Happiest of Holidays from Dr. Denise and Sapphi

This time of year brings many opportunities and one of those opportunities is to over eat. We may think we are only going to have one piece of mom’s apple pie or cheesecake but how many of us are content to stop there? That pie often opens the floodgates of craving and many of us have spent holiday season after holiday season telling ourselves to have just one little treat and instead binge our way through not only the holiday season but also well beyond the New Year.

I am frequently asked for tips on how to get through this time of year without the self-abuse of over eating and over drinking. Here are a couple of ideas to help you through:

Reserve time each day just for yourself. Along with the hustle and bustle of holiday time come extra tasks that compete for your time and energy – decorating, baking, choosing, buying and wrapping presents, writing thoughtful cards to friends and loved ones, etc. We may find ourselves rushing around taking care of everyone and everything but ourselves. We each need to find a way to make time for ourselves. If we don’t, we become overtired, overwhelmed and consequently likely to over-feed ourselves as a way to cope with holiday stress.

If we set aside moments here and there to nurture ourselves, we are far more likely to take care of ourselves in healthy ways all season long. When we take the very best care of ourselves, we are better equipped to attend to the needs of those around us. We are more relaxed, more balanced and more energetic. Holiday time can be more fun and less like an exhausting commercial marathon.

When you attend a holiday party, allow yourself to eat some healthy protein, fat and complex carbohydrates beforehand to avoid arriving with your appetite in overdrive. Sip on water with lemon and steer yourself towards the healthier choices at the buffet table. As a result you will be less apt to fill yourself with sugars and simple carbohydrates. And remember that alcohol is basically sugar. It is different however, because not only does it tend to spark sugar cravings but it also removes inhibitions and hampers good judgment. When you drink, you care less whether something is a self-loving choice and are liable to binge your way mindlessly through the evening. And you already know how that feels.

One strategy many of my clients have found helpful is this: Write a reminder note to yourself on a small card that you can carry in your pocket or purse. On this card you might say something like, “Reminder to self: Breathe. I am making self-loving choices tonight. I choose to feed myself well. I will not give my power away to unhealthy foods and drinks. I deserve to nurture myself.” Then every hour or so, take a little break and find a quiet spot. (Restrooms are ideal.) Pull out your card and read the reminders. This practice will keep you in balance and you will arrive home at the end of the night feeling relaxed and powerful instead of ashamed, guilty and physically ill.

So please enjoy the spirit of this time of year. Do only what you truly want to do and decline needless chores, chaos and calories. Make this the best holiday season ever by taking the very best care of yourself. Keep yourself number one. You’re worth it!

By the way, The Appetite Connection is now available on Kindle for your instant enjoyment. And did you know that all books purchased via my online store are personally signed by me before they are sent your way? How cool is that?!

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Sapphi and I wish you and your loved ones many, many holiday blessings!
Warmly, Dr. Denise

Food For Feelings

For many of us food has been a trusted friend, a comfort. When we feel lonely or afraid or sad, food is always there. We use it to mask our difficult feelings and to nurture ourselves. We can count on it. In the moment, it does not let us down. When we use food as a comfort, however, the result is usually discomfort. We feel disappointed in ourselves and beat ourselves up emotionally with negative messages. When we have binged and feel exhausted, we vow never to abuse food again. Of course, the next time difficult feelings arise, we do. We do this because we have learned that “food works” and we have reinforced that again and again over the years. So, food works in the short term but in the long term overeating reinforces our negative self-image, lowers our self-esteem level and confirms again that we are out of control. We cannot change this behavior and Tame our Chew until we learn healthy ways to cope with difficult feelings.

My new book, The Appetite Connection: Six Steps to Your Delicious Life and The Body You Long For will be coming out at the end of July. These six steps are clear and ever so effective! This is a book with real answers to your important questions and also urges you never to diet again!!! I will keep you posted as the release date draws near!. Meanwhile, join me on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Denise/139555252729875?ref=sgm#!/profile.php?id=1158957675 ) and post your questions...I love hearing from you! ...and Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/DocDenise ) to keep up withal the exciting things happening this summer!

The Power of Sugar

Sugar is an interesting substance. It is extremely addictive for many people and many women report that if they have one bite of a sugary food (especially if combined with fat and salt) it precipitates a binge. There are a number of psychological reasons for feeling out of control after eating sugar and I will discuss some of these in another post, but for now let’s consider what happens on a purely physical level. When we take sugar into our systems, a series of events occurs. Our blood sugar level rises quickly and our body begins to manufacture insulin. Adrenaline floods our system and our heart rate increases. Our blood pressure goes up and we feel “high.” This “high” feeling doesn’t last long, however, and soon our blood sugar level drops causing our body to beg and plead for more sugar and more “energy.”

When this happens we may feel exhausted, irritable and depressed. If you experience mood swings, mental dullness or become tired easily, try eliminating sugar from your diet for a week. You will most likely notice a significant reduction of all of these symptoms. This is the physical process everyone experiences when eating sugar – not only when bingeing. It is as simple as that but many people do not realize that eating sugar can cause such powerful, often irresistible physical cravings. So next time you are cravingsugars and simple carbohydrates, ask yourself what’s going on physically and, if you have been eating sugar, drink a big glass of water, get some exercise and do something nice for yourself that doesn’t involve food. The urge to dip into the gallon of ice cream in the freezer will pass…. really.

Before you binge...

Before you binge, take a few minutes to close your eyes and figure out what you're feeling. If you attend appropriately to your feeling, the urge to binge will likely pass. (For example, If you are lonely, call a friend; tired, take a nap; bored, read a book.)

Use the remedies in the Bach Flower Emotional Eating Support Kit. This contains three extremely powerful and effective essences:
Cherry Plum keeps you in control, Crab Apple improves body image and Chestnut Bud helps you stop sabotaging yourself again and again as your stress levels keep rising rise and your waistline contiues to expand. These all-natural remedies, derived from flowering plants and trees, are safe, effective and can be used without the worry of side effects. The Bach Original Flower Remedies provide a calming positive aid to balancing emotions and restoring energy.

When the urge to overeat strikes and you know it isn't physical hunger, it will help to distract yourself for a short while. (For example, take a little walk, meditate, just sit and breathe, prayer helps as well.)

Be sure your nutritional needs are adequately met. If you haven't giving your body the nutriants it really needs, it will continue to send hunger messages and it won't matter if you eat a tub full of pasta or a bowl of candy, you will still experience hunger until you are so over-filled that you don't feel well. Also, stay hydrated as dehydrathion can mask itself as hunger.

Remind yourself of all your blessings and enjoy your special holiday.

warmly, Dr. Denise