It’s getting cold outside. Your feel stuck in a familiar blue mood, only this time it’s darker and deeper than ever. And this deep shade of blue is definitely not your favorite color. It is simply too much to bear. You much prefer a more lively sky-blue. But it somehow follows you month after month.
You lay on your blue couch, watching a blue movie with sappy blue music. Your cat cuddles on the other side, motionless. She’s picked up this season’s fashionable blue as well.
You are determined to feel better. You have to. To make the blue feelings go away, you shovel an entire chocolate cake down your throat. In a matter of minutes you watch it vanish in front of your eyes. Is this some kind of magic show?! You’re amazed at yourself. But it’s not a good kind of amazement.
For a while you feel numb as the serotonin rushes through your bloodstream. Feeling numb is an improvement to feeling bad. It works every time. But when the blood sugar crashes mercilessly after a high tide, you begin to feel horrible again. You’re tired and disgusted with yourself. “I shouldn’t have eaten that stupid cake! I hate myself for losing it like that.” That terrible voice in your head is now driving you insane and pulling you down to the bottom of a very deep blue sea.
This episode seems to rerun itself every month. Unlike your favorite reruns of “Sex and the City,” this one doesn’t make you laugh. It makes you feel disgusted. Why, then, do you keep doing this to yourself? Do you have a choice? Or are you simply a helpless slave to the tyranny of hormone fluctuations and cravings?
You know what you should eat. Many websites list expert advice for healthy alternatives. They tell you to eat complex carbohydrates, avoid processed sugar, drink plenty of water, shun salt, avoid fat, caffeine, and alcohol. Simple enough, yet you don’t seem to be able to follow the advice.
The problem? You realize that good or bad, complex carbs, sugar, and caffeine, etc., don’t mean anything to you at all. They’re abstract things, far away from your real life experiences. Chocolate cake on the other hand, is real, so real that you have an orgasm at the mere thought of it.
But maybe there’s a better alternative. Maybe you just need to find another comfort food that will lift your senses and your spirit without the residual worries. Remember the chicken soup your mom used to make when you were feeing sick? It was so yummy and nurturing. You instantly felt better. This is the kind of comfort food you need.
Real comfort food is made of love. The secret is to make it yourself, or allow someone you love to make it for you. Maybe it’s a pot roast slowly cooked for a day. Maybe it is a toasted cheese sandwich. No matter what it is, it should be prepared with attention and care. In fact, making your own favorite comfort dish is kind of healing in itself. It shows that you love and care for yourself enough to take a little time and trouble.
When it’s ready, sit yourself down and eat slowly. Let the flavors wake up your senses, and let the fruit of your love soak up your entire being. The heavy, cold blue will gradually melt away, and be replaced by a smile…
Begin to monitor your diet and observe how it affects your energy, mood and PMS symptoms. Eat better, feel better and live better.
This is such helpful and inspiring advice. Thank you very much!
I’m happy to have just discovered this site.
Welcome to our community Celine! Look forward to hearing from you from time to time. 🙂