.: Color and Emotional Eating



 "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food."   Erma Bombeck

One of the most common questions I receive regarding weight release is about emotional eating, closely followed by binge eating. Although similar in the lack of control we may feel why we are working our way through the kitchen, energetically speaking, binge eating and emotional eating also have some unique differences.
Emotional eating subconsciously fills a void and can involve ALL aspects of our emotions, which include eating when happy and celebrating, depressed or angry--the entire gamut of emotions which can drive us to food. Binge eating is an attempt to become grounded. Seldom are we attached to any emotions, even though the binge may have been triggered by something emotional. Heaven forbid we THINK about what or why we are eating, because then we may stop!
Color relates to energy and can play a key role toward emotional eating. I would like to address the use of color to help you identify potential triggers and to help you gain control over emotional eating. Have you noticed the new furry little orange "monster" used to promote a popular weight loss program? The company has personified "craving" in this little monster branding. The ad plays on your emotions with the use of color. Color, and in this case, orange, plays on your emotional impulses. Although the ads are to prompt you to join their nationwide program, they subliminally work on your emotional memory, which is your "orange" energy. They want you emotionally involved in their program because all emotions drive behavior. One of my favorite mantras is "thoughts create, emotions manifest." The advertising industry knows this! That is why branding is important, but COLOR is vital. Matching color to the message creates clear, concise actions. That practice defines true success, not just with ads, but with your own initiatives.
Now I want to talk about why we overeat. We overeat to fill a void, but it is more than that. Binge eating is more about getting ourselves grounded, in fact often when one binge eats the tendency is to "zone out." Yes, folks, this is experience talking; I am not quoting texts or clinical studies, I've personally struggled with this issue in the past. Binge eating can be considered "out of body" eating.
Many of us are not even aware of what food goes in or how much goes in! Why is that? The answer is, "YOU ARE NOT GROUNDED!" Weight is called "weight" for a reason! Food weighs us down, and gives us a feeling of being in our body. When we finish our binge and come out of our "zone," we experience an entire gamut of emotions--including self-loathing. Subconsciously we binge because we are not grounded, meaning we are solid within our own body and our own skin.
I associate binge eating both with the crown energy center (white) and the base center (red). Emotional eating is associated with your second energy center, which is our "orange" energy. When there is depletion in this energy center, we try to fill that void somehow. "Orange" energy is associated with person-to-person relationships. This can be represented by co-workers, bosses, spouses, parents (especially mother), siblings, or children; but it is more about the emotional relationships which tend to drain our thoughts and our energy. We eat to fill that void, and the color orange can activate a need to fill that void. Orange can stir up your emotions, but it is also the color to prompt creativity, so you don't want to avoid it altogether-again, there's a need for balance.
The color orange can also activate the second energy center and create cravings, stir up emotions, and can contribute to emotional eating. Warm emerging hues, such as warm reds and warm yellow hues (pushing to orange) can activate our need for survival and our need to "nest" as it is also related to our reproductive system. When women are pregnant, the sacral and base centers are working overtime; therefore, the body holds onto energy, and thus can hold on to fat in those areas. Weight (fat) in this area is ALL about survival, emotions, or even fear. The fear can be a fear of moving forward (change) or fear of losing control. Fat subconsciously protects our energy centers, so wherever you hold your fat, look at the emotions which correspond to that area. Pregnancy and relationship issues can trigger these emotions and drain our "orange" energy-- so we eat to fill that void!
Don't misunderstand me, orange is a wonderful, happy color, but as with all colors, there's a need for balance. If you are having issues with emotional eating, check out the role that the color orange plays in your environment. Closely examine the packaging, advertising, and marketing aspects of your favorite comfort foods. Fast foods and junk foods are seldom subdued in color. The colors of our burger joints may not necessarily be orange, but mixing the hues of yellow and red together create what color? Yes, orange--so subliminally it still plays a role.
Also, take note as to what color you are wearing, or the color of your kitchen or office. Even look at the color of your mouse pad or your screen saver. So many factors can contribute to emotional eating. I remember when my mom was pregnant with my little brother, she would buy these HUGE bags of cheese curls (yes, they were that artificial orange color). Becoming aware of the color of the food you are drawn to can also be a hint as to what area of your body may be needing attention.
Orange is my favorite color, so this is not a slam on orange. All I ask is that you take note of where and how the color orange plays in your life. If you are dealing with emotional eating or emotional situations in general, look around you and see if your environment, your wardrobe, or your food cravings involve the color orange. Knowledge is power, and sometimes just shifting from the emotional side to the logical side by looking at the energy (the color around you) and recognizing its influence, can put you back in control.
Instead of food to fill that orange/emotional void, look at your life logically. If you are depressed and need a lift, then you need MORE orange to balance out the energy. A couple of different ways to accomplish this would be to drink from an orange cup or even wear orange undies. If you break down in tears or are very edgy, manic, or EXCESSIVELY emotional, then shift to more natural hues and tone down the orange. Shifting to more natural/neutral hues can help ground you and help you gain control. Of course, everyone's first impulse is to reach for the blues or the greens. Look more into using neutral shades, such as browns, grays, and earth tones because they can help calm and ground you.
So, next time you are dealing with emotional eating, try taking a deep belly breath, pat yourself on the head, even stomp you feet to help get yourself grounded. Examine orange in your life, replace it with something more grounding if you are hyped up, add it to your life if you need cheered up, and by all means laugh, because orange should make you HAPPY, NOT HUNGRY!
Catherine Poole, is a well-respected, internationally known psychic/author and speaker. Educated as a graphic designer, she taught color theory and graphic design for more that fifteen years, including nine years at the University of Notre Dame. She has presented her color expertise in the U.S. and Europe on the uses and effects of color.
Catherine became known as "The Queen of Color" in the design world due to her unique ability to see into the human energy field. Look for her pending book Beyond Food, Fat and Fear, The Metaphysics of Weight Release (Llewellyn Worldwide Fall, 2009).
Catherine has a lucrative private practice in Abingdon, Virginia conducting sessions by phone or in person in her Abingdon office. Visit Catherine's website at http://www.CatherinePoole.com.