Perhaps these eating choices might sound familiar. Especially if you’ve woken up and seen yourself “letting it go”. Although I hate the stigma surrounding depression, there have been times when things weren’t going well, and I resorted to eating choice that involved sugars, carbs and comforting cheeses.

In terms of comfort food, there’s nothing I feel comfortable with. Not to mention, making CBD a daily routine has been a balancing act for both my food choices and my emotional connection to them.  Because there has been a significant change in my eating habits, and how I feel as a whole.  The sugars, gluten and dairy in my life make me feel:

  • Moody
  • Bloated
  • Restless
  • Sluggish
  • Antsy
  • Nauseous
  • Gassy
  • and still hungry.

But the most recent cleanse I got onboard with fixed that little red wagon of mine. Pairing a cleanse with Cannabis Therapy was one of the healthiest eating choices I have made. Because it stopped the side effects, which is a good thing. Because the side effects triggered emotional and circumstantial eating choices. It’s a vicious cycle and an incredibly tough one to slowly wean off of.

Because we think choosing quick fixes, which include meds or diets, will invite new changes. But it’s not sustainable.

Dr Larissa Shevchuk of Our Clinic gives us the lowdown on eating choices that are about emotional eating:

Emotional eating is a sign that I am overtaken with feelings and emotions that I am not processing.  I reach for comfort food.  Often emotional eating comes with the feelings of shame and guilt of eating unhealthy or too much food.

We often go into cycles of ‘let’s get through this busy time and complete tasks’ and then I will start taking care of myself.

your food choices are not the munchies. Amie choosing a banana

Sometimes, I’m guilty of emotional eating. But I’m working on overcoming that.

I was sitting in traffic and received a call from my son’s school.  Because of my high stress and anxiety levels, I reached for whatever snack was within reach.  I was in my car, so here’s what I ate:

Dry bagged toast leftover from my son’s breakfast I had planned on feeding to the birds on my walk.  I ate it without consideration as I listened on a call. Because my nerves and displacement were on high.

Instant shame!  Not because this was a typical “quick” fix with candies, chocolates, and carbs. But it was more me realizing that I was feeding my emotions… not hunger. I had just had breakfast.

So, what to do?

Here are 5 Easy Tips:

  • Take a deep breath! Gather all that emotion and take a guttural inhale. Then, slowly concentrating on exhaling, then repeat.
  • Love yourself! Leave your concerns and worries for someone else.  Think about yourself and how to displace your emotions, while fixating on your mental health.  Food will not change your most immediate stress. And of course, this may lead to you feeling worse.
  • Drink Water. We hear it all the time, but it acts as a quick trigger to trick our minds into feeling fuller.
  • Take away the temptation. Change your environment and the habits that induce your cravings.
  • Fill the boredom void. Idle hands and mind often lead to bad decisions. Especially when it comes to snacking.  Because it’s a time filler and something to do. Above all, this is your chance to reflect on why you’re reaching for a snack and what you could do instead.  Go for a walk, get some fresh air and divert those bad habits!

Since the journey has started, it will always be about self-recognition and this new ability to turn things off and let it go.  And stop blaming the munchies!

This post originally appeared on deanblundell.com.