At first glance, food seems a perfect antidote. The comfort and richness it offers seems to restore a sense of well-being. Food appears to nourish your need for love, and oppose the dryness of loneliness. Unfortunately, eating when lonely can be habit forming because food only temporarily calms these feelings of despair. When the food is gone, the loneliness and sadness remain. Food is not the warmth of physical touch, however it nurtures you in other ways.
Society tends to view pain, even when it's emotional, as something to get rid of or diminish. Doctors will even prescribe "pain-killers" and anti-depressants which suppress discomfort without addressing the cause of the pain. Once the effect has worn off, the discomfort returns. The same holds true with emotions like depression and loneliness; eating may relieve your discomfort, but loneliness persists after the food sedation has worn off.
Learning to love your emotions is nature's best painkiller. To love is to pay attention and to listen with tenderness, without attempting to avoid or hide from your feelings. Love isn't afraid to feel uncomfortable emotions like loneliness or depression, but rather listens openly and is willing to experience raw discomfort fully. Developing this kind of care for your own brokenness is, of course, easier said than done. It may take years for you to develop the strength to bear suffering and emotional struggle without overeating, especially if you have spent much of your life in opposition to discomfort.
Just like feelings of sadness, anger, joy, or adoration, loneliness is not forever. The sensation comes and goes. It is only when you ignore your loneliness or stuff it away with food that it persists and does not complete its cycle of coming and going. An act of hope, even in the face of loneliness and other difficult emotions, can be a more authentic source of strength than food in times of despair. Hope, like love, is a verb. It's not just a feeling, but something you do actively. Once you are solidly rooted in a practice of hope and unshakeable faith, you will find the strength to face loneliness, and fully experience its temporary nature.
Loneliness isn't always psychological. Sometimes, you will feel extra lonely and isolated when certain organs are stressed out. For example, wheat may create congestion in the chest area that masks as loneliness. Sugar can aggravate yeast and other fungal infections, that distort your emotions and thinking process. Depression may come from a slow metabolism or sluggish digestion.
Sometimes, you can literally feel where the loneliness is lodged in your body. Try to notice these physical symptoms in the face of your emotions. Is there a heaviness in the chest? Are your prone to sighing? Are your energy levels low or are you experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of indigestion? Try an invigorating practice like pranayama (breathing exercises), or revitalizing your blood with a diet high in fresh, bitter greens.
Learning to discern the difference between true hunger and emotional hunger is also essential to healing this kind of relationship with food. Ayurveda suggests to eat only when you are truly hungry, and to minimize emotional eating. There are many ways to nurture yourself without food. Going for a walk, helping a friend, and even making a small donation to charity can bring the richness, warmth and affection you are seeking back into your life.
Potential causes increase and disturb your imbalanced doshas and biocharacteristics, causing them to accumulate and spiral out of control. For example, if you're overheated and eat a chili pepper, heat may become excessive and cause disease. As a dosha or biocharacteristic accumulates in your body according to your dietary and lifestyle habits, it is more and more likely to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or biocharacteristic in two ways, by removing, or lessening the frequency of aggravating causes from your diet and lifestyle, as well as by favoring balancing diet and lifestyle practices. For example, try eating something as cool as a cucumber when you're overheated, instead of a chili pepper.
Imbalance Accumulates
Improper food and lifestyle causes balances to accumulate. Ayurveda shows you exactly which doshas and biocharacteristics are likely to accumulate in your body. Once these doshas and biocharacteristics accumulate too much, they will begin to cause imbalance. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or biocharacteristic by removing things that aggravate it from your diet and lifestyle.BIOCHARACTERISTIC | DO YOU HAVE THIS IMBALANCE? |
---|---|
KAPHA | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Kapha' dosha. |
GOOEY | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Gooey' guna. |
HEAVY | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Heavy' guna. |
OILY | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Oily' guna. |
TOXIC | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Toxic' guna. |
SWEET | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Sweet' taste. |
To learn more about the symbols above, click on them. See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
About the Author
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 6 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.