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Empty Nest?

Did your youngest just leave home? Wow, it's SUCH a perfect time to
go all-organic, exercise and finally focus on taking care of
yourself.

But...yet you might find yourself longing for comfort foods, even
misting up at that box of mac and cheese that you weren't very
interesting in before. What's going on??
 
Give yourself some time. Really. It's a major shift in your life.
Allow it to rock you for a while. The only real deadline is that it
would be nice to regain your balance before the holidays hit and
throw you off again.
 
Our emotions are inextricably connected to our food. I give myself
5 to 7 days to react food-wise to something big. If you restrict
and fight with emotional cravings following a big emotional event,
you can actually prolong the process. Eating is sometimes THE WAY
we process emotions. It's not wrong. It's just something to be
aware of.
 
One way to minimize the impact of emotional eating is to continue
to eat A LOT of vegetables and drink water in between your comfort
food. You can also try to make healthier versions of your comfort
food, with whole grains and high quality ingredients. Focus on
putting good stuff IN rather than restricting the "bad" food.
 
Your cravings will wane when your emotions wane. Allowing yourself
to feel is quickest way through, so notice if you are eating to
numb yourself.
 
Then just keep drinking water, walking, eating your greens and
nourishing yourself with the fun in your life. And maybe learning
how to text might be a way to stay in contact with your baby who
flew the nest. it's not THAT hard. Really!
 
Next month we'll talk about how to get extra-balanced before the
holidays hit, so we can ride the roller coaster and come off
unscathed!