THREE HUGE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR NUTRITION WITHOUT CHANGING WHAT YOU EAT

I’m writing this from my couch near the window so that I can look out and feel connected to the world during the thick of the COVID-19 outbreak. I’ve hesitated writing about nutrition at a time when people’s priorities are focused on staying and keeping others safe, grocery shopping and food availability is anything but typical, and many are finding comfort in baking, eating, or drinking. Thinking about nutrition can seem trivial in comparison. And yet I’m also getting messages from clients seeking help with overeating, practicing self-care, or fear of gaining weight, so I wanted to offer something for those people that might help you relax a little more around food and navigate the choppy waters of emotional eating. 

Here are three ways to improve your nutrition no matter what you choose to eat: 

Eat regular meals:

Self-care can be many things to different people and some of us are better at regularly incorporating this than others. It’s especially challenging during times like this when our typical routines have been flipped upside down and some things are fairly uncertain. And if your normal means of giving yourself a little TLC comes in the form of bubble baths or getting a massage, you might have to pivot and ensure your basic needs are being met first. Basic needs including your safety and warmth, clean clothes, regular bathing, sufficient sleep, access to clean water, and consuming meals regularly. 

What does consuming meals regularly have to do with things like emotional eating or binge eating? Skipping meals, whether intentionally or unintentionally because you’re trying to juggle homeschooling, parenting, and working remotely, can allow our hunger levels to rise to a level that feels overwhelming. All of a sudden it can feel like a siren is going off, which only compounds any underlying stress you may already be feeling...and there goes the rational ability to evaluate the full spectrum of choices for a meal out the window.

Eating at regular intervals puts a guardrail up to help prevent those sirens from going off. It also helps give you consistent energy, nutrients, and satisfaction throughout the day so you can focus on whatever is most important to you. This might mean three meals for some people and six for others. Experiment and see what works best for you. 

Add a pause:

Have you ever impulsively grabbed a bag of chips when you weren’t feeling any hollow-belly hunger sensations and polished the whole thing off without really being aware of it until you’re grasping at crumbs, wiping your mouth, and licking your fingers? Who hasn’t. When this last happened, do you remember what you were thinking and feeling beforehand? This is a tough question, especially if you went into zombie eating mode and checked out as you mechanically moved hand to mouth. 

The next time you find yourself pantry surfing without truly being stomach hungry, consider adding a pause to check-in with what’s going on. You might ask yourself any of these questions:

• What would be better than eating or drinking right now? 

• What is it that I’m really hungry for? 

• Are there other ways to meet those needs or would I like to choose food today? 

• Am I willing to sit with these uncomfortable feelings for five or ten minutes then see how I feel and if I still want to eat?

If you still choose to eat, that’s cool. At least you’re doing it mindfully and making an intentional choice. Remember, food is not just fuel for us. It’s comfort and pleasure and it’s not unusual to eat for reasons other than just hunger. In fact, it’s not really a problem unless it feels that way to you or is inhibiting your quality of life in some way. So when these instances happen, try not to beat yourself up about them and instead, get curious. A little self-compassion and grace go a long way.

Slow it down:

Lastly, here’s a tool you can experiment with to help not just emotional eating but any other typical meal: Slow down your eating. Savor your food. Notice the taste and textures. Make your bites last and enjoy the experience. This can significantly increase your awareness and the satisfaction you get from eating. It also gives you an edge with knowing when you’ve had enough to eat to feel satisfied, which is something that’s easy to overshoot when you’re eating quickly and fifteen minutes later end up feeling bloated and tired. As a bonus, it even improves your digestion. 

If you experiment with this, check-in as you go and observe like a scientist what you notice about different foods. Growing up, I had a thing for store bought frosting. And I mean a thing like I once requested a birthday cake that was entirely covered in roses, because frosting was the best part, duh. It wasn’t until I started practicing slow eating that I noticed the taste of the artificial food coloring and the way my throat burned. After that, it suddenly lost its appeal. I wasn’t aware of those nuances when I was shoveling it in like Chuck Norris was going to fight me for it but once I did, I was able to become more discerning and feel more at ease around all different types of foods. 

Is this possible with every meal if you’ve got toddlers or kids running around or you’re a medical professional who barely has time to grab something to eat? No, not always. But there might be one meal, or a few ways to check-in more often with what you notice and slow your meal down just a little bit more than normal. Think progress, not perfection. 

Though this is far from an exhaustive list on the many ways to address emotional eating and improve your eating habits, I hope it provides a menu with a few practical options. Options that are relevant both in your typical everyday life, and perhaps especially now at a time when the typical foods and meals we have access to has quickly changed, people are staying at home, and emotions are high. If you’re feeling a little lost, check out our new and improved nutrition coaching services and book a free 15-minute consult HERE.

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Ryan Healy, BS Exercise/Sport Science, CSCS, has been a certified personal trainer for over 13 years and is a Level 2 certified nutrition coach through world-renowned Precision Nutrition. She is passionate about helping people change their lifestyle habits with support, guidance, and compassion along with helping clients train around their injuries so they can move better, feel stronger, and get more of what they want out of life. 

You can follow her on:
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