Month: July 2011

Nurture Yourself with Pleasure

A very warm summer greeting to you all!  I just finished my morning swim and am  filled with gratitude for the opportunity to begin my day with an activity that brings me so much pleasure! I realized when I allow myself to experience pleasure in all areas of my life, I don’t limit myself to the pleasure that I get from food.  There’s nothing wrong with getting pleasure from food but it should be only one of many ways to bring pleasure into our lives.

Summer is a natural time to seek pleasure and fun. What are some of ways that you can bring more pleasure and fun into your life this summer?  With the longer days and warm evenings, try a walk or hike in nature, or an impromptu picnic while watching the sunset, or maybe take in one of the many summer evening concerts, or just hang out with friends on a sun-drenched patio. Whatever you do, take time, slow down, feel the earth beneath your feet and let nature nourish you.

This month I’m excited to share an article from guest writer Regina Powers called How Energy Medicine Can Help Heal Unhealthy Eating Behaviors. Regina is a holistic nurse practitioner, colleague, and friend who writes about energy medicine and the role it can play in healing unhealthy eating patterns. Read Regina’s article here.

In this month’s featured article I expand in greater detail on healing your abusive eating patterns and why an integrated, holistic approach is essential to transforming your relationship with food and healing the abusive eating that has caused you so much pain and suffering.

With Love and Kindness and to a wonderfully pleasurable summer,

Rachelle Goering, M.A., N.P.

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Break Free from Abusive Eating™
white bleeding heartThis new, powerful 8-week program is designed to set you free from the prison of food and weight obsession.  In this one-on-one intensive, we will explore what lies beneath your deepest cravings and figure out what triggers you to eat unconsciously and compulsively.  You will learn to treat yourself with Love and Kindness and develop a healthy relationship with food and your body so you can live a joyous and empowered life!

One Size Does Not Fit All: A Holistic Approach to Break Free from Abusive Eating™

Most weight loss programs take one of two approaches: focusing on what you can or cannot eat, or advocating giving up dieting once and for all and focus on healing the underlying reasons why you eat emotionally.  Which approach is right?  I say both are!
Abusive eating, like most addictive and destructive behaviors, evolved over a period of time.  It started out slowly and built gradually so it likely didn’t even seem like there was a problem; maybe for many years. But over time, the behaviors solidified into patterns that are now a problem affecting your soul, your mind and heart, as well as your body. In order to overcome these deeply ingrained patterns and behaviors, one needs address the issues within the body, the mind, and the Spirit. The process of unraveling can seem daunting and endless but once we begin to actually drop in and experience what is there to be worked with, it’s usually not as intimidating as the thought of it is.
I remind my students that it is the journey not the end result where we experience our true nature and divine healing. This, my friends, requires us to stay in the moment and not lament about the past or worry about the future.  This is an ongoing practice where we gently bring ourselves back to the present when we find ourselves planning, worrying, regretting the past or fearing the future.
I wrote in last month’s newsletter about the importance of being in your body to be able to know what it is telling you it needs, whether that be food, rest, touch, etc.
My holistic integrated approach to healing abusive eating takes you through practical steps to be in your body.  We address:
  1. Dietary guidelines that meet your body’s current needs – these often change as your body’s  biochemistry changes.
  2. Hormonal and blood sugar imbalances that could be triggering your emotional eating.
  3. Eating guidelines adapted from my own practice to help you relearn healthy eating habits.
  4. How to distinguish emotional hunger from physical hunger.
  5. How to manage emotional hunger; hint: it will never be healed with food.
  6. Self love and Self care practices to feed yourself with love and nourishment on a Soul level.
  7. How to love and enjoy your life as it is right now.
  8. Ways to bring more pleasure into your life.
I do not embrace a “one size fits all” approach.  Instead, I tailor my program to meet your individual needs. With this holistic approach to healing, your life will simmer with possibility and an abundance of gratitude as you are freed from the torture of abusive eating.