The Home Instead Wimbledon and Kingston office had the privilege of welcoming Anna Strozek, a psycho-nutritionist.
For 25 years, Anna grappled with the ups and downs of weight loss, trying every restrictive diet going, only to find herself back in the same eating habits and at the same weight.
It wasn’t until 2019, that she found a life-changing solution: psycho-nutrition. This bridge between psychology, nutrition mixed with mindfulness became the solution Anna needed. It was through pysco-nutrition that Anna uncovered the reasons behind her unhealthy relationship with food. She learned to nourish her body and look after her mind. Most importantly, she found freedom from shame and guilt.
Anna is now on a mission to educate people on the relationship between food and the mind, so they can build their own version of a healthy, balanced and joyful life. That is certainly what she did throughout the session.
Anna took us through her top five things to raise self-awareness and self-reflection on the connection between food and the mind.
Anna’s top tips to feed your mind, not your body…
- Emotional Eating and Self-Awareness Emotional eating is often a response to underlying emotions rather than physical hunger. By becoming more self-aware and practicing mindfulness, we can manage these emotional triggers. The key is to pause and recognise when we are eating out of emotion rather than hunger. This is the first and most crucial step to healthier eating habits.
- The Pitfalls of Dieting and the Importance of Balance Dieting and restrictive eating can lead to unhealthy habits and negative self-talk. Instead of focusing on calorie counting or restriction, it’s important to find balance and practice self-acceptance. This approach supports long-term wellbeing and a healthier relationship with food. We are fortunate to live in an age of information around balance and nutrition and we are, thankfully moving away from calorie counting. If you are not sure where to start, ZOE is a hub of information about food and nutrition. There is an Instagram page of recipes as well as a great podcast which covers the topic of food for every part of life, age and stage.
- Power of Beliefs and Mindsets Our beliefs and mindsets greatly influence our behaviours and health. Negative self-talk can sabotage our goals, but by reframing these thoughts, we can foster a more positive and empowering mindset. Believing in our ability to make positive changes is crucial for success.
- Journaling to Process Emotions Journaling is a powerful tool for processing past emotions and understanding how they influence our eating habits. By writing about our feelings and triggers, we can release stored emotions and gain clarity. This practice helps in developing healthier coping mechanisms.
- Small Behavioural Changes Making small changes in behaviour can significantly impact our eating habits. Avoiding boredom eating, breaking habitual snacking, and finding healthier ways to cope with emotions are practical steps towards managing cravings and maintaining a balanced diet.
Suggested Activity: Journaling Exercise
To apply these insights, try journaling for a week about your emotions, triggers for emotional eating, and beliefs about food and body image. Reflect on the following prompts:
- Daily Emotions: What emotions did you experience today? How did they affect your eating habits?
- Triggers: What situations or feelings triggered emotional eating? How did you respond?
- Beliefs about Food and Body Image: What are your core beliefs about food and your body? How do these beliefs influence your eating habits?
Anna’s talk was a refreshing way to think about food and our relationship with it. We hope that you find her top tips useful
At Home Instead Wimbledon and Kingston, we care about the well-being of our team. If you are interested in finding out more about what opportunities we have within our fantastic team, please get in touch.