The Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross Show: Binge Eating Disorder, Stress Eating, Emotional Eating, Food Addiction

In this episode, I will be speaking with London nutritionist and health coach, Marcelle Rose. The number one complaint of people with binge eating, food addiction and emotional eating is usually a digestive one.  That makes sense because the digestive track depends on receiving enough fiber and other nutrients to work well.  Also many of the binge foods or “food fixes” are foods that can cause inflammation in the gut. The gut has also been called “the gut brain” because it is so closely tied to our actual brains and problems in the gut can increase issues with depression, anxiety and more.   In this episode, you will learn: What are supplements that can help soothe inflammation in the gut? How to heal problems with the gut such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. What our thoughts have to do with gut issues? How emotions can influence gut function and vice versa.

Research is now showing that something called “attachment styles” may also explain why people with a history of toxic stress related to childhood trauma or to other specific childhood issues (abandonment, neglect, abrupt separation from a parent, frequent changes in caregivers, or lack of caregiver responsiveness) may have food and body image issues.  Individuals who were raised in a family where their parents invalidated their views or feelings are more likely to binge and purge or have other disordered eating behaviors.   In this episode, you will learn: What are the 4 attachment styles? How many people with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder have insecure attachment styles. How is perfectionism related to attachment style and to eating disorders. How can insecure attachment make you more vulnerable to the social media message about dieting and the thin ideal?

You may have dieting whiplash and just frankly have so much misinformation that you really don't know what is good for your body and what is not. So you end up eating lots of raw carrots and celery or stick mainly to salads. While there may be kernels of truth in expert nutritional advice, nutritional confusion also contributes to unhealthy eating styles. Joyful eating is about determining what works for you and your body, and learning to eat those foods with joy and without guilt or fear. In this podcast, you will learn: What is joyful eating? How can joyful eating help me with binge eating, food addiction and emotional eating? What you can do to learn to eat with JOY?

Food shaming is when someone criticizes or judges what another person is eating.  Food shaming can be intentional but even with unintentional, can lead to guilt, shame and embarrassment.  Constant examination of what you are eating or what someone else is eating are all part of the diet mentality and diet culture.  Diet culture endorses the importance of staying thin which then leads to the compulsion to feel you have to watch every calorie that goes into your mouth and eat foods that fit into diet culture where it's all about the calories   In this podcast you will learn: How food shaming can make your food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating worse. Why food shaming is part of the “arousal cycle” of those with food addiction. What you can do to reduce food shaming from others and from yourself.

Grief following the death of a loved one is well studied and understood.  Researchers have documented an initial period of numbness, followed by sadness or depression and then reorganization and recovery. Grief in this case is used to describe how we react to loss - physically, emotionally, behaviorally and cognitively.  It is not uncommon when we experience a loss that we default to old behaviors such as binge eating, obsessing about food and emotional eating.  The emotions associated with grief can feel overwhelming and we may reach for the comfort of our old friend – food.   In this podcast you will learn: Why is there no time limit on grief? What are “normal” responses to grief? What role does food play in the grieving process?

What is trauma? Well, in the past, most people would say, "Trauma is severe abuse or neglect." But our more modern definition of trauma is that trauma is anything that causes you to lose an essential part of yourself – a sense of security or safety, peace or love.  Over 2/3 of children under age 16 reported at least 1 traumatic event by age 16.  What is important to understand is that trauma is common in individuals with substance use disorders and eating disorders.  In fact, a history of trauma can increase your risk for attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety as well as many medical issues including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.  Recognizing that you or a family member has experienced childhood trauma can help you understand why you've had trouble dealing with food and body image issues such as food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating.   In this episode, you will learn: What are examples of childhood trauma? How does childhood trauma lead to binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating? What can family members do to help heal childhood trauma?

In the podcast, I interview friend and colleague, Julie Duffy Dillon who is a specialist in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).  We discuss the importance of addressing TRUE determinants of health – what makes us healthy and how weight loss does not have to be part of that equation.  We also discuss treatment of PCOS including use of supplements and talk about weight stigma. In this podcast, you will learn: What is PCOS? How does having binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating affect PCOS? What is weight inclusive medical care and how can I get it?

We spend about a third of our adult lives in the workplace.  Work can improve mental health for some individuals – providing them with a sense of meaning and purpose and offering valuable social connections.  However, for individuals with binge eating disorder, food addiction or emotional eating, work can also be a source of stress and stigma that can make their eating disorder worse or can lead to relapse. In this podcast, you will learn: How the workplace can be a trigger for people with eating disorders. How having an eating disorder can make workplace stress worse. What are 3 actions you can take so reduce relapse or triggers in the workplace.

My guest on the podcast today is Ali Shapiro – the creator of Truce with Food® and the Truce Coaching Framework Certification, host of the top-ranked podcast Insatiable, a holistic nutritionist, integrated health coach and rebel with a serious cause.  My interview with Ali covers a wide range of topics including how the body positivity movement has been co-opted, how her struggle with childhood cancer helped her explore her relationship with her body and more!   In this podcast you will learn: What it means to have a truce with your body. What is self-trust and how does it help heal from eating disorders like food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating? What role does experimentation play in healing your food and body image issues?

Aaron Flores is a dietician and health at every size, body trust and intuitive eating advocate who works with individuals with eating disorders, including males.  While eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder often are seen as affecting mainly women and girls, studies show that men and boys are also impacted.  Binge Eating Disorder, in particular affects males almost as much as it affects females.    In this podcast, you will learn: How are men with eating disorders different than women with eating disorders? What is the impact of weight stigma on individuals with eating disorders? Why is it so difficult for men with eating disorders to seek treatment?

This is the third and final part of our series on RDS.  In Episode #112 and #114, I discussed what RDS is and how it could impact your eating behaviors as well as what caused RDS and how sugar addiction that you've read about is related to RDS.  In this episode I will be discussing what steps you can take to heal your brain from RDS and that will positively affect your recovery from food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating.   In this episode, you will learn:   What is the difference between emotional mind and rational mind and how can you use this information to manage cravings. What are positive natural reinforcers that you can use to increase dopamine in the brain? What are 3 specific things you can do to heal your brain from RDS, food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating?

In episode #112 I talked to you about Reward Deficiency Syndrome – what is and how it may contribute to food addiction, emotional eating or binge eating.  In this episode, I will discuss the causes of dopamine depletion or reward deficiency syndrome.  I will also talk about how having RDS can affect your preferences for certain foods, cause cravings and lead to unwanted eating behaviors.    In this episode, you will learn: What causes reward deficiency syndrome? How are our eating behaviors used to manage our mood? What are the three stages of eating? How internal opiates impact our eating behaviors? What's the truth about sugar addiction?

Trauma has been show to increase the risk for eating disorders and addictions.  There has been much research showing that early childhood trauma can really change a person's life trajectory – causing problems with learning, attention, memory and the ability to regulate emotions.  Despite these traumatic experiences, individuals with trauma are able to live healthy, successful and fulfilling lives.  Healing the trauma is key to healing addictions, eating disorders and other mental health issues.   In this podcast you'll learn: What is developmental trauma? How does developmental trauma show up in our lives? What are signs that you may be suffering from developmental trauma?

You may never have heard about RDS but it may be critical to understanding why your food and body image issues are so difficult to heal from.  If you have binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating, you may have a genetic risk for RDS or early childhood trauma may have increased your risk for RDS.    In this podcast, you will learn: What is reward deficiency syndrome? How can I tell if I have RDS? How does RDS cause food cravings, food obsessions and unwanted binging behaviors?

In this episode, I will share with you some of my personal struggles with the tyranny of the scale.  I will also talk about body shaming and weight stigma especially when it comes from physicians and will give you my responses to and anger about the medical profession which continues to make everything about size.  If you're struggling with binge eating, emotional eating and food addiction, you may also be experiencing internalized weight stigma.  This can make it more difficult for you to care for your body in a healthy way.    In this episode you will learn: 5 Questions you can ask yourself to find out if you're a victim of scale tyranny. Four solutions for dealing with doctors around the issue of food and body image issues. Why I say that body image is not about your body!

Being out of touch with or disconnected from your spirit can lead to spiritual depletion.  Spiritual depletion can exacerbate binge eating, food addiction and emotional eating.  Spiritual emptiness is a sick- ness that has signs and symptoms just like any physical illness. It's important that you recognize the signs so you can address the causes of spiritual depletion with as much compassion and care as you would any other illness.   In this episode you will learn: What are the signs and symptoms of spiritual depletion? What causes spiritual depletion and how is it related to binge eating, food addiction and emotional eating? What can you do to re-nourish your spirit and cope better with challenging stresses?

If you are struggle with food addiction, emotional eating or binge eating, stress can trigger emotions that you may have been regulating with food.  Managing stress without food requires that you learn a new set of skills to use when you're feeling overwhelmed, worn out, or stressed to the max. Managing stress also requires learning to tap into your body's wisdom to identify the early warning signs and symptoms of stress, a key first step toward handling stress differently. Stress management involves a moment-by-moment mindful awareness that you may not naturally possess but that you can learn.   In this podcast, you will learn: What the difference is between stress and burnout. Why loneliness can exacerbate stress and shorten your lifespan. Key steps you can take to build resilience to stress.

In this podcast, I will interview Betsy Thurston, a dietician who also specializes in the use of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy as a unique tool in treating her eating disorder clients.  The founder of IFS, Dr. Richard Schwartz describes IFS as “a powerfully transformative, evidence-based model of psychotherapy.”  We will discuss how she has seen IFS work for her clients who struggle with eating disorders.   In this podcast you will learn: What is Internal Family Systems Therapy? How is IFS different from other therapies? How can IFS help patients heal from food and body image issues?

If you are dissatisfied with your body, you are not alone.  While having self-doubts is a normal part of being human, if your self-evaluation is primarily dependent on your superficial appearance, your size or shape, that can lead to shame, negative self-talk, suffering and the use of extreme and harmful behaviors to reach the ever-elusive thin ideal.  As well, it's important to realize that trying to “hate yourself thin” can put stress on your body and increase belly fat and risk for diabetes and heart disease.    In this episode you will learn: What some women are willing to give up in exchange for a thin body. How to stop the transmission of body image issues from one generation to another. Why weight stigma may be the reason for health risks, not size!

Physical activity has been co-opted by the diet industry just as food has – in other words, only good to get you to lose weight.  No wonder thinking about body movement may send you into a fit of resistance or rebellion or make you feel guilty – feeling you're not doing enough or not doing the right kind of activity that the experts say you should.  If you struggle with binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating, you may struggle in finding a way to move your body that doesn't feel like something you have to do or something you feel bad about not doing.  In this podcast, you will learn: How to recognize if you've experienced exercise trauma. How to reclaim body movement as a form of self-expression. What the 3 most common reasons for not being physically active are and how to address them.

The first goal of therapy if you have binge eating, compulsive overeating, food addiction or emotional eating should be interrupting any current unwanted behaviors, such as bingeing, overeating, obsessing about food or your body.  But these behaviors are so automatic and so linked to emotions that often are not acknowledged or even recognized, that it's hard to stop or interrupt them.  There are skills that can help you if you want to move on and just don't know how. In this podcast you will learn: Why practicing certain skills can help you end unwanted behaviors. Five skills you can put into practice immediately. How skills can help uncouple your emotions from your unwanted behaviors.

If you have binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating, you may know that diet culture has rebranded itself as “healthy” vs. the prior focus on the thin ideal, losing weight or getting skinny.  There has also been a trend by social media influencers to market detox products to make money, but in doing so, they may be contributing to the development of eating disorders in their followers.  Your body has its own detoxification system.  There are things you can do to give your body and mind a “reset” for the new year that will help you deal with cravings, binging, body dissatisfaction and food obsessions.   In this podcast you will learn: Why detox products can be dangerous. What is orthorexia? How can mindfulness help your break free of food obsessions. Specific steps you can take to reset your body and mind in the new year.

If you're struggling with food addiction, binge eating or emotional eating, at some point you may have come to realize that there's something deeper to your food and body image issues.  If you ask yourself what the cause is of most of your suffering about your food obsessions and body hatred, you may realize that it is because of these problems you have not allowed yourself to express who you truly are.  You may have held yourself back in your career, in relationships, as a parent and in other roles you play in life because of your size.  The ultimate goal of recovery from binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating is to find soul satisfaction and to bring it into all areas of your life, including your relationship with food and how you feel about your body. In this episode, you will learn: What is soul satisfaction? What does soul satisfaction have to do with my binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating? Why is soul satisfaction not about religion or even spirituality? How can food and body image issues be metaphors for what is missing in your life?

Unconscious core beliefs can stand between you and your goal to put an end to your food, body image, and weight issues. When first formed, usually when you were younger and during times of transition, trauma, or emotional upheaval, core beliefs are solutions to problems you couldn't solve—perhaps because you didn't have the resources at the time.  Research highlights the importance of addressing negative core beliefs; when they are not addressed, you may find it more difficult to stop unhealthy behaviors.   Examples of core beliefs include:  I'm not worthy, I'm not good enough and more.  Negative core beliefs play an important role in the development and maintenance of the symptoms of food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating.     In this episode you will learn:   What are core beliefs? How do core beliefs stand between you and what you desire most in your life? How can you change a negative core belief?

If you've been struggling with binge eating, emotional eating and food addiction for most of your life, you may view your body as an adversary.  When you experience negative feelings about your body, it may be the result of past hurtful experiences from childhood, which can lead to a disconnection between you and your body. This can lead to your self-evaluation (how you feel about yourself) being tied to your body size or shape and a desire to whip your body into shape.  When you reconnect to your body, you can tap into a vast reservoir of wisdom and advise that will guide you in your recovery from binge eating, emotional eating and food addiction. In this episode you will learn: What is body image? What are the 3 causes of negative body image? What in your childhood is the key to understanding your body image issues?

Did you know that there is a hidden force that drives your behaviors associated with food addiction, emotional eating and binge eating? This hidden force is your emotions and when you struggle to regulate your emotions, it can have a big impact on your binge eating, emotional eating and food addiction behaviors.  If you have food and body image issues, you may respond to emotions by using food to numb yourself or tamp down even happy feelings.  Both reactions to emotional pain are two sides of the same coin—attempts to escape from your emotions, or from the “emotional soup.”  In this episode you will learn: What is the emotional soup? What are the 4 things you need to know to get out of the emotional soup? How can being stuck in your emotions affect your food and body image issues? Why how you express your emotions is the same as how you deal with food.

If you've tried different diets to help with food obsessions, binge eating or emotional eating, you may have concluded that your food and weight issues are not about food. These issues are about how you use food to deal with your emotions, experiences from your past, and beliefs that have resulted from past hurts or traumas. By working on your food and weight issues on a deeper level, you can expect your healing to also be deeper and more sustainable. Over the next podcasts I will be sharing with you the 5 Steps to Recovery from food and body image issues.   In this episode you will learn: Why focusing on the number on the scale cannot provide lasting results. How to stop unwanted behaviors related to food and body image issues. Why the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine may have made your food and body image issues a lot worse!

Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening illness that is challenging to treat and can be overwhelming for families seeking help.  The Minnesota starvation study dating to the 1950's showed without any doubt that starvation causes psychological as well as physical symptoms – symptoms that mirror symptoms of individuals with anorexia.  The current state of treatment for anorexia has ignored this connection and instead resorts to the use of medications that lack FDA approval and therapies that have consistently been shown to be ineffective.  What is needed is addressed by my guest, Dr. James Greenblatt who is a pioneer in the field of functional and integrative medicine.    In this episode, you will learn: Why anorexia treatments currently fail miserably. What is the research that could lead to significantly better outcomes for treating those with anorexia. Why therapy is likely to fail unless nutritional deficiencies of self-starvation are addressed.

It can be confusing to determine whether you have binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating.  While criteria for binge eating disorder have been established for some time, research is beginning to show some of the ways in which binge eating and food addiction are similar and different.  All of these disorders can affect men as well as women and are related to how you use food.  It's not food or your body that is the problem, it has to do with how you use food that may stem from early life adversity, trauma or neglect.   In this podcast, you will learn: What is binge eating disorder? What is food addiction? What is emotional eating? How do I know if I have binge eating disorder, food addiction or emotional eating.

If you've struggled with binge eating, food addiction or emotional eating for some time, you may find that the stresses and isolation of the quarantine have worsened your symptoms.  Or you may have had other life challenges that have caused stress and overwhelm in your life.  All of this can lead to depression and feelings of hopelessness or despair.  It can make your battle to make peace with food and your body feel even more difficult, leading you to fall back on using food to numb your emotions or provide comfort during these trying times.  But there is hope!  By nourishing your spirit, you can build resilience to help replenish your resources and give you the boost you need to rise to meet the challenges in your life.   In this episode you will learn: What are the causes of despair? What are the symptoms of spiritual depletion and despair? What are 3 actions you can take to get back on top of your game?

Tattoos have become more acceptable over the years but are often only seen as having decorative value.  My guest #DonnaTorrisi has written a book about the connection between tattoos and trauma.  While a tattoo sits only on the skin, the meaning of tattoos may be much deeper for some individuals, telling a story of a difficult time in their lives, a loss or a story of abuse.  In this way, tattoos are a form of self-expression that can tell you something about the person and their life's journey.  We heal from trauma in many ways…tattoos are one of those ways.    In this episode, you will learn: How tattoos can create a bond between people who have experienced difficult life circumstances. How body markings can play a part in healing from trauma. Whether Dr. Carolyn has a tattoo and if yes, why?

If you struggle with binge eating, emotional eating and food addiction, you may also have body image issues.  Your body image issues may keep you from doing what you want to do in life and keep you from being the best you can do.   Think of your body identity as a role or archetype you have chosen to play in your life for the time being until you are able and willing to be your best self. This is the way you've learned to cope with being in a bigger body.   Are you the rebel, wounded child or sexy mama?  Whatever role you're playing it may be covering up the truth of who you are.   In this podcast, you will learn: How identifying your archetype may help you to see your authentic self. How negative self-talk just makes binging, food obsessions worse Why you can't “hate yourself thin.”

Many people who struggle with food addiction, binge eating, or emotional eating also have money problems – overspending, impulse buying or you may have had a bad divorce that left you with financial problems.  My special guest, Tasha Chen is with me on this podcast to discuss why money can be a problem for so many people and how you can attract more financial abundance into your life. In this podcast, you will learn: About the 13 money traumas and how they may be holding you back Why how you manage your money can be a window into your other life challenges. The difference between being deserving and being worthy and how that affects your ability to attract money into your life. I will be joining Tasha to talk about how money issues relate to food and body image issues on her 5-Day Money Attraction Challenge. To sign up for the 5-Day Money Attraction Challenge with Tasha Chen:  https://tashachen.com/money-attraction-challenge/?ref=894

Self-sabotage is common and happens to people from all walks of life. Many people with food addiction, emotional eating or binge eating self-sabotage with food as a way to numb unpleasant emotions or cope with stressful situations. This can lead to feelings of failure and can worsen the behaviors or body dissatisfaction. Then you can get stuck in the vicious cycle of binge eating, obsessing about food, and being dissatisfied with your body. Rinse, Repeat. In this video you will learn: 1. What the connection is between perfectionism and self-sabotage 2. How trauma can be a cause of self-sabotage 3. 4 tips on how to stop self-sabotage in its tracks Thanks for listening! If you're interested in learning more about food addiction, enter the book sweepstakes to win a copy of The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook. Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss Where you can find Irene:https://irenelyon.com/ Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

Traumatic life experiences, including childhood trauma and the relationships you have with your caregivers growing up, directly affect the nervous system – often throwing it out of balance. An out-of-balance nervous system can make it difficult for you to tolerate your emotions. This then leads to using food (and other substances and behaviors) to numb or manage your anxiety, sadness, fear, anger, and other emotions. In this episode, I talk with Irene Lyon from Vancouver, Canada about the links between trauma, body memories and binge eating, compulsive overeating, food addiction, and emotional eating. In this episode you will learn: The effect of trauma on the nervous system. How to use your body sensations and body functions to help you understand your emotions. How to release trauma using your body's wisdom. Thanks for listening! If you're interested in learning more about food addiction, enter the book sweepstakes to win a copy of The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook. Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss Where you can find Irene:https://irenelyon.com/ Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

“Health and weight are not synonymous.” Behaviors such as binge eating, compulsive overeating, emotional eating, and food obsessions are part of systems of power that rank human bodies by size and race and create an illusion that health and virtue are obtained by being thin. Being controlled by size and food is still an accepted way of controlling the futures of women, leading them to wait to have the lives they deserve and desire until they can change their size. What you'll learn in this podcast: Is the BMI a racist measurement? Why is it so hard to give up binging? How graham crackers started as a diet food. How diets fail us, while making us feel we are failures. Thanks for listening! If you're interested in learning more about food addiction, enter the book sweepstakes to win a copy of The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook. Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

“Weight stigma is associated with several physical and psychological health consequences.”   You've realized that diets don't work for binge eating, compulsive overeating, food addiction, or emotional eating.  You've been on a lot of diets and even though you lose weight, it doesn't last.  After many diets, you've come to the conclusion that there's more to your food and body image issues than a diet can fix.  You feel good about this insight.  You may even be working towards taking steps to make peace with food and your body.  But why can't you stop thinking about dieting!   In this podcast, you will learn: What do twin studies teach us about binge eating, food addiction, and emotional eating? Why one physician's research led him to stop recommending the intermittent fasting diet. How weight stigma can make binge eating, emotional eating, and food addiction worse. Thanks for listening! If you're interested in learning more about food addiction, enter the book sweepstakes to win a copy of The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook. Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

"Pregnancy can be an intense time for women with eating disorders." Most eating disorders, including binge eating disorder, food addiction, and emotional eating occur in women during their reproductive years. It's not unusual for someone with an eating disorder to also be pregnant or for relapse of an eating disorder to occur during or after a pregnancy. My guest will discuss some of the issues related to nutrition that occur when eating disorders like binge eating disorder, food addiction, and emotional eating occur in pregnancy. In this podcast, you will learn: What is the most critical time for your baby to get the best nutrition for health and development? What are some of the triggers during pregnancy for binge eating disorder, emotional eating, and food addiction? How to nourish yourself during the fourth trimester. You can reach Jaren Soloff, RD and find out about her book at: https://www.fullcrcl.co/about Thanks for listening! If you're interested in learning more about food addiction, enter the book sweepstakes to win a copy of The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook. Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

"How would you eat if you weren't trying to lose weight?" - Rachael Hartley My guest, Rachael Hartley, and I will discuss how to change your relationship with food from one of eating only to lose weight to do what she calls “gentle eating.” She discusses her approach to gentle nutrition and intuitive eating. Rachael also talks about how trauma can impact intuitive eating and what to do about that. In this show you will learn: What are some of the psychological effects of dieting? What is intuitive eating? What is the difference between the pursuit of health and the pursuit of thinness? Information on today's guest: Rachael Hartley, RD, LD, is a Columbia, SC-based nutrition therapist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and nationally recognized food and nutrition expert who is passionate about helping others rediscover the joy of eating and foster a healthier relationship with food. She is the founder of Rachael Hartley Nutrition, a weight-inclusive practice where she specializes in disordered eating and healing from chronic dieting, IBS and other digestive disorders, and women's health. She also runs the popular blog The Joy of Eating, where she shares practical intuitive eating advice and non-diet recipes and is featured regularly in national media outlets. In 2021, Rachael's first book, Gentle Nutrition: A Non-Diet Approach to Healthy Eating was released. https://RachaelHartleyNutrition.com Thanks for listening! If you're interested in learning more about food addiction, enter the book sweepstakes to win a copy of The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook. Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!  

"Research has shown that HALF of all the foods Americans eat are ultra-processed “industrial formulations.” There's been a lot of talk about whether foods can be addictive or not.  In truth, there are a group of foods, called “ultra-processed industrial formulations” that have been engineered in the nutrition lab and that contain high amounts of fats, sugar, and salt. These foods can lead to eating behaviors that are addictive. Studies show that 50% of the American diet consists of these ultra-processed food-like substances and that these foods are a cause of increases in weight, diabetes, heart disease, and other medical problems. If you have binge eating, emotional eating, or food addiction, you are more vulnerable to being “hooked” by these industrial formulations. In this podcast, you will learn: What are the top 5 foods that are considered “industrial formulations?” How is food changed to make it more addictive? Is it true that sugar is highly addictive? Thanks for listening! If you're interested in learning more about food addiction, enter the book sweepstakes to win a copy of The Food Addiction Recovery Workbook. Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

Whether you've been stressed about your health, suffered losses, tired of the quarantine, had financial stressors, working long hours, or had a relationship breakup, stress has become a constant irritant for many of us.  If you're struggling with binge eating, emotional eating, or food addiction, your eating behaviors may be the first sign that you are stressed to the max. When the situation goes on for weeks or months, and the stress becomes chronic, the adrenal glands burn out from chronic production of cortisol and may cause what is called adrenal fatigue syndrome (AFS). In this podcast, you will learn: 1. How can you tell if you have adrenal fatigue syndrome (AFS)? 2. What causes adrenal fatigue? 3. How do stress and adrenal fatigue cause binge eating, food obsessions, and emotional eating? 4. What can you do about AFS? Supplements and free meditation mentioned in the video: · For sleep: magnesium at bedtime or the homeopathic remedy Calm Forte · Take vitamins - vitamins C and B5 help with cortisol production, vitamin D can help support the immune system. Download a free meditation here Thanks for listening!   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

"Body image is the picture you hold in your mind of your body." When you hold a negative picture or are dissatisfied with your body, it can be a significant predictor of compulsive overeating, binge eating, emotional distress, depression, and problems in your relationships.  Having positive feelings about your body if you are in a bigger body may be difficult in a culture filled with images of the thin “ideal,” but it's not impossible.  In this podcast, you will learn: How childhood adversity or trauma affects body image. Why you may have trouble knowing what you are feeling. How eating can be part of your survivor self's playbook. How to tap into your body's wisdom. Thanks for listening!   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

"There is no one diet that works for everyBODY." Despite the research, many people continue to look for a "perfect diet" (diet to go on) and cycle from one fad diet to the next, hoping that they will find a quick fix or a solution to their food and body image issues.  They are often excited when starting a new fad diet, then disappointed when they are not able to stay on their chosen diet or to maintain their gains. But have you ever considered that you're going about this entirely the wrong way? In this podcast, you will learn: What the research shows about the intermittent fasting diet. What the $60 billion diet industry won't tell you. What you should eat to get and stay healthy. Mentioned on the show: Link to my blog on Intermittent Fasting: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing/202102/what-you-should-know-about-intermittent-fasting Link to my blog on the Keto Diet: http://bit.ly/3aEyfIQ Dr. Andrew Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid: http://bit.ly/3pErGdK Michael Pollan Article: “Unhappy Meals” - https://nyti.ms/3bmfTLW   Thanks for listening!   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

There are over 200 million searches on Google for the term “food addiction.” Food addiction affects a large number of individuals, even though it's not accepted as a true diagnosis (yet) by the medical profession.  Using the Yale Food Addiction Scale, 5-10% of the general population test positive for food addiction. Over half of individuals diagnosed with binge eating disorder also meet the criteria for food addiction. When you struggle with food addiction, the basic principles of healthy eating can get buried beneath your beliefs, fears, and obsessions. In this podcast, you will learn: 1. The signs that you may have a food addiction. 2. Specific practices you can use to overcome food addiction. 3. How you can get rid of the negative self-talk that makes food addiction worse. HOMEWORK: 5 Things About Food Addiction and Practices that Will Help You Overcome Food Addiction 1. Yo-yo dieting makes food addiction worse Practice:   I will not diet. My body is an exquisitely tuned organism that knows how to manage its weight. I don't need to restrict my food intake to make my body work correctly. 2. There's a difference between asking yourself: "What's wrong with me?" and recognize "What happened to you." Practice: I will become more aware of when I am emotionally hungry and find other ways of coping with my emotions without always using food. 3. Your body has all the wisdom you need to overcome your food addiction. Practice: I will interrupt any negative inner dialogue I have towards my body and replace it with a neutral thought.   4. Unconscious core beliefs can stand between you and your goal to put an end to your food addiction behaviors. Practice: I will honor the part of me who did what she could to survive and instead of continuing with negative core beliefs, I will start journaling about guiding principles (gp) I can use for my new life.  (Ex.  instead of "I'm not worthy", a gp could be "I value myself." 5. Recovery from food addiction may be different than you expect Practice: I will be gentle with myself as I learn new ways of being the best I can be.   Thanks for listening!   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/CONSULT   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   How you can reach (guest):   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

"Everyone's experience of grief is unique - there is no "right" way to grieve." Grief is a normal reaction to any major loss. If you've lost a loved one during the pandemic, you may have experienced complicated grief.  The normal feelings of yearning and sadness may have been complicated by not being able to be with your loved one or not even being able to go through normal rituals that can bring a sense of comfort and closure. Maybe during the pandemic, you've experienced other serious losses - loss of a job, the breakup of a significant relationship, loss of a long term friendship or you've been diagnosed with a serious illness (including COVID-19).  All of these losses can also be a cause for grieving. In this podcast, you will learn: >>What are the signs that you are having a grief reaction >>How binge eating, food addiction, and emotional eating are a normal response to grief and loss. >>How to manage your grief, cope with losses during the pandemic – lessons learned from personal experience. Mentioned on the show:   Thanks for listening!   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/consult   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   How you can reach (guest):   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!

"Depriving yourself of foods you crave just sets you up for more cravings" Are you struggling with food cravings?  Well, you're not alone.  At least 50% of people experience food cravings on a regular basis.  If you have binge eating, emotional eating, or food addiction, these cravings can threaten to overwhelm you and lead to unwanted behaviors. You may use food as a way to "self-medicate" your emotions. Essentially, the stress or unpleasant feelings are the “problem,” and eating is the “medicine” that makes you feel better.  In this episode, you will learn: >>Why food cravings come from a lack of dopamine in the brain >>How to find out if you use food to help with your mood >>What specific things you can do to conquer your food cravings HOMEWORK-- Try one or more of these tips to help you conquer your cravings: 1.    Journal about your feelings. See if you can identify patterns associated with your cravings. If your journaling shows that you're always hungry (emotionally) after stressful days at work, change your routine. Don't go straight home and binge on peanut butter; stop at a local park and take a short walk, or call a friend to meet you for tea.  2.   Here are some integrative medicine tips to help with cravings: Eat bitter foods (ex. arugula, olives) to reduce sweet cravings For salt cravings, look at how you're managing your stress and use "adaptogens" which are herbs that help your body deal with stress (ex. drink ginseng tea) or take a yoga class or take a nap Take a chromium supplement to help keep your blood sugar stable to reduce cravings 3.   Even if you give in to the cravings, eat mindfully and pay attention to how your body is feeling, and don't judge yourself 4.   Get a good night's sleep (7-9 hours of sleep).  Studies show that cravings are worse when we are tired Thanks for listening! If you are struggling and need professional help to manage stress during the pandemic, you can find a list of resources: https://bit.ly/3ooKNIC   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/consult   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss

"Gratitude is the glue that lets us maintain our optimism!" The New Year is usually a time when we make resolutions, express our hope for the future, and shake off our past troubles to make a new start at whatever we want to change.  But 2020 was a much different and more challenging year!!  So, how should you approach THIS New Year? Should we still be optimistic? In this podcast, you will learn: >What I learned from #MichaelJFox about his struggle with #optimism >Why it's just as important to be realistic as it is to be optimistic. >What is the best New Year's resolution you can make? Exercise mentioned in the podcast: Gratitude Practice Homework Exercise: Thank You >>List below areas of your life where you feel you are struggling to be grateful. (Example: My mother does lots of thoughtful things for me, but I rarely show my appreciation.) >>In response to the list above, write specific actions you are willing to take to show your gratitude to people in the areas you listed. >>Create a Daily Practice Choose from the list below or make your own list of things you can do every day to practice gratitude. >>Take a few minutes at the start or end of each day to take three deep breaths— breathing in gratitude with each breath and feeling the energy of gratitude pulsing throughout your body with each beat of your heart. >>Say grace before your meals. >>Say thank you to at least five people every day for one week. Affirmation mentioned in the podcast: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. Today I am grateful for all that I have and all that I am.” Thanks for listening! If you are struggling and need professional help to manage stress during the pandemic, you can find a list of resources: https://bit.ly/3ooKNIC   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/consult   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss

“Pain can be an invitation to heal.” When we began talking about the quarantine it was 8 months ago and I'm sure you, like me, had no idea that it would last this long.  Because it has lasted so long, I am hearing from people all over the world and also reading the research showing that there are record increases in mental health issues. Social isolation, fears about the virus, home-schooling, working from home, unemployment, and financial stress can lead to binge eating, emotional eating, and food addiction behaviors. Building resilience will help you get through difficult pandemic/quarantine struggles. As well, many people are finding they have grown in response to their struggle or loss. In this podcast, you will learn: 10 steps you can take to build resilience. How to take advantage of your struggles to build self-confidence What you can do to find comfort without binging, emotionally eating, or having food addiction behaviors. Mentioned on the show:   Take the Resilience Quiz -  https://carolynrossmd.com/resilience-questionnaire/ Exercise mentioned in the podcast: When one door closes, another opens. The goal of this exercise is to help you realize that the end of one thing is also the beginning of something new.  Also, the end of something positive is not only a negative.  Shifting your perspective can help you to refocus from what is not there to the potential of the future.   1. Think of a time in your life when a door closed - you lost a job or a relationship, a business failed, etc.  Then answer these questions:      - What was the door that closed?      - What led to the door closing?      - What new experience came into your life?      - What did you learn from this experience?      - What character strengths did you use to get through this? 2. Now think of all the people who have helped you in the past to open new doors?  What did they do?  What can you do to help others open new doors? Thanks for listening!   If you are struggling and need professional help to manage stress during the pandemic, you can find a list of resources: https://bit.ly/3ooKNIC   Schedule a free consult to discuss your food and body image issues: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/consult   The Anchor Program is a 12-week non-diet program offering ONLINE group and individual sessions for the treatment of binge eating, emotional eating, food addiction, and compulsive overeating.  Want to learn more about the Anchor Program? https://AnchorProgram.com   Where you can find me: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-healing https://www.youtube.com/user/DrCarolynRoss   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and leave us a rating and a review!