Author(s): Susan Albers

For Sufferers | Diets & Food

So much overeating is caused not by hunger, but by our emotions. Eating is a common coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, and emotional turmoil, but the ramifications can be significant.

Many people are overweight and suffer from resultant health problems because, for them, food is therapy. This book is designed to help these millions of people find simple, quick strategies for easing emotion-driven hunger. Readers can open this book instead of the refrigerator when they feel stressed and find techniques such as simple exercise, self-distraction, meditation, self-massage, and mindful imagery that can calm feelings of hunger rooted in anxiety, not the need for nourishment.

Unlike diet books, which tell readers what to eat, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food helps readers discover why they are eating and discover new ways to deal with life’s ups and downs. The book is broken into five categories: cognitive techniques, meditation techniques, body techniques, distraction techniques, and connection techniques. Used alone or as a complement to a diet program, readers can turn to this book time and time again to quell the urge to snack and remind themselves of healthy ways to find peace of mind.