Ever wolfed down your dinner way too fast, only to find yourself overeating and feeling a little worse for wear?

As the silly season (AKA “eat too much” season) approaches, it’s important to realise the difference between simply overeating and binge eating.

First things first, what is overeating?  

I explain that overeating is simply when you eat more than your body needs, and no surprises, a common cause can be eating too fast (we can relate!). “Wolfing down our food means the stomach’s stretch receptors and our satiety hormones have no chance to kick in and tell us we’re full – this process normally takes about 20 minutes, but that’s longer than most people spend eating a meal!” Common factors that can influence overeating is eating on the run, in the car or whilst scrolling Facebook.

How to recognise binge eating…

Binge eating, on the other hand, is defined as a pattern of disordered or uncontrollable eating. For some people too, they may require clinical treatment to overcome it.

Here, I explain some of the common warning signs…

• Eating even when you’re full.
• Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as over a two-hour period.
• Eating until you’re uncomfortably full.
• Feeling like your eating is out of control.
• Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss.
• Eating rapidly during episodes.
• Binging approximately once a week for three months.
• Frequently eating alone or in secret.
• Feeling ashamed or guilty about binging.

Binge eating can often also go hand-in-hand with bulimia, where along with the above signs, people may try and compensate for the extra eating by vomiting, using laxatives or excessively exercising.

The steps to treat it…

But, there’s good news – that 70 per cent of people who are treated for binge eating, recover! Conventional therapy involves counselling, cognitive behaviour therapy and medication. However, as an integrative GP, I recommends nutritional and environmental remedies (depending on the patient) which you could start implementing today…

• Just eat real food (hello, JERF!), and don’t count calories. Diets can trigger more binge episodes, and lead to a vicious cycle that’s hard to break. If you feel the need to follow an eating plan then check out our 8-Week Program, or alternatively, contact an Integrative GP Wellness Consultation.
• Keep tempting binge foods out of your home. Out of sight, out of mind!
• Eat breakfast. Most people who binge tend to skip breakfast, but this can set you up to binge later in the day. Eat a nutrient-dense brekkie so you’re less prone to eating higher calorie meals later on.
• Eat nutrient-dense food. Most of the time, foods that you tend to binge on are nutrient-poor and this drives your body to crave more food. Avoid this by filling up on veggies, healthy fats and protein first! You could even ask your doctor to test for nutrient deficiencies to see if you need supplements, which may help you binge less and put your mind at ease.
• Keep your family and friends in mind. They want to see you as healthy as possible, so don’t isolate yourself from them. Open up to a trusted family member or friend who you can contact when you feel like bingeing.
• Find a hobby! A healthy way to nurture yourself could be yoga, journaling, meditation or even a gentle walk in nature. For more tips on healthy ways to nurture yourself check out our blog.

Read the original article over at https://iquitsugar.com/binge-eating-normal-not/