I am fascinated with learning better ways of caring for ourselves and our elders in the area of Nutrition and our overall wellness. So I decided to start this thread for myself and others to share information about eating nutritious foods for good health. There is much information about Diets and Nutrition that is available to all of us but their isn't as much information about the psychological and emotional aspects of eating that leave many of us feeling overweight and frustrated so I want to share information about that here also. This is a good place to share ways to help our elders get the nutrients that they need since this is a challenge for many. So please share your success strategies and Ideas so we can all help each other and our elders to be as healthy as possible in these stressful times. Of course keep in mind that we should all check with our Doctors and Nutritional professionals even in the area of Nutrition because sometimes due to medications and other health factors certain foods should be avoided.
Anger is a normal, natural emotion. However many of us are taught all our lives not to express it. The ugly side of anger occurs when it is held in. That’s when anger turns into a rotted, decrepit version of itself. Anger, repressed, turns into resentment, bitterness, frustration, and depression.
Fat and Furious
Author Dr. Judi Hollis writes poignantly about how food masks anger. At her inpatient eating disorder center, many of the patients enter with a forced “everything’s just fine” grin. But in reality, everything isn’t just fine for these patients—that’s why they are seeking some assistance with their emotional pain. But because food is such an effective temporary emotional anesthesia, these women can’t admit the depth of their pain to themselves. In Fat and Furious: Women and Food Obsession, Hollis describes the early days of a patient’s treatment:
Most of my patients are admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of depression. Of course! Who wouldn’t be depressed by the hopeless cycle of gaining and losing hundreds of pounds. Many sense that they are depressed because they’ve lived so far from their true heart’s message. They are so out of touch with spirit, so lost from their inner selves, that despite their sometimes superhuman functioning, they have become extremely depressed. For many, that depression won’t surface until their fourth or sixth day of treatment. That’s when sugar withdrawals are the worst. Countless patients enter treatment full of smiles and gratitude, telling us how sweet the intake counselor was, how much they like the nursing staff, how they can’t wait to get up early for exercise and meditation. But let’s face it, most of them have been eating their “last supper” for at least a week before they come, so those smiles are really plastered on a walking glucose bottle. That draining bottle starts hitting bottom around the fourth day, and a raging, fuming, hostile combatant wakes up. Then she hates the nursing staff, feeling “they’re all out to get me,” and has a mile-long list of grievances at how inefficiently our unit is run. But as she weathers this storm of rage, it passes, and within a few days she is embarrassed and apologetic. No need for either. It’s the nature of the beast. Depression is anger turned inward.
When those frustrating cravings urge you to eat chips, crackers, popcorn, or pretzels, here are some appetite-reducing strategies:
1. Crunch on crisp vegetables dipped in low-calorie, fat-free salad dressing. Instead of potato chips, go for carrot sticks decadently dripping with flavorful dressing. Keep carrot and celery sticks, as well as broccoli and cauliflower florets, handy in the refrigerator so you’ll have no excuse to bypass this healthful alternative.
2. Ask yourself, “Am I really craving crunchy, salty foods, or am I instead craving fat?” Do you dream of crispy french fries, greasy potato chips, or freshly fried onion rings? If nothing but a high-fat or fried crunchy snack will do, then your cravings may have less to do with crunchiness or saltiness, and more to do with fat content. In that case, follow the suggestions in Chapter 21. ( I will post this at some point or if someone asks me to)
3. If you’re angry at someone else, realize that it makes no sense to punish yourself by overeating unhealthful foods. You’re devouring those salty, greasy potato chips, so you must know that you are the only person who will suffer the effects of feeling sluggish, bloated, and overweight. Take out your anger in healthy and productive ways (such as exercise), instead of attacking yourself.
4. Address the source of your stress, tension, or anxiety. When it comes to dealing with cravings, the best solution is to heal the source of the problem. What is causing your stress? What steps—even small ones—can you take to relieve some of it? Even though those steps may seem a bit frightening, push yourself to resolve some of your uneasy feelings right now. Deep down, you already know what those steps entail, but you are afraid of the consequences. You’re afraid that you’ll make things worse, instead of better. Visualize what a better life would look like, and tell others what you will and won’t accept. You’ll be doing yourself an incredible favor, and you’ll feel empowered right after you take positive action.
5. Sprinkle a minimal amount of salt on top of foods after you serve them, instead of cooking salt into the foods. You tend to taste salt more if it is on the surface of food, rather than cooked as one of the food’s ingredients. That is because salt loses its salty taste—but none of its sodium content—during the cooking process. In one study, subjects were given salt-free foods as well as unlimited access to salt shakers. The subjects added only 20 percent of the amount of salt that normally would have been included in each food’s cooking ingredients.11 One researcher concluded that, when it comes to salt cravings, “… the saltiness the mouth experiences, not the amount of sodium actually ingested, is responsible for how much someone prefers a salty food.
continued on next post
7. Throw out, or remove yourself from, crunchy snack foods while you deal with the source of your stress or anger. One time, I was angry because my future mother-in-law had gone to visit my fiancé’s ex-girlfriend. My head told me, “There’s no reason to be jealous,” but my heart hurt with fear-based feelings such as, “She likes the ex-girlfriend better than she likes me.” While trying to reconcile these conflicting thoughts and feelings, I was standing next to a bowl of party snack crackers. I was shocked to discover that I was absent-mindedly gnawing away at the crackers. They didn’t taste all that great, but the texture provided a small outlet for my frustration. Once I saw what I was doing, I took evasive action and poured the crackers into the garbage. I knew that until I resolved my feelings, it was self-loving to remove all sources of temptation. (P.S. I resolved the issue by discussing the matter with my fiancé and his mother.)
8. Call someone. Talking to a counselor, close friend, or relative will relieve some of that pent-up anger and help you feel validated. You’ll also be able to come up with some possible solutions, which will make you feel more hopeful about your situation.
9. Write down your feelings. A 1994 study of 535 women by University of Tennessee’s Dr. Sandra Thomas concluded that women who wrote down their angry thoughts in a journal were among the healthiest in her study. They were less prone to overeating, headaches, or stomachaches than women who yelled when they were angry, or who totally repressed their anger. Putting my feelings into words is my own personal choice for dealing with emotional upsets. I always feel much better after I note down every thought and emotion that I’m aware of on a piece of paper or on my computer screen. I’ve never used a formal “journal” or diary, but many of my clients like them. The beauty of “journaling” is that there are no rules governing right or wrong ways to write. It’s not like being in English 101. Instead, you simply get out a piece of paper and start writing everything you think and feel. Don’t worry about spelling, neatness, grammar, or any “writing rules.” Just write, and you’ll feel infinitely better about your situation.
AFFIRMATIONS FOR SNACK FOOD CRAVINGS
All tension has left my body. I forgive myself and others. I give myself permission to let go of blame. I take excellent care of myself. My friends are loving, thoughtful, and giving.
This is very interesting. I know I have been able to identify that I crave certain textures in addition to flavors. I tend to favor sweets more than salt. Sometimes I alternate.
I have never been sucessful at keeping a journal. I tried to do it on my computer since my fingers go numb writing, but I gave up on that too. It's like I can't adequately express my feelings in words. I know I have a lot of repressed anger towards my siblings and life with dementia.
Keep reading and sharing!
Thanks,
Diane
When I became a caregiver, I noticed that I had developed acid reflux from the stress and still have bouts of it daily.
Here are some natural remedies that work well for me:
1. Ginger Chews. (from the "Ginger People.") These are candies that I first found at an Asian market. They have natural ingredients and a lot of ginger in them. I think the combination of sucking on the candy, and the saliva it produces, and the ginger helps calm my stomach. You can also try ginger capsules, but take them with food.
2. A friend, who also suffers from AR, told me that he had good results from eating an apple right before bedtime. (normally, you would not want to eat anything before retiring.) I tried it and it works really well for me.
3. Chewing natural gum (ie: one that does not contain asparatame, or other chemicals.)
4. Sleep with your head slightly elevated. If that doesn't help, breathe from your mouth very slowly and concentrate on your breathing until you fall asleep.
5. Avoid caffeine and heavy, oily foods at dinner and before bedtime. Avoid milk (which is something docs used to recommend for ulcers in the past)
6. Dilute 2 tbs. of raw, natural apple cider vinegar (like Braggs brand) into a liquid and drink 45 mins. to an hour before bedtime. (there are a TON of uses for this type of vinegar)
7. Liquid aloe drink is recommended. I did not get any relief from it, but it may work for others.
8. Eat yogurt that has natural acidophilus or take acidophilus capsules. I also take a garlic capsule and alfalfa tablets.
9. If you have a severe attack, try burning one side of a piece of white bread...really, until it is black. Then eat it slowly, a piece at a time. The charcoal from the burned bread helps neutralize and absorb the acid. (one hint, turn off the broiler after you burn the bread and wait a few minutes before opening the door. ya' don't want to set off the smoke detectors!)
10. I just read about mastic gum (supplement), but have not tried it yet. It is an ancient, natural remedy for stomach issues.
Constant acid reflux, belching, bloating, may be a symptom of other physical issues. One is the presence of H. Pylori a bacteria that reasearchers have linked to Parkinson's. Also, severe heartburn is sometimes a precurser of a heart attack. Do not ignore presistent stomach problems.
And as cricket mentioned in her original post, always check with your doctor before you use any new supplement or change your diet. Natural products can have interactions too.
I absolutely love to cook and I try to make sure to reduce sodium, keep fats down, etc. It's amazing how much difference "layering" flavors, using fresh produce and herbs, can make in the final product. I've found some great "healthy" products which we've learned to appreciate.
Now, I'm about 20 lbs heavier than I'd like and I'm working on it. Exercise has just become a part of my routine. Maybe not as often as I should, but I'm getting better.
When it's easier for me to read (soon, I hope) I'll be able to contribute more.
Thanks for this! Carolyn
Many of my clients also implied that they didn’t think they deserved to take good care of themselves until they lost weight. This is convoluted thinking, I’d explain to them. First, you take good care of yourself, then your self-esteem goes up. When your self-esteem is raised, your appetite and weight go down. You must take good care of yourself even if you believe that you don’t deserve it. “Act” as if you have high self-esteem. Pretend you’re someone you admire, such as a famous movie star. Make believe that you’re a thin person. Then behave in the way that you envision that person acting. Your self-esteem will catch up to your self-loving behavior. Deep inside, your inner child will be happy that you’re taking good care of her. She’ll think, Gee I must be a special little girl to deserve such good treatment. And when the little girl inside of you feels good about herself, it’s reflected in the way that you feel about yourself. Consider this: You like to be around people who treat you well, don’t you? People who say nice things to you and who consider your needs and feelings? And, conversely, wouldn’t you rather avoid people who say mean things to you and who are selfish? Well, you can have the same relationship priorities with your own self. If you’re good to yourself, you’ll be happier and more comfortable. If you neglect yourself, you’ll feel unloved and lonely. The point to remember is: First, be good to yourself. Then you’ll lose weight.
I was listening to a talk show a few days ago and when the topic of preservatives came up the professional stated that we Americans eat our body weight in artificial additives and preservatives every year! I was shocked to say the least and wanted to share that with you here. Sorry I didn't write down the name and link to the study she was quoting from. It just made me realize how important it is that we eat foods from nature like fresh fruits and veggies.
1. Curb metabolic stress hormones by avoiding alcohol, high glycemic foods, msg, gluten. (all these makes you crave more carbs)
2. Weigh daily to get rid of excess fluids before they turn to fat. ( I say if this stresses one out to much don't rush into this but gradually work it in)
3. Focus on portion sizes. Start using a smaller plate.
4. Wait 20 minutes before going for a second serving. If after 20 minutes your still hungry eat a little more. Take the serving dishes off of the table.
5. Exercise with the goal of a lifetime of mobility.
Eat 3 meals a day with Breakfast being the largest of the three and dinner the smallest. Eat dinner between 5-6 Pm. Allow two healthy snacks, mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Healthy snacks would be fresh fruits, nuts in moderation, veggies, beans. Avoid packaged processed foods. It's always best to eat what nature provides.
I just want to add the importance of drinking plenty of water. The normal amount of water is 8 glasses per day, anyone overweight should drink more depending on the amount of weight a person is. If a person has bladder issues this might not apply to them but the 8 glasses a day rule applies to everyone. On average each one of us will loose 8 glasses of water per day through urine, bowels, perspiration and breathing. This is not counting exercise. Getting plenty of water daily helps to clean our vital organs, digest foods better, and regulate healthy bowel movements. Most people find that by increasing their water intake everything else in their bodies begins to work better and a real plus is that it helps to elimanate excess weight.
A little side note on water and staying hydrated...when caring for my elderly friend out in CA last year I had learned that many elderly people can have low blood pressure caused by being dehydrated....so lets keep our elders drinking healthy water!
There are many other tips to help with weight loss in earlier posts of this thread. As we start the new year lets do our best to take this information to heart and know that losing weight and keeping it off comes from healthy lifestyle changes. It doesn't happen overnight but the changes can be huge if we take them one step at a time. Just pick one thing to change and you will be on your way to a healthier, happier life.
1. Breathe deeply and regularly
Doing so can actually decrease the tone of your sympathetic nervous system and increase the tone of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the portion of your nervous system that promotes relaxation and good digestion.
2. Spend some quiet time every day in prayer, meditation, or a purposeful relaxation session
All three have been scientifically proven to facilitate a relaxation response in your body that can decrease blood pressure, decrease pulse rate, and improve blood circulation. Meditation and relaxation sessions can be greatly enhanced by listening to any number of audio CDs that are designed to facilitate optimal relaxation and mental clarity.
3. Practice visualization
Almost all great athletes practice some form of visualization. As author Wayne Dyer says, "you'll see it when you believe it." Spend some time each day visualizing your ideal body and going about your day in a balanced and emotionally poised manner. You can include visualization in your prayer/meditation/relaxation session.
4. Make sure that you are getting the nutrients that you need for a healthy nervous system
Your nutritional status can make all the difference between being able to handle a certain amount of stress without breaking down versus quickly suffering health problems when faced with stress. While it's important to your overall health that you eat a well balanced and nutrient-dense diet, for emotional health specifically, it is important to ensure adequate intake of B vitamins, Vitamin D, and two long chain omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA.
5. Be honest about your feelings
There's a reason why 'know thyself' is a wise proverb/saying in virtually every culture of our world. Striving to know yourself and what you are truly feeling on a daily basis is absolutely essential to preventing unpleasant but genuine emotions from becoming chronic states. Anger, frustration, and anxiousness can all help to fuel personal growth and character development if you are honest with yourself and seek to discover their root causes.
One of the best methods to increase your awareness of what you are truly feeling is journal writing. The rules are simple: no censorship, no possibility of another set of eyes being able to read your thoughts, just pure flow of thoughts from your mind and heart onto a piece of paper or your computer screen. Regular journal writing in this manner can be extremely beneficial to your emotional health.
6. Move your body
It's a well established fact that regular exercise is one of the best habits you can adopt that will help you avoid depression and stay emotionally balanced. It doesn't matter what kind of exercise you do. What's important is to be active and use your joints and muscles on a regular basis.
I just want to let everyone know that several of us caregivers are starting a book club for weight loss support. Their is no cost except people have to buy their own book. The book is "A Course In Weight Loss" by Marianne Williamson. It is not a diet or exercise book. The information discusses the underlying causes of weight issues. The book is a spiritual book but generic as far as religion goes. It was written with the view of helping people of all beliefs. We will be discussing one chapter a week. Starting August 2nd at the latest. If you are someone who struggles with weight issues and want to get to the root of the problem so you can live healthier and lose weight then this is for you. If you just want some support to continue on any existing program then you will find it here also. We will be using another forum for our discussions, and like I said it is free.
Contact me if you would like more information. cricketinafryingpan at comcast dot net.
*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Chirp Chirp Cricket Hugsღ