AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON BULIMIA, PAST OR CURRENT

It's not about food

Often with bulimia, we get caught in thinking that food is the problem; we think that if cookies, chips, and other junky "binge" foods didn't exist, we wouldn't have a problem. But, food is merely a silk-screen and recognizing that is key to healing. Food restriction may lead you to binging behaviors, but bulimia is also a means to avoid or purge ourselves of uncomfortable emotions. Developing awareness and mindfulness of your emotional state, and establishing normal eating habits are important to finding freedom from bulimia.

Find lightness

Purging may be an attempt to establish lightness and purity in the body after a heavy binge; it relieves the sense of heaviness that often follows overeating. At the core, this is a natural impulse to re-establish balance in the body. Vomiting is actually an important way to cleanse in Ayurveda, but only once or twice a year under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

In bulimia, vomiting is no longer therapeutic, but obsessive. Developing other ways to find lightness can be helpful. Sipping some fennel, coriander, and cumin tea helps creates a sense of lightness and relief in the body. Exercise such as walking and following a kapha-pacifying dietary regime can also prove helpful strategies in our search for a lighter, more balanced feeling in response to heaviness.

Learn to Appreciate your Body

Our bodies are absolutely incredible; they are our vehicle in the world and the lodge of our soul. Often times, when caught in the cycle of binging and purging cycle, we see the body and its needs as the enemies. Ayurveda helps reestablish our connection and appreciation of our bodies.

Bulimia may also be an attempt to resolve inner conflict by mental control. Binging serves to numb the body and is often accompanied by an intense feeling of self-loathing, while purging inspires a fleeting sense of relief.

Shame and guilt often accompany both sides of this highly addictive binge/purge cycle, but it is important to know that you are not alone and Ayurveda can help you break free. Yet, overcoming the psychological factors associated with bulimia may require the help of a qualified clinician or support group, and involves making peace with your emotions, your body, and food.

Eat Breakfast

One of the first steps to healing the physical trauma caused by bulimia is to eat breakfast. Bulimics tend to restrict food during the day which triggers binging at night. Then, feeling guilty for bingeing the night before, they skip breakfast the next day and the cycle continues. Eating first thing in the morning breaks the restrict/binge cycle and reassures the body that it will receive daytime nourishment and does not need to frantically binge at night. Establishing patterns of consistent, daytime feeding helps reaffirm your body's ability to trust itself and minimizes some of the biological components that fuel bingeing.

Long Term Effects

Bulimia ultimately compromises digestive function. Stomach acids may erode, literally auto-digest, the esophagus and teeth. Generally, restoring digestion may involve restoring fluids and electrolyte imbalance, and easy to digest, nourishing foods. Professional assistance may be necessary.