Do You Have a Healthy Relationship With Food?

Do you eat only when you’re hungry? Is food simply fuel for your body? Is it easy for you to ignore that cookie, beer or piece of cheesecake? Do you give your body premium high-grade fuel to run on or do you exist on low-octane fuel that leaves you sluggish and in need of maintenance?

I’ve heard recently that as many as 75% of women admit to having an unhealthy relationship with food! (I’ll bet the percentage of men with issues is around 50%). Not everyone that has an issue with food has an eating disorder, but many people have dis-ordered eating. I know many people who fantasize about food or use “comfort food” when they’ve had a bad day. Disordered eating includes any type of issues with food, many people go from one diet to the next or have other rituals they use to control their intake or weight gain in an effort to feel better about their bodies. Do you know any woman that loves everything about herself? I didn’t think so…

Society casts a shadow on those of us who suffer(ed) from eating disorders, yet most people I know have some way of numbing out. Too much food, alcohol, drugs, sex, TV, exercise, internet and self-harm all achieve the same result. Are you even aware of what you do to avoid dealing with a situation when life gets stressful? The point is, life has gotten so busy and we don’t take time to slow down and tune in to what we need. Cell phones, iPods, laptops…in our society we’re being trained to be “on” and reachable 24x7. If we don’t stop to listen and feed our soul, we often respond to the hunger with unhealthy habits. What happens when you can’t handle what life’s throwing at you?

The typical American diet is hugely lacking in what our bodies need and deserve. I am appalled by the amount of soda and fast food most people consume. This feeds into the issues America has with weight as the quality of food is so poor. And the food consumed causes chemical imbalances which make people want more junk instead of food with good nutritional value.

As a vegan and someone who recovered from bulimia I get lots of comments about my diet. People are “so impressed” with my eating habits and think they couldn’t possibly give up their soda, meat or chocolate. After spending many years abusing my body by inhaling vast quantities of “white foods” (pizza, pasta, ice cream, and candy) I now choose to treat my body with respect and give it what it needs. When you eat to provide fuel to your body vs. rewarding yourself with an oversized portion of a high-fat, high sodium meal it isn’t difficult to make good choices. My body rewards me with the energy and vitality I need...and my weight isn’t an issue.

In peace and health!

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For more information, please visit my website, http://www.lori-hanson.com/.

Eating Disorders -- Mind and Body Disconnect

Eating disorders are a growing epidemic. When I was a young girl in the `70's and discovered how bingeing could make me feel better by taking me away from reality I had never heard of the term bulimia. It wasn't until the early `80s that I read an article about bulimia and started to wonder if I was bulimic.

Today, most people are familiar with eating disorders. You may even know someone who has one. Whether you heard about Karen Carpenter who lost her life to anorexia or Princess Diana's battle with bulimia, it's a well known issue. It's estimated that over 7 million women and 1 million men and children suffer from eating disorders in the U.S. alone. But eating disorders aren't limited to the U.S. This disorder has infiltrated the lives of people all over the globe. In addition, it reaches beyond teen and early adult years. More and more young children are being diagnosed with eating disorders. Yet there are many more suffering that haven't yet admitted to themselves that they have an eating disorder. Similar to an alcoholic, it's difficult to admit you're caught in the trap.

Many people with eating disorders are in and out of treatment centers multiple times. And many others are are able to function in their daily lives while fighting the chronic cycle of their eating disorder on a regular basis.

Why is it so difficult to overcome? Why don't people get well? I had someone once ask me why didn't I just follow a 12 step program years ago and "get over it." Somone who was obviously clueless about eating disorders! I liken it to my golf bag. I have many golf clubs to choose from. With an eating disorder there are often many contributing factors and they are deeply ingrained. (So take your pick on which one to work on.)

What I learned in my forties was that my mind and body were totally disconnected...energetically. I lived my life so obsessed, filled with such negative self-talk and constant analysis that I "lived completely in my head." I didn't connect with the rest of my body. How could I? When I looked in the mirror I hated what I saw! I was fat, out of shape and my body displayed the battle scars of the constant yo-yo dieting I did to control my weight gain after binges. (To put things in perspective, I'm 5'1" and my weight typically fluctuated between 115 - 125 pounds.)

A person suffering with an eating disorder can't comprehend that they are really okay. Their brains can't paint an accurate picture for them because of how they process (or filter) information about themselves. Since eating disorders are in part a manifestation of low self-esteem, sufferers have no way to see the true value of themselves as a person. Or their inner beauty.

I learned what caused my bulimia through therapy. I learned how to appreciate myself and my body by connecting my mind and my body energetically. You've heard of mental blocks? I released energy blocks I held inside that were connected to my very poor self-esteem, life events and belief system. For the first time I felt my legs when I was running on the treadmill and was more aware of what my body was doing for me. I found a way to not only appreciate my body but love it. And that is something I never thought I would be able to say!

For more information, please visit my website: http://www.lori-hanson.com/.

In peace and healing!

There's No Logic To Eating Disorders!

One of the hardest things for loved ones to understand about eating disorders is this is not a logical condition! It's not the same as messing up on your diet because you ate two cookies when you know you shouldn't have. Or staying out past your curfew when you know you're going to get grounded for doing it. Those are for the most part, conscious choices.

People suffering with eating disorders have a distorted view of their bodies. What they see when they look in the mirror is NOT the same thing that you the outsider sees. It doesn't matter how many times your tell your daughter (or girlfriend or wife) that she looks great and doesn't need to lose weight it won't matter. There isn't any way for them to process the information.

When I was growing up Twiggy was THE model. As I surveyed the world in grade school and high school, I noticed that guys were attracted to girls that were builts like Barbie Dolls. Tall, thin, long legs and big boobs. I'm 5'1", with a muscular/athletic build and have curvacious hips. So in my early development I picked up the message that my body wasn't acceptable or normal (for several reasons). Even in my thirties when I dated a couple of guys who told me they loved my curves I didn't believe them. "They were just saying that." No matter how many times I heard it, it didn't match what I knew in my head to be true, (that men wanted women who look like Barbie). So I could never accept the compliment. This stereotype continues to be validated in Hollywood today...

This is only one of the things got plugged into my brain at an early age that distorted my view of the world and contributed to my bulimia. I had pressure from living in the shadow of two older sisters. One was a 4.0 student, on the gym team, played piano by ear and more. All things I couldn't do, or achieve and it seemed all the attention went her way. The "cool kids" in high school didn't give me the time of day. So the message I got loud and clear was, "you don't fit, you aren't acceptable, you aren't good enough, you don't measure up." Ever heard the term perception is reality? We all have filters we use to process what we see and hear. These filters determine how we use the input we get in life.

I spent my life in search of acceptance from other people. I was incapable of accepting myself and knowing that I WAS fine, just the way I was. I did a lot of crazy things growing up (and later) because of my desperate need for acceptance. I pity the guys that knew me in those years! I must have seemed incredibly needy.

One thing that's interesting to me is somehow I've always maintained my independence. I'm a bit of a loner and actually get wigged if I don't get enough space or time alone. The seeds were always there. I was always looking for a way to evolve and overcome this horrific obsession I had. It drove me crazy. Constantly berating myself for things I did, or didn't do. Beating myself up for being so stupid. It went far beyond the bingeing! I had no sense of who I was. What I was about, or for that matter why I was here.

The first big turning point for me was the discovery of an audio series by Jack Canfield, Self-Esteem & Peak Performance. I learned about affirmations and how to plug positive or affirming thoughts into my subconscious which helped me improve my sense of who I was. I kept sticky notes in my drawer that I could read when someone said something hurtful or made me wince. One of these was "No matter what you say or do to me, I'm still a worthwhile person." I referred to it often in the beginning!

Through Jack's tapes I also learned about goal setting, visualizing and achieving what you want. This helped to improve my belief in myself.

Much later in life I discovered the power of body work and meditation. Using Hellerwork (http://www.Hellerwork.com/), Holosync meditation (http://www.Centerpointe.com/) and energy healing I was able to reconnect my mind and body and begin to accept myself. Waking up in my forties realizing I spent the bulk of my life focused on something that in the grand scheme of things is pretty small (my body) was a jolt. Learning how to appreciate the gifts I bring to this life has been very freeing.

So if you, or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder. Realize that no matter how many compliments you throw their way. No matter how many times you tell them how smart and beautiful they are. No matter how many times you try to convince them they they aren't fat. It won't help. In fact you'll only drive them farther away because you're reinforceing to them that you don't understand. You don't get it.

What they need, when they're receptive and know they have a problem. Is to understand what's causing it. Eating disorders are about control and lack of self-esteem. I highly recommend body work as part of the discovery process. It will help them understand who they are, why this is happening and will provide the ground work for quantum leaps in recovery.

For more information on bodywork, please refer to the Resources Section at http://www.Lori-Hanson.com/.

To your health!

Do You Know The Top 13 Chemicals and Ingredients that Contribute to Binge Eating?!

So many people are shocked to hear that I was bulimic for 23 years and never threw up. Many people suffering with bulimia use excessive exercise, strict diets, laxatives or diet pills to control weight gain after bingeing. There are two types of bulimics "purging and non-purging."

I recently attended the Book Expo America (BEA) trade show in Los Angeles and shared my list of “Top 13 Chemical Conditions That Contribute to Binge Eating” at my book signing. Again, many people were unaware that chemical imbalances in our bodies contribute to binge eating and eating disorders. It's not all psychological!

As a young kid I had numerous ear infections. I was on antibiotics many times. Later in high school and college I had seven ear infections in the span of a year and a half. More antibiotics! It killed off my healthy bacteria (or flora) and contributed to a significant chemical imbalance I encountered much later in life.

You’ve probably heard about yeast infections often associated with antibiotics. But do you know about Candida? Candida overgrowth is a silent epidemic and contributes to many physical ailments including: sugar cravings, low libido, fatigue, feeling sick all over, cracking or splitting finger nails and sensitivity to tobacco smoke, perfumes and much, much more. (Visit, http://www.YeastConnection.com/ for more information.) Combined with my continual binges on "white foods" that included pasta, pizza, and ice cream I had created a significant chemical imbalance in my body. But Candida is only one of the contributors.

During my bulimic years I developed a sugar sensitivity. And as I discovered in later years this was often the cause of my cravings and binges on sugar or alcohol. I learned about the amino acids essential for proper brain function while working with an integrative therapist. Without a proper balance of amino acids we have what Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure calls “false moods.” This causes depression, anxiety and stress, oversensitivity to feelings and the blahs. Conditions typically treated with medication that can be addressed with natural supplements. (http://www.MoodCure.com/)

Here is a list of 13 chemicals and ingredients that contribute to binge eating:

• Overuse of antibiotics
• Too much sugar in diet – including high sugar fruit!!
• Candida
• Sugar Sensitivity
• Low blood sugar (skipping meals)
• Diet lacking in Tryptophan
• Burned out Adrenal glands
• Low serotonin
• Low catecholamines
• Low GABA
• Low endorphins
• Low Zinc
• Caffeine – even decaf!

Fortunately I found an alternative approach to recovering from my bulimia and in the process learned a great deal about health, nutrition, body chemistry and holistic healing. For more information on my approach and my book, It Started With Pop-Tarts®…An Alternative Approach to Winning the Battle of Bulimia visit, http://www.ItStartedWithPop-Tarts.com/.

It's In The Lens

Lost Dog!

Black and tan, short hair, 50 pounds, three legs, one eye missing…answer to “Lucky”!

How you view the world, determines what you will get from it. My dog Yager views everything as an opportunity to dominate, show he’s the boss and put you down (much like many bosses I’ve had!). He wants to play, but he steals the toys Sasha is playing with and then lays down. What a brat!

Sasha, my one year old puppy on the other hand views everything as an opportunity to play and have fun. Whether it’s chasing her favorite ball, or playing tug of war with a stuffed animal that has no stuffing or bumping her head against my foot when I'm walking on the treadmill.

Interesting thing is, when Yager steals a toy she is more than willing to adapt and play with a different toy without fighting, whining or complaining. She is adaptive, flexible and enjoys the interaction more than grumpy who is sitting a few feet away holding on to the toy he knows she wants.

Sasha is also persistent! If she wants to play or go for a walk she asks repeatedly. She’ll wait for awhile—and then ask again. And she asks in creative ways, it’s not always the same approach. Sometimes she lays her head on my lap while I’m typing at the computer and tries to catch my eyes, with a “Please mom, can we go for a walk?” and other times she’s more forceful. Point is? She adapts and finds different approaches to get what she wants. She doesn't let the result get her down.

The amount of satisfaction and enjoyment we get from life vs. the amount of frustration and dissatisfaction is directly tied to the lens we use to view the world and our circumstances!

Yeah, yeah, you know the glass is half empty or half full. But—it goes beyond that. What do you spend your time focused on throughout the day?

• Are you consumed with anger or stress because you’re always running late, or that damn traffic jam?
• Does your day start with you screaming at your kids (or parents) and barking orders to keep them on schedule?
• Or like millions of Americans is your day shaped by the hatred for what you see in the mirror—your body, face, or hair?
  

It’s so subtle, but what we get in life is totally connected to what we focus on. If you constantly focus on something you don’t have (the perfect body, a great boyfriend, kids who behave as you’d like) you’ll create more lack. If however, you focus on what you WANT and spent ten minutes a day feeling what it’s like to have it—right now! It will be here before you know it.

You can vastly improve the quality of your life by getting your thoughts off what’s wrong in life and spending more time thinking about what’s right!

Try an experiment. For the next seven days, make a note of everything good that happens to you throughout the day and write it down. Read the list at night before you go to bed and appreciate all these good things that happened to you.

Experiment and let me know how it improves your life circumstances. I’d love to hear from you!

Holistic approach to overcoming eating disorders

My life was consumed with body image and an obsession called bulimia for 23 years. Then I spent the next 10 substituting alcohol for food binges, but didn’t realize it until much later. Our society is obsessed with the “perfect body”. We all watch our favorite ultra-thin actor or musician and want to be just like them. For me it started in the 60’s when Twiggy was THE model. I didn’t look like her, so therefore I didn’t measure up. I was what they call a functioning bulimic. I lived my life (miserably) and people had no idea I had a problem. There are two types of bulimia, purging and non-purging. Some people use excessive exercise, laxatives, diet pills and strict diets, anything to prevent weight gain. I was a non-purging bulimic; I couldn’t make myself throw up so my binges were followed by bouts of strict dieting.

In my twenties I did some counseling and identified why I became bulimic. But no one helped me learn how to deal with or express my emotions. I continued my search for an answer and rode the waves of mild success and defeat for many years. I felt totally unacceptable as a person. Guys wanted the Barbie doll figures and I sure didn’t look like that. I weighed and took my measurements every Sunday without fail as it gave me a chance to be a little excited at my progress or chastise myself for failing yet again.

When you suffer from an eating disorder there is a huge disconnect between mind and body. We don’t own our bodies—we hate them! And don’t try and apply logic to a person with an eating disorder–there isn’t anything logical about it–it has nothing to do with food.

In my forties I developed a number of health issues and started to connect the dots. There were some chemical imbalances that contributed to my bingeing. As a young child I had many ear infections and was on antibiotics a lot. This completely depleted my “good bacteria” and in my thirties and forties I suffered from chronic Candida. Combined with my binging on “white food” (pizza, pasta, ice cream, etc.) this made me sugar sensitive. If I ate sugar I wanted more – lots more!

I found an alternative approach to my recovery employing mind, body and spirit. Through acupuncture, energy healing, employing my subconscious and meditation I found the answer I was looking for. For me, energy healing (getting all my energy flowing from head-to-toe and getting my body connected with my head) was very powerful. Now at 49 I can look in the mirror and love what I see. That is incredible for me to say! I’ve discovered five strategies that I feel are critical for recovery holistically:

1 – Improve self esteem
2 – Identify and understand what’s causing the eating disorder
3 – Employing the power of the subconscious
4 – Balance nutrition and supplements
5 – Improve physical and mental health work body work

There is help and you can recover! For more information on this approach please visit my website: http://www.Lori-Hanson.com/