Knowing how to eat is as important as knowing what to eat. Many many people eat when under stress. The first sign of some of the tough waves in life and these people reach for the cookies, the doughnuts, the chips. It is a natural, biological impulse, coming from a time when we needed extra food during stress: stress in those times was very often related to a threat to the food source!

The rest of us do the opposite. We turn off our natural craving or desire to eat whenever stress levels hit a certain point. This too relates to a time when eating was dropped in favor of running away!

Sometimes the unwillingness to eat under stress becomes extreme. As the lack of food begins to take its toll in the body, stress is registered in every more refined amounts. In other words, when we eat properly, our bodies and minds are able to handle a certain level of stress in our lives with some sense of perspective.

So the lack of food during a time of stress may increase our sensitivity to that stress. Here are some hints which may help if you are a person who does not respond to food during times of emotional turbulence.

If you are having trouble maintaining an "improved" diet, one in which you have substituted say macaroni and cheese for more vegetables, this may be a time when you turn to the macaroni and cheese again.

The principle here is in times of stress, it is better to eat something than to eat nothing. You may find yourself "relapsing" to eating patterns from an earlier stage in your life. Allow this. Accept this as a temporary need, one that you will adjust as soon as your food gets back on track.

Next, take time. Make a date with yourself to eat. If you can encourage yourself toward food by being around other people, then make dates around food with others at this time.

If on the other hand, you crave solitude for food, allow yourself what you need. Take the time and make the effort to consciously understand what eating patterns keep you interested in food.

Part of this exploration may be whether you like to have music the background while you eat. Or you may be a person who likes the television on. This is not a time to judge yourself right or wrong, but simply to identify what is important to you to encourage you to eat. If you enjoy television, try to avoid the NEWS (mostly negative) or programs that convey a negative view of life and the world we live in. Choose a program which brings a little lift to your attitude, even if only momentarily.

Next, plan the food. It doesn't matter what food, just something that will keep up your body's energy. Sit quietly and breathe before eating. Take three or more breathes until you begin to feel the calm, even just slightly. Take each mouthful slowly and chew consciously without making a huge deal of it.

If you can, try a short glass of wine ( no more than 4 oz) to cut through your stress levels and allow you to ingest the food in front of you. No more than one glass though! These hints may help you through a difficult time, until your more usual interest in food returns.