Create the mind-shift you need to break the cycle of emotional eating.
Free from Emotional Eating
Are you ready to have a joyful relationship with food?
Warning: This will change how you think about food.
For so many of us, deciding what to eat is full of confusion. There are so many influencers and expert opinions about what to eat and how to eat that we’ve lost touch with our own bodies. The result is that we don’t feel good in our skin. We know that something is not quite working, especially when eating gets out of control.
Free from Emotional Eating Workshop — Nutrition, Yoga, & Self-Care
Saturday 9. November 10-12:00 Cost: 55CHF
at YogaBloom – Pflugggässlein 1, 4001 Basel
This workshop will show you how to manage food cravings by eating well, practicing yoga, and finding the right self-care for you.
It’s time to truly nourish your body and mind.
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Create the mind-shift you need to break the cycle of overeating.
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Understand how to eat naturally and stop thinking about food all the time.
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Know what to do when you can't stop eating. Get the tools to manage emotions and prevent binge eating.
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Practice “managing” your food cravings by eating well, practicing yoga, and finding the right self-care for you.
What you will learn.
Starting with gentle yoga, a bit of meditation, and exploring how food works inside the body… we will explore our relationship with food.
You will walk away with insights about your relationship with food along with practical tips that you put into place right away.
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We start by creating a new perspective on emotional eating, which includes not beating ourselves up when it happens.
We look at our lifestyle, stress, boundaries, and slowly tease out the source of the emotions in order to create true change for the long-term.
Getting perspective IS what will create change around emotional eating.
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Moving the body with the breath helps you to connect to yourself. Yoga manages stress, moves tension, and calms the mind. Giving yourself physical and mental space, gives emotions somewhere to go instead of swallowing them down or holding it in.
The origins of yoga are truly about calming the mind. Through gentle movements and breathing, we can find our calm, we can center and ground ourselves in our own truth. From there we may learn what we need to change and why.
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Most of us are overly focused on what not to eat. So much so, we are not getting enough of real nutrition that helps our body to work as it should. Together, we look at how to add in more of the nourishing foods to create balance and reduce cravings.
It’s time to let go of the instagram influencers and time to look inward to see how food is feeling in your own body. Are you eating enough of the right things? Do you drink enough water? When’s the last time your digestion worked well? Which foods or food situations trigger you?
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I am not talking about a massage or getting a facial. I want to know, when was the last time you had a belly laugh? When did you do something that made you feel playful and curious? Do you allow yourself to rest? When are you ever in nature?
We are human. We have stories to tell.
In our food stories, comes the magic of what we are really craving for beyond the food.
Take time out from your busy life and go on exploration to understand yourself better.
Hi, my name is Vanessa.
I’ve studied to become a health coach 2011, because I felt out of control with my food.
Here is my story about emotional eating and what I’ve discovered.
Vanessa in balance
(September 2024)
Vanessa out of balance
(Circa 1993)
I am an Emotional Eater.
I recognized the exact moment my relationship with food changed.
I have struggled with emotional eating since my father passed away, he was only 42 years old. When he died, I was 19 years old and I was confused, lost and extremely sad. Suddenly, food had no taste at all and at that same time my appetite became voracious. The thing is, I didn’t know it at the time, but I was depressed. I didn’t know how to cope with the loss and the grief. Actually I felt very alone, and very tired, but didn’t have the words to express that.
This experience “broke my relationship” with food.
I started eating “treats” to try to get me out of bed and to my university classes. I would tell myself, “Vanessa - you can eat the brownie if you go to class.” And, “Vanessa, if you finish your project work, you can eat the hamburger, and fries, and shake for dinner.” And, well… It worked. I went to class, did my work, and finished my semester, but I gained so much weight, that I isolated myself even more by not going to parties, by no longer dating, and not spending time with friends.
I hit the tipping point when a college friend, came to me and was genuinely worried about why she didn’t see me anymore. I exploded into tears, I cried so hard, that I was gasping for air, because I knew I was terribly sad, tired, exhausted, but I didn’t know how to get out of it.
How I gained control.
Since I’ve become a coach and yoga instructor, I’ve learned to tune in my needs and listen to my eating tempo as a sign that I am feeling well or am out of balance. I don’t always get it right, but I am kinder to myself which takes the shame out overeating, and then in turn, helps me to feel calm and in control again of my food. I take time out for myself regularly to pause, and check-in. And make sure I am having fun somewhere.
How I work with clients on emotional eating.
I’ve created this emotional eating workshop, and yoga/coaching program to help women understand the nature of overeating and use it as information to help us get back on track. I use a combination of motivational questioning, food education, and yoga to explore what might work for you.
When we let go of shame and focus on how to get our lifestyle on track, things start to shift. The focus is on feeling well, having energy, sleeping and eating foods that truly nourish the body, right now.
Does this sounds interesting?
Join a Group Workshop
It is great to spend time with others and to explore together in a safe space what this all means.
(OR)
Book a 60-minute coaching session for 50CHF
We will talk through what’s happening for you and slowly piece out where you can make adjustments to find peace and start to heal your relationship with food.
FAQs about Emotional Eating
What is emotional eating?
Emotional eating happens when we are looking to cope with strong feelings or when our body is feeling out of balance - mentally, emotionally and/or physically.
When life becomes overwhelming, food can feel like an escape, providing a sense of pleasure and relief. The problem is, that it is only a quick sense of relief and it doesn’t help us to move forward with our life.
Why do I eat emotionally?
Understanding our triggers is one important step to take in breaking the emotional eating cycle.
Keep a food/mood journal to identify when you turn to food.
How did you feel right before you ate?
What is going on today in your life?
What thoughts were you having?
Are you feeling anxious?
Have you had a long day?
Are you angry or super tired?
What body sensations can you feel?
How can I take best care of myself right now?
When was the last time I laughed?
What can I do, if I suddenly cannot stop eating?
Allow yourself time to feel the emotions without judgment; acknowledging your feelings is crucial
The focus is to change your physiology. .
Get outside in the fresh air if you can.
Walk and let your body unwind without forcing anything.
If you cannot get outside, stand up and get into the shower.
Or, get on the yoga mat and breathe, moving your body in any way that feels good.
Step away from distractions like phone, internet, social media, alcohol and food.
You need to give yourself space to process or digest what is happening, or this feeling to overeat will come raging back.
Is Emotional Eating an eating disorder?
While emotional eating doesn’t really fit the strict clinical definitions of an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia, it can create harmful daily patterns that can affect your relationship with food and sense of overall well-being.
Emotional eating means that we use food to cope with emotions, such as stress, sadness, or boredom.
The problem begins, when the eating leads to a cycle of guilt, shame, and eventually even more emotional stress. Although it is not classified as a formal eating disorder, it may let you know that there could be a deeper issue, such as anxiety, depression, or unresolved emotional pain.
Taking time to really reflect can help you realise that it’s not about the food and more about what’s happening in your life and how you perceive it.
What are some tools that can help me manage emotional eating?
Here are some of the tools that have been useful to me and my clients. Everyone is different and it’s important to not wait until you want to binge eat… but to keep practicing your “tools” to then start preventing the binge from even happening.
Tools to Ease Emotional Eating:
go for a walk outside
practice gentle yoga
dive into something creative
get into nature
play with a pet
watch children play
drink more water
have a warm beverage
cuddle with a loved one
gentle strokes on your arms or hair
breathe or meditate
call someone funny
Can Mindful Eating help?
Mindful eating can also be a powerful practice.
Start by taking a moment before you eat to check in with your body and emotions.
Are you really hungry, or is there something else at play?
Practice slowing down during meals, by savoring each bite and paying attention to how your body feels after each swallow.
Being mindful can transform your relationship with food by being curious and focus on learning (instead of beating ourselves up when it doesn’t work like we want it to.)
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FREE: Reflection Guide - Download now!
Take a moment to check in on how you really are. Look at your food, your lifestyle, sleep and reflect on what’s most important to you.
No email needed... simply click below and your PDF document will open in a new tab for your to download.
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Meet with Vanessa
Getting Started is Easy.
Book a 60-minute Check-in Session for 50CHF (Usual price 120CHF.) Meeting with me is a great way to get a sense of where you are and what's holding your back from moving forward. I provide personalized support and guidance that helps you to with health challenges, your wellness, and to thrive in every stage of life.
Join us for a Workshop at YogaBloom in Basel
