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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, M ay 24 ,2 01 8 | 52525 DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 2501 Third Line | 905-465-3000 Open 24 hours | 7 Days a Week DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 478 Dundas Street West | 905-257-9737 Canada Post www.shoppersdrugmart.ca Fabio De Rango Pharmacist/Owner Voted Oakville's Favourite Pharmacist & Pharmacy • Patient Counselling • Complete Diabetic Care • Home Visits • Consultations • Free RX Delivery Advertorial If you've been diagnosed with prediabetes or have been told that you're at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, you already know you've got to change your eating habits. But overhauling your diet is any- thing but easy--especially when you're feeling hurt, sad, mad, lonely, or aggravated. If you turn to food when you're stressed or unhappy, you could be dam- aging your health with emotional eating. "Plenty of people who try to adopt healthier eating habits often find themselves waylaid by emotional eating," says Jill Weisenberger, who part- nered with the American Diabetes Association to write Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Ill- nesses (American Diabetes Association, May 2018, $16.95). "Digging into a carton of ice cream or bag of chips when you're feeling down can quickly derail your health goals." Weisenberger says it can be hard to break the habit of emotional eating, because psychology and biology are both at play. People reach for "feel-good" foods like Mom's cookies or a cheesy casserole. Ad- ditionally, stress hormones crank up the appetite, and eating releases the brain's feel-good chemicals. Often, a psychotherapist skilled in working with peo- ple with disordered eating is the ideal person to help you. Ask your healthcare provider for a referral if you think a psychotherapist can help you. Despite these challenges, you can learn to stop emotional eating with practice and diligence. Are you ready to break free of emotional eating and move one step closer to reclaiming your health? Here are a few techniques that may help you on your journey. Keep a log: Record your food intake for a week or two. Track what you're eating along with your mood. This process may help you find choice points in which you can learn to change your thinking and be- havior and teach you to identify your breaking points long before you break. "Consider keeping a photo log," suggests Weisen- berger. "If you're about to eat, snap a picture. Do this for a week to see in colour the choices you've been making." Notice and label your emotions: Having negative emotions isn't usually bad. In fact, having negative emotions is actually normal. But taking a deep dive into a bag of salty, crunchy snacks because of nega- tive emotions is unhelpful in the long run. "Practice noticing and labeling your emotions," says Weisenberger. "Are you sad, anxious, lonely, or mad? Naming them and observing them with- out judgment will help you learn about them. Many people find that journaling about their emotions is helpful." Imagine handling emotional situations. In your mind, practice responding to common triggers in ways that don't lead you to overeating. Think about what you can do next time you feel overwhelmed with household chores or the next time you argue with your spouse or whatever situation leads you to eat emotionally. Over and over in your mind, practice acting in desirable ways. "Here again," says Weisen- berger, "many people find journaling enlightening and empowering." Create a plan: After imagining responding in pos- itive ways, create a plan for difficult situations. If you need distractions, gather things to help you, such as puzzle books, adult colouring books, nail polish, a list of people to call, or a list of activities such as soaking in a bath or playing with your dog. "If you know that exercise or meditation help you cope with strong emotions, plan to take at least five minutes for meditation or exercise," says Weisen- berger. "You may need more than one plan to ad- dress various situations." Practice non-food coping skills. Regularly soothe yourself without calories. Every day, take time for soothing enjoyment, so when the time comes, you have an arsenal of coping strategies at the ready. Some ideas include taking deep-breathing breaks, using adult coloring books, writing in a journal, lis- tening to soothing or uplifting music, chatting with a friend, buying yourself flowers, or soaking in a hot tub. "I regularly play with my dog, Benny, a perpetual puppy," says Weisenberger. "I also call and text my daughters, spend quiet time drinking tea or coffee with my husband, take five-minute breaks outside, and sit alone sipping a warm and fragrant tea from a beautiful cup. How you choose to soothe yourself is as individual as you are." Adopt a morning ritual: A morning ritual poten- tially has the power to affect your entire day. A ritual is different from a routine in that a ritual holds a deeper meaning. A few examples are: • Express gratitude in thoughts, a journal, or aloud. • Reaffirm your goals in writing or aloud. • Practice yoga, meditation, or prayer. • Watch a sunrise. • Visualize good things happening in your day. • Recite affirmations or a mantra. Build in food treats: Whatever food you reach for in times of stress probably has some special mean- ing to you. Is it chocolate, macaroni and cheese, pizza, or hot-from-the-oven cookies? Whatever it is, be sure to have some now and then. Not as a re- ward, but simply because you like the way it tastes. Practice enjoying this favourite food in a reasonable amount, perhaps as part of a balanced meal. Sim- ply removing a food's taboo label can be helpful. In this way, you are learning that it's okay to treat yourself and removing the notion of treats as cheats. We all deserve treats, but cheat days are the wrong mindset. Create a personal wellness vision and review it often: A personal wellness vision is a concrete and motivating picture of you being healthy, feeling healthy, and living a healthful life. Imagine yourself at your ideal level of well-being. How do you feel? Look? Act? Write down what this looks like for you. This vision will help you identify what is important to you. "After creating your vision, be sure to regularly look it over! It's easy to forget what really matters when you're under stress or running in crisis mode. But knowing--and remembering--what's really important steers you to appropriate actions." "Reaching for food to manage your emotions can be a very hard habit to break," concludes Weisen- berger. "Become aware of times when you look to food to soothe you, calm you down, or help you avoid your feelings. When you recognize that you've been eating with your emotions, you can change the behavior and continue striving toward your health goals," says Weisenberger health Exploring the link between prediabetes and emotional eating Doctors recommend the kyBoot "kyBoots help you keep balance and activate your muscles, from your toes to your back: they are helpful in the treatment of pain in the heels and forefeet, and are a method of choice to support the treatment of pain in the Achilles tendon and back." - Dr. Markus Müller, specialist in orthopaedic surgery, foot surgery practitioner, Lucerne- Dr. Markus Müller, specialist in orthopaedic surgery, foot surgery practitioner, Lucerne- Dr. Markus Müller, specialist in orthopaedic surgery, foot surgery practitioner, Lucerne Enjoy a FREE Kyboot walking test, at the Medicine Shoppe on Lakeshore Rd. East 267 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville Mon.-Fri. 10-6, Sat. 9-1 www.kybun.com 905.842.2770 Richard Price Pharmacist/Owner A Trusted name in Oakville for over 20 years! KyBoots will help you with.... • Back Pain • Improving circulation • Knee pain • Strengthening muscles • Foot conditions • Improving posture