Feeling or Feeding Your Feelings? Part 3

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Today I’m sharing a simple formula to help balance cravings. I’ve used it successfully more times over the years than I can count. Myself. With clients. With family.

Yes, there’s been a bit of a delay getting back to you with Part 3. A combination of seeing if I could locate this great little reference book that’s out of print. Plus work and life in this world that’s rapidly changing due to the coronavirus.

A world that’s testing the emotional wellbeing of so many. Making this three part series potentially more relevant today than it was when I started it? You can be the judge of that.

Now, if this is the first time you’re reading the blog, you’ll find the background to this 3-part-post in Part 1 and Part 2.

Balancing what you eat

We all know we’re supposed to eat a balanced diet. So how do you do that? What does a balanced diet look like?

Apart from covering all the food groups, it’s about getting a balance of flavours and colours too.  Ideally over a three day period.

This Summary Chart of Emotions, Flavours and Foods categorises common foods into five groups following the system outlined in the book I mentioned last time.

When you look at the list, you’ll probably see common-sense kicks in most of the time. For example, having pasta one night and rice the next is already moving between 2 categories.

Craving Be Gone

Think about that craving for a moment. It most often has an emotion, a taste, or both, linked to it. Yep. The chocolate bar. The salty chips. Even the fresh green salad. Or late night snack.

My simple ‘go to’ for kicking that unhealthy craving is the Summary Chart.

But before that, it relies on stopping for a moment and taking a breath – before any more food passes those lips. A moment to feel in charge.

Then, with Summary Chart in hand:

1. Find what you’re craving, or can’t stop eating. Identify the category, I – V. It may be a food. It could just be a flavour. It could be a combination, so work it out as best you can for you. For example, is it chocolate (category II)  or sugar (category III) you’re really craving?
2. When you know the category, go to the ‘managing cravings’ table below. This will show you the categories of foods to mainly eat from, to balance the craving.
3. Go back to the Summary Chart and identify what foods to eat to restore the balance.
4. Follow the plan for at least three days.

The formula

So, you’ve worked out what category the food you’re craving comes from. This table shows how to eat from all the five food categories for balance, whilst banishing the craving.

Let’s use the example of sugar (category III).

• 45% of foods need to be category I
• 40% of foods need to be category V
• 5% from each of category II, III, IV

So, pick the foods you like. They’re likely to be things you know you enjoy, but have no inclination to eat right now. Because they won’t satisfy that craving. Get the picture?

Table:    Managing Cravings and Food Excesses

Use in conjunction with the Summary Chart – Emotions-Flavours-Foods

More often than not, I find the foods I simply don’t want to eat are the ones that will help get my health and balance back.

I follow the plan. I start to eat them. The craving goes and balance is restored within a few meals or days.

It works the same way if you just find you’re eating too much of anything. Even vegetables. Yep. Seem to only be eating broccoli and carrot? Or bread? With lots of butter?

So there are lots of ways to use this information.

Emotions and Flavours

The last thing to revisit here is emotions and the flavours they relate to. The most obvious is that we tend to crave sweet foods when we’re feeling a bit sad and sorry for ourselves. Where the emotion is sympathy.

The other emotions are widely understood. Maybe not the flavours associated with them. And that’s OK. This isn’t the way we normally think about emotions and food. Not that we’re aware of anyway.

Keeping an Open Mind

Not sure if this works? Sure. I get it. All I’d say is why not give it a go and see for yourself?

It’s easy to overthink things because they’re a bit different.

If you’re looking for the science, know that this comes from principles thousands of years old. And from my studies in Complementary Medicine. Not some fad.

And if you want to know more, let me know.

Stay safe. Be well.

Anne

Reference: ‘The Five Phases of Food: How to Begin’ by John W Garvy