Who doesn’t make excuses? From skipping the gym to overeating when we’re full, we can eke out any and all excuses about why we can’t stick to our health goals. Most of the time, we do this subconsciously. In fact, the excuses come from little parts inside of us that have a need. They seem like excuses but in fact when we come up with an excuse it means a part of us is scared or trying to protect us in some way. It takes conscious effort to break our habit of making excuses. We need to listen to ...
Jan 21, 2021•36 min
Do you often get stuck in the thought that you are so different and you don’t fit in anywhere — at home, in school, or in the neighborhood? Is that feeling forcing you to be who you are not, affecting how and when you eat? If yes, you are not alone because so many people are stuck in that thought too. In this episode, I discuss how you can deal with the feeling of being an outsider and its effects on the way you eat. I also talk about how to reframe your thoughts to become more friendly to yours...
Jan 14, 2021•22 min
Do you feel the need to eat when you’re tired or in pain? Do you tell yourself, “Just for today, I won't eat healthy,” and then cope with these feelings through unhealthy eating? You're not alone. Many people use food and overeat to get temporary relief from their discomfort. However, eating healthy is not something you do only when it’s convenient — it's a commitment. In today's episode, I will talk about managing physical pain, illness, and discomfort while still maintaining the goal of weight...
Jan 07, 2021•28 min
The Importance of Setting a Daily Intention The first step in change can be the hardest. It's easy to lose focus, even when you think you've prepared enough for it. A daily intention is a great way to help your brain come back to the present tense and to your goals, especially when you’re in the midst of a moment of stress and overwhelm. In this episode, I discuss the art of managing your thoughts and setting an intention with your eating habits. I talk about the importance of staying in the pre...
Dec 31, 2020•31 min
As the holidays approach, it might be tempting to relax into the season with the attitude of eating in excess. It can be very easy to allow yourself extra bites of food or another piece of pie and to forget that you might feel overly full or uncomfortable later. In some cases, you might find it hard to refuse a relative who keeps filling up your plate or to eat moderately in the midst of a delicious holiday spread. In this episode, I identify common “excuses” that parts of our mind use during th...
Dec 22, 2020•36 min
Are you living your life with one foot on the brakes? So many of us (myself included) often find ourselves sabotaging our efforts to get what we want in life. When we do that it can lead to frustration, anger, and hopelessness. In today's episode, I talk about self-sabotage, empowerment, and how to stop living with one foot on the brakes so we can allow ourselves to have a happier and more fulfilled life. I am now offering a 10-week virtual class where you will learn a specific process to change...
Dec 17, 2020•30 min
It’s hard to talk about eating without tying it to ideas about nutrition, so it's helpful to understand what makes up the food we eat and how it affects our bodies. Different foods have different functions in the body. There is no one answer to the question, “What should I eat?” However, there are guidelines to help you balance it out. In today's episode, I touch on the science of food. I talk about the different food groups and the general rule of thumb when eating. Tune in to the full episode ...
Dec 10, 2020•33 min
Structuring Meals & Managing Intrusive Thoughts About Food Many people are struggling with losing or maintaining weight. As eating becomes a coping mechanism, you might find yourself turning to food whenever stressed, sad, upset, tired, overwhelmed, angry, or bored. The truth is, you cannot satisfy your emotional hunger with eating because it is a different type of hunger. Even if you strictly follow a diet, you will soon return to your unhealthy eating patterns. In this episode, I share my ...
Dec 03, 2020•52 min
How to Use the Hunger Scale for Intuitive Eating Wouldn't it be nice if you can give your body permission to eat without feeling guilty? Often, we rely on binge dieting strategies and beat ourselves up for the short-term numbers we see on the scale. But what will happen if we tune into our hunger scale long-term and eat to honor our body? In this episode, I discuss two essential skills to gain control over your weight. I will also introduce strategies for tuning into the body's wisdom and tracki...
Nov 26, 2020•32 min
This Tool Can Stop Your Food Cravings Do you often find yourself binge eating? Are you having trouble following through with your goals? The good news is there are several ways to manage your food cravings and learn how to train your brain to stop the impulse to go into a binge eating moment. In this episode, I discuss one great tool you can use to help stop the cravings and impulsive thoughts leading to a food binge. I also talk about the limitations of prescribed meal plans or diets and why it...
Nov 19, 2020•34 min
Understanding the Triangle of Perfectionism, Binge Eating & Shame We all have a family that lives inside of us, which each member showing up as voices, urges, sensations, or images. These inner voices can be your harshest critics and worst enablers yet they’re trying desperately to help you. When it comes to binge dieting, understanding and finding these parts of us through a lens of compassion will take you one step closer to healing. In fact, it will ultimately completely heal you. This is...
Nov 17, 2020•52 min
Betsy Thurston RD talks about the experience of several clients and their struggles in the current pandemic environment. The podcast talks about Betsy's personal experience at a retreat, about a client's plan to show up on the beach showing more skin then she wanted, and about other client's and their sense of meaninglessness. There are a lot of big concepts on this podcast!
Sep 13, 2020•38 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about some common childhood situations that can set the stage for overeating, body shame, chronic dieting and a stressful relationship with food. She talks about some specific action steps you can take to help work through and manage these problems.
Aug 07, 2020•48 min
In this episode Betsy talks about quick and effective ways to manage anxiety and fear in the moment. This is a practical, no nonsense episode which looks at common issues related to food issues as well as life issues that lead to eating problems.
Jun 10, 2020•40 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about the beginning of a success story involving alcohol and eating during the time of Covid-19. She walks listeners through her journey, step by step. Internal Family Systems, Pema Chodrin, Compassionate Curiosity, Courage and Boundaries all play a role.
May 08, 2020•35 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about how to manage emotions such as panic, anxiety, fear, or anger without resorting to food. She includes a role play between internal parts of us using internal family systems therapy (IFS) . Betsy also covers key points needed to survive eating problems during this stressful time period including the anti inflammatory diet, structuring meals and creating boundaries.
Mar 29, 2020•40 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about the values and habits of mind that result from our relationship with our parents and how this drives issues with food problems or an inability to stay focused with health goals. She talks about three clients and their specific stories, and at the end she gives a sneak peak into the groundbreaking work of Steven Kessler and The 5 Personality Patterns.
Mar 07, 2020•55 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about somatic experiencing as a tool to help understand reasons for some habits and behaviors related to eating. Betsy explains how to apply this technique and also talks about several different clients and their struggles and insights. She talks about clients with various concerns: with a diet mountain dew addiction, an impulse to eat very fast, general anxiety around eating, needing to be perfect when eating, and having a resistance to exercising.
Jan 15, 2020•42 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about how to trust the body and listen to it through the perspective of our two separate selves (our higher self and our human self). She also addresses practical issues regarding protein, fiber, check lists for food, and addressing physical versus emotional hunger.
Dec 22, 2019•32 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about how to be in the midst of the holiday parties or other social events as well as family tension without overeating. She looks at concepts from spiritual teachings as well as practical food advice. Several concerns of various clients are also considered.
Nov 27, 2019•41 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about many types of physical pain in the body, eating disorders, and anxiety and depression as a process in the brain called Mind Body Syndrome. Healing from these symptoms is possible and she presents tools to help this happen. Manifesting your dreams and creating your reality can happen.
Oct 30, 2019•34 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about an effective tool to shift out of unhealthy eating patterns or worry about food and the body. She uses examples from clients in her practice to help demonstrate how to work with this tool. Specific practices are provided at the end.
Aug 20, 2019•34 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about some common roles in the family and how they might influence eating behaviors. She also covers some of the unspoken rules that are often present in families that can create enormous internal upset. At the beginning of the podcast Betsy lists 8 eating ideas and habits that can help you feel more in control and confident.
Jun 22, 2019•24 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about how to communicate in a way that will leave you with less stress, with a better outcome, and with your need to be heard being met. Eating problems can happen when you avoid communication and conflict altogether, or when you go the other direction and explode into anger, nagging, or tears. Betsy gives specific client examples and explains the method known as Nonviolent Communication.
Mar 09, 2019•33 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about codependent relationships, and how these can create emotional disruption and overeating. She talks about the concept of codependency and what to do to move towards healthier relationships with those who we love.
Jan 24, 2019•34 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about how people pleasing creates exhaustion, resentment, and an inauthentic life. She talks about ways to recognize and change this behavior, and how it connects with perfectionism, communication, setting boundaries, and codependency. When people have a calmer internal world, there will be a much greater ability to make healthy food choices
Nov 02, 2018•29 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about how to view the struggles with eating, body weight and body image with perspective so you can gain peace of mind and heal. She plays a song by Bob Sima and talks about it's message and also covers the fundamental food rules that you need to follow in order to get on track.
Sep 23, 2018•34 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about how to work with loneliness to minimize its ability to derail our goals for healthy eating. She talks about ways to manage it as well as the perspective that lonely isn't always a bad thing.
Sep 01, 2018•25 min
On this short podcast Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about the topic of feeling helpless around dieting, food and weight struggles. She explains how to work with a brain that tells you to give up, who cares, why bother, it's out of your control........
Jul 12, 2018•20 min
Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about the numerical scale of emotions presented by David Hawkins and its implications for how it can help anyone struggling with eating and dieting. In this podcast Betsy talks about how to change your lifestyle so you can take a huge leap out of draining emotions and into emotions which are more empowering.
May 20, 2018•43 min
