Happy Satiated Saturday! For soooooo many years Thanksgiving meant restricting all day and eating all night beyond what was comfortable.I always thought it was about the food. That was all I focused on as the day got closer so it had to be about the food, right?If you're currently going through this experience, I'm here to let you know that the focus on food is not about the food. Focusing on what and how much you're eating can be a supportive distraction from how you're feeling. Ma...
Happy Satiated Saturday! When you're struggling with binging or restricting, all the power can feel like it is in the food. Like the food has some captivating hold that no matter your best attempts to break it, nothing seems to work. Often this is because your food coping mechanisms aren't about the food. So the more focus there is on the food, the further away you might feel from the root cause of your food behaviors. One root cause can be feeling like your ability to step into sel...
Happy Satiated Saturday! As many of you know, this Somatic Eating® journey all started for me when I began to have severe digestive issues in my teenage years and early 20's. During that time, I was doing everything I could. I explored Ayurveda, cleansing, detoxing, the GAPS diet, the low FODMAP diet, I cut out gluten and dairy, and while some of these things helped or at least taught me something about my body, the digestive issues continued. It wasn't until I started somatic thera...
Happy Satiated Saturday! It has become this norm that we "should" all be trying to lose weight all the time. And because of this, of course, you would want to lose weight. Your body seeks attunement with other bodies. When everyone around you is also trying to lose weight, your body interprets this as the path to safety and connection. Releasing the need to change your body’s weight can feel scary and even threatening to your well-being. We need others to survive. If those you rely ...
Happy Satiated Saturday! Have you ever wondered why your friend can seem to eat a piece of chocolate like it's no big deal and move on with their life while you sit in agony over eating one piece, wanting more, and feeling like you're in a battle with yourself about not binging on chocolate? We receive all these stories about what that means from family, friends, and culture. You may start to create a story that you're weak, lack willpower, or can't control yourself around certain f...
Happy Satiated Saturday! I've been reading more research than I have in years because of my PhD and it is connecting so many dots. Research confirming how much changes in your body due to trauma. Research showing the connection between brain alterations after a traumatic event that fuels your food behaviors. Research revealing not only is what and when you eat a reaction to what is happening inside your body, but also that what you eat can increase or decrease your food coping mecha...
Happy Satiated Saturday! Satiated Podcast is back!!!! One thing you're going to receive in the upcoming interviews is more exploration of nutrition. When I went through my Master's Degree in Somatic Psychotherapy, I was consistently surprised that there was no class on nutrition. This feels like a missing piece in the therapeutic world. I feel therapists would benefit from being aware that a person's nutritional status can also be contributing to their symptoms. This includes o...
Happy Satiated Saturday! ALL of your food behaviors are a reflection of your nervous system state. This is why eating is a somatic practice. Every time you’re in relationship with food, it will reveal if your body is feeling safe or threatened by your food cravings, hunger and satiation cues, pace of eating, and digestion. Your food impulses are body communication and what we will continue to explore together is what your body is trying to tell you.In this week's Satiated Podcast ep...
Happy Satiated Saturday! I've had people close to me this past year finally receive their ADHD diagnosis as an adult after struggling since they were kids with ADHD behaviors. I witnessed how much compassion came in and a profound deep understanding of their patterns. One of the main characteristics of ADHD is having lower dopamine levels. I've previously discussed how those also navigating a trauma response in their body experience lower dopamine levels. Dopamine is crucial in feel...
Happy Satiated Saturday! I wish financial literacy was taught in schools earlier on in life. I've had so many conversations with others about the deep shame and personal judgment that can arise when you feel unclear about how to navigate your money life. And how does this connect with food?Well, often how we interact with one area of our life is how we respond to all other areas. Have you ever noticed that when you want to eat everything you also want to spend your money on things you po...
Happy Satiated Saturday! I love astrology. When I was a kid, I was always drawn to reading my horoscope in the newspaper. I felt so seen every time I read anything about an Aries sun sign.Then, in undergrad, I made new friends who were happy to chat about astrology over a cup of tea for hours. The year before I went to graduate school, I dabbled in reading charts for others and when I moved to Colorado, I found community in a weekly astrology class led by Debra Silverman.I was thril...
Happy Satiated Saturday! We are at the last episode of this month-long body image healing focus.And, I would be remiss if I didn't address our younger generations. Parents face a huge challenge now in navigating body image concerns with their kids as they face societal pressures from every angle to look a certain way. I work with so many parents who feel overwhelmed as to where to start or what to say when it comes to talking about body image with their kids. So this week's episode is fo...
Happy Satiated Saturday! I have been asked many times over the years, "Is it alright to want to change my body?"To which I always respond, "Yes!" with a caveat that we explore your intention behind the body goal. Do your physique goals align with how you want to feel, what you want for your life, increasing presence, and fostering safety in your body? Or are they to prove your worth and enoughness that will send a cue of danger to your body?Exercising or moving your body in new ways...
Happy Satiated Saturday! I used to say, "I feel fat" all the time. These words would fly out of my mouth like it was a totally normal thing to say. I would say this in moments where I felt uncomfortable, overwhelmed, out of control, and a sense like I wanted to crawl out of my skin.But, not only is fat not a feeling, saying this in moments of emotional dysregulation perpetuates the connection between fat being "bad." If you can recall the last time you said these words, what we...
Happy Satiated Saturday! How many years have you been working toward trying to love your body? How has that pursuit felt? Frustrating? Hopeless? Agonizing?Maybe all the suggestions on body image healing have been missing the mark. Maybe healing your relationship with your body and its appearance isn't about learning to love your body, but rather, how you care for your body regardless of how you feel about your body. If loving your body wasn't something you needed to strive for or wo...
Happy Satiated Saturday! This week's podcast episode got me reflecting on harm reduction. Harm reduction is a public health strategy designed to reduce the negative consequences associated with various human behaviors, particularly high-risk activities. It prioritizes minimizing harm rather than solely focusing on eliminating the behavior. Harm reduction accepts that certain behaviors are part of the world and aims to minimize their harmful effects rather than judging those who eng...
Happy Satiated Saturday! What I have seen is that even after food coping mechanisms like binge eating, emotional eating, restricting, or chronic dieting stops, body image concerns continue to hang around the longest. With summer here, I know how difficult this time of year can be when the temperatures are guiding you to wear less clothing and you may feel exposed and uncomfortable. The warm weather may be calling to you to get outside where you might be more seen and your body doesn...
Happy Satiated Saturday! My first memories of leaning on food to not feel takes me back to middle school. There were things going on at home that were way too much for such a young little girl to navigate and process. I was bullied at sleepaway camp and Hebrew School. I look back now and it makes total sense how my body guided me toward binge eating.Binging was never the problem. It became the answer when my body didn't know how to navigate the sadness, depression, and anger it was holdi...
Happy Satiated Saturday! I find the missing piece that is under-discussed about food freedom is that it's about you feeling empowered to make your own food decisions. This means that sometimes you say no to certain foods or drinks because they don't make you feel the way you want to feel. Saying no does not correlate to a lack of freedom. Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. This means that true food freedom is you choosi...
Happy Satiated Saturday! A few weeks ago, my husband and I were reflecting on a research study that shows that making around $80,000 a year in the United States is the general amount that leads to emotional wellbeing and safety and anything above that doesn't actually lead to more happiness. When I looked this up, the optimal income name was called the Satiation Point and it suggests that beyond a certain level of income or wealth, additional money doesn't significantly contribute t...