Hypnosis for Food Aversions

Alicia called me with complaints about extreme aversion to vegetables. So much so that even seeing vegetables would be enough to kill her appetite. She learned to live with this intense aversion until she got pregnant. Then she realized she was missing a significant amount of nutrition that could benefit her and the baby.

Alicia is not the only one. It’s very common for people to have aversions to certain foods. These could be foods with specific colors, ingredients, or certain types of food. I’ve seen it all. This may not seem like a significant issue for most people, but it slowly becomes so consuming that it affects the family dynamics, especially the kids. 

There aren’t many therapeutic techniques that are known to address food aversions specifically. Thankfully, hypnotherapy is an easy and effective one. Let’s dig into how hypnosis can help with food aversions!

What causes food aversions?

There is not really concrete evidence and reason for food aversions. It’s estimated that food aversions usually occur because of a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

In my experience, the majority of food aversions persist because of a negative subconscious association created early on in life. These negative associations may be caused by traumatic events, negative information about certain foods, or the details of that food.

Because foods usually stimulate a few senses at the same time (smell, taste, touch, see), the subconscious mind remembers those senses with the associated event. For example, if a child is punished every time, they don’t finish their vegetables, that can lead to a food aversion in the long term. Or if something dramatic happened while eating strawberries, subconsciously, negative feelings may be attached to strawberries.

Can hypnosis help picky eaters?

Food aversion can be an extreme case, but sometimes being a picky eater can also affect the quality of nutrition, diet, and weight issues overall. Hypnosis can also help with being more open to different foods.  

The foods we eat and what we like “naturally” get highly affected by the subconscious programming we have. Therefore, with hypnotherapy, we can stimulate the subconscious mind to approach foods with more curiosity and openness.

Hypnosis can help with food aversions and picky eating by working with the subconscious associations.

How does hypnosis work for food aversions?

Hypnosis is a subconscious tool that works with the associations, beliefs, and patterns we suppress. With food aversions, it’s essential to address the subconscious mind because consciously, we are usually very well aware that there is no need to be anxious about consuming certain foods but somehow, when exposed to these foods, a part of the mind hijacks the system and we lose control.

This is the part we work with hypnosis; the part that takes over. Here are a few areas we can tackle with hypnosis for food aversions:

Direct suggestions

During hypnosis, the subconscious mind cannot differentiate reality and imagination. This is a good time to flood the mind with positive suggestions and alternative ways of being. Direct associations can be helpful to direct the mind towards what you’d like to achieve and how you’d like to feel.

Finding the root cause

Especially when dealing with chronic food aversion, finding the root cause can be the key to long-term improvement. After all, it’s very difficult to open yourself up to something when your mind is completely against it.

During hypnosis, we work with the subconscious mind, the part of the mind that holds repressed memories, associations, and emotions. With regression or release techniques, we can uncover what memories are associated with the foods one is avoiding.

Introducing different foods

Many people who have food aversions drop into panic and anxiety when they are exposed to foods that they can’t have. This makes it even more difficult to even try to eat that food, let alone enjoy it.  

With hypnotherapy, we train the mind to respond calmly and instead, relax when exposed to those same foods. This breaks the anxiety-food-aversion cycle. Instead, gives people space to re-experience the food from a neutral angle.

Final words

Hypnosis shows promise in addressing food aversions by re-conditioning the perceptions and behaviors. With the help of the targeted techniques, you can overcome aversions and finally achieve healthier eating habits.

While more research is needed, evidence suggests hypnosis can be a valuable tool for improving relationship with food. Whether struggling with specific food aversions, chronic aversions or simply wanting a better eating experience, hypnosis can take you to a path to a healthier and happier relationship with food.