Be Nourished

A Year of Being Nourished

By Amaya Villazan

Last week, I attended a wellness fair at a local university in which I hosted a table introducing people to Be Nourished along side co-founder and dietitian, Dana Sturtevant, MS, RD. I was tentative at first, nervous I wasn’t going to be able to properly explain and give insight into the tenets of Health At Every Size and Intuitive Eating. However, as I started talking to people, I was astounded by how much I had absorbed after only a year of working at Be Nourished. More importantly, I was completely inspired by the deep seated hunger in the community for an approach that fully embraces every human shape in all its perfection and the growing desire to let go of destructive dieting and embody a more positive and sustainable path toward health and weight neutral self-care.

I spoke with one young woman who came by our table after having visited a table hosted by a certain dieting program. She had just spoken with someone there about her body mass index and how their plan could offer her a way to reach her ideal size and stay that way. She shared with me that she had spent years of yo-yo dieting without the results she so desperately strived for. When I started explaining the concept of Intuitive Eating and that health does not need to equate a number on the scale, her eyes lit up.  It was though she had been waiting to hear those words her whole life and had no idea it was even a possibility.  It was a beautiful moment to witness.

Over time, I’ve witnessed countless friends, myself included, struggle with an ingrained ideal of beauty; constant comparing, constant vigilance over food, constant feelings of inadequacy hidden behind a false image of confidence.  I talked about mindful living and acceptance but would then go home and stare at myself in the mirror wishing my body was different, that this was less, that that was more. But now a shift has happened. My eyes have been opened. A year ago I was looking for a job to help pay my rent and support my habit as an actor and singer. Instead, I was given the keys to a radical path toward self-love and sustainable health.  My body and I are very grateful.

Amaya Villazan is the office coordinator at Be Nourished. When she's not organizing events and assisting in spreading the message of HAES and  Intuitive Eating, she is performing as an actor and singer/songwriter in the Portland area. To hear about her upcoming performances and to listen to her music, please visit www.amayavillazan.com.

The Size of Your Doctor?

By Hilary Kinavey, MS, LPC

Did you see this little article in the New York Times magazine on 3/18/12?

"How Fat Is Your Doctor" By Hope Reeves

"In addition to the hassles and indignities they face on a daily basis, it turns out that overweight people also may not make very good doctors — at least when it comes to treating overweight patients. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University surveyed 500 primary-care physicians and found that doctors who battled the bulge themselves (those with a body-mass index of 25 or above) were less likely to recognize fatness or offer their patients diet tips. Basically,says the researcher Sara Bleich, “your doctor is unlikely to diagnose obesity or have weight-loss discussions with you if they weigh more than you.” Thin doctors, typically, seem to be just freaking perfect."

This weight-biased data suggests that the discussions regarding weight in doctors offices across this country are actually helpful at producing change.  It also suggests that the discussions between doctors in larger bodies and their patients are not happening and those patients are somehow missing out on some important information.

Hmmmm? 

It has been my experience that many of my “overweight” clients are actually having second thoughts or actively avoiding medical care to steer clear of the recognition of fatness that is referred to in this article. Some work diligently to find medical practitioners who are willing to entertain discussions with patients of all sizes that involve sustainable and weight-neutral self-care.  Most don’t know where to turn, but certainly would like to avoid the sometimes shaming and often unproductive recommendations regarding weight loss. 

In fact, the research on weight bias through the Yale Rudd Center is showing that the most reported incidence of weight bias that people experience is coming from healthcare practitioners and family members.  Weight bias research shows the more bias someone experiences, the more times they will try to cope with that bias through overeating, dieting and other shame inducing methods that do not support sustainable health behaviors. (Puhl and Brownell, 2006/2007)

We also know, from research on Intuitive Eating, that women who can approach their bodies with some acceptance are more likely to eat healthy (Tylka, 2006).  Making assumptions about a person based on their weight, even in a clinical setting, has not necessarily encouraged sustainable health behavior change, and has often done the opposite, producing more shame and potential alienation. 

This article, in it’s own tongue in cheek way, suggests that finding a medical professional who mirrors your experience may be the way to go to avoid stigma. I also believe that sharing your needs and expectations with your medical professionals is one of the most important ways you can participate in your own care.

Linda Bacon, in Health at Every Size offers a letter that patients can offer to their health care providers that discusses a sensitive care approach for people of all sizes.

If you have or know of a provider that you have received compassionate or weight-neutral care from, we’d love to know. We are compiling a referral list! Email amaya@benourished.org with the name and contact information.

Mindfulness and Mothering

By Anne Meneakis, LCSW

Wouldn’t it be marvelously healthy and wonderful to have monthly national “unplug” days, where our phones are shut down, email and all electronic devices are turned off, and our maternal “to do” lists transform into a mother’s single-item, “to be” list? And the hugely important question, “How do I want to be with my children?” would be given its due honoring, time and space.

If fans of Shakespeare would pardon me, how “to be,” really does seem to capture the crucial question of those of us parenting in this decade. How to be with our children as we work so hard to nurture and raise them as we truly wish to; how to be with our children when moments of normal parenting stress or challenges arise and our humanness gets in the way of being the kind of parents we long to be; how to be with our children as we juggle vast and distracting schedule demands in an over paced culture; how to be with our children, so that they may learn to be with others – empathetic and kind. These to be moments, moments of be-ing, are all moments with the potential for mindfulness, for mothering mindfully.

“Mindfulness is at the heart of nurturing relationships. When we are mindful, we live in the present moment and are aware of our own thoughts and feelings and also are open to those of our children.” – In “Parenting from the Inside Out,” by attachment expert and child psychiatrist, Daniel L. Siegel, M.D. and Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.1

Even if we don’t get a day of unplugged time, one of the wonderful things about the practice of mindfulness is that it can be practiced for as little as 5-10 minutes a day with a resulting shift in our interactions with our children and loved ones, a shift towards greater awareness of what is happening inside ourselves, and inside our children’s minds and hearts. Our interactions with our children then have a more abundant loving intentionality of how we wish to be with them. Mindfulness can be practiced in sitting meditation, or while walking, brushing our teeth, or chopping broccoli.

There are so many of those “I wish moments” in parenting. “Oh, I wish I had kept calmer and more patient when trying to get my son to school on time;” “I wish I had been less distracted when my daughter wanted to play with me,” or “I wish I had reserved that afternoon for just my children and myself.” Even in our better parenting moments, mis-attunement is a natural phenomenon. As we integrate mindfulness into our daily lives, such “I-wish” moments happen less often. We are more able to set limits on schedules that take away from relationship-building with our children. Our awareness and attunement increase, and our relationship with our children deepens.

“When we are being fully present as parents, when we are mindful, it enables our children to fully experience themselves in the moment….“It is within our children’s emotional connections with us that they develop a deeper sense of themselves and a capacity for relating.” Daniel L. Siegel, M.D. and Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.2

What about the moments where we are more than mildly mis-attuned with our children? When parenthood presents moments of more difficult challenge from our own stress, or when a child’s behavior presses buttons we didn’t know we had, parenting strategies or child development theories alone are not helpful.

“When tired, hungry, frustrated, disappointed, or angered, we can lose the ability to be reflective and become limited in our capacity to choose our behaviors. We may be swept up in our own emotions and lose perspective. At these times, we can no longer think clearly and are at high risk of overreacting… It is so important that we try to be aware of our own emotional processes and respect their central role in both our internal and interpersonal lives…When we are [mindful and thus] flexible, we have a choice about what behaviors to enact and what parental approach and values to support.” –(Siegel & Hartzell)3

The practice of mindfulness can be so very helpful in these moments. It helps decrease our moments of unregulated unmindful speaking to our children, and helps us stop and pause and re-direct ourselves more quickly when such human, unskillful moments arise. When we are able to stay present in the moment, we create a neurological capacity in the brain, a flexibility of mind to pause, and become aware of our emotions and internal experiences and states. We become more aware of and able to consider the emotions and internal experiences of others, of our children. We can then thoughtfully and intentionally follow through on the strategies or parent-child interactions which belong not to reactive irritability or distracted absence of mind, but to our values of how we wish to mother our children - our best of mother intentions which arise in our calmer, wiser, reflective moments.

Mindful and loving parent-child interactions that teach and nourish our children, and raise them to be resilient, thriving adults, can be a part of parenting for any of us, even if our memories of our own childhood were not particularly happy ones. The neuroscience research outlined in Dr. Susan Smalley’sbook, “Fully Present”4,5 and Dr. Siegel’s “Parenting from the Inside Out,” demonstrates the brain’s ability to grow new neuronal pathways, which make possible a new capacity to reduce old stress responses and increase our resiliency in stressful moments. We are thus able to create new, mindful, attuned ways of responding to our children in times of stress, or difficult emotions.

In practicing the non-judgmental noting of what arises within us, and responding with acceptance, mindfulness enables us to cultivate a more compassionate understanding with ourselves. As we become more mindful and compassionate with ourselves, we not only create a deeper, more meaningful life for ourselves, we role-model such awareness and self-compassion for our children. As our children receive non-judgmental compassion from us, our children can learn to create that compassion in their relationship with themselves and with others.

“It is within our children’s emotional connections with us that they develop a deeper sense of themselves and a capacity for relating….”(Siegel and Hartzell)6

So the gift of this parenting art of mindfulness, with its practice of compassion and awareness, becomes for us a gift of a deeper understanding of ourselves and a deeper relationship with our children. And that gift of deeper, richer connection between our selves and our children becomes the gift of a step towards a more mindful, more connected world.

About the author: Anne Meneakis, LCSW is a counselor in private practice in SE Portland. She will be offering a Mindful Mothering Workshop at Be Nourished, on Sunday, April 15th from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. This workshop will include a blend of mindfulness meditation instruction, as well as journal writing and affirming, supportive group discussions - all on mothering mindfully. We will unplug, create and share our “to be” list. No prior meditation experience is required. The workshop is equally fitting for new moms as well as moms with older children.

Anne has worked in the mental health/counseling field for over 24 years. She provides couplescounseling, parent coaching and individual counseling with an emphasis on women’s relationship,parenting and emotional wellness concerns. You can reach Anne at 503-349-6152. For more information about Anne you may also click here.

1,2,3,6) Footnotes: Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding can help you Raise Children Who Thrive: Siegel, Dani M.D. and Hartzell, Mary, M.Ed., Tarcher/Penguin (2003)
4,)Footnotes: Fully Present The Science Art and Practice of Mindfulness: Smalley, Susan L , Ph.D and Winston Diana, De Capo Press (2010
5) Footnotes: Fully Present The Science Art and Practice of Mindfulness: Smalley, Susan L , Ph.D and Winston Diana, De Capo Press (2010JM Greeson, “Mindfulness Research Update:2008.” Completmentary Health Practice Review (2009):10-18; A. Chiesa and A Serretti,:Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Health People: A review and Meta-Analysis, “Journal of Alternative andComplementary Medicine (2009)593-600; P.Grossman,L. Niewman, S. Schmidt and H. Walach, “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction andHealth Benefits. A Meta-Analysis,” Journal of Psychosomatic Research (2004): 35-43.

I'm Not Good (Smart, Funny, Thin) Enough

By Cayla Panitz, MA

Brené Brown says that, “Knowledge is important, but only if we’re being kind and gentle with ourselves as we work to discover who we are.” For many of us, our inner critic gets in the w

ay of this process. You know the inner critic: That part of you that says you do not get a choice to be treated kindly by yourself. The part that tells you that YOU are not smart enough. Funny enough. Thin enough. It tells you that who you are right this minute is not good enough. And never will be. That somehow you are not worthy. The inner critic is best buddies with shame.  These two powerful forces tag team and make us think they are right. They remind us how much we have relied on them, how much we need them.

When we follow the path of the inner critic, we lose access to our True Self. Who we are becomes not enough. Sometimes we believe the inner critic so much that we forget that IT is NOT all of who we are.  The inner critic then robs us of vitality and connection, of being alive. Often, the inner critic blames us for negative emotions-it tells us we feel this way because we are not good enough. This perfectionist attitude removes us from what it is like to be human. It blocks our ability for self-compassion. When we think we are “not enough” we become disengaged from being connected, authentic, and vulnerable with others and with ourselves.

The good news is that we don’t have to be under the spell of the inner critic. There are different strategies to combat the inner critic and become more connected to our core selves. Self-awareness can lead to greater self-compassion, connection and a kinder, gentler, more accepting You. When we release our self-loathing and hatred and the idea that we will never measure up, we realize that, like everyone else, we are not perfect. That worthiness has no prerequisites. And we begin to become our true authentic selves now. Right this minute. As is.

Join us on April 7th for our Body Trust Network to further explore the functions of the inner critic, what it means to get in touch with your true authentic self, and how self-awareness can lead to greater self-compassion and connection.  

“A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.” –Christopher Germer

How light is too light?

A few weeks ago I went to heat up an Amy’s frozen meal for lunch – roasted polenta with swiss chard.  “Yum,” I thought.  Then I realized when I opened the box that this was an “Amy’s light & lean” frozen meal, which translated to 140 calories with 4 grams of fat.   “Yikes,” I thought, “I’m going to be hungry in an hour!”

I love Amy’s frozen meals for the occasional day when I don’t have anything else to take for lunch.  They taste good and when you look at the ingredient list, you don’t have to get out a chemical dictionary to understand what it is that you are eating. This one had sweet yellow cornmeal polenta topped with an organic summer stew of squash, sun-ripened tomatoes, mushrooms and a side of fragrant slow-cooked chard. (Take a look at the ingredient list of a Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers frozen meal – you might be surprised.)  When you open the box and look at the food, it looks like something that I would have cooked and put in the freezer for a quick meal.

Now, I bought this meal because it sounded good, not because it was ‘light and lean.’  After discovering the nutrition facts, I wondered how many people would eat just this for lunch or dinner and think they are being ‘so good.’  Paired with a lean protein, this could be a very satisfying meal.  But on it’s own, it is not enough to eat.

When I got home, I looked at the “Southern Dinner” that I usually get – cornbread and beans with greens and sweet potatoes to see how this meal compared to the ‘light and lean’ one.  This meal has 310 calories and 7 grams of fat.  What’s wrong with this?  Why isn’t this one considered ‘light and lean?’

The mentality of many people in this culture is the lower or lighter the food is, the better.  My clients who severely restrict their eating because they are dieting or have an eating disorder eat ‘light’ like this all day long.  And they complain of being hungry all the time.  They also report craving carbohydrates like pretzels, bread or muffins.  And if they tend to ignore cues to eat and live with extreme hunger, they crave simpler carbohydrates like jellybeans and candy corn.  Sound familiar?

“Becoming familiar with your physiological hunger and working with vs. against it is helpful in avoiding overeating and/or feeling out of control” says Amy Tuttle of Nourishing Connections.   At Be Nourished, we work with clients to improving their meal mix by eating a combination of protein, fat and carbohydrate and they discover they are not hungry ALL the time.

Eating foods, meals, or snacks that provide us with a combination of carbohydrate, protein and fat helps keep our energy level up and our mood more manageable.  And it enables us think more clearly because our body and brain are receiving better fuel and we are not distracted by hunger. 

So the next time you are thinking about what to eat, consider composing your meals and snacks differently.  We’d love to hear what you discover along the way!

 

Building Body Trust in Relationship

By Teresa Weis, LPC, LMFT

Often times we hear people talk about working on one’s self before getting into a new relationship. “It’s time to work on yourself!”, “I can really get strong and figure my stuff out!” or even most powerfully, “You can’t love someone unless you learn to love yourself first!”.  While it’s important to actively support anyone’s desire to do this work, this life is rarely black and white and/or absolute.  We can’t always plan when we fall in love, or when we meet someone of interest.  And even when we do all the independent growth work in the world, building our awareness and strengthening/shifting into new healthier patterns, inevitably we may find ourselves in another relationship and quickly triggered back into old unhealthy patterns of interaction and relating. Even in the middle of a long-term relationship, an aware life means that growth and change can happen at any time.  How does one build the skills of interdependence while in a relationship?  How can one strengthen one’s own self care patterns when deeply engaged with a loved one? 

Each of us brings our own history, beliefs, values, assumptions, meanings and triggers to a relationship.  Even when we find partners that share many experiences, beliefs, values in common, we may still feel challenged, especially in the course of modern busy lives, to do the hard work of creating the life we want within the context of an intimate relationship.  A couple’s level of cohesion, communication and secure attachment can potentially exacerbate the difficulties of maintaining a new pattern, especially when this new pattern involves one’s relationship to food, weight, and body image.  It is the people with whom we live that we will more often share meals, see naked, share physical activities, insecurities and health concerns.  Our partner’s beliefs about food, weight, and dieting can impact our feedback loops and those impacts can range from strong support to insidious sabotage.  It is easy to declare, “I will TRUST my body” and can still be hard to maintain if the meaning our partner’s derive out of that statement is a far cry from our own newfound body wisdom and awareness.  Stepping into the Intuitive Eating world, building body trust, and stripping away our old protective coping skills to reveal this deeper connection to our emotional lives and needs, can potentially complicate our feelings about our relationships.  Our partners may not know how to respond or grow with us, and it may reveal hidden tensions, surprising feelings, and or misunderstandings.  Even partners with the best of intentions may still find themselves on the outside of the partner’s process, feeling supportive yet disconnected.

As many know and have experienced, it is possible to change and grow together…even around deeply vulnerable topics with often disparate histories such as food and weight.  How do we invite our partners (often more than willing in intention) along with us on this journey?  How do we bridge the gaps in understanding and unpack the triggers each brings to the conversation?  How do we transform the fear of change and its associated losses into a powerful vehicle towards deeper intimacy and mutual understanding?  How do we ask for what we need in ways that neither require parts of our new self to disappear again nor sabotage our needs to be loved and cared for?

At the February Body Trust Network discussion on February 4^th we invite you to join us for a skill-building workshop that addresses these questions and concerns.  We’ll identify the strengths you and/or your couple already possess and expand the ways in which you make use of those strengths to deeper your mutual understanding and intimacy especially around food and weight.  Join us to really explore how body trust looks in the context of a relationship and how the relationship can blossom as a result of this shared journey.

 

 

The Fat Trap

By Hilary Kinavey, MS, LPC

An important article was published in the New York Times magazine on 12/8/11. In her article titled  “The Fat Trap”, Tara Parker-Pope asks if we have to be “superhuman to lose weight.” I urge you to take some time to read it, but then come back here. There is more to the story.

You see, I think the common response when we hear or read about the true metabolic realities of weight loss, is to feel pretty let down. You might feel worried about being stuck in your uncomfortable “fat” feeling forever. You might even be entertaining thoughts of self-blame about the size of your body. Or feeling more body shame, wishing so much that you could find a plan that would really work this time so you don’t have to feel these things again.

The good news is that you are not stuck just because dieting doesn’t actually work. It is so very important to remember that you manage to stay skeptical of most marketing ventures that are directed your way (of which there are many!) The dieting and weight loss industries, in all their various forms, make up a $60 billion dollar industry that is highly dependent on repeat customers. They know it doesn’t work either. They blame you, shame you and tell you that you aren’t trying hard enough instead. This tactic tends to trump our efforts at remaining skeptical of them. Doesn’t that make you angry? Allow yourself a moment of that. The fact that dieting does not work for your physical bodies is not new news. Linda Bacon Ph.D, the author of Health at Every Size, has researched weight loss extensively and has reported similar findings.

This is the time of year when the desire to make changes in the name of weight loss is the loudest and the marketing is the heaviest. It is incredibly easy to find yourself lost in the dominant thought process about weight loss. This thought process is something like “weight loss is important for health”, “the changes I make to my health behaviors must result in weight loss to be productive”, “ I have to change who I am from the outside in to be better” or simply, “Thin = health.”

This is where we find that traditional weight loss is not sustainable psychologically as well. We do not change from the outside in, but from the inside out. It’s tough to make big changes when we are afraid we are not good enough, even though we desperately might want to. These efforts also do not tend to be sustainable. We can
not shame ourselves into change. It doesn’t work. If it did, it would have already happened.

Carl Rogers reminds us, ““The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” It is inevitably true. If traditional weight loss doesn’t work, then we are left to deal with what is really happening in us, the real stuff that Brene Brown says “gets in the way.” We frequently know when making food choices what works for us and what doesn’t, but that isn’t what we rely on in that moment of choice. Other psychological factors come into play. We also know that a lifetime (no matter how long) of body dissatisfaction and dieting really skews our beliefs about food and self-care. We almost have to de-program that “dieting mind” to reconnect to our bodies again. It’s true…and it’s possible.

Hope is not lost. There’s a whole world out there that can support you in real and sustainable health practices. Our resources page can introduce to some of our favorites. And let us know about what you find on your journey.

So tell us, what did you think about “The Fat Trap” article?

The Stages of Intuitive Eating, Part 1

By Hilary Kinavey, MS, LPC

The beginning stages of intuitive eating often require us to hold opposite experiences as truth at the same time. We can feel relieved and excited to have found something that finally feels right, new, and sane. We can also feel confused, alone and as if we are stumbling down an overgrown path with little information about what is to come.

Becoming trusting of and intuitive about your body’s signals and wisdom is a tall order when your body has been the place you have directed blame and self-hatred. Often, in order to get all that feels out-of-control back in line, the mind wants to make Intuitive Eating into the new Plan. Plans generally have to be done ‘just so’ and they are largely outcome (or weight loss) focused. When we are navigating the beginning stages of intuitive eating, the dieting mind/inner critic is always lurking, waiting for an “in”.

This challenge calls for a firm belief (that comes from you) about really and truly being done with dieting. This often involves reminding yourself over and over again of all the reasons you came to intuitive eating that don’t have to do with weight loss. What have you given up in pursuit of the thin ideal – joy, flexibility, spontaneity, friendships, a sense of self worth? Why are you truly seeking change for yourself right now?

The early stages of intuitive eating also call for you to investigate permission and pleasure with food. This can be truly scary if you have spent time trying to do food “right” (i.e. restricting) and then over-indulging in a flurry of self-blame and hatred (i.e. overeating or binging). People assume that “overeating” is about pleasure and indulgence. If we look a little bit deeper, we often find it is not. If you have used food to numb difficult emotions, then you have numbed ALL your emotions. You don’t get to be selective about this. Learning to heal your relationship with food to become an intuitive eater means learning to feel joy and pleasure again too.

Intuitive eating invites you to eat what you want. Even you if you have judgments about the food that you want. You then want to couple that desire with permission to eat and enjoy your food so you can actually have the eating experience instead of being distracted by shame and self-hatred every time you eat. It is here that you begin to connect with an internal voice that has been waiting to be allowed choice. This choice involves becoming more honest with yourself about whether or not you truly like the food you choose, and if you are really hungry for it and satisfied by it.

We will continue to explore how intuitive eating unfolds in real lives in future posts. In the meantime, tell us, what are the real reasons (other than weight loss) that brought you to intuitive eating?

Navigating Holiday and Winter Stress with Acupuncture

By Susan Buhler, MSOM, LAc

According to the wisdom of Chinese medicine, the cold months of winter are an essential time to conserve as well as generate vital energy – so that you may live and feel your best in all seasons…

The ancient Chinese believed that human beings should live in harmony with the natural cycles of the universe and their environment. The cold, quiet, stillness and darkness of the winter season urges us to slow down. This is the time of year to self-reflect, replenish energy and conserve strength. It is the time to integrate the life-harvest of this particular year, in preparation for a new cycle of life that begins each spring. It is also a season to go to sleep early, rest well, stay warm, eat nourishing foods, and expend a minimum of energy.

In Chinese medicine it is said that winter is ruled by the Water element, and is associated with the Kidneys, Bladder and adrenal glands of the human body. The Kidneys are considered the foundational source of all energy or “Qi” within the body. Once the daily energetic demands of the body have been met, if there is any Qi that is in surplus, it is stored by the Kidneys so that it can be used in times of stress and change, to heal, to prevent illness, and to age healthfully and gracefully.

While optimal health and well-being in the winter season calls for rest, nourishment and energy conservation for revitalization of body and spirit, your holiday activities may have a different agenda.

We have all felt the realities of holiday stress. The holidays can be filled with a dizzying array of demands: visitors, travel, frantic shopping trips and financial concerns. For many people it is also a time filled with sadness, loneliness, anxiety or even anger. Even under the best of circumstances, with all of these stressors on top of the ordinary and extraordinary demands of daily life, and you may find this to be one of the most emotionally trying times of the year.

Stress, anxiety and depression are our subjective experience in our bodies that energy is not harmonious and balanced. Such mental/emotional states can lead to a disruption in the flow of vital energy throughout the body. These energetic imbalances in turn can weaken the immune system, and cause symptoms including physical pain, sleep disturbances, abnormal digestion, headaches, and even menstrual irregularities. Over time, more serious illnesses may develop.

Chinese medicine offers safe and effective treatment to help smooth and balance our responses to what can be a challenging time of year. It can help correct energetic imbalances and directly affect the way your body manages stress. Thus enhancing the body, mind and spirit, one may face the demands of life and the holidays, with grace and vitality.

When the body’s energy is harmonious, the mind and heart are peaceful, and life is health.

For more information or to schedule an acupuncture appointment at Be Nourished contact:
Susan Buhler, MSOM, LAc
971-216-9913

Also, check out Susan's December Stress Release Acupuncture Special! For more info, click here.

The Honeymoon Phase

By Dana Sturtevant, MA, RD

I spent last week in Gainesville, Florida and had the great honor of meeting with Karin Kratina, author of Moving Away from Diets, a must read for any helping professional working with people to resolve their obsession with food, body and weight. I didn’t know about Karin’s work when I went to graduate school at the University of Florida in the late 1990s. I’ve always wanted to meet with her, and this trip turned out to be the perfect time.

We talked about all of the people who have influenced our work - Evelyn Tribole, Elyse Resch, Linda Bacon, Deb Burgard, Glenn Gaesser , Kristin Neff, and Brene Brown to name a few. When we got to Geneen Roth, Karin asked what I thought about Geneen’s recommendation to stop eating when you are at a 5 on the hunger scale. For those of you who are not familiar with our hunger scale (Hilary and I use Karin’s hunger scale), it is a 0 to 10 point scale with 0 being starving and 10 being stuffed. So eating until a 5 means you eat until you are at a neutral place (not hungry, not full). We both stated how surprised we were when we heard about this. Five doesn’t seem to be a very satisfying place to be at the end of a meal and we wondered how long people could really do this. She made the comment that anyone can undereat for a few weeks during the honeymoon phase, but after that, it has to get difficult for most of us.

Ah yes, the honeymoon phase. You might recognize that phase – the one when the diet is off to a great start, life seems grand, and we have renewed faith in our ability to lose the weight. Modern Family recently had a hilarious episode about the various phases Cameron goes through while on a juice fast to lose weight (watch the two minute clip). With any weight loss plan or program, there is the wedding, a honeymoon and then the real work begins – the marriage. And the farther we get from the wedding date (diet start date), the harder it is to keep the marriage (diet) going. People eventually cave and old behaviors and patterns are resumed. Sound familiar?  

Karin went on to say that in doing hunger work with clients for over 20 years, she’s found that everyone needs to eat until an 8 sometimes. For her, she’s noticed that she needs to eat until an 8 at least four times a week to feel satisfied and maintain a healthy relationship with food. A colleague of hers says she needs to eat until an 8 on the hunger scale once a day. This was interesting to me because most of our clients think eating until an 8 is something they should rarely, if ever, do. This information might encourage you to get curious about the hunger scale again. Maybe you’ll notice a pattern that seems to work for you too. After all, every body is different!