1. Practice being present in day-to-day life. Make a conscious decision to check in with yourself on an emotional level and ask yourself how you are feeling. This brings light to feelings and allows them to be acknowledged rather than pushed down by food or behaviours.
2. Practice mindful eating — become aware of the taste and texture of each bite of food and engage fully in the moment.
3. Before engaging in snacking outside of mealtimes practise HALT. Ask yourself — am I hungry, angry, lonely or tired? If you notice that you are not physically hungry, distract yourself with a different activity until the craving or urge passes.
4. Make a list of things to do when you get the urge to eat and you’re not hungry, and carry it with you. When you feel overwhelmed, put off that desire by doing another enjoyable activity.
5. If food addiction makes you think about eating all day, take small meals more often and make them heavy on protein with fat to impact satiety receptors. Carbs do not affect satiety and tend to make you stop only when
you become bloated. A balanced diet will keep blood glucose level and help with serotonin.
6. Seek professional advice on nutrients, proteins and supplements — when your biochemistry is stressed, supplements in the form of amino acids, vitamins and mineral cofactors can help the brain stay on task, largely via neurotransmitter paths: dopamine, GABA receptors and serotonin.
7. Food sensitivities can also be related to food addiction as we often crave the foods we are sensitive to because we’ve grown used to the abnormal biochemical state those foods produce. Look for healthy alternatives
when you have the urge to eat, especially when you are not hungry.
8. Try taking a walk, calling a friend, playing cards, cleaning your room, doing laundry, or something productive to take your mind off the craving. Even a nap can help.
9. Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you’re feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between mood and food.
