I have the worst time with food cause I guess a lot of my anxieties come from what to eat and when to eat. I really try to eat on a schedule. I have changed my diet so much in the last year. In fact yesterday was the first fast food I had in probably 6 months(we were visiting my son in Portland, or). It was so stressful for me to eat it. I am trying so hard to find a system that I feel good about. My neuropathy and tinnitus are winning, Every time I think I have gained a step, I get stepped on. My anxieties were so bad in Portland that I thought I was going to be divorced before we got home.
I have a cat(tombstone) that will come up and butt its head against my leg when he wants attention. The only problem is he can draw serious amounts of blood when you play with him.
Pat
Eating foods that increase serotonin will soothe your anxieties. This was discovered and published years ago and is the basis for my book, The Serotonin Power Diet. Serotonin is made when carbohydrates ( sweet or starchy foods except fruit sugar) are eaten. The carbohydrate food has to be eaten with out protein and on an empty stomach. Otherwise no serotonin is made. We suggest in our book, having a low fat carbohydrate snack an hour before lunch and late in the afternoon. The boost in serotonin does two things: it takes away anxiety and also turns off the appetite. But it is necessary to eat three healthy meals a day to make sure you are nourishing your body. Plan ahead so you don't find yourself grabbing foods because you are starved and there is nothing prepared.
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This is a great article. I find myself doing this eating out of boredom too. It is like I am unconscious of what I am eating because I don't really taste it. I just chew. So chewing sugarless gum works for me or eating shelled nuts (that way I have to work at it and it slows me down). When I find myself wandering aimlessly around the kitchen I know that I have to be more conscious of why I am there in the first place.
Thank you for such an informative post. I am sure it will help many of our readers.
Thanks for the suggestion about the shelled nuts. Using a nut cracker especially on walnuts is such slow work that after a while, going back and doing taxes seems much easier. I often go into the kitchen and spend 15 ' or so preparing vegetables for the next day's meals. It keeps my hands busy and if I end up eating a piece of carrot or cucumber, the caloric damage is minimal.