Conquer Negative Comfort Eating

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_Downie]James Downie
Eating to comfort ourselves often come to us, this is something very normal. Often when we feel stressed, bored or lonely or we just want to cheer ourselves up. Most do it without even being totally aware of it. That temptation to have that extra helping because we've enjoyed the first one so much and taking an extra serving will make us feel better is the main reason why we over eat. However, every time we comfort ourselves with food, we consume lots of extra calories - when we're not even really hungry at all.
Hard Habits to break
We may not realize it, but comfort eating is something that we picked up from the time we were kids.
When we were babies, we cried and our mothers comforted us with their milk. As we grew older we were given treats for comfort or when we hurt ourselves, or when we achieve something great. Thus, we associate food as something that can cheer us up or something that has to be present when we want to celebrate. But, unfortunately for many of us, these comfort eating lessons often come back later in life and cause weight challenges.
To conquer comfort eating we need to change our relationship with food. The main purpose of food is to nourish out bodies, and that's it. Fuel. When we start to think about what food is, and what it contributes to our lives, we start to develop a healthier, more aligned relationship with food. The next time you feel down and want to dive in to that large serving of ice cream, take these simple alternative steps instead:

Take some time out to pamper yourself with a long comforting bath, a facial, massage or manicure.
Do something nice for someone else who needs the cheering up more than you do. It makes them feel good and helps you forget about your problems for a little while. You also feel better knowing you have helped out a friend in need.
Visit or have a quick phone chat with a friend. Go for a walk in the fresh air or visit some nice place.
Get off your bed or couch and exercise. Exercise takes our mind off things and when we work out our body releases endorphins, the natural feel good hormone.
Don't suppress your feelings. Cry, and let it all out. You will feel finality when you have let your emotions out. Your head will clear afterward.
Fill your ears with happy music. Dance like crazy if you want.

Food is our body's friend. But as we associate it with other things in life, in the end, we over eat and food suddenly becomes something to struggle with. By channeling our emotions properly, we can deal with the different up and downs of life without having to eat our way out of the situation.
Triumph over [http://www.thebestcleanse.com]comfort eating and make food your partner to nourish your body. To get helpful tips on how you can develop a better relationship with food, simply go to my site, http://jamesdowniewellness.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Conquer-Negative-Comfort-Eating&id=6668546] Conquer Negative Comfort Eating