67. Why Emotional Triggers Cause Cravings in Midlife and How to Stop Emotional Eating

 Help yourself to a free guide from Kim:  10 Daily Tips to Stop Stress Eating. Welcome to Episode 67 of the Emotional Eats Podcast!  In this episode, I help you explore the relationship between criticism and emotional eating. I share a personal story about recent travel stress and how it triggered old patterns of seeking comfort in food. This experience highlights how easily even I, as a health coach, can fall back into using food to cope with difficult emotions and stressful situations.    I share the profound impact criticism can have on your mental and physical well-being, especially when it triggers memories of past experiences. Whether the criticism comes from others or our own inner voice, your brain processes it as a threat, activating your stress response system. This can lead to a range of issues, including memory problems, weight gain, digestive issues, and sleep disturbances.   The link between criticism and emotional eating is strong. Stress hormones like cortisol increase our appetite, particularly for high-calorie comfort foods. At the same time, harsh criticism can damage your self-esteem, fueling a vicious cycle of emotional eating, self-criticism and shame.   To break this cycle, I offer six effective strategies.  Make sure to listen in to hear the details and how to implement them.   Remember, you deserve kindness and respect, both from others and yourself. By recognizing the harmful effects of constant criticism and implementing these steps, you can protect your well-being and create a more positive, nurturing environment for your mind and body.   If you're struggling with emotional eating in midlife, know that you're not alone. Our bodies and metabolism change, making it even more challenging to maintain a healthy relationship with food. I'm here to help you uncover the root causes of emotional eating and develop a strong, confident mindset and body.   Don't forget to share this episode with someone who might benefit, subscribe to the podcast, and reach out to me. Let's continue this important conversation and support each other in nourishing our entire lives.   Highlights: Coping with criticism and anxiety through food choices. (0:00) Coping with criticism and negative emotions through mindfulness and self-awareness. (4:00) How criticism affects mental and physical health. (7:29) Coping with criticism using self-compassion and tapping. (14:56) Challenging your inner critic, setting boundaries, seeking support for emotional eating. (19:59) Managing emotional eating and developing healthier coping strategies. (24:58)   I referenced Episode 61 in the episode.  Click here to listen to 10 Ways to Calm Your Midlife System   Note:  The information in this podcast is not to replace working with your doctor, other medical practitioner or mental health practitioner.  This podcast is to provide conversation, information and entertainment. My favorite evening drink (or dessert) is Organifi Gold Chocolate.  It is like a "healthy dark hot chocolate".  With reishi mushrooms and lemon balm extract for calming and relaxing, it's perfect in the afternoon or evening.  Gold  also has superfoods like tumeric and ginger.  It's nonGMO, vegan and organic. You can check out all of Organifi's healthy products at https://www.organifishop.com/  and make sure to use the code:  KIMH   for 20% off. TT & IG: @kimhynesmidlife