If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I always describe “Natural Eating” as it’s not about what you eat but how you eat. Today I wanted to discuss why we eat and why so many people are overweight.

In my opinion, the only reason we are overweight is because we overeat. We overeat because we are eating for the wrong reasons. The only time our body really wants food is when it’s hungry. Most people have lost the ability to tell if they are physically or emotionally hungry.

The reasons we eat other than physical nutrition are:

· Emotional reasons, that is: boredom, loneliness, anger, sadness, stress, depression or disappointment.

Keeping our emotions to ourselves instead of facing them.

Cultural traditions

· Eat when you are not hungry so as not to offend anyone.

I’ve been taught not to waste food, so eat everything that’s on your plate, even when you’ve had enough.

to reward us

· Know that we are likely to be hungry somewhere where it is not appropriate to eat, so eat beforehand even when you are not hungry.

· We’re not “allowed” on certain foods, so we end up bingeing when our willpower finally gives out.

Eating on the sly so people don’t see us eating something we “shouldn’t” eat, i.e. in the car or waiting for family members to go out.

We just ate something we didn’t really want and although physically full we are not emotionally satisfied, so let’s keep eating.

What happens in all these situations is that we end up feeling disappointed, uncomfortable and guilty because our body doesn’t want food, it wants something else.

Our body gives us signals all the time, but unfortunately many of us have used food to deal with them. We often need rest, sleep, stimulation, love, fresh air, or hydration, but we seek food out of habit.

There are many tips and strategies for politely refusing if we are not hungry or have had enough. The two key things in all of this are being aware of what your body is telling you and then being prepared.

When I show someone how to eat naturally, I am showing them how to reconnect with their body’s natural instincts of hunger and satisfaction. This allows them to eat only when they are physically hungry and to find other positive things that empower them to satisfy emotional hunger.