Just the other day I read a very interesting story in Yoga Journal about how yoga can help to transform unhealthy eating habits. I must share the highlights of this article.
One womens 15 year struggle with bulimia landed her in an eating disorder clinic at the age of 30. There she discovered yoga. "I recognized that for the entire class I didnt think about how many calories Id eaten. To go into an environment where I could shut off those thoughts was just incredible," she says.
Yoga has changed her life and her relationship with food; she hasnt been bulimic for six years.
In fact many eating disorder programs nation wide are incorporating yoga and mindful meditation into therapy curriculum. According to the National Eating Disorders Association two million Americans have eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. A Harvard survey found that binge eating effects 3 per cent of the adult population. On any given day nearly 45 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men are on a diet, yet nearly one-third of Americans are obese. Some of us eat because were bored or for comfort, but not because were hungry.
Many people with eating disorders look to yoga for help. "Yoga addresses the mind, where the anxiety and compulsions are, and the body that is the focus of the anxiety and compulsion," Says clinical psychologist and registered yoga teacher Lisa Kaley-Isley.
A 2005 study by a researcher at the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, found that that women who practiced yoga felt better about their bodies, had a better sense of what their bodies where feeling, and had healthier attitudes toward food than women who did aerobics or ran. Another study in 2006 of 45 fifth grade girls found that after a 10-week program that included discussion, yoga, and relaxation, the girls were more satisfied with there bodies and less driven to be unhealthily skinny.
Yoga participants are asked to pay attention to their breath meditatively. Concentrating on breathing, connecting, balancing and letting go allows anxious and chaotic thoughts to slow down. When it comes to using yoga principals while eating, Yoga Journal shares tips for eating mindfully.
BE THANKFUL: Take a moment to breathe before each meal. Think about where the food comes from, the elements of the earth that created it, and the nourishment it offers.
EAT WITH FIVE SENSES: Look at the colors and textures of the food. Smell the aroma and feel the textures in your mouth.
LOOK BEHIND THE CRAVING: Sit with the craving for a minute. Jot down the emotions and feelings you are having. Watch the craving rise and let go.
CHOOSE ACCEPTANCE: If you overeat, don’t punish yourself by starving the next day. Accept it and move on.
BE FLEXIBLE: Healthful eating is like the practice of yoga. Each day is different. Eat what nourishes you one day rather than sticking to a routine.
SOURCE: Yoga Journal