Emotional Eating Hard for Women

Just attended a great meetup.com
that had about 10 women sharing their struggles with
eating emotionally.

The biggest struggle?

Using food as comfort when we're mad, sad, or
even when we're glad!

Why are we using food to comfort ourselves?

I know that I eat when I'm both very happy,
(celebrating with a Mrs Field's chocolate chip
cookie is the cat's pajamas!) or if I'm feeling
down in the dumps (usually when I'm tired).

My thinking is that using food is handy, quick,
easy, and makes us feel good temporarily. But in
reality, we're just in denial or afraid to look
at the root cause of why we're using food in
the first place!

As I've said before, I think that if we have
a strong, loving, support system that we're
not so tempted to turn to food. When we can
pick up the phone to pour our hearts out to
someone who we know really cares...the bowl
of ice cream doesn't seem as satisfying.

The trick is to establish strong relationships.
Emails, texting, just doesn't cut it. A live
hug can never replace even the most heart
warming email message. The average number of
hugs the Americans receive is about 2 a day.
In happy, peaceful cultures the a average hug
is about 25-50 a day!

So say good by to using food as your comfort
and say hello to more hugs!

Great health always!
Dr. Judy

Live Longer, Live Happier

I've always loved to study other cultures.
It's fascinating to me how so many cultures
that are considered third world, or developing
are actually much healthier and happier than
we are.

Denmark was recently voted as the population with
the happiest people in the world! Who would ever
have guessed Denmark? Not me.

In the United States. we're very much into looking
great, having the latest and greatest toy, house,
clothes, and of course looking like we're twenty
something and gorgeous.

But Americans are not too much into talking
about their emotional health. We'd rather take
a pill for that.

We're becoming a nation of isolated house sitters.
We sit in our house watching the mindless box,
eating garbage food, or sitting in front of
the computer screen talking to people we don't
hardly know.

In many other cultures, not all, (only because
they want to be more like us) they visit with
each other more. Talk more face to face. Spend
time with each other.

Loneliness is a HUGE issue in this country.
And this leads to diseases since there develops
a feeling of 'why bother, no body cares about
me?'

It's been proven that other cultures that are
'poor' by our standards who are highly involved
in one another are happier AND healthier!

It's not about owning stuff!
It's not about looking good!

It's all about feeling good enough that you can
reach out to another human being.

Some ways for combating loneliness:
* own a pet - pet parks are great to meet others
* join groups that do fun stuff
www.meetup.com is excellent for this
* go to lunch each week with a co-worker

We are living longer but not happier.

Let's change that!

I for one am going kayaking
this week to meet some more people.

Great health always!
Dr. Judy