Some Reasons We Over Eat

1. We are malnourished--we eat nutrient-poor foods and are craving nutrients. *Tune in to your body’s true needs and consume delicious mineral-rich, organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables and, if you like, their juices.* 

2. We harbor the false idea that we will not obtain enough nutrients by having small meals of raw fruits and/or vegetables. *Understand that raw food nutrition is infinitely superior to your old diet of cooked foods--there is far more nutritional, health-promoting value in one apple than in a seven course meal of cooked food.* 

3. We are tired and are trying to stimulate our energy. * Understand that when we are tired, our primary need is for rest, not food, and food cannot digest well when we are tired. Eating when we are tired will only lead to enervation, toxemia and a worsening of fatigue.*
4. We are not mindful or present while we eat. *Eat slowly and practice being aware/mindful/conscious and present in your body while you eat.* 

5. We do not want to feel a particular emotion. *Choose to accept, feel and be with the emotion. Allow it to dissipate, or expand, to flow through your body and beyond. Explore the “somatic (or emotional) inquiry.”* 

6. We want to feel the nurturing “mother love” that is lacking in our lives. * Choose to cease covering up your emotions and to release emotional contractions and you will begin to feel nurtured by the love that is always present within yourself.* 

7. We feel and believe we are hungry when we are not--we are actually eating to fill up an emptiness. *Choose to explore, accept and be with the emptiness. Meditation and the “somatic inquiry” can help.* 

8. We feel bored and we eat recreationally. * Develop enjoyable, purposeful and healthful activities away from the food or kitchen. 

9. We feel socially obligated. *Choose to act healthfully and be in your power--choose to take the best possible care of your self at all times.* 

10. We feel too thin when we are in the detoxification stage. *Accept and love yourself as you are, and understand that by living and eating correctly your detoxification and weightloss period will eventually shift into a rebuilding phase, in which you will add healthy weight with larger muscles and enjoy higher vitality.* 

11. We are not physically fit and are at the mercy of our sympathetic emotions. * Keep physically fit--a strong spine and fit body translates into a strong nervous system, self-esteem, will-power, and keener physical awareness so that you can discern your true needs for nourishment. 

12. We believe we can “get away with it” one more time. *Ask yourself: “How is this food going to make me feel in a few minutes, and in a few hours, and tomorrow?” Think about how you want to feel and make the healthful choice, knowing that as you do, you are raising your level of well-being.* 
Written by David Klein