BREAKING THE CYCLE OF BINGE EATING

I desperately wanted to be skinnier. I would starve myself and run for miles… And then eventually I would "break the seal" and try to hyper control what I was eating… A salad with no dressing. But having any food would turn into a feeding frenzy and I felt out of control. The shame spiral moved as fast as the toilet could flush, and then I would do it all over again. Punishing myself for all the calories I had consumed with exercise.

In this blog I want to un-pack binge eating behavior with you. We will go into some of the effects of stress, lack of sleep and negative self talk on food related behaviou as well as talk about food cravings and how to overcome them.

Having a healthy relationship with food took me almost a decade - and I want to make sure you get there a lot more quickly than I did - but here is one thing I know for sure, you aren’t going to get there over night. Healing takes time, and it requires an objective view which can be difficult to establish when you are in the middle of an episode of binge eating.

Having professional help or support is likely important for you if you are struggling with a clinical eating disorder. I recovered from bulimia and anorexia without a clinical diagnosis or dietician - but it took me a lot of un-learning coping mechanisms and acquiring knowledge to be able to get to where I am today.

Let’s break down the emotional eating cycle.

If often starts with an uncomfortable emotion, followed by a craving or desire to avoid the negative emotion or feeling. We eat to avoid, and get temporary relief, pleasure or comfort. That relief quickly turns into regret, and we feel physical and mental discomfort. Guild, shame, a stomach ache, humiliation and negative self talk are quick to follow - leaving us right back in a place of uncomfortable emotions.

I know this cycle all to well, and ive been through it hundreds of times. So how do you break the cycle? Lets start with stress and binge eating, because I truly believe stress is one of the biggest contributing factors.

Stress & Munchies: The Inside Scoop on Why We Crave Comfort

Ever found yourself knee-deep in a bag of chips or halfway through a chocolate bar during stressful times? You're not alone. This isn't just about willpower; there's a whole hormonal party happening behind the scenes, influencing the snack attacks.

When stress hits, our body goes on alert, pumping out cortisol, commonly dubbed the “stress hormone.” This isn't just for show. Cortisol gears our body up for that fight or flight response, and a side effect of this is a nudge towards those comforting, often sugary or fatty, foods. It's a quick energy solution for our ancestors who might've needed to flee from danger. But in today’s world, it often means an unnecessary sugar binge.

But cortisol isn’t the only one stirring the pot. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a hormone that's cranked up during stress, is notorious for driving those carb cravings. This combo of cortisol and NPY can make that donut or pasta dish seem almost irresistible.

Here's the curveball, though: regularly giving in to these sugar or carb-heavy cravings leads to frequent spikes in blood sugar. Our body responds with surges of insulin to manage these spikes. Over time, if this pattern persists, it can set the stage for insulin resistance, where our cells get a bit sluggish in responding to insulin. This can lead to more sugar cravings and stubborn body fat.

So, what's the takeaway?

Recognizing the connection between stress, our cravings, and the potential long-term impacts is the first step. Instead of reaching for those comfort snacks, we can equip ourselves with stress-management tools like mindfulness practices, regular exercise, or just a good ol' chat with a friend. And when we do snack, opting for balanced choices can make all the difference. Remember that stress is highly individualized and one of the best ways to manage stress, is to shift your perception of it, and work on your mindset rather than try to avoid it. Avoiding stress often leads to more food related behavior.

Sleep and food cravings

Let’s face it, life can get busy, and sometimes sleep takes a backseat to work, family, and social life. But missing out on those precious hours of rest has a surprisingly direct impact on our eating habits and waistlines. There’s a fascinating, yet complex relationship between how much we sleep and how much we eat, and it’s not just because we have extra waking hours to raid the fridge!

When we miss out on sleep, our bodies release more ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger, and decrease leptin, which tells us when we’re full. This hormonal shift explains why after a night of poor sleep, we might find ourselves reaching for sugary or high-fat foods – our body is literally encouraging us to do so. Researchers have noted that people tend to consume an additional 300-500 calories per day when they are sleep-deprived. A study from the University of Chicago even found that participants chose snacks with double the fat content when they were operating on insufficient sleep.

These extra calories aren’t just a result of being awake for longer. The increased ghrelin levels actively push us toward consuming more, while the decreased leptin ensures we don’t feel satisfied as quickly. The consequences of this aren’t just a single day of overeating. Regularly neglecting sleep can lead to a cycle of unhealthy eating habits, potential weight gain, and the health issues that come along with it - especially considering we don’t typically burn off these additional calories with increased activity, thanks to the fatigue that accompanies poor sleep.

In appreciating this link between our sleep and our eating habits, we spotlight the importance of sufficient rest. Good sleep doesn’t just leave us feeling refreshed – it arms us with the hormonal balance needed to make mindful, healthy food choices.

Skipping meals and binge eating episodes

Navigating through our bustling lives, sometimes meals get skipped, whether it’s a rushed morning without breakfast or a day of back-to-back meetings sans lunch. But what might seem like a harmless, time-saving, calorie saving choice can send us on an unexpected binge-eating episode later on.

The relationship between meal skipping and subsequent overeating is deeply rooted in our hormonal responses to skipped meals and has implications far beyond just feeling overly hungry.

When we skip meals, our body isn’t simply quiet and patient about it. The absence of expected fuel prompts an increase in ghrelin (that hungry hormone making your stomach growl) and a drop in our blood sugar levels. This not only sparks feelings of hunger but can also make us a bit irritable and zapped of energy, commonly noted as being “hangry.”

And here's the kicker: when we finally do eat after skipping a meal, our bodies are primed to overcompensate. The elevated ghrelin levels drive intense hunger, encouraging us to reach for larger portions and preferentially select high-calorie, often sugary, foods. This isn’t merely lack of willpower - our hormonal signals are actively steering our choices following that period of fasting.

Then enters leptin, the hormone that tells us when we’re full. After a binge, high levels of leptin are released, which might make you think you'll stay full for a longer period afterward. However, regular episodes of overeating can lead to leptin resistance, where the body stops responding to these satiety signals effectively. This means you might find yourself feeling hungry again sooner than you should, perpetuating a cycle of skipping meals and binge eating.

In acknowledging the interplay between meal-skipping and binge eating, it becomes clear that maintaining a regular eating schedule is crucial, not just for managing our hunger but also for supporting our metabolic health and emotional wellbeing. Consistently fueling our body helps to keep those hunger and satiety hormones in check, promoting balanced eating habits and safeguarding against the disruptive binge-eating cycle.

How to Crack the Cravings

Cravings, those strong, sometimes unrelenting desires for specific foods, are so much more complex than what I used to believe was a legitimate nutrient deficiency. Our habits, memories, and self-affirmed beliefs play a powerful role. At times, they seem to swoop in out of nowhere, driving us towards the cookie jar or compelling us to make a late-night ice cream run. But when we dig a little deeper into the cravings its often more than just a simple yearning for something sweet or salty.

A lot of our cravings can be traced back to habits and routines. Imagine: you’ve snacked on chips while watching evening TV for a week. Suddenly, your brain begins to link the two – evening relaxation equals snack time. This isn’t so much a true physical hunger, but rather a habit that’s been formed, creating a pseudo-craving that could easily be interpreted as a genuine need for food. These habitual cravings can stealthily weave themselves into our routines, often going unnoticed as they shape our eating patterns. I know for myself every time I get in my truck I get a craving for Starbucks!

Nostalgia also plays a poignant role in our cravings. The smells and tastes of certain foods can whisk us back to specific moments, evoking emotions and memories tethered to past experiences. A specific dish might remind you of cozy family dinners or a particular holiday treat might transport you back to festive childhood times. Here, the craving isn’t purely about the food itself, but rather seeking a connection to a comfort.

And then, there’s the power of belief. Ever caught yourself saying, “I always need something sweet after dinner,” “I need some wine to destress” or “I can’t start my day without coffee”? These affirmations, when repeated, can shape our reality and manufacture cravings where there might not naturally be one. By consistently linking a particular food or drink to a specific scenario or feeling, we embed this connection into our mindset, turning a mere belief into a tangible, felt craving.

Navigating through the landscape of cravings with this understanding allows us to differentiate between genuine hunger and these nuanced, emotionally, and mentally-driven desires for certain foods. Identifying whether it’s habit, nostalgia, or belief fueling our cravings empowers us to make mindful choices, breaking free from unintentional eating patterns and fostering a balanced, intentional relationship with our eating habits.

Now while I have covered a lot of reasons for cravings aside from deficiencies here are a few food related cravings that may actually indicate that your body is asking for a specific or key micronutrient its missing or low on: Iron Deficiency Cravings: Ice, red meat, or even dirt (a condition known as pica)

Magnesium Deficiency

Cravings: Chocolate, nuts, seeds, or legumes

Calcium Deficiency

Cravings: Cheese, milk, or other dairy products

Zinc Deficiency

Cravings: Oysters, red meat, or poultry

Vitamin C Deficiency

Cravings: Citrus fruits, strawberries, or bell peppers

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency

Cravings: Fatty fish, flaxseeds, or walnuts

Sodium Deficiency

Cravings: Salty foods like chips or pretzels

Potassium Deficiency

Cravings: Bananas, oranges, or potatoes

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Cravings: Meat, eggs, or dairy products

Vitamin A Deficiency

Cravings: Foods with a bright orange hue, like sweet potatoes, carrots, or cantaloupe

Remember, while cravings can sometimes be linked to nutrient deficiencies, they are not a surefire indicator of them. Other factors, such as habits, emotions, and environmental triggers, can also significantly influence cravings.

Emotional hunger vs true hunger

Hunger comes in various disguises, sometimes masked by emotions and other times presenting as a true need for food. The duality of emotional hunger versus true, physical hunger forms is fascinating and plays an important role in developing a healthy relationship with food. Lets take a deeper look at them!

Emotional hunger often sweeps in abruptly, urging us towards specific comfort foods – think chocolate during stress or ice cream post-breakup. It tends to crave instant gratification and is usually tethered to a desire to soothe or mute negative emotions like sadness, loneliness, or anxiety.

Emotional eating doesn’t necessarily consider what the body needs nutritionally; it seeks the ephemeral solace that certain foods can provide. It's that pull towards the fridge when your heart is heavy, even if your stomach isn't grumbling. Moreover, emotional hunger may not be satiated even when you're physically full, leading to overeating yet still feeling unsatisfied.

Contrastingly, true hunger emerges gradually and is impartial to the type of food consumed. It’s a physiological demand for nutrients, signaling through a growling stomach, energy dip, or perhaps a light-headed feeling. True hunger gently nudges you to acknowledge your body's needs and will likely feel satiated once those needs are met. It’s rooted in a biological necessity rather than an emotional response and doesn’t make urgent, specific demands for comfort foods.

Recognizing emotional hunger enables us to find alternative coping mechanisms, like talking to a friend, journaling, or practicing mindfulness, instead of having another snack attack. Similarly, honoring true hunger involves a regular eating schedule and spending time truly listen to your body and untangling yourself from your thoughts, and emotions that can drive your food related behaviour.

Perception of self and food punishing behaviour

Negative self-talk and eating behaviors can create a challenging cycle that impacts our relationship with food and self-image. When critical inner dialogues like, “I shouldn’t have eaten that,” or “I’ve ruined my diet,” dominate our thoughts, they can directly influence our actions, often leading to patterns like binge eating or avoiding food.

In one scenario, harsh self-judgments might drive someone toward overeating as a form of temporary emotional relief. In another, the self-talk might lead to avoiding food as a method of exerting control or self-punishment. Both patterns underscore how our internal narratives can establish and reinforce unhealthy eating behaviors, making it crucial to address and modify the way we talk to and about ourselves.

Addressing these patterns involves developing a mindful, compassionate approach to eating and self-perception. Implementing mindful eating strategies, which focus on experiencing and enjoying food without judgment, can help break the cycle of negative self-talk and disordered eating. Instead of labeling foods or eating behaviors as “good” or “bad,” mindful eating encourages a non-judgmental awareness of physical hunger and fullness cues, as well as the emotions that may be intertwined with eating.

In moving towards healthier self-talk and mindful eating, we create a pathway towards a balanced and positive relationship with food and our self-image. Taking steps to interrupt negative thought patterns and engage in mindful, intentional eating is a valuable approach to fostering mental and physical well-being.

Let’s talk about some of the mistakes you might be making that make it more difficult to break the cycle of binge eating ❌ negative self talk ❌ not managing stress

❌ Not getting enough sleep ❌ labelleing foods as good or bad

❌ using exercise was punishment for calories consumed

❌ using food was a reward system for good behavoiur

❌ being hyper focused on "clean" "healthy" food

❌ negative self talk especially towards your physical body

If you are currently doing 1 or more of these things, you need to isolate each one of them and work towards breaking that pattern for yourself. We can do that through a model I use with my clients -

The values of food

The values of food help us to build up a healthy relationship with the food that is going into our bodies - food, not just as fuel, but everything it means and brings into our lives.

From its nutritional side to the emotional and social aspects, food has a lot to offer. Let’s break it down!

1. Calories

- Simply: Energy for our bodies

- Not the enemy; it’s about balance and needs

2. Macros: Carbs, Proteins, Fats

- Carbs = Energy

- Proteins = Repair

- Fats = Nutrient absorption + more energy

3. Micronutrients: Vitamins & Minerals

- Support overall health and body functions

- Think colorful veggies and fruits

4. Social Aspect

- Meals bring people together

- Creates bonds and shared memories

5. Fun and Pleasure

- Eating should be joyful and tasty

- Exploring flavors and enjoying meals matter

6. Cultural Significance

- Dishes and ingredients tell cultural stories

- Exploring and respecting culinary traditions

7. Expressing Love

- Cooking for someone = A universal love language

- Shared meals can mean shared love and care

8. Community Involvement

- Supports local markets and farmers

- Engages and connects community members

Food offers so much more than just nutrients. It's a tool for connection, an expression of love, and a vital part of our cultural and community experiences. It’s about learning to appreciate not just the flavors but the wider impact of food in our lives!

How I overcame binge eating

✅I learned about food, and practiced flexible dieting

✅I focused on exercise I enjoyed

✅I learned how to value food

✅I stopped trying to make my diet perfect

✅I focused on supporting my body instead of punishing it

If you’re struggling with binge eating, let go of the idea of a ‘perfect’ diet, and instead embracing a more compassionate, supportive approach to feeding your body. Its going to take some exploration, honesty and probably some outside help. You can’t read the label from inside the bottle!

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