Healing the body and brain to support behavior change.
Healing the body and brain to support behavior change.
The gut has 5 key roles in the body: Digestion- Breaking down the food you eat into its usable component parts through chewing and the digestive process of the stomach. Assimilation and Absorption of Materials-Nutrient absorption begins in your small intestine where proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water, vitamin A, and minerals are absorbed through the microvilli. …
Do you ever… Go straight to the kitchen and just start eating when you’re feeling upset or stressed? Rush out to the closest fast food restaurant when you want to remove or distract yourself from a stressful situation? Start eating even when you aren’t hungry, but think that it will help you feel better emotionally? …
Often, we feel the need to do everything perfectly, to get it right the first time. We fall into the perfection trap…and that trap can often snap shut on us in painful ways. How many times have you not tried something new because you were afraid of getting it wrong? How many times have you …
As a teacher my least favorite times of the year were the days after Halloween when the students were eating candy all day long. When I was first teaching I asked my principal if I could offer to trade my students bonus points into their grade for some of their candy which I would then …
Did you know… PTSD is one of the strongest brain body relationships adding to the wear and tear on delicate tissues? That physical issues stemming from PTSD include gall bladder issues, ulcers, and bowel disruption? People with PTSD are more likely to have IBS than the average person? PTSD patients are likely to be vulnerable …
The activity of the mind is intense and continuous and is not connected to the present reality. The mind wanders by taking us places that are very far from the here and now. We live most of our life with our autopilot turned on, our body is present, but our mind is not. The problem …
The three most profound factors influencing brain development are: Toxic stress and inflammation Presence of strong social support and secure attachment Provision of optimal nutrition Malnutrition in early childhood impacts the brain in four ways: Myelination (32 weeks-2 years) Allows nerve cells to transmit information faster and provides for a healthy Central Nervous System. Myelination …
Are you stuck in the pattern of unconscious or blind eating? Eating when you are anxious, dissatisfied, alone or bored? There are times we eat not to nourish our body, but to comfort ourselves emotionally or to pass the time. Or, perhaps you don’t eat much at all because of the relationship you have with …
Close your eyes…think to yourself for a moment. What effects of trauma come to your mind? Think about the list you just came up with…how many of them could also be the effects of malnutrition? Malnutrition is often intricately linked with trauma. Children whose families are in crisis are not likely to be focused on …
Mindfulness has its roots in the Buddhist contemplative traditions. The practice of mindfulness aimed at reducing and eliminating suffering linked to an incorrect understanding of reality and draws its origins from the four Noble truths and the Noble eightfold path belonging to the most ancient Buddhist spiritual culture. The Four Noble Truths are: Suffering on …