Bach, the founding sponsor of emotionaleatinghelp.org is currently holding a contest for its Rescue Cream product. The contest asks “How Do You Use Rescue Cream?”, and the most innovative user will win a gift basket containing one of every Nelson Bach product. From the contest site:
Are you our most innovative user?
Let us in on your secret and you could win great prizes!
In 250 words or less, describe the most innovative way you use Rescue Cream. You could win the Grand Prize of a gift basket containing one of every Nelson Bach USA product, worth over $700. Be one of the first 1,000 to participate and you could win a set of 10 sample size Rescue Cream packets.
The details and entry form can be found here. The contest ends on March 14, 2009 and the rules are available here.
Denise Lamothe is an emotional eating expert, international professional speaker, psychologist and doctor of holistic health. She is the author of The Taming of the Chew: A Holistic Guide to Stopping Compulsive Eating (Penguin 2002) and has been noted in many publications, including “O” the Oprah Magazine. She has appeared widely on television and radio and has spoken across the country and in Canada. Dr. Denise is the emotional eating expert for Ann Louise Gittleman, The First Lady of Nutrition and is the professional, celebrity spokesperson for the renowned Bach Flower Essences of Nelsons’ USA.
EmotionalEatingHelp.org: What are the core issues around Emotional Eating?
Dr. Denise: Emotional eating is eating mindlessly to soothe difficult emotions. The core issue is that most of us were not taught as children how to cope with or express our feelings appropriately. Many of us were actually encouraged not to express ourselves and consequently, we learned early on in our lives that foods, especially sugars and simple carbohydrates will calm us down and dull the painful feelings we are unable or unwilling to express. We reach for these foods because they are quick, convenient and give us a temporary feeling of well being. The feelings that drive us to submerge ourselves in emotional eating patterns are different for each of us and surface at different times. For example, if we are tired or have just suffered a disappointment, we may grab cookies or prepare a big bowl of pasta instead of allowing ourselves to feel the exhaustion or disappointment. Sometimes we stuff ourselves with other foods as well like potato chips or peanuts. When stressed, eating can take the edge off and calm us down. Eating when bored, sad or frustrated and not in actual need of nourishment is often emotional eating.
EmotionalEatingHelp.org: Why is emotional eating such a large issue today?
Dr. Denise: Today’s world in general can be overwhelming. We have inventions that help us to do our work more easily and efficiently which theoretically should provide us with some free time. Instead of making our lives easier however, they enable us to increase our expectations of ourselves and become even busier than we were before, producing more and feeling more stressed and deprived. This is a high-tech, fast-paced society we live in and emotional eating is one of the popular ways we have found to relax and calm our emotions. Enjoying our food and eating reasonable amounts — perhaps a bit more than that now and then — is fine. Stuffing ourselves at the end of every busy day is not. Overeating can easily become a habit that serves as a way of turning off the pressures and worries of the day and with the availability of junk foods, more and more people are choosing that option. The more stressful things become in our world, the more people are likely to seek escape and choose over eating as a way of doing so.
EmotionalEatingHelp.org: What kind of emotional change or success have you seen in clients?
Dr. Denise: Once clients learn to view the issue of overeating holistically — that is from physical, emotional, social and spiritual perspectives, they are able to make different, healthier decisions and thus permanent changes. Once armed with the knowledge that overeating is a behavior they have become accustomed to doing for many good reasons, they are empowered to make the important changes necessary to turn their behaviors in to healthy, self-loving ones. Clients stop blaming themselves or feeling helpless when they can see the whole picture. If they go on a diet, for example, and deprive themselves they will inevitably stuff themselves later and gain back more than the weight they worked so hard to lose. Then they are likely to feel like failures and crave even more unhealthy foods. If a client understands that diets cause weight gain, that society is mandating they be unrealistically thin, that they must choose the healthiest foods possible for themselves and stay well hydrated and rested they come to understand that there is much more to feeling balanced and healthy and in control of their eating than they thought at first. If they also realize that their feelings are valid and worthy of expression and they give themselves the time necessary to nurture their spiritual selves, breathe, relax and have fun their emotional eating issues will fade into the background.
EmotionalEatingHelp.org- Why is this such an important issue for you, Denise?
Dr. Denise: Throughout most of my life I struggled with food control issues. I suffered for many years with anorexia and bulimia and was extremely obese for many years after that. All of these conditions were extremely painful and debilitating and, as I discovered ways to overcome these difficulties, I wanted to help as many people as I could to heal themselves and create lives of balance and joy for themselves. So I wrote The Taming of the Chew to help people understand that their food issues do make sense given their current situation and their understanding of the issues involved and that by seeing the bigger picture they can make constructive changes to feel better about themselves — to be happy, healthy and whole — physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. I share my story when I speak, in my book and will on this blog when appropriate to emphasize the necessity of realizing that what is important is not body size but happiness, peace and balance. Because I have weighed half and double what I weigh now, I personally understand the frustration and pain wrapped around the issue of emotional eating and I also understand what it means to feel healthy, energetic, balanced and to have a good relationship with food.
Dr Bach was a visionary who believed that allopathic medication was not the answer to all health problems — be they physical or emotional. He cared so much for his patients that he sought alternative, natural ways of helping them. He was inspired one day by the flowers in his garden and determined that specific flowers contained healing properties that could help his patients balance their energetic, emotional energies. His belief was that in order to heal our physical selves we must first attend to our emotional states and balance our energy. I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Bach and have witnessed the effectiveness of his remedies in removing blocks to emotional healing in my clients for over twenty-five years. There are 38 remedies all together and 2 blended remedies (Rescue Remedy and Rescue Sleep). I often suggest specific remedies for clients, such as beech for coping with anger or elm when they feel overwhelmed. I do strongly suggest the remedies contained in the emotional eating kit for all clients who approach me with food control issues and I have seen dramatic results. I am thankful to Dr. Bach for his insight and for his discovery of the many of the healing properties found in nature.
She is located in Exeter NH and can be reached at 603-778-4814 or 603-493-6043 www.DeniseLamothe.com or Denise@DeniseLamothe.com. Her blog can be found at: chewtamers.blogspot.com
Am I the only one amazed that it is holiday time once again? It seems that summer just wrapped up last month and we were welcoming the splendor of autumn. Now we are busily planning for Thanksgiving and other festive occasions that arrive soon after the turkey leftovers have been gobbled up. (I noticed that this week my local supermarket is featuring a display of snow shovels right inside the main entrance!)
Have you noticed that as each year passes time seems to accelerate and the seasons fly by more rapidly than ever before? Keeping up with the responsibilities of each season is stressful. Even the “fun” things – all the festivities, the decorating, getting together with friends and family can mean added stress. So, as always, I write to remind you to take the very best care of yourself possible this holiday season.
Because this time of year can be particularly stressful it is vital that we nurture our positive relationships and talk with loving family and friends whenever we can. Being able to vent our frustrations or share our triumphs with someone who cares about us helps us feel connected. Being overly busy may complicate this at times however, and we may feel lonely and isolated if we don’t maintain those important ties through the busiest times.
Identify people who can help you to thrive during the holiday season, or any time. Find people who will listen and not judge you or feed you advice that you definitely don’t want or need. Talk to a buddy – a human one, a pet, perhaps a Chewlett or a favorite stuffed animal. I find that when folks are stressed, lonely, tired, sad, etc. they are often tempted to race for a fix of sugars and carbohydrates to calm themselves down and take the edge off their feelings. Contact your buddy instead and talk about what’s eating you.
None of us are immune to the pressures of the holiday season. This time of year brings many opportunities and one of those opportunities is to over indulge. We may think we are only going to have one piece of mom’s apple pie or cheesecake but how many of us are content to stop there? For some of us that pie may open the floodgates of craving and many of us have spent holiday season after holiday season telling ourselves to have just one little treat and finding ourselves instead overeating through not only the holiday season but also well beyond the New Year. Our lives are demanding and to live each day to the fullest requires dedication and energy. If we overindulge instead of taking care of ourselves, we are likely to find even small tasks daunting. We can easily slip out of balance and we don’t feel well. Overdoing in any area of our lives leads to lethargy and we lose the sparkle, zest and vitality required to make each day vibrant and memorable.
I am frequently asked for tips on how to get through this time of year without the self-abuse of overindulging. Here are a couple of ideas to help you:
Besides chatting with your supports, reserve time each day just for yourself (Are you surprised to hear me say that?!!). Along with the hustle and bustle of holiday time come extra tasks that compete for your time and energy – decorating, baking, choosing, buying and wrapping presents, writing thoughtful cards to friends and loved ones, etc. See if you can delegate some of your responsibilities to others.
Pay special attention your body. Get plenty of rest and pure water. Make sure to include lots of protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates in your diet and move your body every day. Attending to these basic physical needs is sure to help you manage everything else.
You may find yourself rushing around taking care of everyone and everything but yourself. Find ways to create private, quiet, relaxing time for yourself. If you don’t, you are likely to become overtired, overwhelmed and consequently likely to over-feed yourself as a way to cope with holiday stress. Also, do your best to balance quiet time with times of fun, laughter and joy.
One tool that I have found remarkably helpful for my clients and that I recommend without reservation is using the Bach Flower Emotional Eating Support Kit. In addition to the strategies outlined above, using Bach Flower Essences can truly make all the difference in your being able to manage your emotions without overeating at this particularly stressful time of the year. The kit contains three specific remedies that target the core issues involved in emotional overeating: Cherry Plum helps you stay in control. Crab Apple helps you appreciate your body and Chestnut Bud helps you to learn from your mistakes so you don’t keep doing the same thing, expecting different results. These little drops help balance your emotional energy, are easy to take and for so many of us they truly are the missing link. Using them four times a day can help you stay on track this holiday season and feel great about yourself!
If you attend to your “whole” picture and learn to provide whatever is most nurturing for you in each moment, you are far more likely to take care of yourself in healthy ways all season long. When you truly attend to yourself, you are better equipped to attend to the needs of others as well. You are more relaxed, more balanced and more energetic. Holiday time can be more fun and less like an exhausting commercial marathon.
So please enjoy the spirit of this time of year. Do only what you truly want to do, try the Bach Flower Remedies and decline needless chores, chaos and calories. Make this the best holiday season ever by taking the very best care of yourself. Keep yourself number one. You’re worth it! I wish you and your loved ones many, many holiday blessings!
- Dr. Denise
Dr. Denise Lamothe, international emotional eating expert, professional speaker and the author of The Taming of the Chew: A Holistic Guide to Stopping Compulsive Eating is a clinical psychologist and Doctor of Holistic Health located in Exeter NH 603-778-4814, cell 603-493-6043
www.DeniseLamothe.com or Denise@DeniseLamothe.com
Welcome to EmotionalEatingHelp.org, a site devoted to helping people understand, treat, and overcome emotional overeating. This blog will be a resource for people looking to find out more about emotional eating and will offer tips and news on:
- Techniques to avoid emotional overeating
- Interviews with experts
- Advice on how to overcome emotional overeating
- Healthy alternatives to bad food
- Coping with emotional overeating
- The psychology of overeating
- Products to help emotional overeaters
- Weight loss strategies
- Mental fitness information
This blog is sponsored by Bach Original Flower Remedies, makers of the Emotional Eating Support Kit. More information on Bach’s Emotional Eating Support products is available here.
