5 things you can do today to honor your feelings without food and Boosted Golden Milk Chia Pudding
Food is inherently emotional and that's not a "bad" thing! But if it's your only coping mechanism...
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5 things you can do today to…
This can be really challenging to do. Food is inherently emotional. Food is love. Food is security. Food is happiness. And these are not “bad” things.
Emotional eating is a very normal human experience.
We eat for many reasons. Sometimes we eat out of boredom, because we’re anxious, stressed or depressed even—the list goes on. But what happens when we use food as our only means for coping with our emotions?
Overeating, binge eating, digestive distress, and high blood pressure are just a few of the researched outcomes and concerns raised by using food as the only coping mechanism.
Can you relate to this? Do you use food as a coping mechanism?
Here are 5 things you can do today to honor your feelings without food:
Ask yourself…
Where does your hunger come from? Are you head hungry or body hungry? Did you just receive some stressful news (head hungry) or has it been a while since your last meal or snack (body hungry)?
If you’re not physically hungry (body hungry), what’s your dominant emotion? What’s driving your hunger? Is this a common emotion you experience?
What would help you cope with that emotion besides food or eating? Are you really tired? Do you need a break from work?
Have your basic emotional needs been met? If not, what do you really need?
If you struggle with emotional eating, consider finding outside support. There are counselors and registered dietitians who support Intuitive Eating therapies and specialize in just this subject—emotional eating. PSA: Seeking help doesn’t mean something is “wrong” with you.
Considering these questions and taking the next step could be the key to unlocking your optimal health and happiness.
I recently partnered with NOW Foods, a health food, vitamin, and supplement brand to bring you an exciting new recipe... Check it out! It packs MEGA FLAVOR and so many health benefits from the NOW® Liquid Turmeric Extract and ground turmeric to the chia seeds.
Boosted Golden Milk Chia Seed Pudding
This recipe combines two of my favorite things—the warming spices found in golden milk and the silky-smooth texture of chia pudding. There are two different forms of turmeric in this recipe (extract and ground) that provide powerful free radical scavenging benefits.* Enjoy this subtly sweet and nourishing pudding at breakfast or in the afternoon as a healthy snack.
4-5 (8 oz) servings
1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened light coconut milk
1/2 cup NOW Real Food® Organic Chia Seeds
6 dropperfuls (about 3 teaspoons) NOW® Liquid Turmeric Extract
3 tablespoons NOW Real Food® Organic Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
1/4 cup NOW Real Food® Organic Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
In a large mixing bowl, add both cans of coconut milk and whisk until the liquid and solids are fully combined. Add the chia seeds, turmeric extract, maple syrup, vanilla, ground turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth. Let the chia pudding sit at room temperature untouched for 5-10 minutes and then whisk again, eliminating any clumps.
Divide the chia pudding into 8 oz. containers (I like to use glass jars with screw-on lids) and top each with a scant tablespoon of shredded coconut. Cover each with airtight lids and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for the best consistency.
Store the chia pudding in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.