Tag Archive for: healthy lifestyle

Exercise And Stress

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Even though exercise may not be the most exciting word in your vocabulary, it sure is a word with a
lot of benefits. Participating in daily exercise will not only make you healthier in general, but it can also diminish the effects of stress on your body as well.

Think about all the times you have heard someone say “the doctor says it’s stress related”. Normally
people will laugh it off, concluding that doctors say that when they don’t know the real answers or
diagnosis. The truth of the matter is that too much stress will play a role in many diseases.

exercise

To help increase your immune system and decrease your stress level as well, try exercise, as movement is the key word here. Bending, stretching, reaching and walking. There’s really no need to buy any expensive equipment either, as you can implement more movement into your daily routine and reap the benefits.

If you like aerobic exercise, you should grab a partner and have a blast with one of the basic aerobic videos. Or, you can simply go out for a walk and enjoy spending time together. As you may have heard, walking really is the best overall exercise you can do for your health. As long as you have a pair of walking shoes, you’ll be fine.

As you go through your daily activities, make it a point to walk a little farther, bend down and pick something up without using a pick up stick or moving the item towards you with your foot. While you are sitting, you should also do some simple and quick stretches for your neck and shoulders.

If you enjoy sitting around watching television, you should consider buying a jogging board. These padded boards will make running, jumping, or walking in place less stressful on your knees and joints. They are easy to store as well and also very portable.

In many people’s opinions, jogging boards are the best pieces of equipment you can buy. They are also far cheaper than bulky treadmills and stationary bikes.

There are several different exercises that you can do to help you eliminate the stress in your life. Walking is by far the best, as you can easily lose yourself and your troubles by walking. Even if it is just around the block, walking can do wonders for your health as well as stress.

If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may want to consider a gym. Working out then sitting in the sauna is also a good way to relieve tension. If your gym has a pool, you may find swimming to be very beneficial as well, as it helps you to relax.

 

 

 

Treatment and Medications for Binge Eating Disorder

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If you are suffering with binge eating disorder, there are many outlets available offering help. Know that you are not alone, and you are worth the fight to end your struggle with binge eating. It is time to take control of your life, and be happy and healthy. The different methods of how you can seek help for binge eating will be explained.

What are My Options?

In order to get your binge eating under control and start losing weight, there are steps you must take in order to identify the factors that are causing such behavior. Seeking out a therapist has been proven effective for binge eaters. Therapy will allow you to discuss your concerns with a therapist and possibly learn about the underlying factors contributing to your binge eating. Ultimately, therapy will focus on your relationships and what they mean to your binge eating. You are likely to find that some of your relationships or past relationships are harming your psychological health, and are contributing to your binge eating. Through therapy, you will also learn to change certain thoughts and behaviors that may be preventing you from overcoming binge eating disorder.

binge eating

In addition to therapy, you may be prescribed medications designed to help you lose weight or control moods associated with binge eating disorder. These medications should not be taken without supervision from a therapist. The reason you should not use these medications without supervision from a therapist is because you may suffer from side effects that may put you at an increased risk of suicide. However, the combination of psychotherapy and prescription medication has been proven effective, and you will likely see your binge eating episodes greatly diminish.

Another strategy to use in ending your struggle with binge eating is to schedule your eating times and avoid foods you would normally binge on. Staying on a schedule will regulate your body on when to start feeling hungry and when to feel full. Also, do not under eat. Under eating is not a healthy approach. You need a daily amount of calories and nutrients in order to live healthily. You may even wish to ask your doctor if you are receiving proper nutrients as many with binge eating disorder take in an excess of fat and calories, but not enough of other needed nutrients. Moreover, under eating will cause you to feel hungrier and may cause you to sway off your schedule. You can lose weight without under eating.

Of course, another great approach to losing weight is through exercise. Exercising has also been proven effective in reducing stress, which is often a contributing factor to binge eating episodes. Finally, a method to avoid is taking dietary supplements without first consulting your doctor. Those with binge eating disorder very often abuse dietary supplements, so it is vital to ask a professional before going on any diet plans.

Conclusion

Although fighting your battle with binge eating may seem overwhelming, you are not alone. There are many outlets available that will allow you to get the help you need in order to be happy and healthy. It is highly recommended that you seek out professional help from a therapist. If you are prescribed medication, you should not neglect your therapy sessions as the medication may have side effects that are dangerous without proper supervision from a professional. Remember that you are worth the fight against binge eating disorder.

 

 

 

4 Crazy Things You Must Do To Lose Weight

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Start Eating a Lot More

That’s right, you read it correctly…YOU MUST EAT MORE—A whole lot more than you’re eating right now. You have to eat 5-7 meals a day to fire up your metabolism to lose weight.

Your body needs a constant supply of energy to burn fat, and if you don’t eat a meal every two or three hours…Your metabolism will become so slow that you’ll gain weight just by looking at food.
The sooner you start eating more…the sooner you’ll be able to eat the foods you like without worrying about gaining weight.

weight

Now I don’t mean for you to eat 5 large dinner sized meals everyday. You should try to eat 5-7 smaller 250 – 400 calorie meals every 2-3 hours.

Start Playing Golf

Before you say “what the heck does golf have to do with me losing weight”…Let me explain.
People always tell me that they don’t have time to exercise, their too tired to exercise, or they don’t feel like exercising.

But they always find time to have fun. Look, you don’t have to get on a treadmill everyday, take aerobics, or swim laps to lose weight….…you can lose weight playing golf, playing with your kids, and you can even go to the mall shopping.

What do all those things have in common? They’re all things that involve you moving around just enough to burn fat. Notice that TV, reading, and sleeping weren’t one of the things I mentioned.
Think about it…If you went shopping at your local mall everyday you could easily lose 1-2 lbs. a week just by walking around the mall a couple of times (That’s of course if you don’t make too many trips to the food court).

What about playing golf (without the cart), racquetball, or going out dancing everyday? That’s an easy (fun) weight loss of about 2 lbs a week right there.

Try to find something that you like to do that gets you up off you’re butt and do it everyday for at least 30 minutes (The longer the more fat you’ll burn).

Stop Losing Weight and Start Burning Fat

If you want to lose weight… just go on a diet, sit in a steam room for a couple of hours, or take some side-effect infested weight loss pill. If you want to look better as you lose weight…then you need to focus on burning fat.

Diets, steam rooms, and pills cause you to lose muscle and water weight. Losing muscle not only makes you look worse but it also lowers your metabolism making it easier for you to gain weight.
Have you ever noticed the people who lose weight on these “lose 30lbs in 8 days” programs still have flabby arms, a saggy butt, and pot belly? The reason why is that these programs tend to help people lose more good-looking muscle than ugly body fat.

Steam rooms cause you to lose water weight which you’ll gain back after you drink a couple glasses of water.

The best way to focus on burning fat is to lose no more than 2lbs a week. If you lose more than 2lbs a week you will only start to lose muscle and water.

A basic beginner’s fat loss plan would be to eat more and play golf everyday (please see the first two things you must do to lose weight).

Just Keep on Saying SO THAT

First, ask yourself Why you want to lose weight and after you come up with a reason why just keep on saying SO THAT.

For example—Why Do you want to lose weight
* I want to lose weight to look better SO THAT…
* I can feel more confident about myself SO THAT…
* I can be the best looking person at my high school reunion SO THAT…
* I can see the surprised looks on the faces of my classmates SO THAT …
* I may be able to go on a date with the person I had a crush on in high school

Can you see what’s happening here? The more times you say SO THAT the more and more motivated you’ll become to lose weight. I don’t know about you but if you can come up with at least three SO THATS nothing will stop you from losing weight.

 

 

Exercise And Sleeping Better

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The amount of physical exercise that you exert during the day is one of the key ingredients to helping you get a good sleep at night. The more active your body is during the day, the more likely you are to relax at night and fall asleep faster.

With regular exercise you’ll notice that your quality of sleep is improved and the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep will become smoother and more regular. By keeping up your physical activity during the day, you may find it easier to deal with the stress and worries of your life.

exercise

Research and studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between how much we exercise and how we feel afterwards.

You should try and increase your physical activity during the day. The goal here is to give your body
enough stimulation during the day so that you aren’t full of energy at night.

Your body requires a certain amount of physical activity in order to keep functioning in a healthy
manner. It is also important to note that you should not be exercising three or four hours before you go to bed.

The ideal exercise time is in the late afternoon or early evening. You want to make sure you expend
your physical energy long before it is time for your body to rest and ready itself for sleep.

You should attempt to exercise at least three or four times a week for a period of 30 minutes or so.
You can include walking or something simple. If you prefer, you can include strenuous activities
such as running as well.

The goal here is to increase your heart rate and strengthen the capacity of your lungs. By adding a regular exercise activity to your daily schedule will help you to improve your overall health and help you emotionally as well.

Along with running and walking there are several other physical activities that you can add to your
daily life to increase your level of physical activity. If you are battling not sleeping, you’ll find aerobic exercise to be the best.

Your goal with exercise is to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your blood stream. Overall,
there are many types of aerobic exercise for you to choose from. The activities include running,
biking, using a treadmill, dancing, and jumping rope.

There are some non aerobic exercises that you may find beneficial to help you solve your amnesia
problem.

Yoga

Yoga is an exercise that has a stimulatory effect on your nervous system, especially the brain. Yoga
utilizes breathing techniques and yoga postures to increase the blood circulation to the brain, promoting regular and restful sleeping patterns. The regular practice of yoga will help you to relax as well as relieve tension and stress.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is an ancient art of breathing and movement that was developed by the Chinese monks. The
movements involved are slow and precise, which is ideal if you have joint pains or you are unable
to participate in high aerobic exercises. Research has shown that Tai Chi can help with insomnia by
promoting relaxation.

If you discover that you don’t have any time to exercise on a regular basis, you should try to sneak moments of activity into your schedule. Whenever possible, you should take the stairs instead of the elevator, as little things like that will do wonders for your body.

You should also park your car around the corner and walk that extra block or two to get to your
destination. As you may know, there are many small things you can add to increase the activity in
your life. Your overall goal here is to have a healthy and well balanced life – with plenty of sleep.

 

 

 

How to Prevent Getting Binge Eating Disorder.

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For some, eating can be of serious concern, especially for binge eaters. Binge eating is the excessive consumption of food in short intervals of time. After binge eating, you will usually experiences feelings of shame and regret. However, there is likely an underlying factor contributing to your binge eating. It will be explained how you can prevent binge eating before it starts.

How Can I Prevent Myself from Binge Eating?

One way to prevent binge eating is to follow an eating schedule. You should not under eat. Under eating will only make you feel hungrier, and is not at all healthy. Scheduling your eating times and eating healthily is a good plan if you wish to end your struggle with binge eating. Do not be overly concerned with your weight, as this will only cause you further stress. Instead, you should focus on eating healthily and staying on schedule with your eating times. After all, worrying will not help you lose weight.

binge eating

You should also recognize what triggers your binge eating or if you are binge eating due to past trauma. Many with binge eating disorder seek out professional help to identify the underlying causes of their eating disorder. You should not be ashamed of seeking professional help as many are in your same situation and need similar help. You deserve to start living a happy, healthy life. Professional help will allow you to change your thoughts and finally be free of what is causing you to binge eat.

Another strategy to preventing yourself from binge eating is to not be around foods you are likely to binge on. Also, many suggest that you find something other than food to give you happiness. Perhaps you enjoy some other activity that can replace eating, such as exercise or painting. Participating in relaxing activities may also allow you to prevent binge eating. Deep breathing, music, or conversing with friends can be a perfect way to calm you. Once you feel the urge to binge eat, you should begin participating in some relaxing activity so as to prevent binging.

If you find yourself beginning to binge eat, try to control your thoughts. You are not a hopeless cause if you begin to binge eat, and can stop midway through. All you must do is learn to relax and control your thoughts in these stressful situations. For this reason, it is vital to seek professional help to learn how to control these urges.

Conclusion

There is much you can do to prevent binge eating. Replacing food with something that will bring you equal or greater pleasure is a great strategy, but of course, do not abuse what you replace food with. Also, seeking professional help will allow you to identify and be free from the factors that are causing you to binge eat. Finding methods of relaxation and changing your thoughts are all part of the process of finding happiness. If you struggle with binge eating, there is no reason to simply accept the situation. Know that you are not alone, and there is plenty of help available to you. You are worth overcoming binge eating.

 

 

3 Simple Steps To A More Restful Sleep Tonight

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Picture this: It’s 5:27 PM. You’re hungry after a busy day at work, itching to get home to see your family, and now you’re stuck in traffic. Frustration sets in, thoughts of just going home and straight to sleep comes to mind. But you’re used to it since this is an every day occurrence.

So you finally stroll into your house at 6:04 PM, your 2 young children are clamoring for your attention, and they’re hungry too. You pop some frozen dinners in the microwave knowing full well they’re not healthy, but also knowing that you just don’t have time to think, much less cook. After a quick dinner consisting of Salisbury Steak you’re day’s not even close to over.

sleep

Now it’s time to do laundry, read with the kids, and of course a day’s work left over from the office. When do you have time to rest? At night you keep telling yourself.

But every night it’s the same old story. You flop into bed past 1 AM and close your eyes. Your mind is still racing from the day that just passed and the busy day ahead. So you toss and turn, hoping that you’ll be able to get at least a little shut-eye before your 6:00 AM wake up call (an annoyingly loud alarm clock
you’ve had for 15 years).

And the next day it starts all over again. You’re tired at work, you don’t have time to eat, you’re stressed, and you can’t get out of the vicious cycle.

So what do you do?

First thing’s first: take a deep breath. You’re probably stressed out just reading this far.

To get a more restful sleep tonight do the following:

1) Get a notebook and take 5 minutes right before laying down to free write. What you want to do is get every thought from the past, present, and future out of your head and on paper where it’s safe and secure. This will free the clutter from your head and allow you to rest easier.

2) Get a new alarm clock that wakes you up gradually with classical music. This will do absolute wonders for your morning routine. What you want to do is set the alarm to go off 15-20 minutes earlier than you usually wake up. It will turn on very quietly and slowly bring you out of your slumber.

3) Add a few very healthy snacks to your daily routine. One of my favorites is a 2 oz pre-packaged bag of baby carrots. They taste good, they’re good for you, and they take no prep-time. When you’re hungry at work or on the way home, munch on these. Another great snack is raw almonds. Eating healthier works
amazingly well to help you sleep better.

Please use these 3 simple tips to enjoy a more restful sleep tonight.

 

 

Tips on Exercising Properly

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There are two main types of exercise that you can do aerobic and anaerobic. The first one, aerobic, means with oxygen. Aerobic type exercising has an important distinction, it burns fat as the main fuel.

Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the main source of fuel. Despite common myths, exercise doesn’t have to be drastic in any way to provide massive benefits. Even if you choose light exercise, you will still burn fat.

exercising

Light exercise will clear out lactic acid, which is a waste of the body, and stimulate your cells to
regenerate. To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it’s very important to make sure
that you are doing several things as you exercise.

The most important thing you can do as you exercise is breathe deep. You should always breathe in deep into your stomach through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and then exhale hard through your mouth.

Second, you should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise. You should do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then you’ll begin to notice just how much your energy
will explode.

Even if you don’t think you have the time to exercise, rest assured that there is always time. If you have to, use the time that you would normally spend sleeping. With exercising, you’ll actually need less sleep than before.

You can also use the time of your lunch break to exercise as well. The increase in productivity will have you more on the ball, and you can save your time through the dramatic increase in your overall productivity.

Cellularise, or rebounding, is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is. If you have access to a rebounder, you shouldn’t hesitate to use it. Use any break you have at work to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing.

Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and larger as well. There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease
or ailment.

Movement of the joints will promote proper blood flow and create energy, as sitting down all day will rob your body of much needed energy. If you sit down all day, it’s very important that you promote blood flow, circulation, energy, brain flow, and the strength of your heart. With just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you’ll find yourself healthier than you have ever been in the past.

 

 

10 Tips For Staying Fit While Working From Home

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Despite what many may think, working from home takes a lot of time and a lot of work. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “They don’t really have a job, they just work from home.” That statement couldn’t be farther from the truth! Running a home business takes almost all of your time. Therefore, many other things drop down on your priority list. Probably one of the first ones to drop is fitness.
When you have a never-ending to-do list, a house that never seems to get clean and family and/or friends who demand attention, it’s understandable that exercise can take a back seat. But, it shouldn’t.

Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always be part of your weekly routine. Of course, we all know that exercise can help you stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great results of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better – two things that are especially beneficial to busy at-home workers and business owners. Fitness helps keep you healthy and has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. If that still doesn’t convince you to get moving, then keep in mind that exercise also improves self-esteem, increases stamina and ultimately helps you be able to do continuous work for longer. What more could you ask for?

home

It all sounds great, right? But you still don’t think that you can find any time in your hectic schedule for staying in shape. Don’t worry. There are a lot of creative ways to fit it in. Below are some tips to help you get started.

Schedule time for working out. When you work at home it’s so easy to work around the clock. To help avoid this think of yourself as having a traditional “office job”. In most “office jobs” when you go home for the night you leave work behind and concentrate on personal things. Even though going home for you may simply be walking down the hall, you need to set boundaries in order to find time for you.

During working hours, take several 5-10 minute breaks and run up and down the stairs (or even just walk). This will also help rejuvenate your mind.

Sitting in front of a computer can be hard on your body, especially your posture. So, find a comfortable place where you can occasionally stand to do your computer work.
It’s not necessary for you to find 30 continuous minutes for working out. You’ll get just as much benefit if you break your exercise into small chunks. Try 10 minutes before you start work, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after work (re-read # 1 above if you just said you have no “after work” time).

If you don’t won’t to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want to eat healthy, cook large portion meals on the weekend that you can freeze. Then simply defrost and warm for dinners during the week. This saves you the time of having to make dinner and you don’t have to compromise calories as you would if you instead opted for take-out.

One great advantage of working at home is that you can workout over your lunch hour while never leaving your office plus you don’t have to pack your workout clothes and toiletries to take with you to work. This saves you travel time, which you can instead spend on grabbing a healthy bite to eat. And, if you don’t have any face-to-face meetings scheduled, then you don’t have to worry about looking perfect after your workout.

If you haven’t already done so, invest in a good hands-free headset for your phone. This is a great way to multi-task because your hands are free to do other things while you concentrate on your conference call. You can even do some simple (but worthwhile) exercise moves. Some good choices are squats, triceps dips, lunges, wall push-ups, etc.

Keep healthy snacks available for when you need an energy boost or simply just need something to chew on to help you get through some tough work. Don’t forget to keep water on hand and sip some all throughout your day.

Purchase an exercise stability ball. While there are dozens of great toning exercises you can do with the ball, it’s also beneficial to simply sit on it. Try sitting on it instead of a chair for even short periods throughout your day. This will help build your core strength (your trunk area).
Don’t forget the importance of stretching. Take a couple of minutes every hour to stand up and stretch your entire body.

As you can see, exercise offers huge benefits even with just a small amount of effort. And if you have kids, by exercising you also set a great example. So, to help you, your business, and your family it’s time to stop making excuses and just start moving!

 

 

Water And Exercise

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The human body is made up of over 75% of water, and as we all know, we cannot live without water. The fact is, we can only survive for a total of 3 days without water. Water has however, been replaced in most diets by soft drinks and other sugar sweetened refreshments. Keep in mind that water is a healthier and necessary for leading yourself towards a better health and longevity.

Your own personal need for water can vary greatly due to exercise, weight, and temperature. Research has proven that over 2/3 of adults don’t get the water they need on a daily basis. By drinking water on a regular basis you can replenish your body and keep it well hydrated and functioning as it should be.

water

A majority of us wait until we are thirsty before we drink water. Keep in mind, this way isn’t a reliable gauge of the water needs for the body. By the time you are thirsty you have already lost two
of more cups of the body’s water supply. Therefore, drinking water regularly is much better than simply waiting until you are thirsty.

It is very important that you don’t substitute beverages with alcohol and caffeine for water. The
reason behind this is that those types of beverages act as a diuretic and can cause you to lose more
weight through increased urination. You may think and feel as if you are getting more water through
these beverages, although the fact is that you are letting it go almost as fast as you consume it.

Anytime you exercise, you need more water. Due to perspiration, your body will lose quite a bit of
water. For each pound lost due to exercise, you need to drink 2 cups of water. Even when you lay down to sleep, your body loses water. By drinking a glass or more of water before you go to sleep, you can wake up with your body functioning as it should be.

It should become more obvious that when you are sick you’ll need more water than any other tine. When you get a cold or the flu, your body can become dehydrated quite quickly. You can help to prevent this by drinking more water at times when you become sick.

There are several mixed opinions as to whether purified water will actually provide benefit. This is a subject you should explore yourself as you determine the best type of water for yourself.

Always make it a habit to drink water on a daily basis. You should keep a bottle of water with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. You should also teach yourself to drink water instead of other beverages that don’t replenish the nutrients your body needs.

 

 

Common Causes of Binge Eating Disorder

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Binge eating is characterized by excessive eating followed by feelings of guilt. If you struggle with this behavior, it is important to know that you are not alone, and there are many others struggling with a similar condition. However, your case is unique, so it must be handled uniquely. No one case of binge eating is the same. The first step to healing is finding the cause of your binge eating. It will be explained what the likely contributing factors to your binge eating may be.

Why am I a Binge Eater?

Most conditions are caused by both biological and psychological factors, and binge eating is no exception. First, the biological factors will be discussed. Research has found that one of the areas of the brain controlling hunger is misfiring in those with binge eating disorder. It is possible that this area of the brain is not allowing you to feel full. Studies have also shown that serotonin deficiency may play a role in causing excessive eating. For this reason, your psychiatrist may prescribe you an anti-depressant for your binge eating, as anti-depressants will increase your levels of serotonin. It should be no surprise that those with binge eating disorder often suffer from depression, as one of the causes for depression is a deficiency of serotonin.

binge eating

Another possible biological cause of your binge eating is due to your genes. If you have a family member who was a binge eater, you are at an increased risk of binge eating. Although the research is recent and not yet conclusive, studies have also shown that mutations in proteins that regulate blood sugar and metabolism are possible causes of binge eating.

The psychological factors that may be contributing to your binge eating disorder will now be discussed. As was stated above, if you suffer from depression, you are at an increased risk of suffering from binge eating disorder partly due to your deficiency of serotonin. There are other contributing factors as well. If you suffer from binge eating disorder, it is likely that you struggle with low self-esteem, anxiety, and/or loneliness. As a result, you may be binge eating in order to comfort yourself from these overwhelming feelings. Another factor may be the environment you were raised in. Studies have shown that those who were raised in families that tend to overeat are at an increased risk of binge eating. Finally, sexual abuse and other traumas has shown to put one at a significantly increased risk of binge eating.

Conclusion

Binge eating, as other disorders, is a result of both biological and psychological factors. Some biological factors have shown to be a deficiency in serotonin, a history of binge eating in your family, and mutations in proteins regulating blood sugar and metabolism. As for psychological factors, there are an abundance of possible causes including depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, loneliness, past environment, and past trauma. These are all common causes of binge eating disorder. You should know that you are not alone in fight against binge eating, and there are many outlets in which you can seek help. It is recommended to seek professional help in order to uncover the underlying causes of your binge eating. Also, you may receive therapy that will allow you to make peace with your past experiences. Life is too short to waste; it is time to be happy. You are worth the fight.