A Simple But Powerful Trick to Stop Emotional Eating

I cry-eat more often than I want to admit. Stressful day at work? Chinese takeout it is! Fight with the boyfriend? Yes, I'll have a second maragarita! I'm not alone in this. Many nutritionists say weight issues and food cravings are less about physical happenings in the body and are closely tied to our emotional state. But life isn't pretty all of the time, so the challenge becomes how to not turn to food when things get out of whack. Beyond practicing mindful eating as much as possible, Nikki Sharp, wellness coach and author of the 5-Day Real Food Detox, recommends that her clients give themselves a detox — of the emotional kind.

By pinpointing the reasons you're upset, Nikki says that you can find a better way to deal with the anger that doesn't have to involve turning to food. One of her go-to methods is a cleansing ritual of sorts. Focus on what's bothering you and find a symbolic way to release it. "Write a letter and tear it up, throw a stone into the water, or visualize its dissipation into the air." The point of the exercise is to allow you time to reflect on the feeling and then let go of it. While it might sound a little on the new-agey side of things, Nikki says this simple act can be a "powerful way to free yourself emotionally," advice that can be used well beyond the dinner table.