The Foods That Feed Our Emotions

In my previous blog, “Cravings: A Call to Feed the Emotion,” I promised to share with you which cravings feed which emotions. This is an important part of healing.  To stop feeding the emotion, we must understand how it is being fed; and food is the key.   

First, let me say that emotions are important to our human-ness. Emotions allow us to laugh and cry, to show excitement and fear, anger and sadness.  Emotions help us feel our thoughts, express our feelings and share our uniqueness. Without emotions, life would be pretty boring. Emotions, however, should not define our lives or rule who are.  

Its healthy to get angry when we are feeling hurt or abused; what is not healthy is when anger turns into resentment.  It is healthy to be afraid when we need to move away from something; it is unhealthy to live in fear. It is okay to be disappointed when something does not work out; it is unhealthy to become a disappointment.  Our bodies are designed to handle all of these unique feelings, moments at a time.

When do emotions cross the line? When we choose to live in the emotion instead of choosing to move through the emotion.  When we live in an emotion, it becomes a repetitive pattern. Eventually, through repetition, this energy finds a place to call home within our bodies.  The longer we live in the emotion, the deeper this energy digs itself into this comfortable new home and eventually, we become the emotion, unable to remember who we are without it.  The emotion has now become us, otherwise known as “I feel stuck,” words I often hear from my clients. 

For the emotion to stay comfortable in its hiding place, it must be fed, a job we easily become proficient at doing. Knowing what foods feed which emotions can help us choose differently. This is the starting point of taking our power back from the emotion. Let’s look at the foods that feed the emotions.

Disappointments are fed with caffeine, chocolate, white sugars, refined carbs and extra salty foods.  I know, I know, how can you live without caffeine?  Quite nicely I assure you!

Frustrations and angers are fed with artificial ingredients (read labels), city and purified waters and white sugars.  Yes, all that junk food has to go!

Nervousness is fed with caffeine, chocolate, oranges and O.J. and other acidic foods that may cause distress to the stomach.  Nervousness often turns into anxiety and anxiety is fed with stimulants.  Not a good idea for this personality type.

Fears and worries are fed with fried food, hydrogenated oils, pork and cow cheese. 

The goods news is that bad oils can be replaced with good oils, which help alleviate the cravings such as extra virgin olive oil, sesame tahini, avocado and small amounts of nuts and seeds or nut and seed butters.

Resentments, bitterness and blame are attached to victim mentality and are fed with cow dairy, oranges & orange juice, white sugars and refined carbs. We don’t have to go without; instead we can replace cow dairy products with organic soy, rice, goat, sheep and almond milk products.

Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are fed with stimulants such as caffeine, chocolate, white sugars, refined carbs, loud music and stressful situations.  Replace with relaxants such as lavender, chamomile, long walks, hot baths, yoga, meditation, tai chi, gardening; anything that grounds the energy.  

When given this information, I often hear from my clients... “How can I live without my coffee! or my chocolate! or my milk!”  Quite nicely I assure them, and for an added bonus, you can begin to achieve the results you are asking for. Caffeine or bladder?  Its your call.

In my next blog, I will share with you some of the physical symptoms that are attached to these emotions.  If we learn to see how all these pieces fit together, we may be able to make a puzzle with a beautiful picture at the end. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and that light is you!