When you feed your emotions....

Don't let your moods and emotions eat...

By Poornima Ravi

Oh! I am so bored, let see what's in the fridge..This lesson is monotonous, so I am munching some Pringles for company. My favourite show is on TV today and it goes best with my favourite Pizza. I am so mad at the Hindi actress Aishwarya, I want to bite her like this murukku.I miss my friend Dulika after she moved, these cream buns remind me of our childhood days.

If you identify with any of these thought patterns, you are likely to be an Emotional Eater. This is when you feed your thoughts and moods rather than a good appetite. Many over-weight or obese people eat though they're not hungry or are under some form of stress.

So whether you follow diets or work out religiously, you have not figured the root cause: being subject to emotions. That's why your mood determines the food you eat.

When you are hungry, you are not particular about the type of food and will be level headed enough to make a healthy choice; whereas, in emotional eating, you will want a chocolate pastry right now and nothing else will suffice.

Next time be aware of your emotion creeping up on your tummy. Ask yourself, "Am I really hungry right now?"

Take up an activity or sport, or simply do some mild exercises to lose a craving.

While cramming for exams, my elder brother chose grapes or apples to chips. Now he has a healthy and athletic build. What we eat at a younger age will take us a long way while hitting the 50s and 60s.

Affirm "my body is a healthy temple". Affirmations can work miraculously as we constantly attract our thoughts. If you treat your body like a garbage can; only junk food will be thrown in, which also influences behavioural patterns like lethargy and irritability. Learn to respect and love your body, so that only the best offerings enter the abode.

If you stressed out, hit the beach to calm you down. My best are pillows that alternate as punching bags to get it all out of the system, especially when I am angry with someone or frustrated when things don't work my way. Then comes my favourite part, I bless them.

Now you know the secret of dealing with emotion and food, so starting working on the curvaceous figure you always wanted!