I can’t believe I did it. But it’s true. After returning home after leaving the hospital due to a blood clot in my right coronary artery(in 2014), I got a big piece of cake from the grocery store and ate it!

I should have been thinking about changing up my eating habits. After all, I could have died. Or maybe I should have fell to the floor and continued to thank God for the second chance I been given. 

Maybe I should have done both. But instead I ran to my friend…FOOD! 

My friend rarely disappoints! 

My friend brings me comfort! 

My friend provides a great release of dopamine. 

But my friend has a dark side. My friend named FOOD never says “No” to me. Not even after having a blood clot in my heart. 

Emotional eating is interesting. Turning to FOOD is interesting. I’m still trying to figure a few things out. Can you relate? 

It’s natural to turn to food. We need it. It’s okay to enjoy moments with FOOD! It brings people together. But far too often we turn to it all the time. 

Are you an emotional eater? Do you turn to food even though you know that what you’re about to do is going to set you back? Has food become like an escape for you? It can happen so easily. 

How might we be able to break this habit which can cause a lot of damage? 

I’m not an expert, but I have a couple of thoughts. 

1. We need to reward ourselves differently than merely with food. Maybe new clothes, pedicure, a concert, or a movie,  or a simple “excellent job” when we accomplish something. 

2. When you feel that pull to food take a step back and see what is pushing you to this action. Are you angry? Are you tired? Are you in a hurried state? Identify what it is and pause for a bit to relax. Drink some water. You may be just thirsty.

3. Don’t allow yourself to potentially fall into the emotional trap. Keep certain foods out of your house. Drive a different route home instead of driving on the street that has that restaurant you can’t  seem to resist. 

4. Ask yourself, “Am I really rewarding myself ?” We can reward ourselves after a long day by eating something that’s going to knock us out the rest of the night. But is that really a reward? Is it  preparing us for the next day? And do we really need this “REWARD?” 

I think asking questions is key. Look at yourself as you go into your emotional mode. Seek to identify those triggers. Maybe there’s a bigger issue that’s at play. 

I’m thankful that I have survived my blood clot. I’m thankful that I have my eating under better control. I’m still under construction. 

Maybe you are too! Hang in there. Don’t quit.