Those of you who want to lie down between these two clouds and take a deep breath. I’ve opened my arms, with a picture of my name, and I’m turning to you.

We’re going through tough times. We’ll heal each other’s wounds together again. Life is hard for all of us right now. While we’re already going through difficult times, we all have our own personal challenges. I have them too. Everyone has different coping mechanisms. I’m here for those who have chosen eating as a coping mechanism.

Okay, from today onwards, the eating until you burst is over. I’m back. I feel like you’re letting go of the reins when I’m not writing to you. I have a responsibility to each and every one of you. So, calmly put down that pastry you’re holding and go make some oatmeal pie. I can even make some for you 🙂

I know, when you’re going through tough times, your hands immediately reach for food. We’ll look at this from two angles. Physically satisfying your hunger with the right things is something that prevents overeating. Those who work with me know how it reduces their hunger. Eliminating sugar from your diet and reducing grains, even gluten-free ones, is key. And of course, adding vegetables instead. I explain this in my Instagram posts. How do you recognize physical fullness? Your stomach swells, blood sugar starts to rise, and the brain receives the signal that enough food has been consumed. But the most important question is, are we receiving that signal? Probably because while eating, our minds are on the news, social media, or tasks, so we don’t receive this signal and continue to eat more. Eventually, the stomach swells so much that the brain says, “Something’s strange here. This woman/man is full but still eating.” There’s a smarter system inside us. It says, “Things are getting strange now, this excessive fullness in the stomach is causing discomfort,” and it numbs the body to avoid feeling this discomfort. And we develop the capacity to eat more and more, until our stomachs reach the point of nausea or bursting. How did we get here? Because we don’t receive the initial satiety signal. So what do we do? We keep our minds focused on our plate, on what we’re eating, while we eat.

Another issue is the desire to find happiness in food. Sometimes, I think we attach too much meaning to food. Ultimately, they are essential for our survival, providing us with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. But do you know what I see most often right now? Those foods are a friend to alleviate loneliness, a husband who doesn’t hug, a lover who doesn’t communicate… A way to express unspoken anger and resentment. The goal is to numb ourselves and not feel those emotions. I explained how numbness occurs above. That’s exactly why food is an addiction, like alcohol or cigarettes. We choose numbness to avoid seeing the emotions we can’t cope with. It’s no different than drinking a bottle of wine. We wake up in the morning with a hangover, angry at ourselves. The effects of the night before are still on our bodies. But have those unpleasant feelings disappeared? Of course not. Neither the event that created it, nor the emotion it created, has been erased.

So, what should we do instead of food in such situations? First, we will see and accept our emotions. Running away from or rejecting them doesn’t help us. Then, we will look at what we can choose instead of food. What makes me happy in this life? We’ll choose. For example, walking in the forest makes me happy. Even if it rains heavily today, I’ll go for a walk. If we don’t maintain this balance, our brain sends an error report. It constantly feels threatened and releases hormones accordingly, but right now, this very second, there’s no threat. We’re alive, we’re breathing.

I hope what I’ve told you will help you and that you will start putting it into practice. I will continue to explain.

With love to all of you.

Sema