The Body Remembers: How Trauma Shapes Eating Patterns (And How We Can Heal)
For many of us, eating is far more than just a simple act of nourishment. It’s shaped by our experiences, our emotions, and sometimes, by the deep scars of trauma.
If you've ever found yourself caught in patterns of restricting food, overeating, or disconnecting from your hunger and fullness cues, you're not alone. These behaviors often aren’t just about food—they are coping mechanisms that developed when we needed to protect ourselves from pain.
How Trauma Affects Our Relationship with Food
Trauma, whether it's big or small, past or ongoing, can lead to a disconnection between our bodies and our needs, leaving us feeling out of control or disconnected from the natural rhythms of eating.
Healing from trauma often means reconnecting with our bodies in a way that feels safe, compassionate, and whole again, so we can begin to trust our hunger, honor our fullness, and embrace the nourishment our bodies crave.
The Nervous System's Role in Eating Behaviors
When we experience trauma, our nervous system can become dysregulated. This dysregulation impacts how we respond to food and our bodies. The autonomic nervous system, which controls automatic functions like digestion, heart rate, and breath, is often thrown into a state of hyperarousal (fight or flight) or hypoarousal (freeze or collapse).
In these states, it becomes difficult to tune into the body's natural hunger and fullness cues. Our bodies might either crave excessive amounts of food as a way of self-soothing (often leading to bingeing), or we might suppress our appetite altogether (leading to restriction). Both responses are survival mechanisms that develop when we don’t feel safe.
By understanding how trauma affects the nervous system, we can begin to build safety in the body again. This is the first step in restoring balance and reconnecting to our natural rhythms of hunger and fullness.
How Grounding Can Help with Stress and Nourishing the Body:
Grounding exercises help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" response. When we experience stress, our bodies are often stuck in a "fight or flight" mode, which can interfere with our ability to properly digest food, listen to our hunger cues, or fully absorb nourishment. By practicing grounding, we allow our nervous system to reset, helping to regulate the stress response.
When stress is regulated, we can more easily connect with our bodies and their needs. This enables us to recognize hunger and fullness cues, feel more at ease around food, and create a more nourishing environment for our bodies to thrive. Grounding is a simple yet powerful practice that helps us feel safer in our bodies and more at peace with food.
A Simple Grounding Practice:
Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in, letting your belly expand. Exhale slowly. Continue to breathe deeply, focusing on your breath.
Now, gently bring your attention to the ground beneath you. Imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet, sinking deep into the earth. Feel the weight of your body being supported by the ground. Notice any areas of tension in your body and allow them to soften as you breathe.
If your mind begins to wander, gently guide it back to the feeling of connection to the earth beneath you. Stay with this feeling for a few minutes, breathing deeply and noticing the grounding sensation.
Reflecting on Your Journey
As you begin to integrate somatic practices into your life, remember that healing isn’t linear. It’s a process of reconnecting with your body, learning to trust its signals, and offering it the care it deserves. Somatic work helps create space for that reconnection, allowing you to move from stress, fear, or disconnection to a more peaceful and nourishing relationship with food.
Every small step you take is progress, and it’s important to acknowledge your own unique path towards healing.
Ready to reconnect with your body’s wisdom and find peace with food?
This is exactly the work we do in nutrition therapy: rewiring your nervous system so you can feel safe, empowered, and peaceful around food—rather than overwhelmed, guilty, and anxious.