Natural Health - Using Ayurveda to Curb Cravings

"Food is meant to nourish our body. Love is meant tois blocked in this center starts to release your
nourish our soul." ~~ Vasant Lademotional hunger will subside.
Everyone has times where they occasionally overeat2. Meditate & Breathe. Whenever you feel
at a special party or celebration and the usual holidayemotionally hungry sit quietly and pay attention to
feast.your breath. Take 12 deep breaths and then drink a
But if you are trying to curb your cravings orcup of warm water. This will help dissolve the
emotional overeating a few tips taken fromemotional hunger and overeating will be avoided.
Ayurveda, the 5000 year old system from India, can3. Practice yoga. Yoga postures, done on a regular
help.basis and at the time of an emotional craving will help
Do you ever notice when you are with a loving friendto control overeating. Try Moon Salutations, Camel
you can be so happy that you forget to eat?pose, Cobra pose, and Spinal twist.
Remember falling in love for the first time and having4. Eat lightly. If you feel you must eat, then eat
little or no appetite? You don't feel a need for foodsome light food. Try some crackers or some cereal.
because you are being fed and nourished byOr drink some vegetable or fruit juice. That way you
something else, love.won't have to deny yourself when you feel like
But when you don't receive the love, emotionaleating but the light food won't put on weight or fat.
support, or friendship that makes you feel happy5. Try bananas. Eating one ripe banana chopped up
often you may feel lonely or rejected and turn towith 1 teaspoon of ghee and a pinch of cardamom is
food as a substitute to comfort yourself and youreffective for pacifying emotional, obsessive eating
feelings. Eating to suppress feelings of loneliness,habits.
grief, sadness or depression is the emotional,Food can be a source of nourishment and love when
psychological cause for overeating.we slow down and share our meals with family and
Here are five tips you can to deal with the problemfriend s and encourage the sense of community and
of overeating related to emotions.belonging that we have lost in our hectic, fast-paced
world.
1. Express your feelings. Write about your feelings.The more you attend to and fill your emotional
Getting your feelings out by writing or journaling willneeds, the less likely you are to rely on food and
unblock the energy in your solar plexus, your energyovereating to satisfy your emotional hunger.
center (chakra) for willpower. When the energy that