March 2002

March 2002 Healing Eating Disorders

Through the Brain Over the years, it has been my privilege to assist many clients overcome eating disorders—the secret of many frustrated dieters. Although anorexics may be easy to spot, others suffer from binge eating and/or bulimia. I have found a combined program of nutrition, specialized kinesiology for the brain and destressing exercise is most effective.

Arrive at a state of willingness. No client can be helped until they reach a state of willingness. Dr. David Hawkins, M.D., author of Power Vs. Force, studied human consciousness for 20 years. He found that willingness is the turning point for anyone to make a profound change in their behavior. As long as a person is locked in shame, blame or denial, no therapeutic avenue will be successful.

Balance blood sugar. Without exception, the clients I have coached with these challenges have had unstable blood sugar levels. As long as your blood sugar is on a roller coaster, your ability to control your food, drug or alcohol consumption will be compromised. Small, frequent meals are a must.

Correct brain chemistry. Through specialized kinesiology, neurotransmitters in the brain can be rebalanced. One client said to me, “I knew all along that my brain was not getting what it needed. Your work is an answer to my prayers.” All parts of the brain must be getting all 30 neurotransmitters —otherwise, you may never feel satisfied. For example, your brain is not fully processing CCK (cholecystokinin), you won’t get the signal that you have eaten and that you’ve had enough. Low levels of serotonin cause hunger and depression, and scientific research shows that this neurotransmitter is frequently out of balance in eating disorders. Without enough GABA (gamma amino butyric acid), you have what we in yoga call “monkey-mind,” an ability to think calmly, and you will most likely turn to external substances like food, alcohol or drugs to relax.

Calm and quiet the mind. You have four kinds of brain waves—delta, theta, alpha and beta. Many clients with eating disorders and other addictions live in a high beta brain wave state. They turn to food or sometimes alcohol or drugs to reach the calmer alpha state and ground themselves. Through a series of mind-body exercises, these clients can learn to ground and center themselves without food.

Avoid over exercising, and learn to move in ways that bring awareness of the connections between mind, body and spirit. Over training not only stresses the body but can also create nutritional imbalances and cause the brain to be even further over stimulated, causing nervousness and uncontrolled appetite. I recommend using a heart rate monitor to avoid producing stress hormones that stimulate overeating.

Breathe Right To Keep Your Heart Healthy

Want to know the main pump of the human body? It is not the heart. According to the Carl Stough Institute, which educates the public about the importance of healthy breathing, the main pump of the human body is the .diaphragm We breathe when the respiratory center of the our brain monitors blood gases and determines we need oxygen. The brain then signals the phrenic nerves to the diaphragm.

During an exhalation, the ribs fold around the diaphragm as it rises within the ribcage and moves air out of the lungs. The inhale that follows becomes a neurological response, or reflex. What does that have to do with your heart? On my HeartMath computer program, I show many clients with heart disease how they can control their own blood pressure, EKG and state of relaxation just by learning to breathe properly.

When you are not breathing correctly, your heart has to work harder to pump more oxygen into the circulatory system. This can enlarge and/or weaken the heart, ultimately leading to heart disease. I find that many of my clients with high blood pressure are not exhaling completely. Work miracles: learn yoga breathing

Fitness Level Predicts The Length of Your Life

Yet another reason to exercise: A study out of Veterans Affairs and Stanford University reports that doctors can more accurately predict the length of your life by how well you perform on a treadmill stress test than by an assessment of risk factors such as heart disease, high blood pressure or smoking. “We’re now beginning to prove the hypothesis of Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ category, in that people who are fitter tend to live longer,” said Dr. Gary J. Balady, a cardiologist.

The researchers looked at 6,200 men. The study found that a person’s chances of staying alive rise 12 percent with each increase in one “metabolic equivalent” when exercising as hard as he could on a treadmill. The risk of death in people who could not get beyond 4 MET was more than double those who could get past 8 MET. Two MET’s is the equivalent of walking less than 2 mph, 5 MET’s is walking 4 mph, and 8 MET’s is equal to jogging 6 mph.

Bottom line: As you become more fit through progressive training, your likelihood of enjoying a long life increases. Client Success: 20 Lb.

Weight Loss, Shoulder Mobility Regained

When Bob Ellis came to me, he had lived for years in chronic pain—knee pain, shoulder pain, pain all over. Although he exercised regularly—going to a gym to use machine weights and enjoying a regular step class—his ability to participate was diminishing. He felt so bad he wanted to have his shoulders operated on.

I suggested Bob give Total Fitness a try. After all, we have helped many other clients regain mobility in their hips and shoulders. Bob was dubious—he could not put his jacket on to go to work without assistance from his wife, and he could not lift his arms higher than chest level.

Today, Bob has lost 20 lbs. And he can swing his arms in full rotation. There’s spring in his step, and his energy has returned. How? We used a combination of yogassage, acupressure, nutrition, Feldenkrais and shoulder rehab exercises. “If there’s one thing I’m a believer in, it’s nutrition,” said Bob, who has learned to enjoy wheatgrass juice and forgo the pleasures of fried foods.

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