A Look Inside Sugar Addiction
A Look Inside Sugar Addiction is a series of excerpts from the original book & CD Series, Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. This book is written in Interactive Self-Hypnosis, by Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht, President & Program Designer, Sarasota Medical Sports & Hypnosis Institute & Joseph Bohorquez, M.D., Medical Director.
I'm preparing for another large Sugar Addiction Workshop. I invite you to follow along as I prepare the presentation. This also follows my book, Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. Still looking for a mainstream publisher.
The workshop & book are both didactic & experiential.
WORKSHOP INTRODUCTION
By definition, sugar addiction is an eating disorder, having both physiological and psychological facets. Interactive Awareness and Interactive Self-Hypnosis, two powerful mind and body tools, can help you understand concepts that might be confusing.
Most of us wouldn’t raise our hands for an in-depth discussion of genetics, but there are some things you do need to know. When discussing sugar addiction, the family medical history is very important. We all begin life with what we will call a “genetic wallpaper” that needs to be cared for. Certain diseases in the family history form wallpaper that has a tendency towards sugar addiction. Our nutritional intake, as well as how we manage stress and other lifestyle behaviors affect the “genetic wallpaper”, often leading to eating disorders and other chronic problems. Here in this workshop that follows my book, we will explore the connections, helping you to view your wallpaper and teaching you how to care for it.
Over the years I've interviewed hundreds of people who are sugar addicted. While the idea of "getting in control' is inviting, few seem willing to effort or struggle for long. Once life's stressors begin mounting, new lifestyle changes are quickly thrown out the window in exchange for the more comfortable immediate gratification. Newbie changes are buried along with the other diet books, gym membership cards and unsuccessful plans for self-improvement. The failure cycle is enhanced one more time. If this rings true for you, this work can change your course.
KNOWLEDGE HOOK - Sugar and Medical Issues
Here are some additional motivators for you. There is no question that as a society we eat far too much sugar, but that is only one part of the problem. We are a sleep-walking society. Few of us pay attention to what we eat, drink or to how we manage stress. Statistics prove this out. The health problems related to sugar addiction and poor lifestyle behaviors are much more complicated than they appear on the surface. The numbers are startling.
While not all sugar-addicted individuals are overweight, many are or will be if they continue to live their lives without correction. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that obesity rates for Americans rose a staggering 57% between 1991 and 1999, triggering a 6 percent increase in the incidence of diabetes. In actual numbers there are 15.7 million people diagnosed with diabetes in this country and another 5.4 million people are not aware they have this disease.
These figures do not take into account those people who are pre-diabetic or experiencing the symptoms of sugar addiction.
Diabetes risk factors include smoking, high cholesterol, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 61,800,000 Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease and about 1 in 5 deaths is attributable to smoking. In addition, about 40,000 non-smokers die from cardiovascular disease each year as a result of exposure to environmental smoke. Cardiovascular disease risk factors include hypertension, smoking, high blood cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. Is this sounding familiar?
What is particularly alarming about these statistics is the growing number of children who are overweight and out of shape -- 5.3 million, or 12.5 percent, of Americans between 6 and 17 -- and the frightening health implications behind these numbers. Obesity in childhood can lead to the development of a host of medical problems, including elevated cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory infections and sleep apnea.
Researchers report that impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, conditions that are precursors to type 2 diabetes, are highly prevalent in children and adolescents who are obese. As a result, Type-2 Diabetes once considered an "adults-only" disease, is appearing in children and teens in epidemic proportions. It's important to note here that only those who were obese were tested and studies need to done that include all children with poor nutritional intake.
An alarming statistic is that 50,000,000 Americans age 6 and over have high blood pressure. Age 6? This is very frightening and is good cause to wake up and take the bag off your head. This is a dangerous sleeping giant who is slowly awakening. Disease prevention and lifestyle management must be part of elementary schooling and taken up through all the years of formal education.
Statistics should be viewed as flags indicating where change is needed. While most would agree with the lifestyle changes suggested by every major health organization and the government, the question remains as to why people don't change and what has to happen for them to do so.
KNOWLEDGE HOOK - Sugar and Addictive Issues
Here are some additional negative motivators. Only recently has sugar addiction or reactive hypoglycemia been recognized as "the shadow" behind many common problems and diagnoses.
In American we have over 11 million alcoholics. Studies found that almost 7 million persons aged 12 to 20 (under the legal drinking age) was a binge drinker. Alcohol is sugar and is closely connected to reactive hypoglycemia. One doesn't have to look far for poor nutritional patterns in addictive individuals. It simply sings out, asking to be noticed.
WHY PEOPLE DON'T CHANGE
Once again the question is asked as to why people don't change. The question appears simple, but the answer is much more complex. It includes lack of special education, not just advertising. People need to be able to experience outcomes before the fact, as well as be taught tools for managing their outer and inner selves. As you continue through the workshop & book, you will learn many of these.
KNOWLEDGE HOOK - Sugar and Emotional Issues
More statistics! More motivators! More flags.... over 36 million people are depressed. This emotional problem is predicted to be the leading occupational disease of the 21st century, responsible for more days lost than any other single factor. In addition, over 100 million Americans suffer with headaches and another 50 million with sleep problems are often suffering with a body chemistry problem that can be improved and even corrected by taking in the proper foods and caring for the self, the tools for which are presented in this workshop & book.
One of the most unappreciated stressors is food stress , usually seen as sugar addiction and poor nutritional intake. It is a major player both in and out of the workplace and cost is extremely high to both employer and employee. Stress is both additive and cumulative in its negative effects on individuals, organizations and societies. Workplace stress continues to grow. In the U.S., experts at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are dedicated to studying stress.
Stress is linked to physical and mental health, as well as decreased willingness to take on new and creative endeavors. Job burnout experienced by 25% to 40% of U.S. workers is blamed on stress. More than ever before, employee stress is being recognized as a major drain on corporate productivity and competitiveness. $300 billion, or $7,500 per employee, is spent annually in the U.S. on stress-related compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, health insurance costs, direct medical expenses (nearly 50% higher for workers who report stress), and employee turnover.
It’s a worldwide phenomenon. Statistics from a recent global stress research study show that increased stress is felt worldwide, and stress affects women differently than men:
A recent Roper Starch Worldwide survey of 30,000 people between the ages of 13 and 65 in 30 countries showed that women who work full-time and have children under the age of 13 report the greatest stress worldwide. In addition, nearly one in four mothers who work full-time and have children under 13 feel stress almost every day. Globally, 23% of women executives and professionals, and 19% of their male peers, say they feel "super-stressed".
KNOWLEDGE HOOK - Sugar and Cognitive Functioning
We can also find sugar addiction rearing it's head in the area of cognitive functioning, including memory, focus, concentration, mental flexibility and levels of creativity. It is not uncommon for a golfer or tennis player to have a focus issue and find it related to poor nutritional intake, often sugar addiction. Another vivid example is a student having test anxiety with memory recall problems. Sugar addiction and under-nutrition are usually screaming out for attention.
ADD/ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed childhood behavior disorder today. Experts believe that more than two million (3 to 5 %) children have attention deficit disorder. The core symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, are exhibited. In addition, ADD/ADHD children also experience social and academic difficulties. Children with the disorder are handed a psychiatric label, a drug prescription and a discouraging diagnosis that travels into adulthood. According to statistics supporting the Americans with Disabilities Act, 3-10% of the U.S. population have ADHD symptoms. Dr. Mary Ann Block, a specialist in ADHD states, "I've determined that diet is one of the most significant factors behind ADHD symptoms. It's what people eat or don't eat that creates the degrees of the disorder.
If you are not managing your emotions, do know that they are managing you. And, this is not just a bunch of words, or some simple happening. It is actually very complex. Emotional states are connected to stress/hormone production & they also program the mind for every aspect of your goals.... Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
Just imagine how much power you have given to your emotions over the years and still tend to give! Think about today. Can you locate any moment or group of moments forming a remembered experience when your emotional children were in charge and not your mature self? Sit back and view this happening on your mind screen? How would you rate this production? The library of your mind is filled with these experiences. The good news is that you now know how to release these programs. When you climb up to step four, which is interactive self-hypnosis, you will be able to re-edit these, programming your mind for what you want instead.
Super-Punch Negative Emotional Crayons Include - Fear, Anger, Shame, Guilt & Victim
These familiar emotions can be destructive, as well as dangerous to the body and mind. They change the body chemistry leading to stress-induced disease states. They also present themselves in disguise, so beware... Keep in mind that they are contagious, infecting your life and those around you.
Super-Punch Positive Emotional Crayons Include - Gratitude, Love, Forgiveness, Peace, Compassion & Forgiveness.
These are familiar, but often strangers in the middle of our daily stress-collecting experiences. Be sure to hunt them out, actively inviting them into your life. Not only do they feel good, but they also produce healing hormones. You will also find that these are contagious as well, only this is a positive source of infection.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
Whether you realize it or not, you are always working on something in your life. Your thoughts & emotions color those experiences & then act as radar….bringing more of the same in your direction. So work to stay aware & in control of your emotions, thoughts & attitudes, as well as the outcomes you prefer. If not, you are sure to receive whatever your mind & emotions dictate… Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
The four steps of this program are equally important, but the order of progression is also important. Disorderly eating is like any other disorder or mess, and we get out of this in the same way. First we wake up, and then we bring organization to all of the facets.
Disorderly eating rarely lives alone. When one area of a life is in disarray, you won’t have to look far to find another. Disorder and stress go hand in hand, bringing imbalance to the mind and body. Addictions become the easy answer for managing the discomfort. We can grow to like, even love them, and like other bad relationships, they can consume us. It is important to understand that while we may have genetic tendencies towards addictions, we do have choices in the matter. We can choose to stop.
Changing disorderly life patterns and addictions means giving up those dangerous relationships while managing stress in new ways. This is where most people make their mistake when looking to stop smoking, drinking, bingeing, etc. First order of business is to have a very good stress management program in place, one that includes the four steps of this program.
Managing emotions is key to managing addictions and disorder. From the time you were born, you have been developing your own brand of emotional-patterning. Some of the patterns have been heavily etched and are super-automatic. You may have mentored some of these from others, especially when you were very young and more sponge-like. At that time of life you absorbed everything, even if you didn't like it or agree to it. A good exercise is to become aware of what you dislike, or what annoys you about your parents or siblings, then look for those in yourself. You can do the same exercise with your significant other relationship, or your relationship with your children. Try the same mind game with your work relationships. They will be there as well. It's not uncommon to be blind to one's own patterns, as well as to the emotional states that automatically attach to them.
Once a negative pattern has been self-embedded, it must to be removed subconsciously. If not, the pattern will have a tendency to adhere to other experiences "in the moment" or even to future experiences.. Suppose you are thinking about meeting someone you know. You have a history of being annoyed with this person's idiosyncrasies. In your present thoughts, your emotional state crayons are already engaged, coloring your expectations. Even if that person isn't demonstrating the irksome traits in the real-time meeting, you will probably find yourself in your old programmed mind-state anyway, responding “as if” there were.
Let's work with a different future-paced example. Suppose you are going on vacation. On the last vacation you had difficulty adjusting to a non-working relaxed state, finding the vacation finished before you really began enjoying yourself. Even though your current vacation is not for some time, you are already anticipating this, probably playing it in the theater of your mind. This is a special kind of mind program called a negative expectation. If you play this over and over, you will actually pre-program enhanced mind and body tension. Other negative emotions may choose to join in with their negative color crayons. The chances of an enjoyable vacation is becoming slimmer with each negative mind-etching.
KNOWLEDGE HOOK. Working with emotional states is a skill just like anything else. We have emotions that work in a positive way for us, and others that don’t. These are often called negative emotions, but it’s important to keep in mind that even negative ones also have their good points and can be useful in certain situations. You’ll come to also have their good points and can be useful in certain situations. You’ll come to understand that these emotions can help to open the subconscious mind through releasing
When looking at emotional states it’s a good idea to know that there are hundreds of them. Few people can name more than twenty. . Some emotions are experienced as having negative high-power such as anger. You also have positive high-powered emotions as well, for example ecstasy could be considered in that group. You also have negative lower-powered emotions, for example annoyance and on the positive side you might consider the emotion of being pleasant. Sometimes the momentary experience is about the choice of emotion and other times it’s about the intensity of the crayoning.
Interactive awareness practice helps you to see the details and what is truly unfolding in the moment. How good are your self-observation skills? While most of us can name or describe our high-powered positive and negative emotions, most of us fall short when it comes to the lower-powered ones. This is most unfortunate because these are the emotions that hang around more frequently, coloring daily experiences, and are usually the ones responsible for stress related diseases and interfering with goal achievement. We often call them our personality traits, often believing that they can’t be changed because “they are who we are.” This in itself conjures up some interesting images. For example, what would happen if one’s anger, resentment and failure programs were diminished or removed? Would they evaporate? This is a living example of how “nonsense language” finds it’s way into our subconscious mind programs.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
Throughout my books & CD programs you will find areas called “knowledge hooks.” This is another example of a metaphor. You know that you hang things on hooks. In this instance you will be hanging specialized knowledge on hooks located in your subconscious mind. When knowledge is hooked or brought to the attention of your subconscious mind is a special way, then it is easier to remember or retrieve. In this article I’m working with several students who need some “knowledge hooks”… Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
Harlan: I get so relaxed when I do this work that I fall asleep and then I get annoyed with myself for messing up my practice. How can I stop this from happening?
Harlan is self-judging because he hasn’t been perfect! Later on, as you begin your work with emotional crayons, you will be able to spot these little offenders with ease. Meanwhile, let’s address the main issue. It’s best to practice interactive awareness in a sitting position. If you find yourself dozing off, lighten the depth of your trance by placing a higher number on the mind screen. You can also open your eyes for a moment, re-center, going back down again. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to do interactive awareness. It is the doing, or action, that is important.
In the practice of Interactive Awareness you will need a focus. I like to work with my lower belly breath. It’s convenient, having the additional advantage of deepening the trance state simply by observing it. Place your fingers gently on your lower abdomen, below your navel, inviting it to become full and round with your breath. You can use the image of a merry-go-round horse going up and down, or a balloon that inflates and deflates. After you have practiced for a few weeks, just thinking of the image will slow your brain waves and release stress.
Continue to observe your focus as if each breath, or rising of the ball was a completely new event. Each time you breathe it is a new breath! Observe it. Remember you are the producer/director, wanting to experience the details. Your mind will wander. That is a part of the process. Your work is stay detached, out of the way. I like to use the image of a parade going by. You are the observer, standing on the curbside. You are not part of the parade. Whenever you find yourself involved in your thought processes ( the parade), return to the position of observer by bringing your attention back to your focus breath or ball. Your mind will continue to show you a thought, you will notice, returning then to the focus. It’s not uncommon to get lost in thoughts. This is because your mind is not well disciplined. In the future, you will begin to notice much earlier, allowing you to return to the focus.
The process of breathing, noticing a thought, and then returning to the focus is a full release cycle. Releasing is also called “letting go.” If someone has ever told you to let something go, this is the actual process of doing just that.
There are three general classifications of what the mind will present to you. First are the thoughts. Some of these are presented in the form of pictures, and others as sound bytes or inner mind audio tapes. They can be with or without video. There are many classifications of thoughts, and later on in your work with your Inner Coach, you will be identifying some of your major thought areas, learning to work with them to profit you and your goals.
Your mind may also show you the body communications. These are sensations representing body tension. The more stress, the more body tension. When practicing interactive awareness, place flowers on the body sensation, then open the flowers as you did earlier in your mental biofeedback work. Next, return to your focus breath. Do not be tempted to stay in the sensation and examine it. That is not the purpose of this practice. This is simply awareness of what is, providing you with an opportunity to observe your mind in action.
The third area includes the emotional states. In our work emotions will be viewed as images of children wearing tee shirts with their names on them. Identifying and separating emotions allows for easier release. If you are working with this image, notice that the children have crayons for coloring your experiences. Later on you will be identifying some of your most frequent emotions and their crayons.
KNOWLEDGE HOOK
Just as with mental biofeedback, it is important to make nteractive awareness part of your daily living. This is achieved through a self-discipline I call banking and fractionation. This self-discipline will prepare you for working “in the moment” in the workshop of your world.
The term “banking” is a metaphor for making valuable deposits in your mind and body bank. The more you practice the discipline, the more value you have to utilize in other areas of your life, be it managing addiction or anything else. For example, your body will become more stress-resistant, your cognitive functioning enhanced. You will be designing a doable self-discipline, but one that expands your current boundaries.
Few of us work to our potential, so this is a good opportunity to practice moving from mediocre to excellence. The steps that you are climbing to manage your addiction and disorderly eating, are the very same steps for accelerating learning and high level achievement. It is ironic that your addiction and disorder are becoming catalysts for optimum health and high level performance.
In the practice of banking your mind is set free, with you in the position as observer. This type of heightened awareness is an actual living meditation, but it is more than that. It is the opportunity for you to see clearly without judgment. You are now privy to your subtle stresses, the thoughts that are attached to them and the emotions that carry the thoughts to your mind. Remember, you cannot change what your cannot see. Now you are seeing much more than ever before. You are a detached observer, free from judgment. Your subconscious librarian is now willing to show you much more. Later on you will be able to work with your observations, having the opportunity to change them completely or edit them to meet your current goals.
Here we will fractionate the banking practice. This simply means breaking your day into segments. This is like taking out the garbage several times a day. It’s a great stress reducer, allowing for quality emotional and thought managing throughout a long day. I fractionate my day in this way. I sit for five minutes before work, and again before lunch. After returning from lunch I do so again, and then before I head for home at the end of my workday. I then sit again before going to sleep, especially because this is an excellent time to program the subconscious mind for dream work. You will learn more about dream programming in a later chapter. If my day is very stressful, or if I have need for heightened creativity, I may fractionate even more frequently.
Harry: I’m getting quite good at fractionating and wonder if I can do this at other times to help my stress from building up. Right now I’m doing this more as a stress release, but I’d like to prevent the stress from coming at all. Is that possible?
Of course you can do that and even more! The world is like an enormous workshop for interactive awareness practice. At this level of skill building you are working only with interactive awareness and not with interactive self-hypnosis. That is the fourth step. It will allow you to edit and change what you see, but remember that adults learn best in small spoonfuls, so practice patience. You will truly benefit from managing this particular emotion!
KNOWLEDGE HOOK
Moments are very small fragments of time, each holding automatic mind programs in the form of thoughts and emotions. The emotions color the moments with their crayons. The body is also involved as it responds to whatever is passing through the moment. Keep in mind that every moment is valuable. You already know that you can only catch a small number of them. Later on you will learn how to program your subconscious mind for waking up to genres of thoughts of your choosing. For now the goal is simply to practice waking up and releasing.
It helps to set some triggers to help you wake up, just like little alarm clocks. Sticky notes work well for this. No one else needs to know what you are doing. It’s not necessary to write anything on them. You already know what they are for. When I’m working to improve this skill for myself, I place a sticky note just to the right on my telephone, one in the car, one on left wall in my office. At home I like the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, the head of my bed. Move the notes occasionally so that your automatic pilot doesn’t set up a program to ignore them.
Each time you notice a sticky note, check the moment. Pay attention to your thought processes, noticing the type of thought, the emotional states and crayons that are being utilized. Next, scan your body, noticing the stressors present, gently placing flowers on the bigger areas. This entire exercise takes less than thirty seconds, but provides tremendous benefits, immediate and in the future. You are building awareness about who you are, your automatic program, your emotional terrain and what crayons you allow to color your life without deciding if they work for you or not.
There are many other tools for building Interactive Awareness skills that you will receive throughout the book. Later on when you meet your Inner Coach, you will have the opportunity to practice skill building on your road to addictions management and the practice of excellence.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
Your thoughts & emotions can make you or break you. It doesn’t matter in what area of your life you are working. If you are following my formula for successful living, you will come to know Interactive Awareness as the overarching umbrella for waking up…Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
In an earlier article you worked with mental biofeedback, also known as body scanning. Now that you have experience with cell manager communication, you are ready for your next “containment”, that of emotional and thought management. You will also meet up with the emotional crayons that color your experiences.
These are powerful mind and body tools that allow you to manage disorderly eating and addictions, right in the moment, as well as in every other nook and cranny of your life. Remind yourself that your problems are not singular entities. They have many facets, all needing management. Learning to work interactive awareness will move right you out of automatic pilot and into the moment where new choices are always available in your subconscious filing system.
There are many benefits to working with mind tools. For example, the skill of interactive awareness allows you to practice the art of detachment from the presenting moment and emotions. In detachment you are no longer participating in the moment, but you are coming to it as an observer. As an observer, you are able to look very closely at what is unfolding, just as if you were the producer/director of this very moment in time. You are no longer the actor who is participating in the momentary event.
It is key to understand that your subconscious mind responds very differently to this mental/physiological shift. For a start, stress chemicals are turned down as the physiology waits for emotional direction. From the position of producer/director, it is much easier to take off your self-judging eyeglasses. You can choose to see this moment in time through clearer, more beneficial lenses. The producer/director’s job is to see all the details, so changes can be made and the production will be successful.
And just like the producer/director you cannot change things you cannot see. As you observe closely without judging, your own subconscious mind will send up the necessary details. Once you learn to work with interactive self-hypnosis, you will find that these very details hold powerful creative ideas for taking you towards your goals. Learning to live in the moment is very beneficial, and just like anything else the more your practice, the higher your level of mind and body functioning.
MIND EXERCISE
Adults tend to learn mind management tools best with small spoonfuls. Begin by choosing a chair for your interactive awareness work. You might like to try out a few chairs. Be certain that it is comfortable and located in a place where you can have quiet and privacy. As you sit in each chair, close your eyes gently and take in a big yawn breath allowing your body to sink into the surface of the chair. How does it feel to you? Your subconscious mind will let you know if it’s a good choice. You might think about having one chair at home, and another at work. You may even choose somewhere outside of your home and workplace. Some people have a particular park bench, or even their car. I know one man who parks his car in a beautiful spot and then gets in the back seat. So open your mind and look around for what suits you best.
The actual physical practice of interactive awareness is very simple, but the inner happenings are very complex. You are actually changing your internal body chemistry, thereby altering your heart function, blood pressure, hormonal and neurological system balance, immune system function, not to mention the memory storage of your own subconscious mind. In the actual moments of practicing, you are etching new mind programs, teaching your mind and body how to work together in new ways. Some of these new ways will be placed in an automatic pilot program, keeping your body in balance or homeostasis. There is no right or wrong way to do the practice. Each time you practice, the experience will be different because you are involved in a living process.
I’m going to ask you to read through this material in small chunks and then close your eyes, doing the small exercise right now. Later on you can re-read this as you work to build your skills. Just as you did when practicing mental biofeedback, make yourself comfortable in your chair, sitting up straight, head nicely positioned on your neck, and feet flat on the floor. You might like to take in a big yawn breath, letting it out slowly as you learned earlier. This is always a good beginning for interactive awareness practice. You are centering, or settling in.
Now it’s time to slow the brain waves a bit more. Remember that the faster the brain waves, the faster the thoughts, the more stress chemicals produced. There are many great ways to slow the brain waves. I call these deepening tools. I’ll give you some here, and as you continue through the book you will obtain more of them. You already learned a few in the earlier chapter. Calling in the numbers is one of these. In fact, practice that again now. With your eyes closed, tilt them up about twenty-degrees, just as if you were sitting in the second row of a movie theater, focusing your attention on your mind screen. Start with the number four, having it come in slowly towards you, remembering that imaging is different than seeing with your eyes opened. Follow the arrival of the four with the three coming in gently, and work with the following numbers.
I like to use other senses as well for deepening. Take a moment, locating the sound of silence. It has a particular resonance. Even if there is noise all around you, silence is there in-between the noises. This is a particularly powerful tool for mothers with young children, as well as for those working in a noisy environment. Once you have located the silence, stay with it for a few minutes. Your mind will wander, so gently bring it back to the silence. Think of silence as an object. Each time you bring your wandering attention back, allow your body to go deeper into the chair where you are sitting.
You can also deepen by doing a body scan. Start at the top of your head and work your way down, noticing what body parts have something to say. As you go downwards, invite your body to go deeper into the chair, as if magnets were pulling you down. Remember you are not looking to become unconscious. Your goal is to quiet your mind and body. Then you will move to position of observer of thoughts, emotions and connected body sensations.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
The binge is made up of facets, each one a jumping off point for reprogramming the mind....Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
The subconscious mind library is vast and filled with tremendous resources, ready for you to access when you know how to do so. As you are well aware, everything is not positive, but do know that everything is useful. Interactive self-hypnosis will help you to disassociate, and to enter your editing mind-set. You are now ready to become the writer, director and producer of your life. You can locate more areas for re-programming, as you become more skilled at heightened awareness. Then you can design your desires, in other words exactly what you want, in the special image and emotional format that is clearly understood by your subconscious mind. You will be ready to change course, right in the moment.
Learning with Others...
It helps us to read about others in our own quest for health and balance. As you read through Claire’s story, see if you can find some self-comparisons. Then, I’ll address some of the issues presented here.
Meet Claire…
I'm 38 years old and work in television production with a major network. I am over-weight and completely stressed out. I am a binge eater and rarely eat regular meals. I bite my nails and pull at my hair when I'm nervous. I've tried artificial nails, but I pick those off as well and so I spend quite a bit of energy hiding my hands as they are a true embarrassment to me, especially in my profession. Why can't I stop this? I know that I drink too much coffee and on weekends I find myself binge drinking. I've thought about this and think it is because I'm trying to fit in all of my fun and relaxation on the weekend. I do feel entitled to this because I don't have a minute to myself during the week. I am married and have two school-age children who are already over-extended in activities, making my life even worse because of time constraints, but what's a Mom to do?
Here is the frightening part. I truly don't feel well physically. I'm fatigued just about all the time and have frequent headaches. I truly do not remember the last time I felt well. I had a medical check-up and the doctor told me that I am fine. I am not fine and not even near to fine. This frightens me even more than having a diagnosis of something. Is that strange or what? I went to counseling and found it useless because, despite everything, I'm a fairly happy and successful person. I have a good marriage and two great children. I'm just not well.
I don't know how to start or where to start. I'm like a "messy desk" that I don't seem to have time to straighten it out because people, including myself, keep putting more things on it. I'm truly frightened that I will die from all of this stress and yet I can't seem to motivate myself out of this. My doctor offered me medications and I turned them down. I truly don't think that they will solve any of this. I see this as something I absolutely must do myself. I think I understand what is past and what is not. I'm also quite clear about what I don't want. Why doesn’t my subconscious mind respect this, and help me to clean up my disorder?
Claire is forming her actual goals from the images she plays in her mind. The subconscious mind does not judge. It simply takes the most current mind pictures or thoughts as the goal. Like radar, it attracts like experiences from the outside world and also from the subconscious mind library. This is goal reinforcement. The more frequently Claire plays a particular mind program, whether she wants it or not, the stronger the mind etching. This is how habits and fully orchestrated negative mind programs are constructed.
On a positive note, it is possible to design automatic mind programs that pre-instruct the subconscious mind to diminish a negative thought and replace it with a positive- goal-orientated program. This can be orchestrated under the direction of the subconscious mind librarian or inner assistant. This will be covered in the chapter focusing on self-hypnosis applications.
Claire’s mind programs are quite negative, now infecting other areas of her life. She has a tendency towards boredom, and was actually surprised to identify this negative mind-state during her work with me, because her job has some exciting aspects. But not all aspects were exciting. There is no job that I know about that is completely free of drudgery. As Claire investigated her work-related-boredom, she admitted through a veil of shame that she was also bored with mothering, being a wife, a neighbor and even sometimes being a friend. She feels so bad that in her own words, she felt like running away. This is why Claire binge eats and drinks.
Each time Claire experiences the above scenarios, they are seen as her goals, repeatedly etched into her subconscious mind programs. These very programs are like a virulent virus, busy looking for more areas and experiences to infect. In the past her boredom was hidden, but experienced in the body in the form of stress sensations. This is what took her to her physician, who gave her a clean of bill of health. There is no blood test, x-ray or medical diagnosis for boredom, embarrassment, shame, guilt and repressed anger.
Now that Claire has uncovered her boredom and other related emotions, she will begin to see and sense more of it. Bad news? Not at all, for now Claire is able to clearly identify the offending emotions, the connected experiences and can release these, thereby stopping the virus contagion and her bingeing. She is now in the powerful position of being in direct communication with her inner mind. She can decide to program her mind for what she wants. She can also request the particular emotional mind-states she would like to accompany this new programming.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month
We can learn to edit each & every behavior. All we have to do is to locate it & be willing to look at the facets in a non-judgmental & investigative way. Interactive Self-Hypnosis can help you to do that… Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
Jana: Is there a benefit to changing my past addictive behavior files? Could you please explain how those changes could benefit my future behaviors?
Locating and editing past addictive behavior files can be extremely beneficial for many reasons. If you are willing to look into a negative memory file you will find it to be very detailed. Practice some detachment, self-forgiveness and compassion before opening it. This will allow you to see even more and of course, the more you see the better for you. Examine the file with a fine toothcomb, paying attention to negative motivators, pre-addictive behavior patterns, emotional visitors and anything else that speaks out to you. Go back a second time and look even closer.
Interview the addictive behavior just as if you were an investigative reporter. Now take the position as writer-director-producer of this “scene” in your life production. Take enough time to think it through, deciding how you would like to change this. Pay attention to detail. You might want to write out your plans, then go back and place them hypnotically. You have now created a new containment for the many aspects of this addictive behavior. If in the future a similar scenario presents itself, your subconscious mind will rapidly pull up the containment and begin the reprogrammed action. These are powerful tools and time very well spent!
Most of us binge in some area of life. What's important is to wake up & own it. Then one is free to manage it...Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
We all have beliefs and behavioral patterns that work for us and those that don't. It helps to image them as plants for plants know all seasons and they can, indeed, be helped to grow and change. Some plants have both positive and negative aspects. Others are completely positive and some completely negative. We spend a good part of our day planting and weeding, often not awake for our inner gardening work.
Working the time-line allows you to see where old beliefs were planted, as well as where and how behaviors were developed. Some of these are in the past, but many are actively being planted in the future. Yes, you are planning and planting your future on many different levels. This can be either good for you or not so good! As young children we develop volumes of coping mechanisms and behavioral patterns. Some of them follow us right through life. Some help and some impede. Some we learned from our parents, other mentors or teachers and some came by way of experience.
We often can see our parents in ourselves as we become older and wonder if history has to repeat itself through us. Some of these inner behavioral programs work well for us and can be seen in our successes. There are, however, some that do not work well and often some that hinder. It is important for us to know that we can alter any behavioral program simply through the tools presented here. Interactive Awareness and Interactive Self-Hypnosis give us the means for going into these past files. We can then re-edit or reframe memories and associated programs, so as to make them healthy and useful to us in our present and future life.
Learning to Re-frame
Re-framing beliefs or memories or any mind programs is just like deciding that a particular photograph would look better in a different frame, and then actually changing it; only frames for mind programs are those of perception. You choose to see your mind program differently, through “new eyes.” Suppose that you have a memory or mind program that is framed in anger or distrust. This is how it is stored in your subconscious mind, so whenever you review it consciously, it will come up framed in anger or distrust. In fact, the way the subconscious mind works, every time it comes up the frame will be stronger in perception. Now suppose you have a mind program or memory file about managing an addiction framed in failure. I’m sure you get the idea!
MIND EXERCISE
Now we are spending time assessing and locating areas for concentrated attention later on. Take some time to deeply relax, in fact even deeper than before. Perhaps close your eyes after reading this, knowing that everything shown to you will be useful in your recovery. Each day of your life you are presented with learning experiences. Some appear pleasant and others are not, but all are learning experiences. Significant people may have or currently be demonstrating anxiety, panic, depression, compulsive or obsessive behaviors to you. You may find yourself mirroring these or wanting to, perhaps later in the day. Go to work on your time-line. For example, notice if s anyone demonstrated addictions to you in the past. Addictions and related behaviors travel through families of origin and extended social circles. Also look for specific emotional teaching or patterns that may or may not work for you. All hold importance for now, as well as for your future.
Call in your librarian and spend some time looking through the shelves for any history of anxiety and panic, depression, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, as well as treatment or known triggers. These are very connected to addictions and stress-related issues. Remember the octopus and the tentacles? While there are physiological connections to the aforementioned, there are also triggers and you learned these somewhere and probably from someone. Think of the world as a great big school where you begin your formal schooling at birth, continuing along until death. Every experience you have is an actual learning experience. Every person you meet, or that attracts you in some way becomes a teacher of sorts.
All of these experiences are stored in your subconscious mind and the inner librarian knows where they are. This information will become very useful later on, so take your automatic writing pen and welcome the inner communication. Remember to be patient with the process and if nothing comes off the pen, simply wait a moment and then move on to the next section. You may find yourself receiving this information later on in a different quiet moment.
Interactive Self-Hypnosis can help you to change. It is important to become aware in a relaxed state and to see the scenes of the past being played out as separate from you. You might like to read the chapter on emotional crayons and practice some of those exercises, then apply them to this area of your Assessment. Throughout the book you will be coming back to this area, as you will have things to add as your heightened awareness grows.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
“There are many things to consider when working with “disorderly eating & sugar addiction, so let’s collect all the motivators we can find & begin to shine light on the problems. You will find your strengths inside.” …. Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht.
We are all born with a genetic history that is passed down from our family members. In the last chapter I called this our genetic wallpaper. As we look at the baby on the day of birth, admiring how beautiful he or she is on the outside, it is important to remember that the baby also has an “inside” that will need just as much care, if not more, than the outside. If we lived in a perfect world, parents would care, as well as plan for the needs of both outside and inside needs.
Even before we wake in the morning, stress chemicals are being produced. Most of us are unaware of the amount of body tension we hold from stress. It's like putting on a stress-coat and not even recognizing the weight of it. As we get on with the day, stress mounts and then most of us tend to release it through an addictive substance such as coffee, smoking, sugaring or bingeing. Many of these substances, cigarettes for example, have multiple properties, making them even more dangerous and more addictive. The day continues in this unhealthy fashion and adding to the already present stress-related problems of the body departments and of the mind or cognitive functioning. Bedtime is the only healthy stress-release time and for most it is usually insufficient with frequent night-waking, interrupting stress-reducing dream states.
Most people who choose alcohol as their choice for releasing may begin their drinking day early as well. However, most tend to begin in the evening, or on their way home from work. Most of us are well-versed on the dangers of this habit. Alcohol is one of those substances that greatly effects others. Alcohol-related abuse is rampant, both for the spouse and children. Those who grow up in a home where alcohol problems exist tend to have difficulties throughout all stages of their lives.
While there are many happy stories of those alcoholics who became sober and stayed sober, the memories of the alcoholic times are not so easily forgotten by those who experienced them. Its not uncommon for children of alcoholics to develop their own disorderly patterns, even if alcohol isn’t one of them. There are many studies linking alcoholic households with eating disorders, addictions and other emotional disorders. If you grew up in a household such as this, even if there is a long family history of alcohol, all is not lost. You can break the pattern by building a new high-level functioning life for yourself.
WORKING WITH OTHERS
This is a good place to begin to introduce you to some of my patients and students. We can learn from a lot from reading about the experiences of others, gathering knowledge and motivating ourselves within their life experiences.
Lynn: It seems like I’ve been addicted to sugar for my entire life. In every photo I am sucking on a lollypop. When discussing my addiction with others, I’d describe my addiction to sugar like a heroin addiction and it turns out that was very intuitive of me! I¹ve never been into drugs but my birth mother was a heroin addict and almost everyone in my birth family over 40 is dealing with diabetes or has died because of it. I want to prevent diabetes from happening to me! After working online with you, I think I come from a sugar sensitive blood line. Can I prevent this from happening to my daughter, or is it impossible to alter the genetics?
KNOWLEDGE HOOK
Lynn’s question helps us to see the sugar addiction problem in different lights. She speaks of her problem with sugar, her family medical history, as well as her family addictions history. Her concern for her daughter is admirable. She has not lost hope. The good news is that as people learn to take care of their genetic “wallpaper”, prevention is indeed possible.
It is so important to clear the air here. Yes, we are born on the path of our path of our predecessors, but we are each given the opportunity to change our outer and inner experiences. Lynn does not have to be a heroin addict, nor does she have to be a diabetic. Her child does not have to experience the level of sugar addiction that Lynn is experiencing, if her child builds new choices now. This is achieved by introducing healthy lifestyle behaviors designed to meet her family and personal medical history. Lynn will need high level nutrition, a good communication system with her body, a way to manage her emotions, and a goal plan for persisting through obstacles.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It & Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
In all of my books, including this one, readers regress hypnotically & explore their meaningful history in their subconscious mind memory bank...Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
Here are some questions they ask themselves as they venture inwards…
What did I enjoy doing?
What was I good at?
What made me happy?
What did I succeed at?
What obstacles did I overcome?
What made me feel great?
What stands out as supporting me?
This is a very powerful area in your subconscious mind and one worth mining. Once located, these will become motivators to keep you on course with managing your disorderly eating, addictions, as well as other goals. As you continue in this work, additional memories will come forward. Be sure to compile these mind gifts in your journal for easy access. Later on you will learn how to utilize these “in the moment.
Begin your meaningful experience memory collection in childhood. Locate at least one or two meaningful experiences and make a few notes about them. If negative memories come out, notice that you did survive these. Honor the memory and wash off any negatives in the theater of your mind. Your strengths will remain clean and clear. Go into your adolescent years and do the same.
If you are currently in your early adulthood or older, locate some memories for your collection. There are all kinds of things to look at. Some may be small, but very powerful nevertheless. The other day I was able to leave the supermarket with not one item of junk in my cart. That may appear small, but believe me, it was not.
What is going on in your life now that is meaningful? Take a moment to review your life as it is currently unfolding and look for some appropriate entries. Remember to place these in your journal. Your subconscious mind will note these as important, allowing you to attach them to other memories, moments or future happenings.
This TIME-LINE work will benefit you, so do take the time to explore and also be sure to add the additional mind gifts that will come to your attention as you work with this program. Take time to get to know yourself intimately. What were you like as a child? Practice some easy regression here and go back through the picture album of your mind to the time you were a child. Pick any age you prefer and describe what you see and feel from viewing this inner photograph.
The adolescent years are great areas to find individuality and success. Some things that you find here many only feel successful to the adolescent! Some may be family disrupters! Pick the first three that wave to you. Early adulthood is an area where personal balance can be located. Keep in mind that balance, like other self-assets are found on a spectrum. Sometimes things are small, but they are still representative of the asset. Success comes in all flavors. Some are personal, others may be family or business related. Take a moment to review the mind pictures, choosing those that have higher ratings for you personally.
Review your current life including today and locate some flags. They are all over the place, in all areas of your life. Some are small and some bigger. The size doesn't indicate the value, so inwardly smiling, choose the three you like the best.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com& http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month
Your emotions color your experiences, so check your crayons! Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
Working with emotional states is a skill just like anything else. We have emotions that work in a positive way for us, and others that don’t. These are often called negative emotions, but it’s important to keep in mind that even negative ones also have their good points and can be useful in certain situations. You’ll come to also have their good points and can be useful in certain situations. You’ll come to understand that these emotions can help to open the subconscious mind through releasing.
When looking at emotional states it’s a good idea to know that there are hundreds of them. Few people can name more than twenty. I suggest that you make a list of your most prominent ones. If you have difficult thinking of these, visit the Boot Camp on my website.
Some emotions are experienced as having negative high-power such as anger. You also have positive high-powered emotions as well, for example ecstasy could be considered in that group. You also have negative lower-powered emotions, for example annoyance and on the positive side you might consider the emotion of being pleasant. Sometimes the momentary experience is about the choice of emotion and other times it’s about the intensity of the crayoning.
Interactive awareness practice helps you to see the details and what is truly unfolding in the moment. How good are your self-observation skills? While most of us can name or describe our high-powered positive and negative emotions, most of us fall short when it comes to the lower-powered ones. This is most unfortunate because these are the emotions that hang around more frequently, coloring daily experiences, and are usually the ones responsible for stress related diseases and interfering with goal achievement. We often call them our personality traits, often believing that they can’t be changed because “they are who we are.” This in itself conjures up some interesting images. For example, what would happen if one’s anger, resentment and failure programs were diminished or removed? Would they evaporate? This is a living example of how “nonsense language” finds it’s way into our subconscious mind programs.
MIND EXERCISE. Take some time to review your emotional visitor list and highlight those that fit into the above criteria for you. Obviously everyone reading this book will have different ones and keep in mind that everyone who is not reading this book will also have a different list. That includes each member of your family, your colleagues, friends and those people you come in contact with during your day. The more you practice your own interactive awareness emotional sightings, the more you will notice in others. You will also begin to notice what emotional visitors arrive in direct response to those of another person. In fact, many of these “emotional transactions” are on auto-pilot! Knowing what you now know about auto-pilot, don’t you think you would benefit from having a good look at what’s going on in your life in regard to emotions? Later on you will be presented with some mind exercises in this regard. They are lots of fun and true eye openers!
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.com She is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
We solve disorderly eating & sugar addiction issues by sharing experiences, gathering information & looking for our own factual research. Disorderly eating & sugar addiction are multi-faceted. In my experience, which goes over 30 years, success is granted to those who are curious & also willing to self-examine & then to work to self-motivate. Those who are looking for a quick fix or who are not willing to be creative with their own problems & issues are simply not going to get out of the problems...Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
I would like to share something with you that happened yesterday. I received a phone call from one of my office clients/patients who is about 3 weeks into her new nutritional program. She has been exercising. She is already fed up & complains that there is nothing more she can do. The scale isn't going down, if fact, it goes up "after dinner." Her bathing suit looks the same. When she looks in the mirror she looks the same. She was highly emotional & even angry at "our unsuccessful attempt" at this. I truly believe she is on her way to stopping, once again, & then will go & look somewhere else.....perhaps the next book, the next program, the next whatever.
Quite honestly, this could be anyone & it was me before I came to terms with "my truth."
This is my truth...
I have an eating disorder. I have always had an eating disorder & always will have an eating disorder....... HOWEVER, I AM NOT MY EATING DISORDER.
This is also my truth...
I am intelligent, wise & mature. I accept my liabilities & honor my assets. I take time to know myself better & then better after that. I will never stop wanting & working to know myself better. I forgive myself for anything & everything. I have compassion for myself. I like myself. I can laugh at myself & those parts of me that are so manipulative & cunning. I sense them outside of myself.
This is also my truth.
I can be a bit lazy when it comes to planning to take care of myself. I don't like certain foods. I don't like meals that look like regular meals. I have secret eating issues. BUT, I AM NOT THESE ISSUES.
Here are some things I have come to accept ...
I have to eat every 3.5 hours. I have to PLAN. I have to stay focused on what my body needs. I cannot eat or drink whatever I want, whenever I want. I have to practice patience. I have to understand that my body does not & will not change over-night. I have to practice body kindness. I have to accept my child-self & work to discipline her with love & education. I have to accept that I have caused damage to my body over the years & that it is like a used car.....but it still runs.....& will continue to run well IF I care for it EVERY DAY, not just when I have a whim about my bathing suit or some thing else.
It helps to write your truths. It also is important to address your liabilities & your assets. Write those down.... when you write something, the subconscious mind takes it in & then works with it to assist you.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, as well as +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
In Sugar…the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It….book & CDseries….readers do much work on the time-line. That means we practice regression, or going back & having a good look at where we have been, as well as future-pacing & going forward. Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
Many stress-related behaviors are patterns of being & so they may need to be self-examined & mind-edited. Here are some areas where readers examine their stressors…
Self-related
Significant other
Children
Family
Extended family
Friends
Work
Community
Home
Financial
Spiritual
Future
We always begin to change from where we are, but we seem to be in so many places at the same time. There is our health, relationships, work and home to name just a few. They all seem to flow into each other, but they are indeed separate. The tools you are learning here allow you to slow down so you can look at specific areas and work in them. In this work you will learn how to separate the areas of your life, set goals in each, manage the emotions both helpful and non-helpful in each area and program for success.
MIND EXERCISE
Take a few moments to relax deeply in your chair. Image your thoughts slowing down as if you were approaching a cross road where your attention is needed, for indeed you are. In order to get started it helps to know how you view your current stress levels? What areas of your life are most stressful for you? Do you have any insights as to why this is so? Let's turn the coin now and notice what areas are the least stressful and look to your insights as to why. As you work with these observations, be sure to take advantage of your personal journal. Your subconscious mind will assist you in opening those areas that are important for you to know and manage.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
When it comes to healthy weight, what's important is not so much the scale, but the percentage of lean body mass & body fat percentage. Do you know where you stand in this regard?... Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
No matter where you look, it appears that everyone seems to have weight issues. There are those who want to lose pounds & others not wanting to gain pounds. It's not uncommon to live one's emotional life in relation to the dial on the bathroom or supermarket scale.
Truth be known, the scale is not the best determining factor of what is going on weight-wise. The scale only reports the total weight, not the lean body mass nor body fat percentage. In addition, there are people who do not appear over-weight, but do have an unhealthy body fat percentage & a low-weight lean body mass. For one reason or another theyare not burning fat & more than likely, they are building insulin resistance on their cell borders, leading down the path to the killer diseases. Keep in mind that here are also individuals who have a dense lean body mass & lower body fat percentage who will weigh more than they appear as muscle weighs more than fat. Athletes often fall into this category.
Here are some keys to attaining a healthy lean body mass,body fat percentage & weight:
1. FIRST....you must have a HOT DESIRE to not only REACH your goal but to ATTEND to it FOREVER !! It needs to be fed each & every day with powerful affirmations, loaded with positive emotion. All negative mind states that present themselves MUST BE diminished as soon as they are noticed. Then, you must re-educate those emotional states, not only with new behaviors, but with HOT DESIRE.
2. Next, it's important to take stock of where you are RIGHT NOW in regard to your lean body mass & body fat percentage. You scale weight is actually a secondary issue at this time. There are websites that will help you to figure this out & also give you an idea of a healthy body fat percentage for your age & level of health. If you would like to write to me, I will be happy to help you as well.
3. Once you know your lean body mass, you will need to find out how much protein your body needs in a total day in order to burn fat. Again, check the web or write to me. Depending on your body fat percentage, body weight & exercise levels, you may need even more. You will also need to know how to divide your required protein throughout your day. Protein is calculated in grams or units. 7 grams equals one protein unit, so if you are measuring tofu or nuts as a protein choice, be sure to estimate your serving. Don't eat out of the package. Place your serving on a plate. An ounce of meat or poultry, one ounce of cheese & 1.5 ounces of fish constitutes a protein unit. There is usually no need to measure, but one certainly needs to "eyeball" serving sizes. Do know that when the meals are properly designed, hunger levels will normalize. That means that "I could eat the wallpaper off the wall" hunger levels will be gone forever.
4. Meals must be scheduled every 3.5 to 4 hours to avoid "big bridges" that interfere with healthy blood sugar levels. "Walk-by" & "thought-less" eating patterns also need to be broken to preserve this healthy fat-burning physiological state. These negative eating habits over-produce insulin & since insulin stores fat, you can guess the outcome. Heightened awareness & interactive self-hypnosis will help with this. If "break-through" hunger occurs, the previous meals need to be reviewed. In most instances one will find insufficient nutrition or hidden insulin triggers. Common ones include coffee, caffeinated tea, diet soda, artificial sweeteners, gum or breath mints. Insufficient water causing dehydration is also a possibility.
5. Its important to learn the difference between low, SLOW & high glycemic carbohydrates. Certain high glycemics, such as refined foods containing white flour & high fructose sugars tend break down very rapidly,causing the hormone insulin to be over-produced. Although we need insulin to survive, when it is over-produced it leads to excess fat storing, as well as to a condition known as insulin resistance, the precursor to the killer diseases. In addition, if a person smokes or has alcohol dependency, cravings increase.
6. Low-glycemic carbohydrates include all varieties of lettuce, sprouts, cucumbers, peppers, radish, artichoke, kale, zucchini, snow peas, asparagus, brussel sprouts, okra, arugula, broccoli, endive, spinach, green beans, cabbage, mushrooms, eggplant, yellow squash, turnips, to name a few. Tomatoes can be acceptable in smaller amounts as they are actually a fruit. These vegetables help to balance the blood sugars, as well as containing lots of vitamins & minerals. You can eat them raw or cooked.
Most obese individuals under-eat low-glycemic vegetables & over-eat high-glycemics, especially the refined choices. They have a strong tendency towards disorderly eating, eating too little of what their body needs to burn fat & compensating with larger portions or overly-frequent eating of foods that raise their insulin levels & place their body into food stress. When the needed meals are not properly balanced & delivered when they are needed, the pancreas WILL over-produce insulin & the body will store fat. Keep in mind that the body NEEDS proper nutrition & cannot go & get it for itself. Believe me, if it could it would !! The body looks for homeostasis or balance & so if the nutrition is not DELIVERED, the body will break down the lean body mass & store it as fat.
7. High-glycemic vegetables include acorn squash, butternut, corn, lima beans, refried beans, artichokes, beets, kidney beans, parsnips, peas, white & sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, carrots to name a few. All grains are high-glycemic carbohydrates. Choose whole grains & stay away from refined ones. Read the labels. Choose breads that are dense & have no sugar or sweeteners of any sort added to the dough. If you suspect a sensitivity to yeast, choose a yeast-free product. If you suspect a sensitivity to a particular grain, check it out & if necessary take it out & try a different grain. Other grains include rice, both white & brown, barley, quinoa, millet, rye, buckwheat & oats. Bulgur & couscous are both wheat.
8. All fruits are high-glycemic & need to managed properly. Stay away from juices & pretend juices. They stimulate insulin production & very quickly. As for whole fruits, much will depend on your already present level of insulin resistance & how sensitive you are to the particular fruit. If your body fat percentage is high, you may need to limit fruits & to choose those that have less tendency to drive the blood sugar up. Those include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries & strawberries. Dried fruits, bananas, guava, mangos, papayas & dates are very glycemic & should be avoided unless there is some very good reason to include them.
Most people I see in my office tend to over-eat fruit. They see it as a healthy food & therefore interpret that as an "ok" to eat it whenever they like & as often as they like. I have one patient who nibbles grapes throughout the day. Think about that for a moment. She is actually asking her pancreas to produce insulin each & every time she pops one into her mouth!
9. Breakfast should consist of protein, healthy fat & a slow or dense carbohydrate. The portions depend on the needs of the body in the front part of the day. Fruits are usually not a good choice here, especially if the body fat percentage is high. They are often responsible for break-through hunger in the middle of the morning, or in the early afternoon. Depending upon the time one starts the day, there may be a need for two small breakfasts. I find this occurring in nurses who wake up at 5 AM & start their work shift at 7 AM. They may not be scheduled for lunch until 12 or 1 PM. It's important to work with "the bridges" so as to manage the blood sugars properly. All caffeinated beverages stimulate insulin production !! One is still paying for 8 ounces of coffee ten hours later !
10. Lunch is time for protein, healthy fat & lots of low-glycemics. By lots I mean at least 3 cups. Depending on the individual, a serving of grain may also be needed here. When one is looking to lose body fat percentage, the amount of food needed during this time is often higher.
Obese individuals usually over-eat at lunch OR starve. Once again, disorderly eating is a big problem here. Those who are disorganized find themselves dealing with lack of planning & looking for the easy way out that usually means joining the "let's order out" group in the office. For those who are home, it's easy to join the children or to just open the refrigerator & let the hands do the walking instead of the head. Water is the beverage of choice. Decaffeinated green tea is acceptable. I'm not talking about the bottled variety, but that make from loose tea or a tea bag.
11. Mid afternoon is low blood sugar time for most people & an afternoon snack is often a must. Once again, count those hours & watch out for "big bridges." The size of the snack depends on the body needs. The choices fall into the categories of protein, healthy fat & low-glycemics. These foods balance out the blood sugars & form a healthy bridge to dinner.
Most people tend to make poor choices at this time of day. Some reasons include the fact that breakfast & lunch were not properly balanced & so the body is screaming out due to the over-production of insulin. When this happens the body looks for carbohydrates to balance out, but unfortunately the kinds of foods chosen are not what the body had in mind. Sometimes a person will "be good" & choose fruit. This usually has a back-lash & within an hour or so, the body is
screaming to eat again or their could be symptoms of hypoglycemia including shakiness, light headedness, extreme hunger, blurred vision, etc.
12. Dinner is the time for a balanced meal. It should contain healthy protein & fat, low-glycemic carbohydrates & a balance of healthy high-glycemics. When the body fat percentage is too high, it's a good idea to eat at least two cups of low-glycemics to help hold the blood sugars. I'm not in favor of eating refined sugars at this meal, but sometimes it takes awhile before an individual can wean themselves. I always suggest that my office patients stay away from binge choices. If one "must have" a cookie or something sweet, choose one that is "ok" but "not to die for."
Once again, the serving sizes at dinner depend on the needs of the body including the lean body mass, exercise & stress levels. When a person eats correctly, after a short while, the physiological appetite levels usually balance themselves. Emotional & compulsive eating are separate issues & need to managed in a different way. The body is very intelligent & knows what to do when it is provided with what it needs. Of course, in rare instances there are other medical problems, but for the large majority of people the problems are nothing more than lack of desire, lack of knowledge, lack of planning, lack of exercise, lack of stress management, lack of follow-through & self-disorder.
Diets don't work. One needs to know how to eat for what the body needs & then to learn how to eat those other foods that the mind wants. In "interactive self-hypnosis" we learn to "contain" those foods. We can have everything we desire, but not all the time or when the urge presents itself to us. As we learn to work with our mind-body connection, our emotional child-self, our compulsive nature & old patterns, we can break through the dangerous habits of the past & re-edit these with new facets & desire for healthy outcomes.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article reflects the author's experiences & is not intended to replace medical or psychological advice, nor is it the intent of the author to diagnose or prescribe. The intent is only to offer information to help the reader cooperate with their physician in the mutual quest for desirable health. Always consult your physician before embarking on any lifestyle change, nutritional or otherwise.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, as well as +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
The number of patients referred to my practice for gastro-intestinal disturbances are often surprised that many of the little things they are doing, often without even knowing, are making their chronic condition worse...Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
As they work with my books & CD programs, they find themselves understanding & then changing not only their food choices & other eating habits, but also their level of everyday tension. They can now recognize & manage their emotions, thoughts & program their mindbody connection for healing.
The number of people being treated for irritable bowel and gastric reflux is on the rise. Pay attention to the advertisements on television. Obviously they are playing to a huge audience. These chronic conditions are stress-related and sugar usually plays a role as well. For those with disorderly eating and binge behaviors, this poses enormous problems. The body cells never have an opportunity to rest and recover.
A large percentage of our society is in the same boat along with millions of other people, floating around, wondering how they got where they are, and how to get back to shore. It is very important to know the path traveled to the diagnosis of the disease, for it is on the path that the needed answers will be found. Irritable bowel syndrome and gastric reflux do not happen overnight. One doesn't just wake up with these diagnoses. The body is made up of millions of cells, each doing a separate job. Some cells simply don't like certain foods and can't manage them. When this happens the cells communicate this to you. You are known as the CEO, the one in charge of providing the supplies.
What happens next is particularly interesting and calls for an awareness study. The next time you are in the pharmacy or in the over the counter medication aisle in the supermarket, look at the numbers of antacids, stomach remedies, etc. that are available. Listen to the patter of the advertisements on TV. Some suggest that you take their product before you eat the offending food. Now think about that for a moment. If you know that a food offends, why would you eat it?
These chronic problems are stress-related and so it is very important to understand the kinds of stress. Food stress is one of those. When the hormones in the body are out of balance due to food stress, then the cells are going to communicate. Sugar can be the culprit, as well as poor nutritional intake. Sometimes those two are intricately woven together, each making the other worse. There are other kinds of stress as well, but when looking to manage those, one must look to manage all of the possible stressors including emotions and their crayons. You will be reading more about those a bit later in the book.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
Induction is nothing more than slowing the brain waves in increments by using a particular deepening system, such as counting backwards, or choosing images that do the same...Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
There are many levels of trance or deep relaxation, each having their own ease of execution and benefits. You can also utilize deepening exercises in beginning a hypnosis session. This can be as simple as imaging magnets pulling you deeper down. In short, induction is the route you take to get out of your own way, side-stepping all emotions and judgment, stepping into a place where suggestions are readily accepted by the subconscious mind.
If you work with a hypnotist or hypnotherapist, you may be taken even deeper into trance where the therapist is able to access the needed information, but in self-hypnosis you are determining the level where you can affect your own work. If you work with audio it is a bit easier to go deeper down, because even if you fall asleep, your subconscious mind will pick up the suggestions from the recorded program.
You might like to review the chapter on mental biofeedback and practice inducing self-hypnosis with body communication skills. This is particularly effective as a stress-releaser, preparing the mind for the acceptance of suggestion. Whatever the route you choose, do know you are on your way to the tools below.
After inducing a self-hypnotic state, you are ready to begin planting subconscious mind programs, also called suggestions. The subconscious mind enjoys organization and so it works to your benefit, assisting you in building special containment metaphors for planting inner programs, as well as editing past and future ones. These containments are useful as well for managing emotional states, locating hidden resources and building resilience. All containments are “user-friendly”. As you welcome them into your consciousness, don’t be surprised if you find them appearing automatically to help manage your life needs.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It, Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop, as well as The MindBody Fitness Boot Camp... Lifestyle Change Made Easy. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
We learn from meeting each other. Throughout this book you will be introduced to many of my patients & students, each looking to manage their lifestyle behaviors at higher levels... Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
Meet Ryan...
Ryan is a teenager who was brought to my office by his mother. Here’s what he had to say. I’m just a teenager and it is so hard for me to eat healthy, but when I don’t I get very sleepy in class. I simply want to be like everybody else. Why do I have to be different?
KNOWLEDGE HOOK
I’m sure we can all commiserate with Ryan and being a teenager in today’s world. Hopefully as Ryan learns about his body and how to care for it, he will find that he doesn’t have to give everything up. It’s a matter of getting well and then staying in healthy balance. Ryan needs to know that there are big rewards that come from being responsible at an early age, as well as knowing that he is setting the stage for his life down the road.
It would be wonderful if we all understood the workings of our body, but unfortunately few of us have more than a meager knowledge of what goes on below the surface. However, when we come to understand something, it then becomes easier to make changes and stay motivated.
One of those important bits of knowledge is how and why the body responds to sugar in the way that it does. So we must turn our attention to a part of our body called the pancreas. That particular organ sits below the stomach where it produces the life-sustaining hormones of insulin and glucagon. The job of these hormones is to regulate the blood sugar in your body. Insulin stores fat and glucagon burns fat. The two dangers here are the over production of insulin and the building of insulin resistance. Both can lead to dangerous disease states. The individual will experience this in many ways, including increased fat storage, break-through hunger and cravings.
Depending on the individual’s response to the food chosen to take care of these cravings, there could a sharp rise in blood sugars, followed by a sharp drop, known as reactive hypoglycemia. If the over-production of insulin continues over the years, many people become insulin resistant with the reactive hypoglycemia turning into adult onset diabetes. In chapter one you read that even children are beginning to develop this adult form of diabetes, of course due to their genetics and their “inner care” from the nursery forward.
Meet Jon…
Jon was a young adult who came to work with a positive family history for heart disease & stoke. He had read about insulin resistance & wondered if he needed to be concerned about this even though there was no diabetes in his family medical history.
KNOWLEDGE HOOK
Insulin signals our livers to make cholesterol. In chapter one you read that heart disease, circulatory disease and diabetes tend to walk hand in hand. Sometimes one of the diseases is walking faster than the others, but make no mistake. If one is present, the others are somewhere down the path. It is absolutely imperative for someone with heart disease or circulatory disease to watch their fat intake, but also their sugar intake.
But remember, when we talk about “watching” it is important to know what you are watching for. This is where many people get into trouble, forgetting that each person is an individual with their own genetic wallpaper. And, keep in mind if addictions are present, these are also adding to the problems at hand. Moving along to Jon’s prevention program, he needs to be addressing all aspects of his family medical history, as well as making certain about his own lifestyle behaviors to date.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, President & Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.comShe is the author of Sugar....the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It & Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar, Bingeing & How to Stop. She has also written & produced +350 audio CD's & mp3's. The websites include moderated discussion groups, ezines, library & a host of other educational tools for learning Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Visit the online Boot Camp & work directly with the author. Download a free mp3 each month.
