Eating on the exchanges system is something I learned in treatment. The Emily Program usues a chart, usually printed on brightly-colored paper, (because EATING IS FUN!!!) with the number of servings from each food group that the body generally requires. You can fill in what you've eaten or will eat, and then just scritch! make a little checkmark on the box under the category it falls under. At the time, this seemed to me an enormous amount of food. Eating all my exchanges left my stomach distended and I was MIGHTILY uncomfortable. At the same time, it was very comforting to have a clear system, tidily set out in front of me, and all I had to do was put the food in my mouth, chew, swallow, and keep it in my stomach.

Thankfully, I haven't struggled with "food fear" (as we say in the biz...) for several years now, (Several years! Awesome!) but in a depression, it still helps me to "track my exchanges," (more jargon). Mostly, I follow Intutitive Eating guidelines; I eat when I'm hungry and I stop when I'm full, using a hunger-fullness scale of 1-10. (For another blog...interesting subject!) But I figure, why not give myself a leg up here? Depression can be greatly helped by proper nutrition, vitamin supplements, etc. (yet another blog post, The Chemistry of Joy, by my former psychiatrist, Dr. Henry Emmons!) Since depression simultaneously suppresses my appetite and/or makes me want to numb myself with food, tracking exchanges for a bit is an easy way to to be mindful of what's going in, and how hungry I am at a particular time of day.

I will be at a wedding in Iowa this weekend, but I wanted to write before we took off. Have a great weekend!

(inner)Peace,

Kater