery. I find a salad exhausting 🙂 This has given me alot of “food” for thought. Thank you. I also don’t like eating in front of others. I usually eat ahead too. I think my secondary 4 makes me look at a restaurant menu before I go and kinda plan what I’ll have. Anyone else do that?
Yes! Your post is me! I love that – salads are sooo exhausting, thank you for giving me the word to describe it. I often feel guilty for not liking them as much as I should. Same with fruit salad actually. I find it easier to eat in winter, so many yummy, comforting and filling foods. I also look at the menu before I arrive. I always wondered if it was because I need to check if there are any gluten free options but I realise now that its also to support myself and plan ahead. I’m a 2/4
Hello, Krystal. I am just realizing there were replies to my messages. Fairly new to responding to videos. I am happy this spoke to you. It’s funny I’m the same with fruit salad too. I have been doing a low carb diet so I DO look at menus ahead to check out what I can have, but I still like that planning ahead. Take care, and thank you for your reply.
I’m a Type 1 and I also like to look at restaurant menus before I go – but probably for different reasons! I love all the options and I can take ages to make a decision when I’m actually there and the time is limited, haha. Sometimes I make random decisions and regret it! Also, I love variety so like to see if they’ve got something interesting that I’ve not had before – rather than maybe miss noticing it when I get there.
All this said, I’m just as likely to make a decision and then randomly pick something else, either from the specials or the main menu! Sometimes I don’t know what I’m going to order until the words come out of my mouth, lol. Or I make a decision and then rush to the waiter and change my mind about something! (I’m a T1S2)
🙂
Bettina, just realizing I had replies to my posts – new to this. It’s funny what you say. I am a Type 2, but I can also look over the menu, know what I’m going to order and then order a special. But since I’ve been on a low carb diet, I’ve been pretty much sticking to my original choice. Thank you for your comments. So much fun to hear other’s comments.
Cheese and carbs are my food weakness! Pizza is my #1 comfort food of choice. I do like the gooey texture of Daiya brand vegan cheese when it’s melted, so I opt for that when I can with whole grain crusts. I recently also tried cauliflower mashed potatoes as a healthy alternative and I liked them. I’ve found that for me, the best thing is to make substitutions in the foods I already like so that I don’t feel as if I’m missing out on them. Pinterest has been great for helping with that.
This video is so eye opening. Thank you for talking about this topic! I have had a sad 2 years and have turned to food for comfort. Now I understand why I like certain foods too! This is the year where I can enjoy healthy foods and moderately add cheese enchiladas and a sweet treat now and
I’m so glad I watched this. I”m a 1/2, but I can so relate to this! I’m am emotional eater, I have been since I was about 7 or 8. I’ve watched both the type 1 and type 2 videos on eating and relate to both of them. They’ve both been so helpful!
The T2s in my house ask for Shepherd’s pie, baked ziti, spaghetti, mac and cheese, chicken pot pies and they are both chocolate chip cookie fiends. I can keep them happy by rotating these in occasionally. As a T4, when I try to move everyone towards healthier choices, I tend to choose meat, vegetable and starch components. I succeed often with pan seared chicken with bowtie pasta and vodka sauce with peas; boneless rib eye steaks pan cooked with a red wine and shallot sauce served with scalloped potatoes and broccoli; herbed boneless skinless chicken thighs with carrots and red potatoes (baked in one dish); baked salmon with wild rice and roasted asparagus with sea salt. By using fresh ingredients and supporting healthy portion sizes these meals factor into a healthy diet. Beyond that I help my T1 limit sugary snacks, provide chocolate protein drinks and bars as needed (for the 2s) and serve sugar free jello or pudding for desert (the 2s never miss desert — I rarely eat desert — the T1 likes a popsicle after dinner). I make a quiche that my T2 husband has for breakfast every weekday. I have a set breakfast too with an oat based biscuit for first breakfast and egg and sausage burrito for second breakfast. I like prepackaged salads with a piece of fruit for (later) lunch. With three smallish meals I can usually skip snacking. We tend to eat dinner between 5:30-7.
Interesting thoughts! My favorite breakfast – and often lunch – is a creamy, smooth, luscious smoothie. I always include a 20 gram portion of delicious, low-sugar protein powder (usually chocolate), half an avocado (for healthy fat), a big handful of raw spinach, chia seeds, coconut or almond milk, and sometimes blueberries. This concoction soothes me and gives me great energy. I’m just not happy if I’m not consuming real, whole foods.
Herbal tea’s are my go-to. Choosing from a variety of flavors helps me feel empowered to decide what my emotions need at any given time. For example, yesterday I was worried I had a stomach virus, so my choice of tea was peppermint. Last night I had a lot on my mind- nothing that a soothing cup of camomile can’t help me to sort out!
Cinnamon raisin toast and a warm cup of hot chocolate mmmm. Recently though I’ve found a really cozy tea called “The Spice is Right” from DAVIDsTEA…it’s cinnamon and orange and like drinking a hug.
This was a great video. I have so many issues with turning to food and other things for emotional comfort instead of doing any sort of healing. I just realized recently that I’m an emotional eater when i got into a stressful situation the last two month with someone I was dating. I turned to lots of carbs and sugar and starting drinking 4-6 cups of caffeinated tea a day. The tea relaxed me and made me happier while I was drinking it but I later felt horribly jittery and anxious like everyone was out to get me. I’m going to take the advice of this video and work on doing the healing instead of turning to caffeine and food :).
I have started to notice a pattern in my life. I grew up a US Army kid and moved a lot. Sometimes we moved several times in one place due to lack of housing or change in rank or because my type 1 mom got the urge to do something new. Well, I’ve always felt the things that mattered to me often got ripped away. Well the same thing has happened with food. I’ve always been anaphylactic with tree nuts. But when I had Hodgkins Lymphoma at age 30, I became allergic to dairy, wheat, soy, peanuts, egg whites, melons, berries, bananas, avocado, mango and so on. I’ve only been able to reclaim berries. How do I change this pattern? I would love to eat better as I love fitness. I love banana and avocado. But for now, there’s no way I can eat them.
I watched this last night and thought wow that’s me! I made one slice of toast with some ripe banana and a little cinnamon on top. It was so good, I had hot tea with no caffeine. I put milk and a little sweetener in it. The whole thing just made me feel so comforted and cozy. I am so glad I watched this.
Food has always been my go-to comfort, so I related to this heavily. When I started realizing all my food allergies and sensitivities, I really had to readjust and find new coping skills. I can’t eat gluten, almost all grains, soy, food colorings, msg, sugar, etc. That kicked out nearly all my favorite comfort foods in their traditional state! I have finally reframed it so now my heart and mind equate nourishing food with that comfort. Nutrient dense foods are my new comfort foods, and it feels really good. My ultimate comfort food has always been just plain milk. Now I drink raw milk and it’s reversing some of my deficiencies. Lately as it’s getting cold and I was sick – egg drop soup made with bone broth. Very easy and quick, soft, fluid, comforting, and warm. It’s also tied to a memory for me. Smoothies I love, they feel like a hug. I try to include warming spices in them like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, they all feel comforting! If I really am craving gooey chocolatey goodness I break off a piece of 100% cacao, smear it with some raw honey and sunflower seed butter. So satisfying! I love making “apple pie apples” too, simply apples sauteed in good quality butter with your favorite apple pie spices. Pretty much any comfort food I want I can recreate in a way that doesn’t aggravate my system and nurtures me with nutrition. If I’m craving a memory, and I NEED that food, I recreate it and I’m satisfied entirely with no fallout. The effort of making it from scratch weeds out what is deeply important from what is only a passing craving/feeling. Food which once caused me so many physical and mental problems is now healing me, and it’s so empowering! Much like discovering my energy type and living my truth ♥️