Tuesday, 28 February 2017

Psychology of Eating Podcast: Episode #187 – A Man Has a Breakthrough with Food & Life

Joel’s life has felt uncertain and out of his control. He feels like he copes with the uncertainty in his life through food. At times, it’s as though he can’t stop eating and one meal turns into a several hour affair. Marc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, helps Joel put the pieces together on what is really going on behind the overeating. Rather than focusing on the eating as the problem, Joel discovers that what he is yearning for is something bigger in his life, using food as his outlet. Joel takes on his masculine, his feminine, his resistance to structure, and makes a big commitment to his life.

Below is a transcript of this podcast episode:

Marc: Welcome, everybody, I’m Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating and we are back in the Psychology of Eating podcast. And I’m with Joel today. Welcome, Joel.

Joel: Thanks, Marc. Glad to be here.

Marc: Yeah, yeah. I’m glad we’re here. And let me just say a few words, Joel, to viewers and listeners who are new to the podcast. Here’s how it works. Joel and I, we’ve just been chatting for two or three minutes before coming on here live. And so this is the first time we’ve met. This is our session together. And we’re going to see if we can, in less than an hour, just kind of get some good work done and push the fast forward button a little bit on the transformational process.

So, Mr. Joel, if you can wave your magic wand and get whatever you wanted to get from this session, what would that look like for you, my friend?

Joel: I think it would be to embody the sense of control over my life. I think that would sum up everything. It really does equate to like a bit of a lack of control, not really knowing where the steering wheel is and everything in life.

Marc: And does that show up in any way for you around food, around body, around weight, or what’s the connection there for you?

Joel: Yeah, food for sure. I mean I grew up around food. My mom was very much a woman-in-the-kitchen type of mom. And so I kind of got to see what she did all my life. And I kind of adopted that habit myself of really immersing myself in the kitchen and with food. But I eventually came to realize that there is this fine line between employing alchemy in the kitchen and creativity and then using food really as a coping tactic when things feel tough. And so I noticed that I’ve made that transition towards the dark side of it.

And so consequently, what ends up happening is eating becomes really a way for me to cope with a lot of internalized anxiety or even just to like avoid responsibilities. It just feels like it quiets everything down if I engage in eating, which can become really I think of temptation and compulsion. Like if something’s in reach, the off switch can be completely blank for me. Like I can just keep going and going and people say, “Where does it all go?” Like I don’t know, I’m a skinny guy. But it’s crazy how much I can actually eat. I just keep going at it for, literally, periods of hours. And even if it’s just like one meal in a day, that one meal can last for a period of three to five hours. So it’s definitely a huge imbalance point. And it’s not always there, but I frequent that way too often.

Marc: How many days a week or how many days a month would you say you end up in that tricky territory?

Joel: I can say weekly, probably three to four days out of the week. Lately in my life, it has become more frequent. In the past, I would always had less, maybe just a few times a month. But honestly, at this particular point, three to four times a week would be a good summation.

Marc: And when you’re eating the food, are you enjoying it? Are you into it?

Joel: Yeah. Like 98% of the time I’m actually—the funny thing about it is I’m crazy mindful with the actual nuances of the eating. Like I savor the food very much. I chew things. Like I think that was either you or Emily once I heard saying that make it a goal to be the last one to finish eating. Well, I’m way the last one to finish. So a normal meal, for me, would take me an hour and a half just to eat a normal basic meal. So I’m really into it, really enjoying bringing the passion out of it. It just doesn’t stop.

Marc: Yeah. How old are you, Joel?

Joel: Thirty-two.

Marc: You’re 32. Are you working? Are you in school? Tell me what you’re life looks like.

Joel: So I haven’t been working for a bit over a year now since I basically quit the jobs that I had to go visit my homeland for six weeks that I hadn’t been back in 15 years. Since I came back to Canada after that, it feels like this last year and a bit has really become a period of introspection for me and kind of like then I just moved back into my parents’ home at that time as well. So there was really a lot of just kind of orienting where’s my life kind of going.

Prior to that and sort of in between all that, I’ve been studying actually holistic nutrition for—there was a one year intensive that I was doing part-time over three years. And I was working prior to that in a group home environment with a lot of persons with physical and cognitive disabilities, which kind of goes back. And I did that for many years. And prior to that, I had focused my education on child and youth workers. So there was definitely this theme always around helping people who needed a voice, so to say.

Marc: So do you have a sense of where you might be going in the future in terms of your work?

Joel: I have like a vision. Definitely the getting there is very elusive to me. But as I’ve kind of really gone inward a lot, what I kind of see this vision—because I think I do good for myself in terms of like finding out my strengths.

And for a long time, I didn’t. I really kind of quieted down or ignored it or found some other shiny tool or gadget or tactic to find my productivity in the world and really ignoring the most powerful thing within me, which was my intuition. I have a little like next to psychic intuition with people. Like I can often finish people’s sentences. Talking to people after like a minute or two, it’s like I already get a sense of like we’re, they’re stuck in life and all that. Which is highly ironic because when I look at myself it is incredibly difficult to apply those skillsets or those innate abilities for myself. So I laugh at myself in that regard.

But in terms of what I wanted to tackle, I want to tap into that gift that I have, to be able to connect with people and connect for them the dots that they don’t see in their life. And help to make sense of their lives when they themselves may be lost in a certain arena of life or just in the simple albeit, I consider highly important facet of knowing who they are.

I’m very keen on having people express best of who they are into the world and bringing that. So I have spent also a lot of this year, as I’ve been rediscovering myself in deeper ways, to do that. To be as honest as I can be with myself and to let my actions embody that. Obviously, I’m not hitting that 100% of the time. But that is what I want to strive is to help people make that kind of fundamental change for themselves.

Marc: Do you have an idea of what specifically that would look like, like what specific kind of career or kind of profession?

Joel: Yeah. I think I would have kind of tailor to a molding of the different arenas that I’ve kind of learned and trained in throughout the years. So it would be something along the lines of like transformational health coach. I mean that’s not going to be like the final title that I would give myself but with my current choice of words…And I would imagine for me that would look a bit like working—probably 101 initially or maybe even opening that up to like working with small groups of people, because I do also love the dynamics of kind of feeling and reading the energy of a small group.

And honestly, from where I am right now, if there was like someone else looking in, I’d probably sound like a little off to handle like to say this. But I feel like I had a vision of myself actually years from now, actually speaking to thousands of people to elicit the kind of change that I want to see in the world, to see a better world.

Marc: I get it. So where’s your home country that you went to visit?

Joel: Portugal.

Marc: Portugal. How was that experience for you?

Joel: Definitely a mixed bag. I was confronted with a lot of anger. If I were to sum it up in a sentence, I would say that I felt angry that I was born into a family that had so much inherent debilitation or handicap or setback. And I feel like, literally, I had to trench through the mud just to kind of progress on life; that I was kind of given really a bad playing hand of cards, if you will. And I think that going back home and seeing the people I haven’t seen in 15 years and seeing where their mindsets were at and how they’re very fixed. And to me it felt like very backwards, a very backwards way of thinking.

So I was really challenged with those things. And I have to work through some of that anger. I haven’t fully worked through it, but that was one of the key aspects. There’s good as well. For the first time, I went to visit all the southern aspects of the country and a little bit of a road trip. So it was beautiful to see the beaches and experience the climate. So it wasn’t all that. But definitely, it brought challenge.

Marc: And how is it living in your parents’ house? That must be interesting.

Joel: Yeah. Initially, it was probably more challenging. And I’ve kind of done this probably four to five times now, where I’ve kind of gotten out, lived life, had an adventure. And then after that adventure, not going to know where I’m going next again. And at this state, currently, with my parents, like they are not in very good health.

So again, I find it kind of ironic that I studied a lot of around the realms of holistic health practices and holistic nutrition. And I could coach them a lot in terms of like here are better things to do. But also I understand their psychology to a point that, one, they’re not going to listen to their son. Like they’ll listen to the news or they’ll listen to maybe a friend. But if Joel is saying it, it’s just not going to sink in.

So initially, that was frustrating. But eventually, I realized it doesn’t matter if they’re blood related or not or it was a client. It’s just about meeting them where they’re at and then having the expectations attached.

So I can’t say that I’ve kind of walked away a lot from having that expectations that they will change or do things the way that I would like to see them do it because it’s better or healthier. And yeah, I mean this still frustrate me because they’re also pretty fixed and rigid. But because we’re sharing space, at the end of the day, I’m able to kind of make peace with that until I’m able to make my next big stride in life, however that looks like.

Marc: Got it, got it, got it.

So what do you think holds you back the most?

Joel: I’ve articulated that I have a certain fear around big responsibility. It’s like I think really big and I’m getting these wild ideas in like colors that I see it and the rest of the world doesn’t. And then I kind of shy away. Like I become scared in a way. It’s very much internalized. But on the external world, it shows up as me not taking bigger action, me playing a really small, me doubting myself, all that chitchat that can go on in the head.

Marc: So then I think I got your answers. So if you could say it in three or four words, what sometimes holds me back is…three or four words?

Joel: Fear of responsibility.

Marc: Fear of responsibility. That’s interesting. No, it is. It really is. And what would be the fear? So fear of responsibility, like what would happen if you took on more responsibility? So in the worst-case scenario, if my fear went down, it would look like this.

Joel: I think I would be afraid of letting someone or just letting people down. If I am opening up myself to be in a position of helping and then I were to fail at that or lead someone in a direction that’s actually not good for them, I feel like I would be harboring that responsibility. Even though, ultimately, I know the other person is the one who took their actions. It wasn’t me. I was just kind of coaching along. But I do feel like I harbor responsibility of others, which I don’t think I should.

Marc: So you have a responsibility meaning it’s like, “Hey, I need to help you out, I need to take care of you. And if I fail in any way, that’s a bad thing.” Is that kind of what you’re saying?

Joel: Yeah. And also like it’s not okay to make mistakes. That’s also been a recurring theme for me as well.

Marc: I think I get it. So how do your parents feel about where you’re at and where you’re all at together, like where do they stand? If I was talking to them right now and I said, “Hey, you know, I’m going to be speaking to Joel pretty soon about life and such and future and just sort of him being the best he can be,” what would they say to me?

Joel: Probably be confused and worried at the same time, I think. Because I know they don’t get me. I’m definitely like the odd one in any crowd I find myself in. But I know that they fundamentally don’t get me and communication with my folks is often scarce. I’m closer with my mom. But our communication overall, there’s not a lot there.

So I think it’d be hard for them to actually answer that just because it’s like we live on two separate planets. And I think that would also translate to the work aspect because when they think, he’s not working, he has no job, he doesn’t have a flow of money coming in right now. With all the conventional ways of what would be—things would be judged by. So I think that would be them worried and confused.

Marc: Got it. Do you have a timeline for yourself? In your mind, do you have a timeline? Do you have dates in terms of I want to be doing a certain kind of work by a certain kind of time, earning a certain kind of money by a certain kind of time, living in a different place at a certain kind of time? Like how are you in relation to the calendar with those kinds of things?

Joel: I don’t think I have a very good relationship with timing and calendars to be quite honest. So I haven’t set time frames. I’ve definitely taken on like taking it one day at a time. And I think this ties also into the aspect of anxiety that builds up easily inside of me.

And if I were to have—and I can actually speak from past experience like to say I have a deadline for something for an assignment or a project or for maybe I was going to like catering for a small event, those deadlines, they up my state of angst like a lot.

And there’s an element to that angst to where I can be super productive and incredibly productive but at what cost? So I’ve kind of like pushed or just detached myself from timelines as a whole. And I’m just trying to see like, literally, what’s the next foot that I’m going to put in front of me so that I don’t freak myself out.

Marc: So there’s a place in you where sometimes it’s hard to regulate your own emotions. It’s hard to regulate what’s going on in your body. So you might turn to food and make a meal, an extended meal, and it tends to help regulate you…

Joel: Yeah.

Marc: …is what it sounds like. And there are certain other things that you’ll do to help regulate yourself, which is like, “Whoa, wait a second, I got to like remove this deadline or I have to remove this pressure. Otherwise, I’m just not going to function well and it’s not going to look good.”

Joel: Yeah.

Marc: Okay. I think I get it. So if I said to you, “Pick a time, right now, when you feel you would like to be kind of well on your way to where you want to be.” What would feel comfortable for you? “God, I would like to be well on my way or just really feel good about being on my way by two months, two years,” just what pops into mind for you?

Joel: Yeah, the first thing that came to mind was like safety. I need to feel safe around whatever I choose. So I’m thinking something more like May, June, July, like towards the springtime of next year to allow me well over the winter period.

Marc: Understood, understood. Okay. I’ve got some thoughts. I got some thoughts about you and how to help context all this and kind of move things forward. So let me just free associate a little bit, share what I’m thinking about, and then we can just kind of dialogue from there. To me, any eating concern, any eating challenge, any unwanted eating habit is always talking to us. It’s always a bit of a messenger. It’s always symbolic. It’s always a metaphor for something else going on.

So to me, I feel pretty good sitting over here based on your assessment and based on kind of my listening about your assessment that, yeah, it makes sense to me that you use food to soothe, because humans use food to soothe themselves because it works. We only do things because they work. They serve a purpose. So to me, you’ve wisely assessed like, yeah, okay, so this meal that gets continuous, it just, yeah, it kind of regulates me and it helps me feel better. And maybe it distracts me from other things and maybe pulls me away from certain things, but it’s making me feel better.

And again I want to say, it makes biological and psychological sense because every human being has a very strong cellular memory: Cry, be upset, feel bad, eat food, feel better. That’s an infant experience. We have that encoded in our nervous system from billions of years, probably, of humanity and other creatures just feeling good when they eat food. So that makes sense.

So let’s look at it as useful information. So there are experiences that are hard for you to emotionally regulate so you’re going to turn to food. So what are those experiences that you’re having a challenge regulating? And on the one hand, it sounds to me like you at age—what did you tell me, 32? You’re 32, Joel, yeah?

Joel: Yes.

Marc: So at age 32, it feels to me like you are poised, for the first time, to jump into the fray of life in a whole different way. Previous to this moment, you have been a bit of an observer. You notice things. You study the world. You study people. You watch people. You watch what’s going on. You see what works. You see what doesn’t. You see some of the nonsense. You see nonsense that other people don’t see. You’re kind of determining like, wow, what’s going on? What’s the lay of the land here?

You mentioned to me one of your values is you need to feel safe before you do stuff. One of the ways you feel safe, which is a smart way, is you study your environment, study your environment. And you see what’s going on, the world, the political environment, your home environment, your family environment. You study your nutritional environment like, okay, what makes this work? So then you get enough tools to feel comfortable with moving forward.

So what I want to say is there is a difference, I think—and I’m just speaking to you as older brother here because I’ve been where you’re at. So who you are right now could’ve described me at my 20s, for sure, easily and maybe my early 30s as well. So there’s a place where we, as young men, were idealistic. Now, we look at stuff and we see what we don’t like and we see it can be better and we want it to change.

Joel: Yup.

Marc: And the reality is, the world is the world and it goes about its own business and its own pace. And it has its own kind of flow that is very different from what I want it to be doing. So I think what’s happening is you are at a philosophic spiritual crossroad as a man. You are at a fork in the road.

One road leads to the old way that you’ve been on, which is this is the way I want it to be. This is the way it should be. This is the way that makes me feel comfortable. Here’s what I need in order to be me in this world. Here’s what I need from you world to do so I can feel comfortable launching out being myself, putting myself out there. And you’re wanting the world a little bit to conform. And if it doesn’t conform, you’re letting that nonconformity impact you.

Joel: Yeah.

Marc: So because the world is not being its potential as you see it. And you’re probably right. You’re pulling back. And you’re not liking the game. And there’s a part of you that judges the game. There’s a part of you that gets angry at the game. I get it. I get angry at my family. Like come on you guys, like grow faster, evolve faster. Come on world, grow faster, evolve faster. That’s us being immortal teenagers with a lot of energy who want to change the world.

Right now you’re 32 and you have to come for more wisdom. And when I say more wisdom, what I mean is the world is not going to do what we want it to do in the way we want it, when we want it to do that. It has its own rules. And in order for us to impact the world, me and you as men, we have to play by the world’s rules. We have to learn those rules.

Obviously, there are certain things you’re not going to do. I’m not asking you to compromise your deepest moral and ethical values. But what I’m saying is here we are. You got to wear clothes. You’ve got to wipe your butt. You got to have a form of transportation. You got to read. You got to write. We have to earn money. Do people earn money in bad ways? Absolutely. But we all have to do it.

So to me, there’s a place where you are embodying now or learning to embody a different part of your manhood. And it’s the part of you that’s more the warrior. And the warrior has to jump into the fray.

And when you jump into the fray, you’re not perfect. When you jump in and start teaching or coaching or counseling or working somewhere, it isn’t going to be perfect. People will not like you. People will like you. Some people will accept you. Some people will reject you. Some people will think you’re an idiot. Some people will think you’re a genius. That’s the world. We will get all kinds of input and all kinds of toxicity.

And to me, it’s about you getting in alignment with what the world really is and letting go of how you want it to be. And not letting go of your dream for the world. Not letting go of your goodness. Not letting go of your spark.

But understanding that the world doesn’t roll out the red carpet for us to do good. It doesn’t roll out the red carpet. “Oh hey, Joel, you want to do good stuff in the world? No problem. We’re here for you. Here’s this great job. Here’s this great income. Here’s this great support. Here’s all this security and safety.”

It doesn’t work like that. We are in a form of chaos. Planet Earth is chaos. And you want it to be safe. It isn’t safe. We can create safety within certain relationships. We can have agreement. You can look at the light and it says, “Walk across the street. It says go. It’s green. For you and me, as pedestrians, it’s still not safe.” I still look both ways to make sure that a car is not going to run me over. So I get that a safety has been created for me but I’m still alert.

So all I’m saying is I think for many men there comes a point which I believe you are at where for you it’s not about eating less, eating more, figuring out your food thing. The food issue is perfectly there for you because it’s showing you that there’s a place where you’re getting nervous and you need to soothe.

So we’re just reverse engineering now and go, “Okay, so where is the action for you? What’s the biggest challenge, the biggest stressor for you in life?” To me, the biggest challenge and the biggest stressor for you is stepping into yourself. But for you, in your mind, I believe, stepping into yourself has to look a certain way. You have certain ways that you want it to look. And certain conditions have to be in place. And I’m saying is, you got to remove those conditions.

Joel: All of them?

Marc: Yeah, most of them. You have to be willing to remove all of them. You have to be willing to remove all of that. So here is my dream for you, I’m just going to tell you my dream for you. It’s very selfish right now. But I’m saying this once again as older brother who I had just been doing this longer than you have.

So my dream for you is that you reach a place where you feel empowered about who you are, that you’re doing work in the world that supports you, that you feel good about, that gives you enough money to have the basics and a little bit left over to have a nice little life, and that you feel you’re contributing and you feel you’re giving your gifts. And that’s my dream that you get to that place.

But to do that in this world is a rarity. It’s a privilege. It’s a privilege. And you have to claim it. And claiming it is not easy. Because if it was easy, you would’ve done it a long time ago. I would’ve done it a long time ago. It took me 50 years to figure out how to do it the way I wanted to do it. I was committed to doing good work in the world to making money doing good work in the world that I felt passionate about. But that’s a 1% life. How many people do you know have that?

So if you want to have a 1% life, you got to put in a 1% effort, you know what I’m saying? You got to put in the kind of effort that gives you that gift. And that effort, it’s up to life’s terms, not necessarily your terms or my terms. So I’m yakking away here, how’s all this landing for you so far?

Joel: Yeah. Your speaking sounds sensible to me, yeah. I feel, although minute, there are elements of resistance within me because I feel like one of my, I don’t know what to call it, a value or guiding principle is that because I see so much corruption in the world that there are certain rules that, as we are stepping into graduated manhood or whatnot, that some of those rules actually I feel like I was born to be breaking certain rules to shoulder fallacies. And so that’s one of the things that has made it difficult for me to adapt to the grind that I guess everyone steps through, ultimately, at some point.

I mean I definitely want to do that like kind of meeting halfway thing. I feel like there’s—I don’t feel completely able to just let go of certain elements that I do feel inside of me that should be how I have come to perceive it through my felt sense reality.

But at the same time, I also take in and appreciate what you’re saying that there’s a much greater degree of adaptability that I need to also take in. And that there are certain rules that make up the consensus reality for everyone that I can’t go against because it’s just going to close the doors. So that makes a lot of sense to me.

Marc: Not my favorite movie, have you seen the movie, The Matrix?

Joel: Of course.

Marc: Okay. So I want you to think of it like when you go to work in the world, you’re going into the matrix. You have to play by the rules. You have to be in the matrix. You have to learn how to shape shift. You got to learn how to put on a suit if you need to put on a suit. Put on a bathing suit if you want to go in the ocean. Put on a tuxedo if you want to be the best man at the wedding. You got to learn how to put on your dancing clothes if you want to go out and salsa. So we put on different costumes to accomplish different tasks.

Does that mean you are the bathing suit person? Does that mean you are the businessman? No. It just means you put on different costumes. You put on your pajamas at night. That’s the costume to go to bed in, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be sleeping the rest of your life. It’s learning how to have more facility in the world so you could be more effective in it.

So yes, you’re on a crazy planet with a lot of nonsense. And you could talk about, let’s say, the banking system and how awful it is and how terrible it is. And the way it is, is you got to keep money somewhere and I don’t recommend under a mattress. So it’s like, okay, so I have to use that system. Okay, I don’t like the fact that I have to pay tax on the same car that I bought year after year after year, at least in this country. And I got to get a license. But okay, I want to drive a car, that’s the rule. So I can adapt to that without fighting it.

Before you start breaking the rules or holding them up for people that they should be changing them or breaking them, if you want to be effective at that, you have to understand those rules. You got to know how to talk about those rules. You got to be chill about those rules. Because if you get on your soapbox about it, nobody’s going to listen.

Joel: I see.

Marc: So we got to be clever. You have to be smart. It’s not like we can say, “I want to do this my way because my way isn’t always the smartest way.” So what I’m simply telling you is, if you want to change the world, you have to be more clever. You have to be more stealth. You have to put on your costume and understand when I go into a certain job, I’m assuming a role.

And I have to play that role well. That role doesn’t define me. But I’ve been able to have all kinds of fascinating impact in the world because I can walk into different places and talk to different kinds of people and have their attention. That’s way more effective than hitting them over the head. If I have their attention, they’re listening to me. Hitting them over the head, they’re not going to like it.

So what’s happening is you tend to get a little bit caught like a deer. Well, you get angry but you also get caught like a deer in headlights. You get stopped from action because there’s a part of you that realizes your system is not effective for you. It’s not moving you forward in the best way. Your system, meaning, I’ve got to be safe before I do anything. It has to look like this. I’ve got to fight things in that way.

And I’ve got to make this big impact. And it’s got to be perfect. Whew, that’s a lot of hard constraints. I would not want to step out into the world if that’s what was going on in my head. There’s a lot of pressure there. So you’re setting yourself up to fail from the get-go, which is why you don’t want to make attempts.

So I want you, personally, I want to see you get in the game. I don’t want to see you on the sidelines. You’re fully ready to get in the game. But it’s a fray. It’s mayhem. It’s chaos. It’ll get messy. You will get angry. People will piss you off. People will do stupid things. And then it’s your job and it’s my job to go, okay, how do we conduct that? How do we Tai Chi it? How do we master it? How do we navigate it? How do you help move somebody’s energy so they see it in a different way? We can’t necessarily have the perfect conditions from the beginning to create that because this is not how the world works. The world is very messy and is very imperfect.

So that’s me over here trying to just tell you straight up, head on. I’m just trying to save years of counseling, coaching psychotherapy. Like really, really, really to say like what would help you get unstuck. To my mind, what helps you get unstuck is to bump it up to the level of philosophy and see how your philosophy wants to change.

Your philosophy is actually bigger than you. It’s smarter than you. The wisdom in the universe is bigger and smarter than me or you. It’s trying to come through. And it’ll come through in a very wise and intelligent way.

And it’ll come through in a way oftentimes that will humble us. Are you with me?

Joel: Yeah.

Marc: So there’s a part of you that has to let go of the perfection that you want to see in yourself and in the world and in your work and in your family and in all of it. And you will be free when you can look at your family and go, “You crazy nutbags, I love you all.” That’s where I come from.

Because you’ve got half your mother’s DNA and half your father’s DNA, like it or not. You’re them. So you got to see the good that’s in there. And you got to also see at the same time how you want to improve upon it, that’s totally legitimate, totally reasonable. It’s the same thing like I get mad at planet Earth but I also love it at the same time. It’s where I come from.

My family, I might describe them the same way you describe your family but I love them to pieces because I see the good in them. And I’m not trying to change them. They have a different journey, a different path. Everybody in the world, different journey, different path. And as soon as we let go of the judgment, and this is how it should be, all of a sudden the game gets exciting and it gets interesting and things start to happen. Because things are not being bottled up by my judgment or my assessment of it should be this way, not that way.

Joel: Yeah. That’s an interesting point you brought there about feeling—to take on something where it’s exciting and maybe don’t know exactly what’s going to come but to have that feeling of angst or expectation to let that no longer be, what’s swirling around me as I contemplate putting myself out in the world but actually take it on with a sense of refreshed excitement. I think that’s something that I haven’t experienced for a while now. And I think I need to reconnect to that somehow.

Marc: Yeah. And part of reconnecting to that is allowing for the terror. Because there will be fear and terror and excitement and they’re very close cousins. Oftentimes, it is said that the only difference between excitement and fear is that excitement has breathing in it.

And we’re slightly seeing things a little different. Fear, we tend to hold our breath. Excitement is like [gasping for air]. And excitement, we’re giving ourselves a moment of exhilaration or joy, which is often, often, often present in the very thing we’re afraid of.

Right on the other side of fear is excitement. Think of a rollercoaster. Some people go down a rollercoaster and they’re screaming because they’re excited and somebody sitting next to them might be screaming because they’re afraid. It looks the same but it’s a slightly different attitude with a little bit of breathing.

So what I want to say to you is it’s not always going to be exciting. You have to allow for the terror and the fear to come in. Your fear of the fear; your fear of the terror; your fear of the discomfort, I believe, is a major factor that stops you. And it will cause you or stimulate you to want to eat because your body wants to feel soothed and you want to get back to a certain state that is familiar to you. What I am saying is, I want to see you slowly reset your system so that your system, this body, and this nervous system, your nervous system, can tolerate more nonsense, more ambiguity, more fear, more uncertainty, more lack of control. Because the reality is, you have no control. I have no control.

Yeah, okay, I’m in the car. I’ve got some control. I could control what I wear today, what I eat today to some degree, who I talk to. There are certain kinds of control that we have. When you get sick, when you die, who you’re going to meet, who you’re not going to meet, all these things, all the mysteries of life, we got no control over, my friend. So that’s a piece of your philosophy and religion you want to really put on the altar and see, does this realty serve me? Is that a good commandment of my Ten Commandments that I’m living by? I don’t think it is. I don’t think it moves the action forward.

The idea is for you to have the kind of nervous system that can handle. You give a lecture and thousands of people don’t show up to show up. I’ve given a lecture and one person showed up. I walked into bathroom, I asked them to wait for a minute. I wanted to cry. I was told there was going to be hundreds of people there, granted there was a snowstorm, but still one person.

And I had a choice. And I remember thinking to myself, I could either collapse and cry like a baby, which I wanted to do, trust me. Or I could make this the best lecture ever. So I made it the best lecture ever. That was my commitment. I’m going to walk out there, I’m going to go back into the room and going to be excited. And I’m going to answer all this person’s questions and she’s going to get $10,000 worth of experience. So all I’m saying is we are training our nervous system to handle increasing levels of life and complexity.

Joel: And being messy.

Marc: Yes. You got to learn to be messy, my friend.

Joel: I’ve been told.

Marc: Yes. You’ve got to let your nervous system weightlift the world more and weightlift the things that are uncomfortable for you and lean in a little bit more. So it’s a very masculine piece I’m asking you to learn. You have a very well developed feminine. That is one of your superpowers. You have very strong intuition. You said to me at the beginning of this call, I’m at a point in my life where I’m looking to put one foot in front of the other. You’re wanting to live more in the moment. I understand that. That’s more the feminine part of our brain and that’s fine. But in my opinion for you, right now, you need to be in more your linear logical masculine left-brain mode in life. It doesn’t mean you’re letting go of all your intuition.

Joel: Kind of orients.

Marc: To orient—

Joel: To kind of orient the creativity and the intuition that I’ve harbored over the last long stretch period of introspection.

Marc: Yes, 50/50. I would like to see you at least 50/50 in your masculine and in your feminine. And your masculine is very different from your feminine and you’re going to have to get to know it. And you’re going to have to cultivate it just as deliberately as you’ve cultivated your intuitive capacities, your subtle abilities, your ability to see, your ability to pierce beyond the veil, all that sort of thing. Your ability to empathize and to feel, you’ve cultivated that. Good for you.

Now, I’m asking you, cultivate your masculine side, the linear side of you. The side that plans. The side that says I’m going to be making this much money by this amount of time. I’m going to be living in my own place by such and such a date. And then you start to reverse engineer and see how you do that. See how you make that happen.

So you could still have flow within that, certain days, on the weekend, whenever. But it isn’t going to be all the time. It’s learning how to balance those out because that’s the yin and yang of the universe. That’s what gets things done, the different parts of us.

The masculine part of you is going to be the part of you that’s the doer in the world that’s going to actually do stuff and make stuff happen and shield yourself from that which is no good for you or let things in that is good for you. And when an arrow gets in there that hurts, your masculine is the part of you that’s going to go, “Ahh, that hurt. Let’s not do that again,” and tend to your wound a little bit. So have you read the book The Way of the Superior Man?

Joel: I haven’t read it but I have had segments of it preached at me.

Marc: Okay. Read the book. Read the book. That’s a good book for you to read. Whatever it is about the book that you don’t like, don’t like it, throw it out, don’t worry about it. So I’m going to say to you, at least 90% of that book might be applicable for you. Whatever 10% doesn’t feel good or feel right, don’t let that get in the way of the goodies in it. You follow me?

Joel: Yeah.

Marc: And it’s probably the best book I know out there on retraining the masculine mind. Because it just has a lot of great distinctions about here is the masculine way of being. And when I say masculine, it’s the masculine for men, the masculine for women. It’s the masculine polarity of lives in the universe, in nature, but specifically in human beings, specifically in this case for you as a man, for us as men.

We live in a time—and it pisses me off, I’m just being personal here—where it’s very politically correct for us to be gender neutral. If you’re gender neutral, be gender neutral. We all have I think a naturalness to our gender. Whatever that is. We’re thrown a certain way. We’re born a certain way.

I think the world has been enculturating men and women. It has been enculturating it’s women to be extra-masculine and it has been enculturating its men to be extra-feminine. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe not. But I think we stepped over the bounds a little too far. And what happens is a lot of our men are missing a piece of their masculine. A lot of our women are missing a part of their feminine.

So for me, I know that was the case. And I had to really cultivate my masculine so I could have what I want in this world so I could be the person I want to be in this world, the man I want to be in this world and to have all my tools available to me. I want to play with a full toolkit. I want to have all the advantages a human could have in this world to do good, to have a good life. That means having a well-developed feminine and a well-developed masculine. So what I’m saying to you is that’s what I think a great kind of course correction would be for you at that fork in the road. I want you to take the fork in the road that says developing my masculine.

Joel: Well, I guess that can be a good starting point. Because like when I think of developing a practice for honing in the masculinity. I could say that’s going to elude me but perhaps I can use that book that you suggested, The Way of the Superior Man, as a starting point for daily practice. So reading some of that perhaps and just really sinking in to that logical aspect.

Marc: I would love for you to do that. And I would love for you to think about creating more structure for yourself. Because part of what’s going to help your masculine come out even more is for you to have structure. Right now, you’re a little bit hesitant around structure and you’re melting an immune system response to structure. That’s how it occurs to me when we talk about it and when I hear you talk about being in the flow.

And I get that it’s comfortable for you and it’s safe for you. But it’s not strengthening you at this stage of the game to my mind. So to me, you’re launching yourself right now. That’s kind of how I’m looking at it and structure will be your God. Structure is going to help you be the best possible human and the best possible man. Because in order to be effective in the world, we need structure, plain and simple.

We need structure that makes us effective. Your house is a structure. Your computer is so well structured and articulated. The Internet is so well structured and articulated. The financial system, all of it, nutrition, biology, very structured, very well articulated. So we are just going to mimic life.

And we’re going to be structured and well articulated because in that place, that’s when creativity could then have something to flow through. And when creativity is flowing through a structure, then you have a museum that people can come to. Then you have a professional practice that people can come into your office, into your structured system, and then within that, creativity is free to occur. You follow me?

Joel: I do, I do. Yeah.

Marc: Yeah. So it’s changing your thinking. It’s changing your thinking and what I’m saying is, it’s actually changing your thinking in a really big way. I’m asking a lot of you here. I’m asking you to change your religion a bit. I’m asking you to change your philosophy or at least consider it.

At least consider it because I think that’s going to be the key for you to get where you want to go, is to embrace the masculine and to see how some of your operating guidelines right now are taking you away from that masculine and into the place that’s more safe and comfortable and familiar to you.

But what I’m saying is you’re stepping out into the unknown, which is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. And the unknown lets you know your fear. And the fact that something is unknown and uncertain and out of your control means that’s where the masculine is, that direction, that’s where it is.

Joel: It also sounds like from the philosophy you’re describing that when encountering that inevitable hiccup that, yes, that’s the direction to go in. But then that’s also where I can channel in the feminine creativity to find the solution to that very problem that’s demanding that masculine presence.

Marc: Bingo, bingo. 100%. You got it.

Joel: Alright. Well, I think I got the direction that I need to take decisive and consistent action on.

Marc: Yeah. And, Joel, I really appreciate this conversation because over here, in my world, I’ve kind of hit you with some hard stuff. And I feel like you’re just being a great sport and you’re really open and being considerate. Where I’m coming from, again, is it’s, for me, this has been a very man-to-man conversation.

And sometimes our conversations are woman-to-man, woman-to-woman, it’s like it’s all those different permutations. And it’s a different conversation because men and women are different. We’re equal in the eyes of the universe but we are different creatures. So to me, we’ve been discussing distinctions around men and the masculine that I believe are important, particularly important for what you said about where you’re at, where you’ve been, and where you want to go.

I think it’s a big missing piece in this world right now and I think you are well equipped for this challenge. And it’s going to be a challenge. And it’s going to rough you up. And it’s going to get messy. And it’s going to get dirty. And you’re going to get a little bumped and bruised. And you’re going to feel hurt. You’re going to get your feelings hurt.

And part of being in the masculine is not numbing our feelings but it’s learning how to protect ourselves and protect our feelings and have feelings and have a heart. But at the same time, being willing and able to go into the world and do battle when we need to do battle.

Be a warrior when you need to be a warrior. Be clear when you need to be clear. And if somebody wants to say, “No, I disagree.” And you want to stand your ground and say, “I’m sorry, this is the way I see it,” then your nervous system and your digestive system can handle that.

Joel: Yeah, that’s so key right there.

Marc: Yeah. So the way you learn that is by practice. So your digestive system will get stronger as you practice that. And you already have a fast metabolism. It’s a little bit sensitive. But having a fast metabolism actually is going to mean you’re nervous system is pliable. It means you can make shifts and changes easier than you know in this regard. So I’m pretty confident for you.

Joel: Oh, good. And maybe I’ll just be sure to add a little bit of friendly wrestling on the side too…

Marc: There you go. I like it. For sure. Absolutely. That’s what I’m saying. So, Joel, I really appreciate you taking the time. I really appreciate you diving in and I think it’s been a really, really good conversation. And I look forward to a bunch of months down the line, we’ll do this again. We’ll reconnect and see how you’re doing. Get the book. Read it. And I think you’re going to get a lot of it.

Joel: Okay. Thank you, Marc. I really appreciate it. This has been an honor for me as well, thank you.

Marc: And an honor for me too. Thank you, Joel.

And thank you, everybody, for tuning in. So appreciate it. Once again, I am Marc David, on behalf of the Psychology of Eating podcast, lots more to come, my friends. Thanks for tuning in and take care.

The Institute for the Psychology of Eating
© Institute For The Psychology of Eating, All Rights Reserved, 2016

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How to Meditate: Learning the Best Meditation Techniques

A woman practicing a meditation technique by the pool.

Throughout human history, nearly every culture and civilization has described the mental and physical benefits of meditation. The popularity of this ancient practice extends beyond yoga studios and places of worship. Research shows meditation offers many health benefits, including reduced blood pressure, better posture, improved cardiovascular health, reduced feelings of stress and anxiety, and enhanced mindfulness.

The benefits of meditation are so profound that you’ll find its philosophies integrated nearly everywhere. Business, sports, and even technology include and promote the practice of meditation. The trend toward greater acceptance has made meditation ubiquitous in many settings and brought the practice as a whole to the forefront.

History of Meditation

The first records of meditation date back over three-thousand years and originate from the Hindu practices of Vedantism in India. Centuries later, other types of meditation formed, including Taoist practices in China and Buddhist practices in India. From these beginnings, meditation continued to evolve.

Today, meditation is a blanket term for an ever-growing group of disciplines. In fact, there may be as many as 30,000 types of meditation. While that number seems overwhelming, most methods of meditation share four key components: finding a quiet setting or space, holding your body in a specific posture, focusing your thoughts, and achieving a state of positivity, openness, and enlightenment.

Best Meditation Techniques

Whether you have just begun your journey or have a fully furnished meditation room, there are many different styles you can practice. Below are some of the most popular meditation techniques.

Transcendental Meditation

Popularized in the 1950s and 1960s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Transcendental Meditation explores the power of sounds and vibrations to engage and enlighten. Also known as Mantra Meditation, this technique focuses on the repetition of a particular sound or affirmation throughout the meditation session. Traditionally, these repeated words were considered sacred in nature and were only bestowed by a seasoned teacher. Today, mantra instructors and guides are commonplace and help guide personal or group sessions. For beginners, the repetition of words and sounds helps to focus the mind.

Concentration

Concentration, also known as Focused Attention Meditation, requires prolonged silent focus—think Buddhist monk sitting on top of a mountain. This technique calls for an absolute focus on a physical sensation, such as air entering and leaving the lungs or hand temperature. Any time the mind wanders, attention is refocused on the particular internal or external sensation. For many, this allows the mind to let go of scattered thoughts and provides relief from sensory overload.

Mindfulness

The practice of mindfulness has been trending for quite some time. Everyone from celebrities to sports stars is extolling the benefits of mindfulness, but what exactly is it? In essence, mindfulness is being in the moment—-focusing on the internal and external experiences that occur from moment to moment to gain an appreciation and calmness for life as it happens. If you are constantly bombarded by worrisome thoughts about the future or the past, you might appreciate mindfulness techniques.

Yoga

Although yoga and meditation are two separate practices, they do support each other and many yoga instructors even reserve time at the beginning or end of class to practice some form of meditation. The posture and concentration required during yoga help to encourage focus and balance. The physical component of yoga and its emphasis on ujjayi breathing help to set aside concerns and worries, which, by itself, is deeply meditative.

Tai Chi

Like yoga, Tai Chi alone is not meditation. Instead, Tai Chi uses ancient practices that focus on the physical and spiritual aspects of life. Among them are two methods—Neigong and Qi Gong—which concentrate on “life energy.” Both emphasize the importance of body posture, breathing, and meditation to restore energy or “chi.”

Walking

Not every form of meditation is done while sitting or standing in silence. Walking meditation allows you to get up and move around. While walking is not the only form of moving meditation, it is one of the most popular. It uses aspects of the concentration meditation technique, and proponents say it is easier for people to focus on sensations while they walk. The distance and destination are arbitrary, the focus on steps and breathing is what’s important. You can do this while walking anywhere but it may be most beneficial at your favorite park or beach.

Guided Imagery

Guided imagery meditation is ideal for beginners and feels like an exercise for your mind. Often you can perform this type of meditation in a group class or with the aid of a website or phone app. The teacher or instructor walks participants through mind sensory visualizations of sights, sounds, smells, textures, movements, and more. If your mind wanders from the guided images, just return your focus and concentration.

How to Meditate

Getting started with meditation is easy. One of the best features of meditation is that you don’t need to buy anything. As long as you’re conscious and willing, you can begin. Concentration meditation is a great technique to start with and you can perform it at home, the office, or even parked in your car, just follow the five steps below.

1. Pick Your Location

Find a peaceful spot. You don’t need absolute silence, but a quiet setting will help with your concentration, especially if you are just starting.

2. Strike a Pose

You will need to stay in one pose for the duration of the exercise, so make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. The more popular poses involve sitting cross-legged and lying on your back with your arms at your side and palms facing up.

3. Breathe Easy

Don’t force an irregular breathing pattern. Instead, take relaxed, full, calming breaths.

4. Stay Focused

Choose a physical sensation on which to focus. For many, just concentrating on breathing is sufficient. With your eyes closed, inhale and exhale through your nose. Feel the expansion and contraction of your lungs. Feel the breath brush against your throat and expand your lungs. Don’t be discouraged if you find your mind wandering; it’s natural, just refocus.

5. Repeat

Perform this exercise every day for 5 minutes. Add more time as you become more accustomed to the practice. With time, you’ll get better at remaining focused without letting your mind wander. Checking their watch is a big distraction for many beginners so, if time is short, setting a timer may be helpful.

Why Dr. Group Meditates

Watch the video below to find out how I went from a novice to meditating two hours every day!

 

Health Benefits of Meditation

Scientific inquiry has shown that meditation encourages wellness; below are some of the top benefits of meditation according to recent research.

Mental Health Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is calming, soothing, and one of the best habits for encouraging a peaceful mind.

Encourages a Happy, Balanced Mood

One study surveyed over three thousand participants who practiced meditation exercises for up to five years and found that meditation supports a healthy mood and helps to reduce stress. The meditation techniques utilized included mindfulness, mantra, and Transcendental approaches.[1]

Supports a Healthy Response to Stress

In one study, “stress challenges” (public speaking and arithmetic tests) were given to participants to measure the effects of mindfulness on stress and anxiety. The results indicated that mindfulness helped reduce anxiety and stress response during the stress challenges.[2]

Strengthens Coping Skills

Academic challenges and other uncertainties leave many young adults at risk for mental distress. In one study, hundreds of college-aged students participated in Transcendental Meditation. The results showed signs of increased coping skills along with a reduction in anxiety and depression.[3]

Physical Benefits of Meditation

The benefits of meditation are not limited to the mind. Meditation promotes balance and order in a way that positively affects physical health.

Promotes Normal Blood Pressure

Many studies have explored the relationship between blood pressure and meditation. One analysis concluded that meditation may help encourage normal blood pressure.[4]

Helps Manage Symptoms of Menopause

Research into yoga-based mind and body therapy showed the practice produced relief for some menopause symptoms. Further research is needed to determine the mechanism by which meditative practices offer assistance.[5]

Supports Efforts to Stop Smoking

Several studies have shown that a combination of yoga and meditation can assist with smoking cessation.[7]

Not all the positive outcomes of meditation can be easily measured. Many of the self-reported benefits of meditation include an increased sense of spirituality, feelings of enlightenment (Zen), and an increased ability to focus on the meaningful aspects of life.

A Meditation Case Study

Some people believe that the benefits of meditation extend well beyond the individual. According to one idea, known as the “1% Super Radiance Effect,” there may be societal benefits when large groups of individuals practice meditation. Proponents cite several studies that show a dramatic reduction in crime and death when groups meditate in unison. One study showed a 23.3% reduction in violent crime in the District of Columbia,[8] and another showed a 76% reduction in war-related deaths in Lebanon.[9] Both of these reductions took place at the same time as planned meditation experiments. Although establishing direct causation with large scale events is impossible, proponents of the Super Radiance Effect are optimistic about the influence meditation can have on world peace.

Meditation Tips and Tricks

Classes, books, and videos are available to help you discover the benefits of meditation. Even if your budget is zero, you can still find online resources or free phone apps to start. Don’t be afraid to try new meditation techniques to see what works for you. Search for a style or instructor that aligns with your beliefs and goals. Whatever you choose, just stay consistent and give it time; the more you put in, the more you will get back.

Practicing meditation with a healthy mind and body should always be your goal. Using the right supplements can help promote mental well-being and a healthy body, giving you the best chance to focus your efforts. Global Healing Center offers a variety of wellness-centered products and kits. NeuroFuzion® supports mental clarity and is designed to sharpen the mind and encourage focus.

Do you have any tips or tricks for practicing meditation? Share your experiences with us in the comment section below!

The post How to Meditate: Learning the Best Meditation Techniques appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.



source http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/how-to-meditate-best-meditation-techniques/

Monday, 27 February 2017

Sign the Petition: Support Natural Health and Internet Freedom

Sing a petition to support internet freedom.

The first amendment and freedom of the press make up the very foundation on which America is built. Diverse opinions and representation from all points of view are important and the only way to ensure a progressive, thinking society. That’s why I’m really troubled by Google’s recent attack on independent journalism.

Last week, Google, which controls over two-thirds of Internet searches in the United States, removed 140,000 articles and pages from Natural News from its search results. In other words, Google will not display any search results from Natural News regardless if the content is relevant.

The action is both curious and a cause for concern. Natural News is one of the world’s top resources for health, education, and activism related information. What motivations would Google have for completely banning Natural News?

Some have speculated the move could be a response to a violation of Google’s Terms of Service, but Mike Adams maintains that Natural News follows the rules. And, even more, web technology experts have analyzed the Natural News website and are unable to find any reasonable explanation why Google would ban the entire website.

Google, an organization notorious for acting without explanation, remains silent—and that’s unacceptable.

This move sets a bad precedent. It’s up to us, the American citizens, to judge information for ourselves and make up our own minds. Personally, I believe in free speech and access to information; I don’t want or need search engines to filter my content.

Google’s selective enforcement restricts access to legitimate news stories that are researched, verified, and well-written. The absence of Natural News from Google’s index means that, right this very moment, millions of people are actively being denied valuable information that’s not reported by corporate-controlled media.

Much of the media is corporate-controlled. Many media and news sources have consolidated. The amount of political bias is staggering. Not to mention that major outlets have proven to be vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. Independent media is the last source of truth, and it’s more important now than ever.

I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from readers who support Natural News and want to know how they can help. Mike Adams has started a petition to the Trump administration to halt Google’s suppression of free speech. Nearly 60,000 people have signed this petition, but they need 100,000 to get a response.

I urge you to sign the petition and tell the Trump administration that free speech matters to you.

The post Sign the Petition: Support Natural Health and Internet Freedom appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.



source http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/petition-support-natural-health-internet-freedom/

Thursday, 23 February 2017

What’s New in Nutrition? – Video with Emily Rosen

If you like to stay up to date with the latest developments in nutritional science, you might be able to relate to this experience: A new book, study, or diet method is released with much excitement and fanfare, but when you take a closer look, you realize there’s not much that’s “new” about it after all. It seems like the experts just keep rehashing the same old themes: how to get rid of weight or lower your cholesterol, what foods will save your life and what foods will poison you. For sure, these studies can include some useful tidbits, but have you ever wanted something truly different, a real breakthrough? If so, then you won’t want to miss this podcast episode, where Emily Rosen, Director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, shares some surprising new insights that can transform the field of nutrition for good. You’ll never look at your diet the same way again!

In the comments below, please let us know your thoughts. We love hearing from you and we read and respond to every comment!

Here is a transcript of this week’s video:
If you’ve spent any time reading up on the latest nutrition information and trends, chances are, the news held your interest for a while – but your eyes started to glaze over when you realized that most commentators were talking about variations on the same theme in their books, blogs or articles: the latest super-food, the newest supplement, the next toxic food you should stop eating, or the hot breakthrough diet that will help you lose weight.

This might make sense if the advice we were getting actually worked. But after decades of dieting, we’re still getting plumper. And nutrition-linked diseases are skyrocketing. Our relationship with food and body is also at an all time emotional low.

As someone who craves real nutrition information that can make a real difference in people’s lives, I’d like to say “enough already.” We need something with a little more substance.

It’s time to try something new.

I’d like to offer to you 7 nutritional nuggets worth considering. These ideas just might get the nutrition world out of its perpetual spin cycle and into a place of depth, breadth, and wisdom.

1. Nutrition Experts Need to be Consumed with a Grain of Salt

We’ve become so reliant on outside advice that we’ve lost the ability to access the wisdom of the greatest nutrition consultant on the planet – you. I love experts, but most experts tend to observe their own bodily experience and translate it onto your body. They erroneously believe that if a specific diet works for them, it must therefore work for every human alive. Nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all business. Use experts as “consultants” – listen to what they have to say, then make choices from your own own wisdom, experience and insights.

2. Let Go of Your High Fact Diet

We tend to believe that if we only had the correct facts, the right information that’s been carefully researched by people who know more than us, then we could be happy. Yes, facts and information are important. And, at the same time as we honor facts, we need to embrace the wisdom of the body. Listen to your own desires. Experiment. Make mistakes. Get feedback from your body. Can you notice how a particular food or supplement impacts you? When you quiet your mind enough to access the wisdom of your own biology, you’ll receive plenty of feedback that’s tailored to your own unique nutritional needs.

3. Stop Worshipping Ancient Systems of Healing and Eating

I’ve watched many people get hooked on traditional dietary systems that are old, wise, well thought out – and not always 100% applicable for humans of this day and age. In particular, many people embrace Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, or the Paleo diet. These approaches can bring us many important insights that deserve to be rediscovered. At the same time, over-reliance on these systems often results in personal and nutritional isolation, as well as time wasted in trying to follow in a precise manner the principles that worked great eons ago, but don’t necessarily translate fully into our world today. The challenge is, can you be bold and creative enough to take what truly works from these approaches, and toss out what doesn’t?

4. Do We Really Know What Health Is?

When I first started practicing in NYC about 30 years ago, my high-powered Wall Street clients were incredibly motivated and educated, and they were all following intense workout and running programs. Many had excellent diets. Yet they all had some type of intense health complaint – digestive issues, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, low immunity. And they were all baffled as to why they weren’t “healthy.” We tend to mentally limit health to nutritional, metabolic and exercise factors. Collectively, we haven’t quite made the connection introduced by Dynamic Eating Psychology that health is also given by who we are, what we feel and believe, how we conduct ourselves in the world, the degree of love in our life, of pleasure, rest, play, purpose, and so much more. Can we be daring enough to go there?

5. Your Health Issue Isn’t a Problem – it’s a Solution

Most of us are taught to see our symptoms and diseases and unwanted habits as enemies that we must attack and defeat. But here’s a another view, long understood by the ancient Greeks: every symptom or unwelcome habit is really a deep and holy experience designed to help us learn something about ourselves and our relationship to the world. Perhaps we’re learning about humility, or patience, or letting go of distractions so that we can better tune in to our inner wisdom. Once we can hear the message that the symptom is delivering, we then have the best chance of letting that symptom go. What would life be like if we saw every health challenge we faced as an opportunity to grow and evolve? Can we learn to listen before we attack?

6. What You Eat is Only Half the Story of Good Nutrition

The other half of the story is about who we are as eaters. What we think, feel, believe, our level of stress or relaxation, the amount of pleasure in a meal, the inner story we are living out, the speed at which we consume our food, the degree to which we feel nourished – all of these, and much more, powerfully, literally and scientifically impact our metabolism. Mind and body exist on a continuum, are not separate from one another, and indeed have a powerful energetic influence flowing between them. The new field of Mind Body Nutrition clearly asserts the simple science behind these concepts, but the proof is in your own experience. Can you see how the thoughts you think and emotions you feel are constantly bathing your biology in their energetic waves of influence?

7. The Best Nutritional System Always Has a Higher Purpose

Many people follow their healthy diet so they can be healthy. Sounds sensible. Others eat a good diet so they can have oodles of energy, or endurance, or strength, or a slender body. I’d like to suggest that this isn’t always enough. For sure, I love health, I practice it as best I can. But health by itself doesn’t always have meaning. Humans need a reason, a purpose for being here, alive, on planet earth. So what if you spend a ton of energy sculpting a skinny body. What else is happening in your life? What’s your body for? What gift are you here to give others? Can you see that the body is meant to serve a deeper and more beautiful purpose in the world that’s more than just being pretty, skinny or healthy?

It’s a powerful act of self-evolution to question our own assumptions, examine our health strategies, and put our cherished beliefs under the microscope to see what truly works. The complexity of the field of nutrition and eating psychology can make it both frustrating and fascinating. I believe that if we can have a good tolerance for differing viewpoints, then we are well equipped to smile about the subject of food, and enjoy a good meal – whatever that meal may be.

I hope this was helpful.

Warmly,

Emily Rosen

To learn more about the breakthrough body of work we teach here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, please sign up for our free video training series at ipe.tips. You’ll learn about the cutting-edge principles of Dynamic Eating Psychology and Mind Body Nutrition that have helped millions forever transform their relationship with food, body, and health. Lastly, we want to make sure you’re aware of our two premier offerings. Our Eating Psychology Coach Certification Training is an 8 month distance learning program that you can take from anywhere in the world to launch a new career or to augment an already existing health practice. And Transform Your Relationship with Food is our 8 week online program for anyone looking to take a big leap forward with food and body.

NOW AVAILABLE: SPECIAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss

Get My Book!

Get Your FREE Video Series

New Insights to Forever Transform Your Relationship with Food



source http://psychologyofeating.com/whats-new-in-nutrition-video-with-emily-rosen/

The Best Way To Help Your Child With Their Weight & Body Image – Video with Marc David

If you have kids in your life, you’re probably already aware that body image challenges start early. Numerous studies have shown that even elementary school children – especially girls – believe they need to change something about their body, whether it’s their weight, their hair, their freckles, or something else. It can be heartbreaking to watch the children we care about struggling with these issues, and so many grown-ups want to know what they can do to help. As it turns out, there IS one thing that we, as adults, can do to create an environment that truly supports our kids’ development of a healthy, positive body image. It’s something we actually have a lot of control over, and best of all, when we start doing this, it will immediately make our own lives better, too. Tune in to this empowering new video from IPEtv as Marc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, shares the number one most important thing we can do to set our kids up for success when it comes to learning to love and respect their body.

In the comments below, please let us know your thoughts. We love hearing from you and we read and respond to every comment!

Here is a transcript of this week’s video:

Greetings, friends. I’m Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. I want to talk to you about the best way to help your child with their weight and with their body image.

Now, let’s say this. We live in a time when so many people, young and old, are experiencing an epidemic of body hate and body dissatisfaction. You can read the statistics. Nine out of 10 women polled are hitting on their bodies. Girls three to six years old, 40% of them are already dieting. They’re hating on their body. They’re wanting to change their body parts.

This is crazy. This is the kind of challenge that cuts to our core.

Hating our body, judging it, and believing that it’s unlovable in some way is the royal road to misery and an unhappy life.

Think about it. When we’re born into this world, watch a baby. They’re not sitting there worried about how they’re looking or running around naked or if they’ve got little bits of body fat here and there. Babies, infants, they are in love with their physiology. It’s just all one. It’s pleasure. It’s play. As so many people are struggling in silence with self-defeating thoughts about their own physical form. We’ve got to change that.

So an unhappy and unresolved body image, you know this. It keeps us small in our sense of self. It limits our personal growth. It stops our best creativity. And it leaves us far short of the beautiful potential that we are born with. Body hate shuts down the soul. It ruins us. It’s a soul crusher.

Now, an unhappy body image these days often starts at a young age. So if you’re a parent or you have kids in your life and you really want to help your child, especially if you’re a parent, you want to give them the best chance for a loving relationship with their body, there’s one strategy that will help you to succeed in such a brilliant and beautiful way that I’m going to tell you is absolutely necessary.

Here’s a strategy to help your kid: heal your own relationship with your body.

That’s it. Work on you. Work on your relationship with your body. Get to a place, please, as fast as you can where you forgive your own imperfections and where you let go of your own self-criticism. Stop the fight. Just stop the war because your children, our children pick up on who we are. Children are brilliant observers. They’re not good interpreters, but they’re brilliant observers. They will observe mommy, daddy hating on their own body. They’ll feel it. They’ll absorb it through the airwaves.

And, in a way, this is the beauty of our young ones. They want to be like us. And they will be like us. So it’s best to look in the mirror and to start to do work on self. It’s going to save your kids so much heartache and unnecessary waste of life energy as they get older.

So let me say that again. The greatest gift you can give your kids is to do your own work and do it now and stop the nonsense in your own head. Here’s how you start: call a cease-fire on self-attack. And I mean that. Just wake up and say cease-fire. Consciously choose to begin to love yourself in small ways. It’s a practice. You’ve got to practice that every day.

Every day practice gratitude in some way, shape, or form, for the body that you’ve been given. I know you’ve got complaints about it and this and that and all that. But balance out all those crazy complaints with some gratitude. Find ways every day to affirm love for your body.

Honestly, it is as simple as that because when you do work on yourself, you save future generations from pain and suffering. And you uplift them in ways that they’ll never know. And when you do that, when you do your work on self so your kids don’t have to finish up that work, we create such a better planet and such a better environment for all of us to thrive in.

And that, my friends, is the magic of the world.

Warmly,
Marc David

To learn more about the breakthrough body of work we teach here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, please sign up for our free video training series at ipe.tips. You’ll learn about the cutting-edge principles of Dynamic Eating Psychology and Mind Body Nutrition that have helped millions forever transform their relationship with food, body, and health. Lastly, we want to make sure you’re aware of our two premier offerings. Our Eating Psychology Coach Certification Training is an 8 month distance learning program that you can take from anywhere in the world to launch a new career or to augment an already existing health practice. And Transform Your Relationship with Food is our 8 week online program for anyone looking to take a big leap forward with food and body.

NOW AVAILABLE: SPECIAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss

Get My Book!

Get Your FREE Video Series

New Insights to Forever Transform Your Relationship with Food



source http://psychologyofeating.com/the-best-way-to-help-your-child-with-their-weight-body-image-video-with-marc-david/

Wednesday, 22 February 2017

An Open Letter to Secretary Tom Price

Doctors call on Secretary Tom Price to establish a natural health advisory committee.

Dear Secretary Price,

My name is Dr. Edward F. Group III, I am the founder and CEO of Global Healing Center. I would like to congratulate you and President Trump personally on your impressive victory. As our new Secretary of Health and Human Services, you have the large responsibility of caring for the health of all Americans. The most efficient way to make America great again is to make America healthy again. Secretary Price, America needs an independent advisory committee to advocate for disease prevention and the implementation of proven natural remedies to address the root cause of America’s health problems.

I have spent over 20 years studying natural medicine. I am a Doctor of Chiropractic, Naturopathic Practitioner, Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Healing Practitioner, and Certified Clinical Herbalist. I am also a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition (DACBN), the American Board of Functional Medicine (DABFM), and the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition (CBCN). I am a veteran of the United States Army and attended Harvard and MIT business schools.

Over the years, my focus has been evaluating the root cause of disease. As part of true healthcare reform and the challenge of repealing and replacing the Obamacare disaster, I would like to volunteer my time, effort, and expertise to begin this conversation and work towards healing America.

Here is how I propose we work together:

Address the Root Cause of America’s Health Problems

Our current healthcare system does not promote wellness, proven natural remedies, or prevention-based medicine. The allopathic model treats the symptoms of disease, not the root cause. The root cause of disease is exposure to, and the accumulation of toxins that pollute our air, food, and water. We know they damage our health, make us sick, and harm the earth. Lifestyle modifications are known to dramatically reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, which represent the majority of healthcare spending. To change healthcare, we must acknowledge why we are becoming ill, overweight, sterile, and mentally unstable:

  • Toxic Chemicals: Review and replace the use of all toxic, endocrine-disrupting, human-made chemicals such as herbicides, VOCs, fire retardants, pesticides, and phthalates that are destroying our bodies, soil, and earth.
  • GMO Foods: Review the production of all GMO food crops which will also reduce the use of toxic herbicides and pesticides. We know that the health of gut flora is closely tied to the health of soil flora. GMO foods are saturated with toxic chemicals that are unhealthy and cause disease.
  • Toxic Food and Beverages: Review and study the use of all artificial ingredients, sweeteners, colors, dyes, chemicals, refined sugars, alcohol, MSG, preservatives, and compounds added to our food and beverages. Determine the safety of each by the use and funding of third-party research groups.
  • Vaccines: Allocate funding and appoint a third-party research team free of ties to the pharmaceutical industry to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and flu shots, and, specifically, study the health of vaccinated children compared to unvaccinated children.
  • Toxic Water: Establish a team of qualified scientists focused on cleaning up our water supplies as well as municipal water. Review the use of fluoride and chlorine and determine ways to eliminate chemicals, herbicide, heavy metals, fracking compounds, and prescription drug residue found in the water supply.
  • EMF Exposure: Establish a team of independent scientists to review the health-depleting effects of wifi, smart meters, cell phones, cell phone towers, body scanners in airports, and other forms of harmful EMF exposure.
  • Toxic Air: In the last ten years, respiratory disease in the US has moved from the eighth to the third highest cause of death. Asthma rates have more than doubled in the western world and Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that is caused by aluminum poisoning, has also skyrocketed.

Establish Freedom of Choice in Healthcare

About one-third of Americans rely on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and spend over $30 billion annually on health-related expenses. Most pay out of pocket because insurance doesn’t cover treatments. This needs to change if we want to reduce our healthcare costs as a nation. Regulatory agencies and insurance companies dictate treatment guidelines and often exclude preventative and proven alternative medicine from coverage. Americans deserve the freedom to choose the healthcare they prefer and have their treatments covered by insurance providers, the VA, and Medicare and Medicaid. We need to give people the freedom to choose between natural and allopathic healthcare and insurance companies need to cover it, including preventative care such as chiropractic, nutrition, massage, and acupuncture.

Appoint a Health and Wellness Advisory Committee

To execute the above, we need to assemble a team of scientists, experts, and independent researchers who have no ties to the pharmaceutical, food, or chemical industries. Their job will be to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of all artificial ingredients, genetically modified foods, artificial sweeteners, colors, dyes, fluoride, herbicides, pesticides, phthalates, refined sugars, preservatives, and other toxic compounds used in food and beverage production.

I am happy to volunteer my time, efforts, and expertise to begin this conversation and work towards healing America. America can’t be great again until we make America healthy again.

Here is a video I put together addressing my concerns in more detail:

Dear President Trump: Make America Healthy Again

Thank you,

Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

The post An Open Letter to Secretary Tom Price appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.



source http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/open-letter-to-secretary-tom-price/

Tuesday, 21 February 2017

Psychology of Eating Podcast: Episode #185 – A Young Woman Has A Big Breakthtrough

Huguette can remember when she was the “pretty” girl and had what seemed like the perfect body. Still, she sought approval from others and when she was hurt and betrayed in some of her relationships, it was hard to bounce back from. She started binge eating to cope and slowly started to put the weight on. Now in her mid-20s, she is done with hating her weight, hating her body, and feeling controlled by binge eating. Marc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, helps Huguette truly own where she is in her journey and just how far she has already come. They dive into her story with food, her body, and her relationships in life. Huguette makes a new commitment to herself and to her body that will positively impact both her and her clients as she pushes forward.

Below is a transcript of this podcast episode:

Marc: Welcome, everybody, I’m Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Here we are in the “Psychology of Eating” podcast, and I’m speaking today with Huguette. Welcome!

Huguette: Thank you!

Marc: I am so glad we’re here, and let me just take a minute and explain to people who are new to the podcast how this works. So, we just met moments ago, and we’re going to have a one-time session together and just see if we can move the needle and make some good things happen.

So, if you could wave your magic wand and get whatever you wanted from this session, what would that look like for you?

Huguette: I would say help me get the breakthrough in my life, career-wise, personal-wise. And I think that’s the most important thing for me now.

Marc: Breakthroughs—so if it was a personal breakthrough, and if it was around your relationship with food and body, what would that look like for you?

Huguette: Finish with the binge eating and get the weight lost that I’ve gained through the years because of my binge eating. I had a very bad relationship with food. I began binge eating two years ago and gained around 20 kilos.

So, I’ve been suffering with binge eating, hating self, a bad relationship with food, dieting, chronic dieting. So, I would say that for the personal level, I would love myself more. I want to love myself more; [it’s] the thing that I’ve never had. So, I think that’s it on the personal level.

Marc: Yeah, well that’s a nice, big wish. I like it. Where are you these days with binge eating? How often?

Huguette: I have decreased my binge eating since I started the course. For the people that don’t know, I took the course with Marc David—the 8-month program. It’s helped me a lot. It changed a lot of my beliefs. My binge eating decreased. I stopped dieting. I’m still at the same weight, I think, but the binge eating episodes decreased. I’m more aware; I’m less checked out. I’m trying to manage my binge eating, to decrease it, and to be then more calm. But if I want to compare them [the episodes] to one year or three years ago, I think it’s a huge decrease. A huge decrease. I used to binge eat every single day; now it comes like once per week, twice per week, maximum.

Marc: Ok, once or twice per week. Does it happen at a certain time of day or a certain day?

Huguette: When I’m super stressed.

Marc: So, if you’re super stressed. What are some of the things that might get you super stressed?

Huguette: Having toxic nutritional beliefs about myself. Talking badly to myself. Stressing about my career—that I’m planning to open my business within this field. I left my work a year ago to start this program, so I’ve been at home for a year. I’ve found that I’ve lost my motivation to wake up. I have nothing to do, although I have to study for the program. But I felt like I had more free time, so managing my time was stressful. Not having a job, not being able to get my money, not being able to prove myself was a bit of a stress.

So, within this year, there were lots of advantages but also lots of disadvantages in my personal life. I thought I left my job to focus on myself, to try to lose the weight. I thought that by leaving my job I would be more able to do the diet and the sports. I would have more free time. And it ended up being the opposite of what I had thought it would be. Because as you’ve always taught us, it’s not the problem with the food or the body, it’s something that is way deeper than that. And for me, it was.

Marc: So, Huguette, how old are you now?

Huguette: I’m 24.

Marc: Twenty-four. Ok. And when was the first time you remember saying, “I don’t like my body, here I am binge eating.” Like, when

did that start for you?

Huguette: The binge eating started like three years ago, but I started hating my body when I was 16. I was, if you want, underweight. I’m tall, so everyone used to tell me, “You’re a supermodel. You’re very nice. Your shape is very nice.” I’ve never loved myself, and I’m a huge giver [of myself] for people. I love my friends, my family. I give for them and help them more than I do for myself.

So, when I was 16, I got my period. I had some hormonal issues; I have polycystic ovarian syndrome. And I got hurt from my boyfriend—my ex-boyfriend—and my best friend, so I gained a lot of weight back then. And I think that I started binge eating, and it wasn’t only the hormonal problem.

And since then, I’ve been struggling with my body, always remembering and going back to the 16-year-old body that I wanted. I’ve never loved or accepted the fact that I gained all that weight. I always asked God, “Why did I gain all that weight?” when I had had the best body. I used to dress up however I wanted. I didn’t have problems going and picking sizes for my clothes.

And then, I got better. I did the breast reduction—it helped me a lot. I found that I was lighter, so I started dieting. I lost some weight, but I wasn’t ever happy with myself, because I was always looking back to the 16-year-old body that I had.

And then, three years ago, I always felt that I was less than other people. I wanted that body that the guys might [want]. I mean, for my boyfriend, I thought that my body was the problem. I always felt less than that. So, I was never satisfied with my body. I was never satisfied with myself. I have never loved myself enough, never treated myself well. I was always attacking myself, always asking God, and I felt like a victim.

But now, most of these things changed with the course that I’ve taken, but I’m still struggling a bit. I want to lose the weight, but I know that I’m not going to be able to go back. I used to compare myself a lot with people. “This girl has the perfect body, and I used to have the perfect body.” I will never have the perfect body. But I still need to lose some weight for my health. But I think that three years ago, when I had a boyfriend, it got worse. Because I used to feel that I was less than him, that I needed that body to be able to please him, to be able to make him happier, to be able to have him love me more.

But it’s not the body. I wasn’t my fully best version. I wasn’t loving myself, so he wouldn’t have loved me the way I am. I was always telling him that I was skinnier, I had the best body, I had a better body, I think I should get back to that. So, as you say, if we don’t love ourselves, other people won’t love us. We will reflect that bad thinking.

Marc: Mmm hmm.

Huguette: So, three years ago, my binge eating started. I was super stressed with my master’s [degree] and with these ideas. Fighting myself, dieting. I tried five dieticians, even though I was a nutritionist. I have a Bachelor’s in Nutrition.

So, I was more stressed because I was a dietician, yet I wasn’t able to heal myself. I wasn’t able to lose the weight. I thought that, as a dietician, I needed to have that perfect body to make people and to make clients come to me.

So, I started fighting myself more. I didn’t know why the “calories in, calories out” wasn’t working with me. I started doing sports with a person trainer. I’ve never loved sports, so I was obliging myself. I was dieting with low-fat diets. I tried some fad diets in 2014, and they never worked. Until this year, when I knew about the program—a year ago—I was dieting. But I stopped work, and I sat at home, so I gained back all the weight, like 10 kilos. And that’s it. I’m here now, talking to you.

Marc: You know, Huguette, I’m thinking how you’re actually, in my mind, in a really, really, really, really good place. And I mean that.

Huguette: I am. I am, yeah.

Marc: I really mean that. So, for your age, 24—it’s so important to remember, for boys, for girls, the 20s are—

Huguette: The hardest period I’ve ever had!

Marc: They really are hard! You know, it’s so strange. On the one hand, when you’re in your 20s, you’re not a teenager any more. So, there’s a little more responsibility. There’s a little bit more self-definition happening. And you could still be a young person, you still have your youth, you still can have fun, but at the same time, you’re starting to kind of figure out who I am.

So, it’s a hard transition time, especially because we’re forming who we are and what we really believe. And so many of the beliefs that take hold in our 20s stay with us for a while. So, it’s just an important time, and it’s usually a pretty rocky time—more so than I think the adult world remembers.

You know, once you pass your 20s, a lot of times you don’t even think about it. But because I work with people in their 20s so much, I see it. So, I’m just acknowledging that, for what you’ve been through, you’re in a really good place, because you have a great understanding. You have a good idea of where you want to go. You have a good idea of some of the things that are in your way.

Huguette: True that.

Marc: Yes. And so, really, the work for you is not necessarily discovering some new concept that’s going to change everything, or some epiphany that overnight is going to shift. What I think the work for you right now is just a little bit of work every day. Practicing the things that you’ve learned, and slowly and steadily including more self-love in the system. You know, what I’ve noticed is that there’s only really one way to love the body.

When people say, “I want to love my body more,” love happens in actions.

When somebody loves you—you could say, “Oh, my mother really loves me, my father really loves me, this person loves me”—in part you know it because of their actions. In part, you know it because of how they show up for you. In part, you know it because of the words they speak to you and how those words land for you. So, when somebody really loves you and says they love you, you could feel the truth in those words.

So, all I’m saying is, when it comes to self-love, it’s the same thing. It happens in actions. So, we often think, “Well, I’d love myself more if I lost weight or if I made more money.” So, we make it depend on something happening to us, on the outside. And, as you know, it’s a little different than that.

Huguette: It is.

Marc: Yeah, so, to me, you’re putting that into action, and it doesn’t change overnight. I wish it did!

Huguette: I wish it did, too!

Marc: Right? But at the same time, here’s the other interesting challenge for you personally, I think. My sense for you is that you’re a little, or maybe a lot, wiser beyond your years, so there’s a certain place where you’re probably smarter than most 24-year-olds around you. And you’re a little more worldly, and you see more clearly. That’s a wonderful thing.

Huguette: I was always mature, much more mature than my age. I had always dealt well with responsibility. I was always strong, but when I gained the weight, I felt like I was weak, very weak. I lost my strength. I need that empowerment back. I need to love myself more, as you said. It’s so true—I depend on others for my happiness, and I know that it’s…I know that when the self-love would come from within, it would be a sustainable thing. With my happiness, I had many ups and downs, and I know, after I took the course, that it’s because my mood used to change because I used to depend on people. And whenever I got hurt, I would fall back, because the happiness wasn’t coming from within me.

I was always depending on other people to make me laugh, and when something bad from them happened, I used to get down. It’s the two extremes. I know that this is not long-term happiness for a person, if they are not truly happy from within. It’s not easy, as you said. We can’t sleep and wake up like it never happened. It’s small steps. But when you see all these things I’ve gotten—I thought I had to give things up. It’s like I was playing poker, and I opened all my cards, and I said, “All in.” From the course, I had all the cards opened. From each module, I was noticing what was wrong with me. And it hit me that through these 24 years that I’ve lived, now I know all the things that I’ve been doing as mistakes or that I’ve been doing wrong.

And now for me, it’s the hardest time to move my career, to start changing all the things that I’ve been doing wrong, just to heal myself. And I think that God—I pray, I believe in God, I believe in faith—is the one that put me on this journey. If I didn’t gain the weight, if I didn’t know about the binge eating, I would have never searched online for binge eating and found out about Institute.

I would have never had this career. I know that this is a gift from him that he wants me to give to the world: to help people heal as much as I will hopefully be healing from what I’ve learned. So, it hit me that this is something big that I know I’ve been doing wrong, but now it’s the time for it to change.

So, I don’t know how we’re going to be able to change all these past 24 years, but I’m looking for another 24 years of happiness.

Marc: Yeah, well, I think it’s going to happen for you sooner than you think! It really will. And it’s going to be gradual, like most other things in life. We tend to move gradually, and there are these moments of explosion, sometimes. There are these moments where everything changes really quickly. You meet somebody new, you get a new job—so yeah, there are these events in life that really can kick us up. And when they come, they’re a special grace. We go, “Oh, wow! That really changed everything! Thank you!” But other than that, it’s every day, we wake up, and we do our work. And really, what it’s about is about staying awake every day.

So when you wake up, it’s about staying awake and noticing, and I see that you’re doing that. And before, you said something to the effect of, “I’ve been asking God, ‘Well, why did I gain this weight? Why did I gain this weight?’” And then you kind of answered the question. We’re often given challenges; and those challenges—though they’re not fun, and they’re not easy, and they’re work—hidden inside there’s always an opportunity for us to grow.

And in a lot of ways, this is teaching you that you’re more than a body, and we don’t just rely on the body.

Sure, we have to take care of this body, because we have only one, and it’s special, and that’s what we’re given; and it’s a privilege. I mean, think about it: all things considered, you’re young, you’re healthy, and you have all the energy that you need.

So, wow! The body’s been good to you. And here’s the place where God is asking me to learn through my journey with my body. Because you’re going to understand people in a whole different way, going through your own journey. You’re going to understand girls; you’re going to understand women; you’re going to understand men. You’re going to understand so much, because you’re observing people, but you’re also going through your own journey.

So, in a strange way, it’s the perfect setup. Let me ask you this question: After a binge, what happens for you? Where do you go in your mind? The binge is over. What happens?

Huguette: Before, I used to feel so much guilt, and I used to isolate myself and sleep at home and not want to go out. Now, I feel less of the guilt. I say, “It’s ok. I’ve binged—there’s a reason behind that. I hope it won’t happen again, and I will try to manage it better next time.”

I will try to be less stressed and anxious about food, less stressed about my weight loss. Most of my binging is emotional since I’ve stopped dieting and am eating better now. So I think the binging now is not because of the calorie deficiency or the nutrient deficiency, but it’s because of the emotions and the stress that I have. So, that’s why I think it’s decreased, because the part with the nutrition is ok. I’m eating more fat, more proteins. I’m trying not to focus as much on food, because I used to focus a lot on that.

Marc: Yep.

Huguette: And trying to nourish myself. I’m trying to apply whatever I’ve learned from the course. But I tried them all at once, and I got stressed more. So, I’m trying now to take each one ahead so I can step-by-step get on with all of these and get to a better relationship with food, get to a better relationship with myself. Because, I don’t think it will happen [in a] day and night. It needs a little bit of time.

Marc: Yeah. Do you have people in your life that feel like support for you, that you can talk to about what you’ve learned and what you’re going through with your own body?

Huguette: I do talk to my parents, and some of my friends. But my parents, now they are like, “You’ve learned what you need to learn, so why aren’t you healing? Why didn’t you lose the weight?”

And I have a very similar character as my dad. We’re totally alike. He binges, and he’s obese. So, he knows that it hurts me to hear him telling me that I’ve gained weight, but now I think he’s stopped saying it because I got hurt. I’m always hurt when I hear people telling me, “You’ve gained weight.”

My mom is more responsive because we have different characters. I tell her, “You need to understand me. This is not a joke. I’ve got a disorder. I used to binge eat; that’s why I gained all the weight.” She tries to talk in a more beautiful way and a supportive way, but I know that in the back of her mind she wants to see me happier, healthier, losing the weight that I gained. So, they are not that fully supportive, because they don’t understand what we’ve learned.

Marc: Right.

Huguette: The same applies to my friends. Some of them used to binge. I have a friend who used to binge a lot. I think she’s lying to me. I think that she had an operation because she lost a huge [amount of] weight since last year. And she’s never admitted it, but each time we go out, she eats tiny, small pieces of food and she stops. I’m not stupid—she can’t fool me. I’m a dietician, and I know everything about this stuff.

So, if she wants to not say, I’m not here to oblige her to say that. So, I think she stopped binge eating. She’s happy, and she’s interesting to know all that because she wasn’t the same thing. I don’t have that much support, because people here don’t know that much.

But, I’m happy to have my friends. Some of my friends are skinny, and they fear food. I have one best friend—she is here to listen to me. She is very supportive. She is happy whenever I tell her something that she does wrong, so she’s always supportive.

But other than that, all of my countrymen here in Lebanon are obsessed with food, obsessed with diet, obsessed with doing sports. And the comments that they give each other are so bad. So, I’m fighting in a circle of bad ideas. I don’t blame them. If I didn’t get this or know about the course, I would have still believed the same old signs that I learned when I was in my bachelor years [studying] nutrition.

Marc: Yeah, so you have a fascinating challenge, because you are living in a culture and a country that might not have as much momentum around this kind of thing as we do here in the United States. There’s that piece. And because of that, in a strange way, you’re more, I want to say, isolated—alone—at least in terms of what you know. There are not going to be many people around you who can be a peer for you.

Huguette: True that.

Marc: So, that’s going to be an interesting part of your journey, and it has been. Because, what I’ve noticed is, when that happens for a person, one has to be accepting, in a strange way, that that’s your fate. Sometimes you’re part of the crowd. There are just some people that are part of the crowd. You’re not going to be part of the crowd. You can hang out with the crowd, but there’s likely always going to be this part of you that, because of your knowledge, because of the maturity for your age, because of what you’ve studied relative to what people around you know, is always going to be seeing different things.

Huguette: True.

Marc: And on the one hand, that can be very positive and exciting and helpful and interesting. It makes your life very fascinating, because you’re very unique in that way. And on the other hand, it could feel lonely. It could feel like, “I’m isolated,” and for that reason, it would make it easier when you’re stressed to want to turn to food. Because you don’t have a lot of other options in terms of relaxing and [turning] to people who could be such a great support system for you. Do you follow?

Huguette: Yeah, yeah.

Marc: So, I’m just acknowledging what I see on this end here, which is that you’re going to have it a little different than most of your peers. And as long as you can keep being good with that and accepting that this is part of your journey and part of your faith and that it’s going to help you grow as a person—it’s going to be part of your special gift— it’ll help you move through all this just a little bit easier I think.

Huguette: Now that I’m building my business, everyone asks me, “So you’re getting the scale, you’re getting the automatic machine for the body composition?” When I say no they’re like, “Oh and how will you weigh patients? And how will you be able to know if they lost weight? And how would you treat patients?” It’s like, I treat people in a very different way. I don’t care about the number. You won’t succeed. It’s not a job. I told them, “I’m not a typical dietician. I did something that is the psychology of eating. I work more on the psyche. I will help people reach their weight loss. But I don’t care at the first time about the weight loss.”

I know that once I launch my business, the dieticians here in my country will be amazed by what I do. They might fight me, because our knowledge is different than theirs. All the dieticians here in Lebanon give low-fat diets. We have the cheese, the Lebanese yogurt—all of them they give as low-fat.

So, when I’m going to go out and say, “Don’t eat low-fat stuff; try going organic; try switching to more fat in the food,” I think they would not be that happy with the knowledge that I’ll be giving. But I hope that it will work. I hope that I will have the courage to educate ordinary people so they can understand what we’ve been going through, and we’ll be able to heal them from this diet culture and diet consciousness.

Marc: Yeah! It’s a disease of the mind, and it becomes a disease of the body. And you see how easy it is for people to get gripped by this.

Huguette: I was obsessed with the scale. I used to weigh myself three times a day. I used to weigh myself every single day. Well now I’ve stopped. I don’t care about the weight. I know that I’ve gained the weight. I don’t know how much now. It’s been two months; I’ve never weighed myself. I know that if I’m going to see a huge number, I won’t be happy, and that’s why I won’t go on the scale. I know it would do nothing for me.

Marc: Yes.

Huguette: So, I want to convince people, because I know how horrible it is. When I used to gain one pound, I used to go crazy, cry, binge more, sleep, and isolate myself from people. So, I know that there’s a number that you need to lose. Yes, maybe you gained 20 kilos. Maybe I did, but I don’t know if I’m going to lose them. I want to, but life is uncertain, as you say.

So, I just want to be able to convince people about that. I will be hopefully able to help them with their journey and with their weight loss—with their health issues, with their food issues. But as well, it’s like I’m fighting alone in this country when I open my business, hopefully soon.

Marc: So, when do you think you will open your business? Do you have a date in mind?

Huguette: Yeah, in maximum one month. I already have the location, I’m just working on the interior design and getting the furniture and hopefully I’ll be open in 2 or 3 weeks, maximum one month.

Marc: So that’s going to really change your schedule. It’s going to fill you up more. But it’s going to give you more momentum, because you also mentioned in the beginning of the conversation, that leaving your other life, you thought you would have more time and energy to take care of yourself.

Huguette: True that.

Marc: So, it sounds to me like having a little more structure and focus is going to just be good for you. Because, part of it is, you just need to be plugged in. You just need to be plugged in and start helping people. Here’s the other weird thing, which is the great thing: the more we help others in this realm, the more we’re helping ourselves.

Huguette: That’s what I was going to ask you.

Marc: It’s just shocking how it works like that, because we’re reinforcing what we know. We’re reinforcing what we believe. We’re reinforcing the messages that we’re giving to ourselves, and we’re supporting each other.

So, it’s not just me going through this, it’s not just you going through this—we’re supporting each other. And that creates some momentum, and it makes it more real for you in your own personal life. And it also inspires us to just do a better job with self, you know?

We could use it to make ourselves go crazy: “Oh, my God, I have to have the perfect weight if I’m going to see clients!” No! I want to love my body if I’m going to see clients. I want to be taking care of myself. But you can take care of yourself and be all different kinds of weights.

So, what we’re doing is we’re letting go of a very specific number, and we’re just learning how to be people. We’re learning how to be good people. We’re learning how to discover, “What are my talents? Who am I? Who do I want to be? Who do I want to talk to? Who do I want to be in a relationship with?”

The next time you get into a relationship, I want it to be so clear that you’re loving yourself for who you are, and that’s the kind of man you want. You don’t want to exercise your brains out, lose 20 pounds, and then some guy says, “Oh, that’s who I love!” So, what happens when you gain three pounds?

Huguette: Yeah.

Marc: What happens when you get pregnant? It’s all about you treating yourself in the way that you would want others to treat you. And, to me, I see you doing that. I see you practicing that, and you’re making steps, and you’re making strides. And it’s never going to happen fast enough, because you’re also the kind of person, I’m getting, that likes excellence.

And you like to see results. So, it’s like, “Ok, this should be working now.” And life is going to ask you to be patient. And I think you’re doing a great job. I really do! I think you’re doing a great job. And, again, for your age and where you are and what you’ve been through and the environment that you’re in, A+!

Huguette: Thank you! That’s amazing to hear. And as you said, yeah, when I was a dietician back then, I thought that I needed to lose the weight to be able to get clients back, so they can believe me. If I am not at that weight, they will just check my body and see that I don’t have that body, so I can’t convince them to do this diet.

When I started this program, I thought that I needed to get over the binge eating, I needed to lose all the weight back so people will believe me. If I can’t heal myself, how will I be able to heal them? But now, through all that you’ve said, I think that we teach what we need to learn. And I will hopefully be able to heal them and heal myself along the way with my journey.

Marc: Yeah. You know, for some reason, I just flashed on someone as we were talking. I flashed on Beyoncé, and I was thinking how Beyoncé is a big girl!

Huguette: I am a big girl.

Marc: Beyoncé’s a big girl, and she fully owns her body. She owns it. There’s nothing about her that says, “Oh, do you love me for who I am? Do I need to change for you?” It’s like, here she is. “This is me!” And you can’t do anything but go, “Wow!”

Huguette: Yeah.

Marc: And you have that quality in you—the part of your womanhood where you just own who you are. There’s a part of you that really owns who you are. It’s pretty remarkable. And it’s learning how to apply that as well to your own physical form. So, no matter who you are: if you’re pregnant, you own it. If you have the 16-year-old body, you own it. If you have this body, you own it. Whatever it is, you own it—“This is me, take it or leave it.”

Huguette: Ok.

Marc: And, it’s having that ability to just inhabit who you are right now, exactly as it is.

I’ve been wanting to reflect back to you some of the things that I think you should be celebrating, because I know you push yourself hard, and I know you work hard.

But I also want you to be able to take a moment and pause and go, “Wow! So far, so good!” You’ve accomplished a lot in your own personal growth, in your own life, in your own maturity, in your profession so far. And you have a beautiful vision for where you want to go. All I’m saying is, that’s awesome! That’s absolutely awesome. For a young woman your age, it’s incredible, and you couldn’t be doing any better.

Huguette: Thank you!

Marc: Yeah, I really mean that.

Huguette: Thank you so much.

Marc: Yay! So, Huguette, we’re going to have the opportunity to have a follow-up session just a handful of months from now.

Huguette: Ok.

Marc: So, I’m looking forward to connecting and just sort of seeing what’s happening for you and where your business is at. I just want to leave you with reminding you to celebrate your success. And just remember to acknowledge, “Yeah, I’ve come far! There’s still a long way I would like to go—”

Huguette: Ok.

Marc: “—and I’ve come pretty far.”

Huguette: Ok.

Marc: Just reminding yourself a couple days a week.

Huguette: Will do.

Marc: Ok. Great job! I so appreciate you being so open and so real and so honest and so out there. And I hope every girl in their 20s watches this. I really mean that. Because I just think you’re such a great role model, and you’re going to understand people and women and girls so well. So, congratulations. I’m super proud of you!

Huguette: Thank you so much! I’m super happy that I got the chance to talk you and get all your feedback. I’m looking forward to our next session, and I hope with this podcast we can help the audience out there who’s going to listen to my story. And thank you so much for the course, for all that we’ve learned. There is amazing information. They are more than the worth of the money that we’ve paid for this course. So I’m very happy, and thank you so much for everything.

Marc: Oh, that’s so sweet, Huguette. You’re so welcome, and I want to thank everybody who tuned in. Once again, I’m Marc David on behalf of the “Psychology of Eating” podcast. Lots more to come, my friends. Take care.

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