Curb the Binge: The Podcast

On Curb the Binge, we forgive the past, learn from it, and look to the present and the future. This podcast is less about the binging behavior, and more about where we are going, how we are evolving out of old patterns into new territory, and what tools we can use to empower ourselves in the direction of our heart's longing and our soul's actualization.  Numerology can be one of these tools. I met Felicia Bender at a party several months ago, and after witnessing a presentation she gave on the life path numbers, I knew I needed to bring her on this podcast.  What is numerology? Hans Decoz says, "The Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Hebrews, Egyptians, Phoenicians, early Christians, Mayans and Incas all employed number systems to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the universe."  Simply put, numerology is the study of the energy and vibration of numbers - the specific, unique frequency that each number holds, and how paying attention to this numerical information in our birthdays, names, and our environment, can give us practical, applicable, and exceedingly valuable information about our lives.  And while it may seem woo-woo, just think about how pervasive numbers and mathematics are in an increasingly computerized world. All that code is written in numbers, and Pythagoras, the same historical figure who delineated the geometric facts you learned in high school - also compiled the mathematical disciplines of the Arabic, Druid, Phoenician, Egyptian and Essene (1) sciences to create the form of numerology most often used today.  My guest Felicia Bender has a Ph.D. in Theater, brings an incredible liveliness to her teaching of the life path numbers, and has written two books and many more materials on this subject. She's so fun to listen to, and today, she not only discusses each of the life path numbers (so you'll be sure to hear about yours); she also teaches you how to calculate your life path number in a snap.  (1) Hans Decoz, Numerology: Key to Your Inner Self.

Tom Cartwright is the Founder of Cartwright Coaching & one of Australia’s leading coaches for substance abuse such as alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. His passion for working with clients to overcome addiction and live a life of choice has been fueled from his own inspiring story. In this podcast, Tom tells us how he's navigated the journey from his own addictions to alcohol and gambling, to a life of meaning, purpose and fulfillment. Find out how he's overcome his own shadows - including the fear of success - along the way.  Here are just some of the things you'll learn:  The connection between addiction and shame.  What is "toxic shame"? Why recovery and healing is not a straight line.  The power of making a decision. Why allowing yourself to live your best life must come before healing addiction.  How to get clear and honest about our comfort zones and how they are playing into our addictive patterns.  Why transitioning from surviving to thriving is a huge step to congratulate ourselves for and be patient with ourselves through.  Developing a healthy relationship with fear.  How our primitive brain and tribal instincts challenge our drive to thrive.  The beauty (and effectiveness) of baby steps.  A powerful metaphor for how to up-level the way we relate with change.  Shooting for higher-quality problems.  How to build self-trust. 

In this episode, Katya speaks with Lopa van der Mersch - CEO of Rasa, a brand dedicated to making natural formulas to help ease the stress of modern life and care for our energy levels, naturally. We talk on two topics:    Energy Energy levels seem so key to our happiness and feelings of fulfillment, and it seems we are consistently told that more is simply better. Is this even true? Or is this view unbalanced and resulting in us tapping our bodies for energy they don't have, or are unwilling to expend for their own, intelligent reasons?   When it comes to energy, what is truly nourishing, natural and sustainable?    Lopa and I dive into these questions and explore a potential paradigm shift in how we relate with our energy levels. We talk about the herbs she uses in her coffee substitute formula, Rasa Herbal Koffee, herbs that have been used for thousands of years to promote stress resiliency, mental clarity, and balanced energy. We are talking sustainable energy support, here.    Eating Disorders  Later in the interview, Lopa tells the story of her own experience with eating disorders, which now feels totally behind her. Her story is unique in that she truly blazed her own trail, and it worked.   A uniquely compassionate, honest and wise voice, may you be inspired and refreshed.      Lopa's Bio:    Modern life is crazy, and Lopa van der Mersch is obsessed with bringing accessible adaptogens to a world that needs them.   Adaptogens are a class of superherbs that help ease feelings of stress and overwhelm: Nature’s antidote to stress.   Thanks to her love for Ayurveda, Lopa has been using adaptogens for over a decade, and credits them with helping her heal Hashimoto’s.   Twelve years after she first started taking ashwagandha, Lopa had her first son and found herself deeply needing stress-support. She partnered with an herbalist to create a coffee alternative blend, which was the foundation of Rasa: a brand dedicated to making full-spectrum, holistically-balanced tonic adaptogen formulas an easy part of everyday rituals—starting with their coffee and coffee alternative blends.   As CEO of a growing startup and mom of two young boys (3 and 8 months), Lopa gets to experience daily how effective the Rasa products are. Her passion for Rasa is only matched by her love of tea ceremony and her knack for often-inappropriate humor.

When it comes to addiction, astrology is a rich place to look for answers. While everyone's astrological birth chart is unique, and there are many configurations and signatures that could point to the potential of or tendency towards addiction, one looming theme bears mentioning: that of Neptune.  Neptune is the planet that represents the ocean of consciousness, the field into which the individual soul dissolves and we are all One.  Perhaps this reads like a total abstraction, or perhaps you have had some of your own personal experience of this, even if it was just a glimpse.  And, even if it does read like an abstraction, there are elements of Neptune we can all relate to. Neptune is the planet that rules higher states of consciousness - states sometimes reached through meditation, yoga, and prayer, but can also be reached for some by walking alone in nature, creating music and/or art, and other beautiful doorways into our own mystical vastness.  It's also the planet that teaches us - and represents - transcendent, unconditional love.  These so-called "elevated states" are a requisite for living a healthy and happy human life, though some of us need more, some of us need less, and the doorways to get there are many. One person's way of achieving existential bliss is not the doorway for the next person. That is all well and good. Yet, sadly, when we don't know of any healthy way to merge with our infinite nature, the all-too-easy doorways begin to look appealing: enter addiction in all its forms.  As life-preserving as authentic Neptunian fulfillment can be, the delusion/addiction side of Neptune can be equally destructive, effectively blocking our access to true happiness and fulfillment.  In this episode, astrologer Valeria Torres and I explore this archetype of Neptune, going deep into its symbology, the gift of being a "Neptunian person," as well as some techniques for balancing the shadow sides of this archetype.  A strong Neptune can give us the ability to create truly inspired and inspiring things in this world - but only if we anchor ourselves enough to bring the gifts from other realms, into this one.  Valeria Torres, also known as AstroVal, has been pouring her soul into the esoteric subjects since she remembers. She truly reconnected with herself through astrology and so sharing this ancient wisdom has become her life purpose. She offers astrology sessions, teaches for an online astrology school and has hosted various workshops and retreats on the subject. Valeria’s goal is to connect you to a deeper level to help you heal and understand the nature of your soul through self-love and compassion, while creating an atmosphere for transformation with her coaching skills. She says: We are here to shine our own light through self-acceptance. She believes that once we recognize who we truly are, the gifts and challenges we incarnated with, we will align with our unlimited potential. 

Forgiveness is an essential tool for freeing up energy, taking back our creative power, and living our fullest lives.  So many of us think we've forgiven when, in fact, we've just buried our resentments.  This leaves us drained and cut off from our full potential, and, often, not knowing why.  Dara McKinley has dived deep into this work to discover how we can really, truly forgive.  Dara experienced her own big betrayal some years ago, and she found herself unable to let go of the hurt and resentment it left her with. Her life was impacted - with cyclical thoughts and the eventual development of a "mystery illness." Dara found herself in a perfect storm of physical and emotional turmoil that spurred her to look for answers. She began to research forgiveness, then implemented what she learned in what came to be a successful 3-week forgiveness journey that left her feeling completely liberated from her burden of hurt and resentment. She's turned her research into a methodology which she calls, simply, "How to Forgive." According to her, once you know how to do it, you can use this methodology anywhere, anytime, with anyone or anything.  We focus the second part of the show on how to apply forgiveness to eating disorders and our often delicate relationships with ourselves.  In this talk, we dive into:  What forgiveness is and why it's important.  What betrayal is and how to know whether you have been betrayed.  Dara's own story of betrayal, how she connects it to a "mystery illness" she developed, and how she eventually found her path of healing.  The biggest misunderstanding folks have about forgiveness.  What is the difference between forgiveness and compassion?  What is the difference between forgiveness and bypassing?  The inner work of forgiveness and why it's so powerful.   How does forgiveness apply, on the eating disorder path?  How do the steps for forgiving ourselves differ from and overlap with the steps for forgiving others?  A Little Bit About Dara:  Dara McKinley, MA possesses an unwavering curiosity for emotional health, spirituality, and the practical  intersection of these two worlds. Her passion has led to a 15 year career in human services which includes an M.A. in Contemplative  Psychology from Naropa University, and a private counseling practice. In 2007 she began a 10 year journey studying the feminine essence with renowned divine feminine teachers, and through tracing back and studying her own indigenous roots.  Dara has created and facilitated workshops and retreats, but today she is devoted to raising up a modern, and dogma-free forgiveness path called How to Forgive. She defines forgiveness as “a spiritual experience that heals betrayal,” and asserts that forgiveness mastery is core to the success of feminine power. Register for her course at https://howtoforgive.com/ref/16/

Dr. Jody Stanislaw is a licensed Naturopath (N.D.) with Type 1 Diabetes.  She has devoted much of her life and her medical practice to finding out - through research and experience - effective ways to heal the ravages of sugar, and how to return blood sugar to its healthy, balanced state.  Because the ravages of chronic high blood sugar include, and are not limited to:  - heart disease - kidney failure - strokes - gangrene  - blindness  - limb amputation  - violent behavior .... and more. But even before that, way before that, unstable blood sugar can cause many seemingly silent yet debilitating symptoms -such as chronic tiredness, lack of motivation, and mood issues.  In her TEDx talk - which has received over half a million views in 8 months - Dr. Jody explains how chronic sugar consumption affects the body over time - even if we don't feel its effects.  She explains the actual process as it occurs in the pancreas, and how sugar affects the finite store of beta cells that we come into this world with - and can't live without.  She shares some stunning facts and statistics - such as the fact that chronic sugar consumption creates as much damage to the brain as as abuse done in childhood. And the fact that, if we keep eating sugar at this rate, within a few decades, 1 in 3 people will have Type 2 diabetes.  And, perhaps most stunningly, that so many of the maladies affecting us today can be eliminated simply by eating less sugar.  We talk about these and other facts on our show today. But we also delve into Dr. Jody's own history with binge eating, and talk about the piece of advice her aunt Mary (a therapist) gave her when her struggles were at their worst.  Jody reminds us that, because of the highly addictive property of sugar, for many the proposition of cutting it out entirely in one go is impossible. She discusses how she works with clients in this position, and also shares an approach she uses for working with the emotions that tend to accompany binge eating, sugar addiction and food addiction.   This is a gentle, compassionate approach she introduces even before making any changes to the diet.  I love Dr. Jody's holistic approach to the large-looming dilemma of food addiction and sugar addiction worldwide, and hope you will too. 

Andrew Pearce is a life coach who specializes in helping us Humans understand the roots of our behavior. As he says, when we clearly see why we behave in a certain way that is not bringing us the results we want, we are gifted the freedom to change it.  When it comes to addiction, Andrew talks about the freedom of choice in a way that can wake an addict up and give us the courage to take the future - and our wellbeing and recovery - back into our own hands.  How and why have we chosen to give our power away in the first place?  In this podcast, you'll hear about:  How to identify, heal and clear blocks to in service of taking more aligned action and being able to receive more in our lives.  Andrew's understanding of the mechanism behind self-sabotage.  The difference between "safe problems" and "risky problems" - an incredibly potent and empowering distinction.  A detailed example of unpacking how we may unconsciously create our problems to get our core needs met.  A new way of looking at the word "responsibility," that has the power to change how we approach that concept within ourselves.  The relationship between responsibility and freedom.  How we can tip the scale between our old stories, towards taking full responsibility, in the service of taking constructive action in our lives.  How we give our power away and what we are getting in return.  The adult growth model: functional and dysfunctional versions of reliance, rebellion, results and realization.  Briefly, how inner child work can fit into the big picture of our recovery.  Becoming conscious of how we put energy behind certain thoughts.  How at the bottom of every behavior is the perfectly natural, understandable desire to feel safe and feel loved. How can we love this desire and the behavior, en route to ultimately taking back our power and having choice in our reality?  What is the key to stop needing our problems?  Bonus quote from this podcast episode: "We can't hate ourselves into a version of ourselves that we love."  - Lori Deschene

Life designer, author, coach, host of The You-Est YOU Podcast and multi-time TEDx speaker Julie Reisler talks with Curb the Binge about her journey from people-pleasing and emotional eating to living a life that honors her authentic self.  Julie's relationship with food was the catalyst that showed her that something wasn't right - at the time, her MO was wearing a mask of perfection that felt very far away from how she truly felt inside.  Taking the courageous and honorable step of getting to know her authentic self, Julie embarked on a journey that led to massive inner work, personal transformation, and ultimately helping others find their authentic selves.  Julie walks the talk.  In this interview, you will hear:  - An example of how our inner blockages can manifest as physiological ailments that we can choose to regard as precious messages on our path.  -  How we can embrace and integrate all of the various pieces of who we are (most of us have so many different passions and talents!) and still be effective and make a living.  - How is your relationship with food related to listening - and not listening - to your inner voice?  - Food addiction - is the answer biochemical or emotional?  - How to work with the fear that can come up when we are guided by our inner voice to do something risky or illogical.  - How to make peace with personal growth as a process that humbles us again and again, and can leave us feeling like we are "falling on our own sword," even and especially when we are in a leadership role.  - The awesome thing Julie did with a group of friends that swept inspiration and transformation into her life.  - And more!  PLUS, there is a very special gift for every single listener at the end of this podcast, so very generous of Julie and we are so blessed to receive. Listen for the details. 

Jenn Edden is a coach on a mission, and her book, "Woman Unleashed: A Sensitive Woman's Guide to Radiant Energy and Unstoppable Confidence (Including a 21-Day Plan to Kick Sugar's Hold on You)" is a tour-de-force.  A self-identified recovering sugar-a-holic turned sugar addiction expert, Jenn shares Curb the Binge's passion for aligning how we eat, with the success we want to achieve in life.  In this podcast, you'll learn about:  The major unexpected life event that was such a wake-up call for Jenn, she changed her whole life around and never looked back.  What is a "sensitive woman" and how do you know if you are one?  How sugar addiction inadvertently played a role in Jenn unleashing her own life.  An effective (and fun!) way to get from where you are to where you want to be in life.  A powerful tool to stop spinning your wheels and get solutions oriented, in a way that's fast and fun.  A new way to look at worrying that will help you release this totally unhelpful habit.  A quote to help you let go of the person you think you have been (and all the guilt and shame around that), and see yourself clearly for the person you are today. And so much more! Jenn is also a mom of 3, an adventurer, an advocate for doing only the things that feel good, and the kind of woman you want on your team, forever. Her work is SOOOO unshaming and empowering.  For more info on Jenn, quick tips on how to get control of your sugar addiction, and grab a copy of Jenn’s book: Woman Unleashed, visit www.jecoaching.com.

Food is considered by some - and for some - to be a "keystone habit." Coined by Charles Duhigg, a keystone habit is a habit that leads to the development of other good habits. Getting 8 hours of sleep per night, for instance, is a keystone habit.  For many, organizing our food (and, I would add, solving for addictive behaviors around food) is also a keystone habit.  When we begin to clean up our food, we may notice ourselves waking up to other parts of our life that we feel ready to clean up. One of the biggies that can come up here is, you guessed it - Money.  Bari Tessler is a pioneer of her unique style of money work, which brings her background in somatic psychology (body psychology) into the financial picture by leading her students to do their emotional money work first, before they dive in to organizing the numbers.  Concepts like forgiveness, completions, ritual, and money stories play a big part in Bari's approach to money work. In my opinion, her integrative approach is what makes her courses, podcasts, blogs, and other offerings, so effective.  In this episode, I interview Bari about:  Her own history and relationship with food Parallels between food work and money work  Her favorite, astonishingly simple tool for greater money awareness What are money practices? And how are they an act of self-care?   Moving from secrecy to transparency in our money lives  The first two steps for moving from disempowerment to empowerment around money Bari's gentle and effective approach is perfect for anyone who ever feels overwhelmed by the vast subject of money.  Here's her official bio:  Bari Tessler Linden, M.A., is a Financial Therapist, Mentor Coach, Mama-preneur, and the Founder of The Art of Money. She has guided thousands of people to new, empowered, and refreshingly honest relationships with money through her nurturing, body-centered approach.  Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, Inc.com, and the Huffington Post and in US News & World Report, Reuters Money, The Fiscal Times, USA Today, The Cut, Girlboss, Nerd Wallet, The Simple Dollar, REDBOOK Magazine and Experience Life Magazine. Bari earned a Masters in Somatic Psychology from Naropa University and worked in body-centered therapy for over a decade before unexpectedly falling in love with bookkeeping systems and money work. Her unique methodology integrates these two worlds into deep money healing that honors all the facets of our money relationships: body to spirit, lineage to career, smart practices to deep visioning, and much more. Bari is currently leading a global conscious money movement via her year-long program, The Art of Money, which weaves together personal, couple and entrepreneurial money teachings. Bari is also the author of The Art of Money: A Life-Changing Guide to Financial Happiness, published by Parallax Press. To learn more about Bari and enjoy her Pocket Map for Your Money Road Trip: A 7 day journey into The Art of Money Method, visit: http://baritessler.com/  

Mollie Birney has worked in the Addiction Recovery field since 2009. She comes by her specialization in Eating Disorder Recovery honestly, having battled her own eating disorder for years, from which she has been in recovery since 2007.  She holds a Masters in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in addiction and eating disorders from Antioch University, Los Angeles, and a BA from Tufts University. Additionally, she has completed the Certification coursework in Intuitive Eating, the modality she employs most often with clients. Her treatment-oriented and therapeutic experience includes work with the multi-service Eating Disorder Association in Boston, and Primary Therapist/Group Facilitator positions at Axis Treatment Center in West LA, Joie Meal Support, and Breathe Life Healing Center’s Binge Eating Disorder Program in West Hollywood.   Prior to joining Patrick Hart Consultants in 2015 Mollie also had a private coaching practice focused on eating disorder recovery, providing counseling, coaching and treatment placement. Her extensive experience, both personally and professionally, grants her a unique insight into the battle faced by individuals and families suffering from the full range of eating disorders, including the many forms of Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, Orthorexia, Exercise Addiction and Anorexia. She is a frequent speaker at schools, treatment centers, and recovery-focused organizations. Most recently she was the keynote speaker at the 2018 National Conference for the National Council for Addiction and Drug Dependence in Washington DC. In this episode of Curb the Binge, Mollie and Katya mine Mollie's extensive experience in the field to explore the commonalities and differences between various Eating Disorders, the accuracy and potential usefulness of the term "food addiction," how to reframe our relationship with the "eating disorder voice" into a nurturing one over time, the role of Courage in recovery, and what families of loved ones can do to help neutralize one of the most painful and dangerous elements of ED. 

Curb the Binge is about trading in our addictions and coping mechanisms for a life of purpose. To know our purpose, we must know ourselves far beyond the layers of conditioned responses we all carry - we must get down into our very essence.  This level of insight is offered to us through the work of the enneagram. Far more than a personality typing system, the enneagram describes "nine styles" or ways of being that can shed light on our fears, passions, fixations, and ultimately, how to transcend them and live as our most powerful and creative selves. Of course, there are as many "styles" of humans and there are humans - the 9 styles are gross groups within which each one of us is extensively nuanced. Knowing that, learning about the enneagram and our type is still like holding up a clean mirror to our faces and seeing ourselves beyond who we think we are. In the process, there can be joy, relief, and even pain, yet we're always better off knowing the truth, because from truth, we can act!  In this episode, internationally known seminar facilitator, fortune 500 trainer, and coach to entrepreneurial multi-millionaires Ben Saltzman, MA, leads us into the heart of the enneagram - showing us why and how we can use this tool to achieve greater clarity and empowerment in our lives. He also shows us how different styles may have different reasons for addictive behavior, based on how that style responds to stress.  Ben's expertise on this subject is profound. And my favorite part: Ben takes an approach of "loving our stuff into transformation," a soothing balm for any of us who have ever tried a tougher, more aggressive or less patient approach with ourselves.  To paraphrase Ben, by taking a loving approach, "transformation can be enjoyable and sustainable."  Enjoy!

Veganism is a term that has become loaded with connotations, conclusions and assumptions. Many of us think we've made up our minds on this issue - whether veganism is for us, or not. Whether the climate crisis and the meat/dairy industries' connection to it are things we will think about, or not.  In this provocative and uniquely passionate podcast, you will learn a completely new lens through which to look at animal consumption.  What mindsets and assumptions must we accept in order to eat animals, or their products? Most importantly, did we accept these mindsets consciously, out of our own free will, or have we simply accepted a pervasive approach to the issue, and to life itself?   

I called this meditation, "I Will Learn at My Own Pace" instead of "I Will Heal at My Own Pace" because healing is, essentially, learning. We heal by understanding and then consciously changing our behavior based on our understanding.  When it comes to learning, there is so much stigma in the world. When we go to school, we get grades that assess "how well we learn." And yet, learning cannot be measured - it happens for everyone at their own pace.  Ironically, all this stigma often gets in the way of true learning - learning from the soul. When we have truly learned something, we change our ways not out of fear of punishment, instead we change because we get it. It clicks. It may not be easy at first, but we see the necessity for that change in behavior, and through our understanding we are strong enough to keep making the harder choice, even if we were never able to before.  This audio meditation is one to help you relax into the joy and the gift of learning, which is healing.  Let it calm, reassure, and bring you back to balance, where all true learning begins. 

Somatic Intelligence innovator and expert Chen Lizra knows that there is something missing in a culture that is addicted to the "pace of the race," as she calls it, spending too much time in our heads and not enough time in our bodies.  Why is this important? Well, to live a fulfilled life, Chen offers, we need to balance the drive we have for success in the material realm, with fulfillment in other realms. The body is a concrete, experiential tool for connecting to these other realms - connections that are all too often lost in our race to the top.  That's not all - Chen teaches us that if we learn to move and experience our bodies in certain ways, we can actually deliberately release endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin, the endogenous feel-good chemicals of the body.  This puts the power back into our own hands, to experience pleasure, happiness, and contentment with the most convenient tool we have access to - our own bodies.  And best of all - connecting to ourselves in this way also helps us connect more deeply with others. How many of us are feeling alone in this modern world? Too many!!  Just some of what we talk about in this podcast includes:  - How body image is formed and why it is absolutely critical to understand those key moments when our keystone beliefs about ourselves were formed.  - The role of a loving family and home in the development of positive body image and confidence in youths.  - What's pride got to do with it? How can families instill a healthy sense of pride from an early age, creating a sense of confidence that is not based on external factors and instead radiates from within?  - What can we learn from other cultures about women's body image when it's healthy, self-validating and not informed by media and advertising?  - Some simple practices that can get us starting every day full of excitement, joy and inspiration for life.  - Other tips for feeling embodied and empowered! .... And so much more!! You won't want to miss this episode with the soulful, full-of-life Chen Lizra. Let some of her exuberance and zest rub off on you! Learn more about Chen's work at powerofsomaticintelligence.com. 

The best practices, teachers and coaches show us how to use the gifts we already have inside us so that we can radiate from the inside. Kundalini yoga is one of these practices. Through a wise blend of breath, posture, chanting and meditation, we are guided to stoke our prana, or energy in such a way that we truly begin to raise our energy levels and the quality of energy that we generate and then share with others.  Kundalini yoga teacher and facilitator Karuna joins Curb the Binge today to talk about how to truly find nourishment in everything. From Ford model to actor to Kundalini yoga teacher, Karuna's journey is an inspiring tale through the continuum of what it means to shine.  Do we do our best to "shine," based on the standards and expectations of another, of the external media culture, of what we have internalized as an image of beauty, that was really fed to us from the outside? Someone else's fantasy?  Or do we take a different path - the path of self-nourishment, of within? Karuna's story - and the yoga technology she teaches - is an invitation to take this wilder, more adventurous and more rewarding path. A path that asks us to dive more deeply into ourselves, to fall more deeply in love with ourselves, and there are no prerequisites. 

Binging and your period have an intimate and fascinating connection that you may have never been told about; not just in female humans, but in non-human animals as well.  Sue Kolod, Ph.D., has been studying the impact of hormones on the psyche with a particular focus on sexuality, menopause and the menstrual cycle. Her findings are illuminating, cutting-edge, and applicable to daily life.  With a compassionate and inquisitive approach, Sue talks us through the history of why the menstrual cycle is all but disregarded in larger cultural conversations and expectations regarding work, sexuality, and yes, hunger.  Sue's discoveries just might change the way you look at your own cycles, their affect of your hunger, body image, mood and more. 

When I first saw Cat Kabira in a yoga training video, she got me with her centered, peaceful, and most of all authentic approach. The words she said seemed to pour from her heart bringing with them a needed dose of love and compassion for all Humans, especially for the part of each of us that is vulnerable, imperfect, fumbling. Rather than taking a "self-betterment" approach to practice, she brought with her a sense of softening and opening to the parts of us that need a little extra support. She kept reminding her audience that "small things make big differences." And with that reminder, the smallest movements seemed to magnify, becoming subtle and profound drivers of change in my body. I felt more space, more lightness. In Cat's presence - even in a video I was streaming online - I felt myself soften more and open to parts of me I had so long condemned. It was a happy feeling, and one that I followed with that sense of knowing you sometimes get in your body that the mind catches up to much later. A few months later, here she is on the podcast. I was surprised to learn that someone that exudes peace and acceptance like nobody's business has had a significant and intense struggle with food in her past, and dialoguing with Cat just confirmed my observation that the areas we struggle with in life are the areas that life is inviting us to master.  Thank you, Cat, for your transparency, vulnerability, and realness. Simply put, I love this woman. We cover SO much ground in this episode, it's a bold adventure. Among other things, we touch: Mythology Astrology Energy Work ~ professionally and in our personal lives Relationships Sex Yoga Culture and Body Image Femininity and Female Confidence What it means to be a Goddess And so much more. Give yourself the treat of this episode; its an Offering for more Aliveness, Electricity, and Joyful Living. ~ Cat's bio: Cat Kabira, a teacher and trainer in yoga and the subtle and shamanic energetic arts, has been globally exploring and sharing her passion for nearly 20 years. She’s studied under many masters in several traditions and shares the gifts she’s gleaned. Originally from the United States, she’s been based in Bali for the past 12 years. What makes Cat’s classes unique are not necessarily the particular asana that’s practiced, but in how you’re guided to connect within to experience yourself in a deeper and more revelatory manner. Cat, known for the potency of her transformational work, teaches in a very present and intuitive way, seeing and feeling energy, and often makes more subtle energetic adjustments to assist your embodiment. She will guide you into sensing the “undercurrents” or the subtle energetics of your body, and gain awareness of your deeper sense of self. As her students say: “Cat is one of a kind: playful, energetic, intuitive, captivating, fully present, devoted. Something in Cat cracks your soul open, asks your inner-self to go deeper within and then lets your magic happen. When Cat crosses your path in life it is a transformative gift to be savored.” Find Cat at catkabira.com.  

Isabel Foxen Duke is a force: she gets right at what she perceives is imprisoning women in the cycle of dieting and then, inevitably, binging. She fearlessly calls out restriction as the root cause of all binging, and discusses what is rarely talked about in the conversation about women and food: the possibility that our bodies have a weight that they want to be, and that trying to manipulate that will inevitably get us into trouble. In this interview, we discuss: Why women are so afraid of gaining weight Why thinness has become the ideal of attractiveness in our cultural milieu Why binging is a sign of health Is food really addictive? The difference between what Isabel teaches and "Intuitive Eating" How we can live surrounded by cultural stigma and still have a happy and fulfilling life And so much more. Here's Isabel's bio: Isabel Foxen Duke is the Creator of Stop Fighting Food—a free video training program for women who want to "stop feeling crazy around food." After years of trying to overcome emotional eating, binge-eating and chronic weight-cycling through traditional and alternative approaches, Isabel discovered some radical new ways to get women over their "food issues" once and for all—not just by shifting the mindsets of individuals, but by challenging the dominant diet culture as a whole. A fixture and thought-leader in the greater body-positive movement, Isabel has been featured in the Huffington Post,  Elle Magazine, XOJane, and has been praised by Ricki Lake. Her writing and free guide, How To Not Eat Cake...really fast, standing up, when nobody's looking, can be found at www.isabelfoxenduke.com and you can watch her free video training series at www.stopfightingfood.com.

Taina Ketola has been practicing astrology since she was twelve, and has discovered a new dimension of astrology which outlines the evolution of a soul within the arc of their current "lesson." This outlook considers and gives great insight into childhood patterns, past lives, and the unique purpose of each individual soul.  In this podcast, Taina discusses where addictions fall on the soul's journey to fulfilling its purpose here on earth. Her view has the power to give a sense of order to what seems in our lives like complete chaos - and also to offer tremendous Hope. Taina reminds us that there is intelligence to the way in which life in unfolding for us, and that if we learn to listen to the right cues, we will find a lifeline extended to us that leads to freedom, healing and fulfillment. 

How do food plans, diets, lifestyle changes and boundaries interface with the deep emotional and psychological work of healing food addiction? Is healing from food addiction and "inside Job" or an "outside job"?

Our relationships with our mothers and/or primary caregivers are inseparable from our relationship with food. If we use food as a path - as a way to constantly mature ourselves in our wholeness and health and in living our full vibrancy - then we are likely at one point or another to face head-on this question of our maternal relationship. What did our mothers teach us about food, about nourishing and nurturing ourselves? About hunger? About loving ourselves? And, an equally important question: what are we teaching and not teaching our daughters, nieces, and other young women of today? Kathe Izzo and Katya Slivinskaya dive in on these questions and a unifying approach to healing. 

One of the biggest healing powers we have inside of us is our capacity for mindfulness. This is something innate to all human beings - it is our birthright and something we can choose at any moment. Mind-body medicine now fully supports that how - and what - we think directly and immediately affects the chemistry of our bodies. So how can we harness this incredible potential for awareness to heal addictions and other habitual patterns that we know just aren't good for us? In this episode, Felix Lopez gives us a fun, exploratory look at how we can change our habits organically, so that us and our "bad habits" become like oil and water - we just don't mix! 

For people suffering with binge eating disorder and stubborn excess weight, there is finally a long-term solution. One based on sound science and an honest look at our food industry, Bright Line Eating is not a diet - it is a way of life that allows the brain to stop making its 220+ daily decisions about food - decisions which put pressure on our willpower to constantly make healthy choices - and instead relies on habit-forming and automaticity. The truth is, most of us are depleting our willpower in so many other ways, we don't have that much left over to govern our food choices - and that's how, despite our best intentions, we find ourselves breaking our new year's resolutions to lose weight and eat better, usually just weeks after we've made them. Bright Line Eating is a system that trains your brain to relate to food from the habit-forming center, rather than the decision-making center, making life - and achieving your goals - a whole lot easier than you ever thought possible. 

Stories have the power to heal. Hearing the stories of others may empower us to tell our own story, and telling our own story can transform our relationship to our struggles. This is because, once we tell a story of struggle, we distance ourselves from it, ironically. We get to see, as if from a distance, that we are not and we never were defined solely by a struggle, a behavior, or a trait. We are the hero inside - the hero that is learning to move beyond the behavior, to solve the struggle. To integrate and heal the different parts of us. When we start to identify with the hero inside of the journey, our story changes, and we can reclaim our rightful place among the constellation of characters inside of us. Alison Rothman has been studying alternative forms of healing for over two decades, has her own healing and embodiment practice out of Boulder, Colorado, and has been in recovery for almost 20 years from an eating disorder that involved though was not exclusive to binging. In this episode, she tells her own story. Her own experience of the dark night of the soul - what can be called rock bottom - was the space in which she found the strength to evolve to the next iteration of her being. Through living in a treatment center far from her home, where she was brought face to face with the inner dynamics that were causing her eating disorder in the first place, to learning how to begin life as a functioning adult after living in a reality constructed solely of her eating disorder for years - Alison now shares the mindset changes and tools that she still uses regularly to cultivate and hone what she says to be the most important ingredient of healing - love and compassion for oneself. Please join Alison and I as we talk about the path that isn't glamorous or advertised - and yet it is the path most of us walk, simply by virtue of being human. It is the wild and curvy path - the unmarked path - the path whereby, even if we are trying our best to follow a prescribed method for healing, we still come face to face with obstacles that are uniquely our own, and there is no way through other than to solve our own riddle. In this episode, you will hear: One woman's story of doing the inner work to heal her eating disorder. Going from counting every calorie to complete self-forgiveness and gentleness. How and why disordered eating may be the symptom, not the cause. Why waiting to wake up healed doesn't ultimately work - why being proactive is the answer, though it may not be how you thought, and what kind of gentle and loving work with yourself is guaranteed to start causing evolution and change at the level of root cause, so that you can begin to find greater and greater relief. Specific practices to help you change your story about yourself so that your whole view of and regard for yourself changes. This is where deep and lasting change of habits comes from. Ingredients of healing your relationship with yourself - hint: these have nothing to do with deprivation, self-blame or shame. In fact, these tools unravel those patterns. Transitioning from hiding in your eating disorder, to living and interacting fully in the world. How Alison used connection to others in her massage training to help provide the day-to-day engagement that supported her recovery. The connection between hiding in an eating disorder, and intimacy. Where she gets her juice and excitement for life from, now that food serves a different, more nourishing role in her life. Find Alison, her retreats and programs at http://alisonrothman.com. **Please read! Alison recently posted a blog on the subject of being interviewed for CurbtheBinge. If you love the raw vulnerability Alison came with in this interview, check out her writing on the subject, which reveals nuggets she didn't share here:  http://alisonrothman.com/the-silence-has-been-broken/  

In this episode, I interview Tibetan Buddhist teacher Charlotte Rotterdam, who teaches meditation, Feeding Your Demons, and other Buddhist practices around the US and abroad. She received her Masters from Harvard Divinity School and is an Instructor and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education at Naropa University. In 2016 she received the title of Magyu Lopön, lead teacher of Magyu: The Mother Lineage at Tara Mandala by her teacher Lama Tsultrim Allione. This episode is unique in that Charlotte will actually guide you through a Feeding Your Demons practice, which - despite how it sounds - is actually an incredibly gentle, loving way to transform parts of you that may seem challenging and problematic (and even hell-raising, at times!) into allies that can help you live a more full, rich and vibrant life. It's the quickest way I know to make real, lasting change that gets to the cause of what is happening. Because of the nature of this episode, you may want to find a comfortable seat in your house, rather than running, biking or driving during the episode. And, heads up, for the actual practice portion (last half hour of the show) you'll need two seats, situated across from each other. As you listen to the guidance given and follow along, please keep in mind that this powerful practice can be used on anything from binge eating and other addictions, to relationship issues, career challenges, political tensions, and so much more. Be sure to listen to the first half of the show, as we go into: Why trying to rid yourself of your "demons" usually backfires - and why inviting these demons in and creating intimacy with them is actually a much faster, more fulfilling way to go if you want a more rich, vibrant and peaceful experience of yourself and your life. How to increase compassion for yourself and others by seeing your "issues" in a radically new way. How problematic patterns and behaviors were formed in the first place - the "root." The fundamental relationship between needs and wants when it comes to your demons, and why developing a clear understanding of this distinction can make the difference between continuing a destructive pattern, and finding joyful freedom. You can find more of Charlotte Rotterdam and Feeding Your Demons practice, including trainings, at https://skymind.us/.  You can also contact Charlotte directly at charlotte@skymind.us. For more information on Tara Mandala retreat center and the teachings of Lama Tsultrim Allione, Charlotte's teacher, visit https://taramandala.org/.

Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D., is a renowned professor, researcher, and now author on the subject of how to free ourselves from food addiction and, in her own words, "live happy, thin, and free." I've had the pleasure of reading some of her book, which will be out on March 21st, 2017, and, in this podcast, I speak with her about what makes Bright Line Eating the one method she knows that can work to stabilize binge eating. *My strong opinion is that everyone can benefit from learning about Susan's research and method, because disordered eating is not just common among a select few - the more I open up with folks about what I do with this website, the more I get the response - from all demographics - "hey, I have that!" (about binge eating). In this podcast, you will learn: How someone with an intensely addictive past used science to understand her food addiction. Why certain methods of managing binge eating, that work for some, may not work for others. How you can find out your level of susceptibility to food addiction, which will help you find just the right level of strictness for a food plan that would best support you. Susan's personal story of working towards a Ph.D. while actively binge eating, and how it affected her career then and now. Why certain events that seem like "flukes" or "failures" when they happen may actually be serving us beyond what we could plan ourselves. "Is addictability itself healable?" Here is Susan's bio: Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester and an expert in the psychology of eating. She is President of the Institute for Sustainable Weight Loss and CEO of Bright Line Eating Solutions, a company dedicated to sharing the psychology and neuroscience of sustainable weight loss and helping people live Happy, Thin, and Free. She is author of the forthcoming book Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin, and Free (March 21, 2017) And some helpful links: You can find Susan on: brightlineeating.com, happythinandfree.com, susanpeircethompson.com Join Susan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanPeirceThompson Pre-Order the book, Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin and Free on Amazon (releasing March 2017) 

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Eat-Drink-Shine-with-the-Blissful-Sisters-122116-1.36-PM.mp3"][/audio]   In this podcast, you will learn: How to replace judgement with engagement. How to find peace with yourself when you're celebrating with food and drink. How to avoid the "falling off the wagon" syndrome, and how to get back on! A critical (and enjoyable) part of self-care that we too often overlook. Why and how you can take excellent care of yourself and still love food. The difference between eating for escape and eating for enjoyment. How to satiate the body and the soul, and create intimacy through food. How being afraid of "getting messy"( showing our real selves) can keep us from the experience of True Love - the experience we all desire. Why eating in front of others is a gift to them. A simple trick that will help you enjoy every minute of a party while also enjoying (and not obsessing over) the food. In case you need it, here's more confirmation that hardship can lead to some of the most beautiful and meaningful developments of our lives.  

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/The-Inner-Child-and-Binge-Eating.mp3"][/audio] This is likely one of my most personal podcasts yet, sharing a very raw and vulnerable process I have been going through lately, working at healing the cause of binge eating on the most inner, unconscious levels. In this podcast, I share the work that has brought me to tears many times in the past few weeks - the kind of shaky uncontrollable tears that flood us when we have touched something primal in ourselves. I also share the techniques that I have used to take myself to that place of vulnerability, and to support myself while I am there. Through this work, I am once again convinced that healing binge eating doesn't come simply from instating the perfect set of rules, no matter how much self-discipline we have. This is a deeper emotional nugget we are facing, once with the potential to bring us so much closer to ourselves and to Real Love than we may have ever imagined. And slowly, with gentleness, may we begin to see more and more of our true selves. Happy healing, Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Rewrite-Your-Story-with-Adam-Sommer-12616-10.25-PM.mp3"][/audio] Our lives are run by the stories we tell ourselves. These stories keep us repeating the same patterns over and over again. If you want to change the way you are experiencing life, you're going to have to rewrite your story. The good news is, it's fun. In this podcast, you will learn: What stories are made up of, and the one thing that - if we understand it - can help us rewrite out story entirely, from scratch. The one thing we should have learned in school, that most of us didn't. What astrology is and what it isn't - contrary to much popular belief. The few aspects in an astrology chart to look for, even if you disregard everything else. How to detect signs that you are moving in the right direction. How to make good decisions.

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/This-is-Me-Doing-1-Terrifying-Thing-113016-11.48-AM.mp3"][/audio] Happy people advocate doing 1 thing that terrifies you, every single day. Why? Because your life energy will move instead of staying stagnant and stuck, and you will once again feel in alignment with the universe and all of creation. Change is life, and so when we resist change - which is what we are up to most of the time when we are resisting doing the things we fear - we resist life. And then we find ourselves slowly stagnating, holding on to what we have and never letting the current of life actually pulse through us and potentially bring us something new, something better. I'm not saying don't take care of what you have. Everything that is real, stays. Everything that is relevant, stays. But there are probably things in your life that you are holding on to for dear life, that are less than what you are ready for. That you have, in effect, grown out of. I have found over and over again that the more I challenge myself by doing those things that bring me fear, the more alive and in touch I feel, and the more I am able to give to others. Regarding binge eating, in this episode I take a leap, one I have been fearing for a long time. I do it on the air, and it's one that I know will change my life significantly. Join me. Oh yes, and here is the video mentioned in the talk. Brilliant. ENjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDQrMoksJ4Q

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2016-11-22-Can-willpower-self-discipline-and-self-love-co-exist-112216-8.44-PM.mp3"][/audio] Some camps of binge eating recovery say that willpower is the answer. Others say binging is a result of deprivation, and attest that willpower and deprivation are not the answer and that they actually add fuel to the flame. What can we gain from both these camps? Are we to throw away willpower completely and let ourselves eat whatever, whenever? Or would it be faster and smarter to train ourselves to have discipline around food, and trust that the emotional healing will take care of itself? In this podcast you will learn: An approach that does not discount either self-discipline or self-love, and uses both for their strengths. A self-love practice that will help you to both, be present with your emotions without having to binge, and to feel more compassion and tenderness towards yourself. Willpower and self-discipline techniques that stem from self-love rather than self-hatred or self-admonishment. A specific order for trying these strategies in your life. Plus: a way of looking at freedom that will change your relationship to self-discipline, forever! After you listen, leave a comment! Links mentioned in the show: Articles about Meditation and Awareness on Curb the Binge: What to Do After a Binge Binging: Is it a Question of Willpower? These Two Words Hold a Key to Healing 3 meals versus 6: A study showing there is no change in metabolic rate between 3 or 6 meals per day: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985 ****How to Eat Your Way to Enlightenment with Maureen Whitehouse ~ Listen to the Podcast

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/3-Steps-to-Transform-Your-Inner-Saboteur-111516-8.31-PM.mp3"][/audio] Binge eating can be experienced as an inner sabotage mechanism, a force that comes to undercut what we are trying to build. How can we work with this inner saboteur, instead of running away from it, denying its existence, or trying to push it down or wipe it out? In this podcast, Katya Slivinskaya talks about the nature of the inner saboteur, why we don't need to be afraid of it, and what to do instead. In this podcast you will learn: What is the shadow? How to detect your own shadow, aka "inner saboteur". How to neutralize these parts of yourself that repeatedly make trouble. What to do when the inner saboteur surfaces. What your inner saboteur is really asking for. What your inner saboteur is hiding - it's really good news. How to create connection in times of vulnerability. All of the above, condensed into 3 simple steps. Quotes from the Podcast: "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." "A man who is unconscious of himself acts in a blind, instinctive way and is in addition fooled by all the illusions that arise when he sees everything that he is not conscious of in himself coming to meet him from outside as projections upon his neighbor." ~ Both quotes from Carl Jung

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2016-11-08-Tomas-Jones-11816-10.22-PM.mp3"][/audio] Tomas Jones is a facilitator and educator with training in Chiropractic, Therapeutic Touch, Homeopathy, herbal and flower medicine, Reiki, Trigger Point, and Chinese Medicine. Since 1991, he has been employing a method called, "Inner Dialogue," developed by Solihin Thom, DO (Doctor of Osteopathy). For scheduling one on one sessions with Tomas, contact Colette Smith at colette@colettesgarden.com. For miscellaneous inquiries you can also contact Tomas Jones personally at jones.tomas@gmail.com. More about inner dialogue here: http://innerdialogue.org/. In this podcast you will learn: One ridiculously simple step you can do right now to take your functioning to the next level. How you can use the force behind binge eating to your advantage. A profound and helpful metaphor for understanding the human system (how "we tick"). Why binging is nothing to be ashamed of. Do we need to understand why we have a certain problem before we can solve it? How you can take binge eating management into your own hands. A radical new understanding of stress and it's hidden (surprisingly positive) message for us. Why cravings are nothing to be afraid of. A bonus technique for keeping weight off. And much much more! This podcast is jam-packed with applicable information you can start using to take your life to the next level today. Listen now and tell us what you found most helpful in the comments below.

[audio mp3="http://curbthebinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Lisa-Jo-Landsberg-Version-2-101716-11.17-AM.mp3"][/audio] Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor, Coach, and Clinical Hypnotherapist Lisa Jo Landsberg takes us into the meaning of compulsions, their hidden message, and the #1 Action Step (hint: it's not a quick fix, but it'll absolutely change your life) to dissolve compulsion at the root. In this podcast you will learn: What is compulsion? What makes all compulsions alike? What do all women who experience eating disorders have in common? What is yoga really about? Why deprivation and binging are essentially the same thing. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Are we ever truly healed? The remedy for self-hatred

Maureen Whitehouse is indeed a powerhouse. Renowned transformational teacher, public speaker, bestselling author and now a teaching fellow and research fellow at Harvard Divinity School, she has been at the forefront of the food and spirituality movement for over two decades. Her teaching is juicy and uncensored, fueled by the genuine desire to guide others toward total liberation. This is a mindset-changing talk you won't want to miss!

April and I chat it up. Could the path to healing from binge eating be all about eating what you want when you want it? Is that too good to be true? Or can trusting your hunger be the way to a stronger, healthier, happier relationship with your body and with food? 

Learn why binge eating is not really an eating disorder, in my book.

What I find most exciting about healing binge eating is that, while doing it, we inevitably begin to also heal our issues with love, career, money, our ability to prove ourselves to ourselves and have what we want.