Slipping up does not make you a failure; when you start to change a habit around food, especially if its one you've had for many years, you are bound to go back to the old line of behavior every now and then.

Instead of feeling like a failure, take action! Turn your disappointment into curiosity. Redirect self criticism into self-inquiry. How do you feel after overeating? What can your body teach you about this experience? Your body continues talking to you even after you fall off the wagon. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready for self-discovery.

Recently I overate some chocolate. It was sitting there in the front seat of the car, tantalizing me. I ate a bit, then a bit more, than all of it! The truth is I wasn't really paying attention. I was distracted by driving, and not really making any space to enjoy the chocolate, and that's why I overate. Of course, I knew all along this was bad for me. Then I started to actually feel bad. The caffeine overstimulated me. The chocolate irritated my digestion. Finally a bit strung out, I had trouble sleeping that. In the depths of my insomnia, I tried to remember the taste of the chocolate, recalling how it tasted and felt in my mouth. I wanted to connect the taste to this awful feeling I was having.

As you journal your experiences with food, wax poetic. Get into all the nuances. Your purpose in this exercise is to develop a clear and present relationship with food. Each time you can connect food choices to your visceral reactions, you'll be teaching your tongue and redirecting your impulses towards more stable eating patterns. You'll be discovering the wonderful mysteries of your body.

Chocolate will no doubt continue to entice and lure me into bad food experiences. But each time, I become more aware of how to moderate it. Failures and other stumbling blocks will continue to disrupt your best intention. But they also offer you perhaps the most poignant opportunity to learn and grow. Take those opportunities to make lemonade out of lemons.

DIET FOR IMBALANCES RELATED TO 'FEEL LIKE A FAILURE AFTER OVEREATING'

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DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body.

ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE 0

Potential causes increase and disturb your imbalanced doshas and qualities, causing them to accumulate and spiral out of control. For example, if you're overheated and eat a chili pepper, heat may become excessive and cause disease. As a dosha or quality accumulates in your body according to your dietary and lifestyle habits, it is more and more likely to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or quality in two ways, by removing, or lessening the frequency of aggravating causes from your diet and lifestyle, as well as by favoring balancing diet and lifestyle practices. For example, try eating something as cool as a cucumber when you're overheated, instead of a chili pepper.

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DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE BODY?

What aggravates it? What heals it? Then get your Personal Ayurvedic Body Book! This book, written by founder and director of Joyful Belly, John Immel, is individually formatted for your unique body and will help you confidently choose food that restores your healthy glow to get you feeling like your best self. Just $19.99!

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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful. His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda , which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition. John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.

John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well.

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