Healthy minds help produce healthy bodies

February 21 through 27 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and it is no surprise to me that this week comes so close to the beginning of the New Year.

Many Americans make New Year’s resolutions that involve dieting and working out in order to lose weight and become more physically fit.

There are plenty of published studies linking healthy eating and physical activity to overall increases in both physical and mental health, so why is it so hard to stay on track?

Mental health professionals have studied “diet culture” for several years and have found that restrictive diets and focusing solely on your weight on a scale often leads to increased emotional distress and shame. This often results in significant weight fluctuations and a lifelong battle with food.

So what is a person supposed to do?

My advice is to start focusing on mindful or attuned eating. To practice mindful eating, you need to bring conscious awareness to your choices. Consider your intention and ask yourself if you are eating because of an emotional need or to bring nourishment to your body.

Journaling can be a good way to ask yourself questions as they relate to your choices. The following are helpful ways to use food journaling that don’t involve counting calories or restricting your choices:

• How hungry was I before eating on a scale of 1-10?

• What was my emotional state?

• How fast did I eat?

• Did I enjoy my food?

• What did I do well at this meal and what might I like to do differently next time?

• How did I feel 30 minutes after I ate, and was I satisfied with my meal?

Paying attention to your emotional needs can help increase your ability and desire to make healthy choices.

Self-esteem and self-worth also play a vital role in how you treat yourself. Mental health therapy can help people identify and change troubling thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Therapy can be provided in one-on-one sessions, group settings and online.