The holidays can be especially challenging for those of us who have trouble controlling food cravings and the urge to overeat. While it’s perfectly normal to appease the rumblings in our bellies when our senses are tickled with the sights and smells of the season’s special treats, routine bingeing on foods can lead to all manner of health issues and intense feelings of guilt...

Holiday Cravings...

Why do we feel so powerless over these urges? The power behind these desires originates in our striving to maintain homeostasis (balance) – chemically, emotionally and spiritually. The dynamic phenomenon of giving and taking toward balance is what literally drives our life. Traditional Asian medicine characterizes this dynamic exchange in the principle of yin and yang which represent the balances that are created from the attraction and harmony of opposites. When we continually overeat, it signals an imbalance in this interplay that we must work toward resolving in order to stop the destructive cycle of cravings, bingeing and guilt.

Physical Cravings Physically speaking, our cravings are caused by allergies and system imbalances. According to medical estimates, 60% of Americans suffer from undiagnosed food allergies (Ann Allergy 1988, 62:261.) Food allergies, also referred to as food sensitivities, can result in digestive disturbances such as gas, belching or bloating after meals. But they can also cause symptoms not related to the digestive system including headaches (including migraine), joint pain, arthritis, hyperactivity, skin rashes, asthma, dry cough, wheezing, diarrhea, kidney damage and elevated liver enzymes. Food allergies can make us feel lethargic, sleepy, or low in energy, especially after eating. They can also be responsible for erratic mood swings and cravings. Ironically, we tend to crave foods to which we are unknowingly allergic. The problem lies not in an addiction to problem foods, but rather the endorphins—the body's opium-like pain killers – that are triggered when we eat these problem foods.

System imbalances occur when our bodies are consistently chemically unstable. This can be due to poor nutrition, dieting or illness. We all know that a well-rounded nutritious diet is essential to keeping our bodies in balance. Dieting during the holidays can be especially challenging. If we are unusually hungry due to diet restrictions, we may be setting ourselves up for failure when Aunt Sue brings out the party nuts. Illness, often caused at least in part by eating issues, can also affect our ability to control cravings. For instance, those with diabetes often crave carbohydrates.

Mental Cravings While overeating is ultimately an ineffective way to handle unpleasant feelings, we nonetheless find ourselves trying to drown our sorrows in a bag of potato chips or a batch of cookies. "Many people use food as a way to cope with the loneliness and pain they feel--in a way, the fat 'coats' their nerves and numbs the pain," says Dr. Dean Ornish, director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, CA. But as soon as the food's gone, the problems – along with a few additional pounds around our middle – return. Food has become an all-purpose pill to help us cope with life's ups and downs – the fatigue and boredom, the loneliness and anxiety, the anger and joy. When emotionally stressed, we seek comfort, calming, and even numbness. Simple sugars, fats and carbohydrates as found in bakery goods, candies, refined white bread products and alcohol, can fleetingly provide this comfort.

Spiritual Cravings On some level, most of us seek a feeling of wholeness or oneness with the cosmos. When we lack or feel isolated from that sense of completeness and inner peace we seek outer gratification where we can experience it tangibly. Becoming one with the food we eat is no substitute for inner work! Holistically speaking, regular spiritual practice of some kind is as important as eating as whole, natural foods.