What Causes Eating Disorders?

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Eating disorders like bulimia, binge-eating disorder, anorexia and other disordered eating behaviors are very complex disorders that involve an intersection of cultural, psychological, interpersonal, family and physical factors.

In the last two decades there’s been a sharp increase in the prevalence of eating disorders as well as a demographic shift to include more of the adult population. This shift can mostly be contributed to cultural and technological influences as well as the impact of food corporations and Big Pharma.

The challenge is that eating disorders are not well researched. Only 93 cents is spent for each individual with an eating disorder by the National Institute of Health (NIH) research grants compared to $88.23 for each person who has Alzheimer’s or $44.44 for each person that has autism.

In this article we take a look at what causes eating disorders as we understand this intricate web of influences on our relationship with food today.

Causes of Eating Disorders

Family Dysfunction and Impact of the Home Environment

One of the root causes of eating disorders is growing up in a family that’s characterized by enmeshment, over protectiveness, rigidity, and lack of conflict resolution. The home environment is often chaotic and the family dysfunctional. When you grow up in a dysfunctional family, you experience trauma and pain through your parents’ actions, words, and attitudes.

Enmeshment describes families where personal boundaries are not defined and boundaries may by spread wide to include other members in the family, and over-concern for others leads to a loss of autonomous development.

Often a child becomes enmeshed in parental needs and become trapped in a role of meeting a parent’s emotional needs to the point where you are deprived of part of your childhood and lose the capacity for self-direction. If this family dynamic is not resolved, you may end up becoming the family scapegoat. The scapegoat unconsciously is selected by the family to act out the family’s inner conflicts as a diversion from the family’s real problems.

When a parent turns to a child with their problems instead of meeting their emotional needs through a relationship with another adult, the child’s boundaries are violated, and a heavy burden is laid upon the child’s shoulders. This phenomena is knows as covert incest (also known as emotional or psychic incest).

Emotional incest is more common in households where members of the family have substance abuse issues, mental illness or domestic violence occurs.

When a parent has some type of disordered eating pattern it will impact the child’s relationship with food as well. The development of an eating disorder can be seen as an attempt to gain control and autonomy. Children are innocent, their lives can be changed dramatically by forces in the family that they have no control over.

Personality Traits and Eating Disorders

PERFECTIONISM

Perfectionism is a personality trait that’s often present in the development of eating disorders. With perfectionism you believe your worth is dependent on being perfect and you may become obsessed with obtaining perfection.

Perfectionistic aims may be a way to fight strong emotions like not feeling good enough, underlying anxiety and depression or protecting deep wounds from past emotional trauma.

Perfectionism can go beyond the personal and physical self. It isn’t always just that you have to be and look perfect, it’s that everything in your world has to be, look and feel perfect.

Research has identified that when you come from a place where there’s been extreme emotional trauma that you had no control over, you compensate for that by having control in other areas of your life, or even every single area of your life that you can control. This control makes you feel safe, it makes you feel OK and that everything around you is OK. On the other hand, when things are not perfect, then things feel out of control and this can be experienced as a very scary place.

IMPULSIVITY

The tendency to act on a whim without forethought, reflection, or consideration of the consequences is highly associated with binge eating. Individuals with bulimia show higher levels of recklessness. When you have problems inhibiting your responses, it’s harder to hold back the automatic response to binging.

OBSESSIONAL

Obsessional personality traits seem to be a risk factor that contributes to compulsive preoccupation with food, diet, exercise, body shape and control.

Psychological Factors in Eating Disorders

LOW SELF-ESTEEM

Research supports the strong relationship between low self-esteem and eating disorders. You may have a negative self-image and body image, have feelings of inadequacy and be excessively concerned over how others evaluate your appearance. You may try to ‘shame’ yourself by thinking or believing that you have no willpower or self-discipline in the hope that it will encourage normal behavior, but it doesn’t.

DIFFICULTY EXPRESSING EMOTIONS

People with eating disorders often have unexpressed emotions. You may have difficulty with determining what you feel and how to express what you feel. You may have to learn how to process your emotions and how to express them.

Lack of emotional regulation can be due to childhood trauma and neglect. Some people will “eat their emotions” rather than express them. You may need to be given permission to express your emotions and be provided with a safe environment to release pent up emotions.

We may think that we can shut down certain emotions and not feel them, but studies show that we cannot selectively shut down an emotion. The suppression eventually leads to health problems and psychological problems.

FEELINGS OF HELPLESSNESS

When negative events in life occur, you may feel that there’s nothing you can do to improve the situation. You experience a loss of power in your life and may feel backed into a corner. You may not possess adequate coping mechanisms and resort to food or food restriction for comfort – at least that’s something you can control.

TRAUMA

Traumatic events like domestic violence, child abuse and sexual abuse can initiate eating disorders. Research shows that girls with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to sexual abuse have a higher incidence of eating disorders. Eating disorders can develop as a way to gain control over traumatic events.

Socio-Cultural Influences on Eating Disorders

SOCIETAL VALUES & CULTURAL VIEWS ABOUT THE BODY

In westernized societies today, a significant cultural value is placed on thinness. The message is basically thin = good. The problem is that this idealized thin body stereotype isn’t usually attainable.

Statistics show that people of higher socio-economic status have higher incidence of eating disorders. This may indicate that the pressure to be thin is more intense amongst the wealthy. There is also a correlation with higher levels of eating disorders for men in the LGBTQ community.

MEDIA

The media bombards us with a constant influx of images and visual communications that represent very narrow definitions of beauty. This beauty is manufactured with the use of software like Adobe’s Photoshop rather than a true representation of natural beauty.
Striving to attain these standards of impossible thinness and air brushed beauty can set us up for disordered eating that quickly spirals out of control.

PHOTOSHOP

With computer graphic tools like Photoshop, it’s easy for advertisers to manipulate photos and therefore produce and distribute images of perfection. In the United States, for example, standards for honesty in advertising are lower than other countries like the UK who’ll often reject ads that’s been heavily photoshopped to create unrealistic, fantasy images.

PRO-ANA CULTURE

This is a subculture that focuses on how to be anorexic. “Pro-Ana” stands for pro-anorexia. There are websites and other information that promotes anorexia and its members encourage and support each other in the quest for thinness. These websites often have manifestos, affirmations and rules that pro-anas live by. They also post “Thinspiration” pictures of gaunt individuals with bones showing to inspire their commitment to their anorexia.

Biological Factors that Causes Eating Disorders

There are a variety of biological factors that can contribute to the development of eating disorders.

GENETIC PREDISPOSITION

Family, twin, and adoption research studies provide compelling evidence that genetic factors play a role in the development of eating disorders. Individuals born with certain genotypes are more likely to develop an eating disorder. Risk of eating disorders increases 7-12 times when you have a direct family member who’ve had an eating disorder.

EPIGENETIC INFLUENCES

Epigenetics look at how gene expression gets modified – turned on and off – by environment, lifestyle, illness, thoughts and emotions. These regular and natural occurrences of epigenetic changes do not alter the underlying DNA sequence as in genetic mutation. Research suggests that gene expression modifications do play a role in what causes eating disorders, however this research so far is minimal and further data is required to draw conclusions.

BIOCHEMICAL IMBALANCES

In some individuals with eating disorders, certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite and digestion have been found to be unbalanced. This research is still inconclusive and more evidence is needed to determine the exact biochemical causes of eating disorders.

HORMONE IMBALANCES

When hormones are out of balance the body can get its signals mixed up and can cause strong food cravings. Hormonal imbalance can lead to low serotonin (a “feel-good” brain neurotransmitter) levels which can cause the body to want a pick-me up – usually a craving for sugar or carbohydrates.

Hormone imbalances can also lead to mood swings which can cause you to turn to food to alter the mood you’re in. When these behaviors turn into a regular coping behavior it can lead to an eating disorder.

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES

A Finish study published by the Department of Public Health at the University of Helsinki, Finland, found that the immune system seems to play a significant role in the onset and longevity of eating disorders.

Other biological factors are brain tumors, calcifications and lesions as well as complications related to childbirth.

Body Changes

PUBERTY

During puberty we go through many body and hormonal changes which often can lead to weight gain, difficult emotions and mood swings. Without proper guidance and understanding of what’s occurring and tools on how to cope, eating disorders can start to take root in these adolescent years.

LIFE TRANSITIONS AND EVENTS

Some women find the impact of pregnancy and giving birth on their bodies along with the hormonal changes to be unbearable. They may develop an eating disorder to gain control over their shape or due to lingering hormonal imbalances.

As we age our metabolism slows down and further hormonal shifts can make it more difficult to stay at our normal weight. Individuals that are unwilling to accept these body changes may develop disordered eating patterns in later years to maintain their previous youthful figure.

Coexisting Mental Health Issues and Eating Disorders

DEPRESSION

Half of all individuals with binge eating disorder have a history of depression. When we are depressed or sad we tend to eat more than usual or lose our appetite altogether. Eating helps to numb the pain when we’re depressed. Eating more than usual is one of the symptoms of depression. Depression can be a cause or effect of eating disorders.

ANXIETY

It is common to have a diagnosis of anxiety prior to the development of an eating disorder. Of those seeking treatment for eating disorders 69% reported that anxiety preceded their eating disorder. Eating disorders can become a way of coping with and managing anxiety. There is also the building up of anxiety that occurs before disordered eating episodes like binging. Statistics show that 13.5% of those getting treatment for anxiety have an eating disorder as well.

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Twenty four percent of people with bipolar disorder also have symptoms of eating disorders, while 44% of people with bipolar disorder have difficulty controlling eating.

ADHD

Research has shown that girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have higher incidence of eating disorders.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Alcohol and drug abuse are four times more likely in those with eating disorders. Like alcohol and drugs, food is another substance to numb ourselves with.

Big Business

Some argue that large food corporations and big pharma contribute to the development of eating disorders as well. Marketing messages are crafted to build dissatisfaction with who we are and how we look and paint the picture of finding a miracle solution in some diet or even pharmaceutical product.

Food manufacturers influence eating and weight by the kind of food they bring to the stores. Over the last sixty years food has become less natural and more processed. Corn, sugar, soy, and wheat are present in everything we eat while growth hormones in meat and milk, and antibiotics in meat, diary, and fish wreak havoc on our hormones and microbiome. The latter being two of the most important factors that determine body shape. Since our food supply is designed to make it harder and harder to stay in shape, more people are taking drastic measures or turn to emotional eating.

Clearly what causes eating disorders is seldom one root cause, instead it’s mostly a complex interaction of various causes that gets woven together over time and manifests as an eating disorder. Addressing the underlying causes and beliefs is the key to recovery.

At Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat’s residential eating disorder treatment center in Hawaii our holistic, integrated and customized program takes a non-disciplinary approach that resolves the root causes of eating disorders in a safe, supportive environment.

 

Eating Disorder Resources:

Is Obesity an Eating Disorder?

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Obesity is defined by a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 and it is considered a medical condition. Eating disorders on the other hand, are characterized by an abnormal relationship with food and is categorized as part of mental health. Eating disorders display a wide array of behaviors associated with food such as restriction, loss of control or purging, but eating disorders are also associated with a multitude of negative attitudes towards the self, a poor body image or poor self-esteem or shame and self-destructive feelings. Looking closer at the behavioral components of obesity we find a lot of psychological similarities between obesity and bulimia and binge eating. Therefore, a successful treatment of obesity requires a psychosocial approach similar to the treatment of eating disorders.

Behaviors and psychological factors common to both obesity and eating disorders:

  • overeating
  • snacking
  • emotional eating
  • dieting
  • binging
  • compulsive eating
  • unconscious eating
  • loss of control over food
  • food addiction

Overeating can manifest in any of the following scenarios:

  • Overeating is the result of eating large quantities of food or calorie dense foods in one sitting. It is also the result of ignoring or not receiving the signals of satiety. For example, a breakfast consisting of four eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheese and milk will contain excessive calories that the body will have to store as fat.
  • Overeating can happen by snacking throughout the day and not leaving enough time between meals.
  • Overeating can be the consequence of restricting caloric intake and then eating too large a quantity of food in one sitting.
  • Emotional eating: suppressed tears tightens the diaphragm. Anxiety may be experienced as an uncomfortable cramping in the stomach. Most suppressed emotions are connected to the digestive tract and can be interpreted as hunger. Using food to numb an uncomfortable feeling is seen commonly in disordered eating.
  • Sadness, resentments, anger, boredom or loneliness are common feelings leading to the misuse of food. The fear of pain or our judgments conditioned by our upbringing leads us to deny these feelings and we use food unconsciously to numb ourselves.
  • Food addiction which is facilitated by food availability and visibility in every store possible. Food addiction is the result of conscious manipulation by the food industry which uses products like fat and sugar known for their addictive potential to hook those who don’t have appropriate outlet for their emotions.
  • Dieting for weight loss with meal replacement or counting calories, contributes to the obesity epidemic by reinforcing restriction that leads to overindulging. Dieting reinforces the ambivalence about food; attraction, repulsion and restriction contains the seed of binging.

Therapeutic Approach to Disordered Eating Habits

Disordered eating behaviors are all characterized by an abnormal use of food to satisfy needs irrelevant to hunger. Whether it be the fear of being alone, anger, anxiety or stress, the proper therapies have to be put in place to bring awareness to the use of food to deal with emotions in order to achieve proper weight management.

A successful approach to obesity and overweight should include the investigation of the causes as a preamble to weight loss. Treating the cause of obesity is the only guarantee of a successful treatment. A successful treatment would preclude any relapse because it treats the psychological components underlying obesity. The common use of dieting in weight loss programs, is not only a failure in the treatment of obesity but it also reinforces the restrictive behavior leading to its opposite: overeating and binge eating.

A successful treatment to obesity should include:

  • Hormone testing: leptin, ghrelin, insulin, thyroid hormones, cortisol
  • Other tests to assess possible health effects of obesity: blood sugar, cholesterol, liver enzymes
  • Psychotherapy to resolve psychological problems
  • Meditation, conscious eating, mindfulness to increase awareness
  • Cooking classes, nutritional counseling to educate and increase understanding
  • Conflict resolution, couple and family counseling to facilitate resolution

From Nutrition to Gastronomy

Food has long been used as an outlet beyond nutrition. It has been a way to socialize, celebrate special events therefore eating is an important part of the natural rhythms that govern our lives. Culinary arts around the world enhances the natural pleasure of eating and have brought our survival behaviors to a higher level of sophistication. Industrialization of food on the other hand has ruined the meaning of food and taken with it one of the meanings of life on earth.

Processed food has introduced psychopathological behaviors around food. Foods devoid of nutritional value disrupt the normal cycle of hunger and satiety. Foods filled with chemicals, colorants and preservatives disrupt the body’s metabolic function generating dangerous (toxic) fat. Chemicals that are not cleared from the body are most often stored in fat cells which disrupt hormone signaling and can make it hard to lose weight with clean nutrition and an active lifestyle.

Everyone deserves to experience the pleasure of eating and to feel safe with food. We need to reclaim our birth right to connect with nature and with each other through tasty and natural foods that will give us energy, contentment, health and longevity!

To Change or Not to Change

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The Mastery of Lifestyle Changes

Change is a constant flow of transformation. Change comes from the intrinsic quality of life, impermanency. While the body changes from moment to moment and time takes us to our inevitable final destination, we are poorly aware of this state of affairs and live our lives as if we were never going to die, acquiring material possessions, fame, money and secular habits. When awareness strikes and we want to make a change, it becomes as frightening as jumping off a cliff. Having lived with the illusion of permanency, fear paralyzes us and we feel powerless. So, why are we clinging to old habits that destroy us, “friends” that abuse us, and meaningless jobs that we hate?

The answer is in THE BRAIN

Our brain has evolved over millions of years, from the simple survival behaviors such as sex and feeding, to the more complex ones such as feeling and thinking. The neuroscientist, Paul MacLean, suggests this theory: that the human brain is composed of three different layers that have evolved over millennia – the triune brain or three brains in one.

The Triune Brain

The Triune Brain

The Three Layers of the Brain

The deeper and most ancient layer, is the reptilian brain. This layer corresponds to the base chakra and 2nd chakra: It encodes survival of the individual and of the species (feeding and reproduction). It is compulsory in the sense that these behaviors are obligated by nature’s design to conserve itself. Nature rewards these behaviors with pleasure as a motivation to perform them. The next layer, the limbic system, corresponds to the 3rd and 4th chakra. It is the center of emotions, learning, and memory formation. The limbic system evaluates the pleasantness or unpleasantness of experiences. It is the center of the fight or flight response and the dopamine reward system that plays such an important role in habit forming. The cortex, the most recent layer, which corresponds to the throat and third eye chakra, is the higher processing center of our brain, and the center of rational thinking. It can recall past memories, project into the future and learn language. It is the center of our will, judgment, compassion, and mindfulness. The neocortex provides the basis for self-awareness, in addition to intellectual function. In the same way the chakras collect energy from the previous lower level, each layer of the brain gathers information from the deeper brain and the body through the nervous system, informing us about the quality of the environment and of our inner state.

The Brain as Friend and Foe

According to this design, the brain is sending potentially conflicting messages depending on the part which sends it. While habits get stored in the basal ganglia, our will to change sits in the prefrontal cortex. Now, the brain that wanted to make our life easier by learning a habit, resists the conscious part of the brain that wants to change it. The only hitch: it learnt a bad habit that may be detrimental to our survival. For instance, we got into the habit of smoking when we were young because we were modeling our respectable adults and when we became aware of the harmful nature of this habit and wanted to quit, we could not. The compulsory part of the brain is ruling our behavior to the detriment of our free will. To reverse this situation and make the brain follow our decisions rather than oppose them, we must examine how habits get formed. And, how and why we learned them, so that we may be able to erase what we don’t want and create what we freely choose.

Habit forming is initiated by the brain’s desire to learn, which is rendered possible by its malleability. The ability to learn is what enables us to establish habits. We are adventurous, avid for new knowledge and we love learning.

As children, we learned how to walk and how to talk through imitation and repetition. The blueprint of those habits were stored in our brain forever in the form of neurons firing together in specific pathways. Habits became unconscious freeing our time for other adventures. While we are walking we can hold a conversation with a friend while our brain works for us. Tripping on a stone will wake us up and bring our walking to the forefront of our awareness again. So, unconscious habits can be made conscious again, should we need to or choose them to.

Learning occurs through emulation and self-emulation, which is supported by the dopamine reward system of the brain: From crawling to standing, we were inspired by our parent’s smiles and rewarded by their encouragements. A positive feedback loop was established with the environment and within us. As we grew into adulthood, we became self-motivated as we learned a new language, how to play tennis, or as we learned a new job.

Learning also occurs through repetition. How many times did we stand up and walked again after a fall? As we moved through life, we learned to not only master sports and other tasks, but also fears, and poor behaviors.

The brain can project into the future, recall the past, and reflect on itself. Its love for betterment is what motivates us to make changes. The brain learns by setting experiences into patterns that will eventually be the control center of automatic behaviors. This programming has the advantage of freeing our attention for other matters, but does not allow for an original and spontaneous answer. Therefore, patterns are rigid. The good news is that we have the ability to appeal to the frontal lobe cortex to supersede any habitual behavior by a spontaneous response.

The brain is non-judgmental and does not distinguish between good and bad habits.

The brain is not picky about the quality of the habits it is forming. The brain does not have a judgment or a philosophy about what is good and what is bad. The problem comes with the negative offerings of our modern world. Our brain was wired for a supporting and loving environment therefore learning self-confidence and love. But in an unsafe environment humans will learn insecurity, mistrust and fear of intimacy. Our brain is wired to associate food and love. If our mother served us a microwave frozen pizza for dinner our brain will associate pizza and love. We will love pizza and continue eating pizza through our life unless…. our frontal cortex wakes up the sleepy bear and understands the connection between processed food, bloating and weight gain.

We engage on the path of change when bad habits became detrimental to our physical, emotional, or spiritual health. The instant pleasure derived from them is not worth the long term discomfort that they create. When we start to make a change, is when the battle begins between the different parts of the brain. The deeper part of the brain function is to hold on to habits good or bad. The good news again is that bad habits can be reversed, thanks to the malleability and self-awareness of the brain.

THE MASTERY OF LIFESTYLE CHANGE

The Path of the Hero

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is due to the prevalence of established patterns associated with set rewarding pathways in the brain.
We want to change but we cannot. We tried to quit smoking many times but we relapsed. We want to be positive, but this alter voice says nasty words of anger and judgment.

To overcome the brain resistance to change, the old pathways need to be deserted and new ones need to be built. Change is not instantaneous. Changing a habit involves work. In the same way we learned the old habit through motivation and repetition we will have to continue using motivation and repetition to create a new habit. The old pathways will progressively lose their strength as we quit reinforcing them. The thoughts and feelings associated with the behavior will also become less pervasive, but we will need to build a new habit to fulfill similar functions and satisfy the brain’s desire for reward.

MAP to Overcome the Resistance to Change

Motivation, Awareness and Practice are the necessary tools needed by the hero to master the journey of change.

How to break an old habit… First step: Motivation

Bad habits are associated with instant positive reward and a negative long term reward. The pain or the suffering has to attain its threshold before we seek a change. Hopefully, we don’t wait until bad habits develop into disease or illness. Sometimes, the fear of losing a loved one or losing money may create a strong enough motivation to instigate a desire to change. Whatever detrimental behaviors have developed around the practice of bad habits is the common denominator to initiate change, and the desire to be free from our lower self. Attachment to suffering can have deep roots into our upbringing and we may have to investigate patterns acquired as coping mechanism during childhood. Past traumas and history of abuse is the usual background for self-destructive habits. Confronting our fears is an important part of this first step as well as creating a clear vision of our path, consolidated by affirmations about who we want to be. For instance, if we are afraid of sharing our feelings and want to be able to express how we feel, we must overcome the fear by breaking the habit of being silent and speak up.

How to break and old habit… Second step: Awareness and Pause

To overcome the automatic unfolding of a habit we must interrupt it from another part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex. In well-established habits, the thought of smoking or complaining has become unconscious. We grab a cigarette, or complain without thinking about it or being aware of it. We must slow down enough to bring the thought to our awareness. This awareness can be called in any time during the process of performing an old habit. The earlier we catch it, the easier to stop it. The prefrontal cortex is the seat of awareness. So, visualizing the third eye, or tapping the forehead, helps to mobilize awareness. The goal of this phase is to become the watcher or the witness. During this phase there is no doing, just contemplation as the energy is removed from the automatic train of thought and redirected to meditation. It is important during this stage to mobilize the reward system of the brain by reframing our thoughts and deriving instant pleasure from being empowered and in control of the situation. Deriving pleasure in the moment will present a feasible alternative to the brain to go a different route.

How to break an old habit: Third step Practice

Extend the current pleasant experience and repeat. As we extend the time of self-reflection, reframing our desire to smoke and identifying as a non-smoker, we must associate it with pleasure. Take a deep breath of clean air and feel the gratefulness of our lungs. As we stop the complainer or the blaming, we must savor the pleasure of self-empowerment in taking responsibility about our feelings. Then, repeat this new practice over time until it has become a spontaneous reaction and a new healthy learned habit. The pleasure or joy of success associated with the new behavior will create a motivation to continue the learning.

PHYSIOLOGY OF CHANGE

For successful changes, we must work on the psychological level as well as the physiological level. The neuronal pathways carry their impulses through neurons connected to each other’s by chemical messengers, the neurotransmitters. Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins are neurotransmitters that play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of habits. Neurotransmitters and neurons depend on the blood to bring nutrients and oxygen on a constant basis. To rebuild neurotransmitters and neurons we need the appropriate amino acids, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. Those maybe have been depleted by poor lifestyle habits and poor nutrition, toxic exposure to heavy metals and chemicals. Therefore, healthy nutrition and supplementation is of primal importance to rebuild the depleted brain.

SOCIOLOGY OF CHANGE

The environment provides cues that trigger our habits. It is important to remove these cues and to surround ourselves with like-minded people who will provide a positive feedback and support to our newly created habits. For instance, if we want to quit drinking 3 glasses of wine every night with dinner, then it is important to remove wine from our closet and replace the wine with lemon water. It will be important to enjoy drinking the lemon water and feel rewarded by the pleasure that we are exerting from our freedom of choice. Our partner or other family members dining with us, would have to abstain from drinking as well. For more advanced problems with alcohol, we will want to attend meetings with people who are pursuing similar goals, socialize with friends who are not drinking alcohol, and substitute activities like exercise or other active lifestyle choices that will produce the same effect on the brain’s reward system.

 

 

 

Want Change In 2016? Discover The Key To A New You

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The Constant Flow of Change

Life is constant change. When we live in the present we experience this constant change as a pleasant sensation like floating gently down the river. Everything around us is a fresh discovery with acceptance of change. We feel like a child who has a sense of wonder. We experience life without fear. But then, slowly as we become adults, we learn how to live in the mind and the illusion of the past and the future. We hold on to the past and we try to control the future. The future cannot be controlled because it does not exist. It exists in our mind, but there is no physical reality to it and we can only control the present. The present has a physical form: we hear the birds or the sound of traffic and we can change our focus or move away from that experience. When we want to control that which cannot be controlled, anxiety sets in. We must learn and accept that it is impossible to control the future and stop wanting to control it. When we stop wanting to control the future the anxiety falls away on its own and we live peacefully in a stream of constant change.

When we resist change, we swim against the current and the stream becomes more powerful and dangerous.

stopresistingchange

The Crisis of Change

When we hold on to habits that do not serve us anymore a conflict arises in us. We find ourselves in situations where we do not want to be. Embodying behaviors empty of meaning, we get confused, the battle within us takes a lot of energy and we find ourselves tired, sometimes not wanting to get out of bed because we don’t want to face a life that does not make sense. Depression sets in. We experience fear of the future and the unknown. We are stripped of our power and strength. We are in crisis, we need a change, but we waited so long that all we can see, live and experience is the crisis; we cannot see clearly anymore, we are drowning and we scream for help. Hopefully someone hears us. We will need a safe and nurturing environment to restore trust in life.

Small Changes to Avoid Crisis

The lesson to learn from the crisis is to stay aware and be honest with ourselves.

We cannot continue to take care of everybody except ourselves. We have to stop pushing ourselves in a direction that we don’t believe in. We have to stop reaching for a substance to relieve our anxiety. Seeking pleasure does not work anymore. This pill does not help to get out of bed; this job does not serve my purpose. How long will I take abuse from this man or woman? How long will I accept feeling numb? Old habits, including the painful ones, are old friends and we hold on to them because they are familiar. Fear of the future and the unknown can only be conquered by acceptance of the present and loving the adventure of life.

constantchange

Make a Change Now

Another year is around the corner and full of potential. 2016 is an empty space and time like a blank canvas daunting our creativity. A painting to be created, a new story to be invented, a positive intention for a bright future, a wish for peace within, a whisper in the silent universe.

Our Programs Include Lifestyle Changes, Detoxification, Raw Foods, Gerson Therapy, Fasting, Rejuvenation, Transformation

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dalai lama humanity

Compassion = I See You As a Part of Me
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Compassion = I see you as a part of me.

I know like me, you too are not perfect.

Yet, like me you too are are fully deserving of existence.

Like me, you too are fully deserving of love and kindness.

Like me, you too need forgiveness and acceptance.

Like me, you too deserve to be fully heard, like me, you deserve to be held softly with tenderness and care, like me you too are the part of wholeness of this moment. This moment couldn’t be complete without you, you are one of its fragrance and taste. By honoring, respecting your presence, I fully honor this Moment!

The Entrepreneur and Personal Growth

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What Does Money Have To Do With Spirituality You May Ask?

Isn’t it true that all spiritual masters request that you leave material values behind prior to embarking on the spiritual path?  Isn’t the relinquishment of success, money and power the prerequisite to enlightenment?

What would Buddha do today if he was a working class guy making it from one paycheck to the next?  If you have only known attachment to the material world, it would make it (the material world) the obvious culprit to reject to find the truth.

However, today it is not necessary to reject the social world to find a spiritual path and this view of spirituality is outdated. What is the impact of monastery life on the direction of the world?

Modern living needs a new type of spiritual engagement that impacts individuals in their daily lives.  There is enormous value in finding purpose in partaking in the social world and be a happy human being through a professional life with meaning and purpose.

Work is not about getting a job to have money to pay bills. No, instead work is the expression of the higher needs of human beings.

In the distant past work was about contributing to the immediate community: growing food, grinding flour, making shoes, and clothing. Work was developing a creative activity useful to everyone. Work had the purpose of serving the needs of the community. With the collapse of communities following industrialization, work became motivated by the search for financial security. In this process, work lost its devotional dimension and in people’s search for meaning, people found that work could be motivated by service to a higher purpose. The causes that people found meaningful are countless.

Stepping Out of the Corporate World

Because the majority of jobs created by the corporate world do not offer this higher purpose, people found it is necessary to step out of this world and create their own business.   Stepping out of the corporate world and letting go of the “job security” mentality takes courage.  It takes detachment from the fear of lack to take this first step.   It takes trust in life and self confidence. It takes spirit to take a chance to start your own business.

Personal Growth and Business Growth

Once you have established your company it needs to grow.  It will grow as long as you are growing and you will grow as long as your company will be growing.  Your company is the reflection of you and vice versa.  Success is not only measured financially.  It is measured by the beauty you spread around you, how many people you inspire in the world and how much goodness you bring to the planet. What is your contribution to the well-being of others?  Growing your company means expanding your consciousness and expanding your monetary growth.  Money powered by good intentions can create the beautiful world that we all dream of and the manifestation in our daily life of the playful and happy vision that everyone brings with them at birth.

Written by Dr. Maya Nicole Baylac

Psychology, Spirituality and Lifestyle Changes in Naturopathic Medicine

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We are proud to announce the participation as speaker of our medical director and doctor, Maya Nicole Baylac, today at the ICNM 2013 held in Paris. Dr. Baylac discussed, Psychology, Spirituality and Lifestyle Changes in Naturopathic Medicine.

ICNM 2013 (International Congress of Naturopathic Medicine) is the premier international congress for the most influential and inspiring complementary medicine practitioners and healthcare professionals who are dedicated to improving patient care.

Dr. Baylac’s presentation focuses on how mind, body and spirit approaches work together to bring about permanent lifestyle changes. The specific conditions in which this is demonstrated in her talk are: food addiction (obesity, overweight) and depression.

Contemporary physical and mental illness both need to be addressed on the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social levels to be treated successfully on a permanent basis. Nutrition and exercise can restore the biochemistry of the body and the brain and a psycho-spiritual approach is necessary for behavioral changes to happen. Dr. Baylac reviews the need of psychology in physical medicine for successful lifestyle changes and the need of nutrition in psychiatry to resolve mental illness.

Today, eighty percent of physical illness can be resolved by lifestyle changes. However, we need to be familiar with the science of change to help our patients successfully.

For change to take place the following sequence has to happen:

  1. Educate – Understand the relationship between nutritional and lifestyle habits and health.
  2. Motivate – Doctor as model: we need to inspire our patients by practicing what we teach and patients should emulate us. Social network.
  3. Liberate – Awareness techniques and meditation to provide means to access the free will to make positive choices.

Here are the slides of the talk Dr. Baylac gave in Paris today – ICNM 2013.


 

 

Create Your Own Miracle

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Eight simple steps

Want to create your own miracle? Want to attract only good things into your life?

To help get you started on the path of creating your own miracle, here are 8 simple steps…

Be very clear

You need to be very clear about the miracle you desire – about the good you want in your world. As you clearly visualize or imagine your miracle, focus only on the end result of what you want, not the means by which it comes about. Let the “how” be up to the Infinite Intelligence that’s working for you in response to your thinking.

Expect the best

We tend to attract that which we love, fear, or steadily expect. So expect the best, even when negative circumstances appear — in fact, especially when they appear. When we expect less than what we want, we get less than what we want. Remind yourself that you do deserve the good you desire. You deserve it by the right of your very existence. Consciously and consistently expect that everything is working to your greatest and highest good.

Let go of fear

Fear is faith in something negative. Be watchful about your thinking. Your thoughts magnetically attract others like themselves. When you think negatively, your mind will go on a stream-of-consciousness journey into all sorts of related realms of negativity until you consciously stop yourself. All of this will block your miracle. Of course, you can’t eliminate every single negative thought for the rest of your life. But all you need is 51% faith and your life will begin to turn in the right direction. When you realize this truth, you will begin to feel empowered, and your faith will become more and more self-generating.

Open your mind to all possibilities

When we open to a greater flow of Universal Power and Intelligence in our world, we also need to let go of the way we want it. Although miracles always unfold in a very natural manner, they often come through unexpectedchannels. Whenever we hold tight, mentally or physically, to having things unfold “our way,” we run the risk of delaying our good, diminishing it or even blocking it all together. “What” is up to you. “How” is up to Spirit.

See yourself as you want to be

If you desire health, you need to see yourself healthy and filled with energy and enthusiasm for life. If you desire abundance, you need to see yourself enjoying an abundant lifestyle. And so forth. This does not mean living in a state of denial. On the contrary, you are clear about the facts of your present situation and handle what needs to be handled. But while you are doing all of this, your thinking about where you are headed is focused on what you want, not on what you don’t want or where you are today.

Keep the power

Don’t talk about it. Keep your miracle secret. To share it prematurely is to dissipate some of the Power of your idea. Further, a negative or envious person will contribute a certain amount of negative energy, either spoken or unspoken, around your idea. The integrity of the relationship between you and Spirit with respect to the unfoldment of your miracle must not be violated. Wait until it is absolutely necessary to share your idea in order for it to continue unfolding. Even then, share as little as possible with as few people as possible.

Do what needs to be done by you

Through the Law of Attraction, many good things move into our lives,apparently unbidden. But almost always, there are things that you need to do and choices you need to make. When you are very clear about what it is you want or need, your mind becomes calm and focused. This, in turn, provides a clear channel for the guidance and direction you need in making your choices and decisions about what to do–whether it’s choosing the right doctor or taking the right job.

Pray. Pray often. Prayer works

Prayer is effective whether we’re praying for ourselves, praying for others, or being prayed for by others. You don’t have to be religious for your prayers to be effective. A few suggestions:

  • Pray at a time and in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
  • Allow yourself to feel empathy, love, and compassion for yourself or for whomever you are praying.
  • Pray with a complete expectation that your prayer is being answered and that the desired result is right now in the process of manifestation.
  • After you pray, “let go and let Good.” At that point, your job in the creative process is complete. Your continuing work is to guard your thinking. Creatively praying several times a day is a major key to success in obtaining your desires.

from the blog Eight steps to bringing wonderful experiences into your life

by M. C. Rann and E. R. Arrott

Be Inspired this Halloween

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Research shows that although there are several reasons why people begin to use alcohol and drugs, boredom is one of the most popular reasons why people engage in drug and alcohol use. According to Dr. Maya Nicole Baylac our programs director and natural drug rehabilitation counselor and therapist, “boredom is one of the slippery paths to alcohol and drug addiction”.

Being aware of the power of boredom we provide and support creativity as an antidote as part of our programs at the Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat. In celebration of Halloween patients painted brown coconuts with Christine last Thursday.

“My 12 years working as an Occupational therapist has taught me the value of therapeutic activities. Art is a great way to express your inner creativity and at the same time be a wonderful stress reducer. It can teach you problem solving techniques in a safe non-threatening environment. The finished product will give you a sense of accomplishment and pride, and helps boost self-esteem.” – Christine

Painted coconut masterpieces in the spirit of Halloween while on retreat

During this particular creative activity, patients were discussing different arts and craft activities they could do when they got home to replace the destructive habit of drinking alcohol out of boredom.

Suggested activities for preventing boredom:

Watch your thoughts and make a conscious effort to add new thoughts and different activities into your day
Find a new hobby or renew an old hobby you still feel passionate about
Offer your time by volunteering for a cause or non-profit that you belief in
Make your bucket list and draw up a plan with goals on how to actualize your list
Sign up for a class on something you had always been interested in
Join a spiritual group and learn about meditation and living in touch with a Higher Power
Visit your town or city museum and sign up for an art class or art appreciation event

Helpful Links:

49 Creative Things You Can Do Today – iHanna’s Blog on Art, Craft and Creativity in Everyday Life

Find a Hobby – Hobby List by Squidoo or, Discover a Hobby

Meditation and Abstinence from Drugs

What’s on Your Bucket List? 101 Things To Do Before You Die

Find a Great Place to Volunteer in Your Local Community

Coping With Cancer: What To Do If You Are Diagnosed With Cancer

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Hearing a diagnosis of cancer can be perceived as a death sentence. Often the doctor accompanies his verdict with a date. Fear and panic sets in. Some patients fulfill their doctor’s prophecy and die timely. Others decide their time has not come and want to live. For those who decide that life has something to offer to them, Gerson Therapy offers hope and perspective.

WHAT TO DO: First view the diagnosis as a challenge not as a sentence. Every challenge can be turned into a learning experience. Then look at every aspect of your life and see what you like and what you do not like.

LEARN ABOUT CANCER: First of all – what is the cause of cancer? Many doctors have no idea. Here is the answer: Cancer is duecause of cancer to toxicity and deficiency. And your state of mind. A weak immune system has allowed cancerous cells to proliferate. The immune system responds to emotional, mental, spiritual and physiological material.

LEARN ABOUT CANCER REVERSAL: Cancer can be reversed by working on the causes – either 1. the toxicity problem (body physiology), 2. the deficiency problem (body physiology), or 3. the mind’s emotional/mental/spiritual problem. Best of course is to work on all these areas at the same time. Sleep and rest is also an important part of healing. It is during sleep that the body detoxifies, repairs and regenerates.

LEARN ABOUT GERSON CARE AND SIMILAR ALTERNATIVE METHODS: Our Gerson strategy consists in strengthening the deficient immune system. We detoxify the body and the mind. It involves change. Change in diet, change in patterns of behavior and change in life style.

  • The nutritional program involve juicing vegetables every hour.
  • It is beneficial to have help from the family, friends, neighbors.
  • Mild exercise such as jumping on a trampoline and later on walking are helpful. Read about Max Gerson and reversing advanced cancers. Read about 3 medical doctors with cancer who refused medical care and recovered.

LEARN ABOUT MEDICAL CARE: Don’t put any medical doctor on a pedestal. Always ask for second opinions from both medical and different alternative doctors. Next read this article presented by Joseph Mercola, M.D. – quote: “This article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is the best article I have ever seen written in the published literature documenting the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm.”. And read this article at the same website. Go to International Natural Hygiene Society (INHS) website and read about natural hygiene and the new direction medicine started to move in the 1800′s (later thwarted by drug industry). Learn to be a little more critical.

DO YOU FEEL DEPRESSED? Are you feeling depressed or nervous? Must-do: learn Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) acutapping, a simple and powerful do-it-yourself energy method. EFT will make you feel much better in minutes, and will help you think clearly. Learn tapping for cancer at their website, here are examples of reversing: kidney cancer and uterine cancer. Get a food processor, blender or juicer – and start to either eat green blended salads or drink green juices every day. Avoid sugars, which feed cancer. E.g. eat more raw & fresh, either all-raw, or a Meditarranean-style diet, without the starches, sugars, and pasta(!). Eating better will make you feel better. Eating toxin-free will start reversing your cancer.

UNDERSTAND HOW CANCER IS HEALED AND WHY: Cancer is probably only deadly if the wrong methods are used. Since the 1st cause of cancer is toxicity, you must first go through a detoxification. Adding toxins is dangerous and must be avoided. Since the 2nd cause of cancer is deficiency, you must also eat a diet that gives all necessary nutrients. For this reason the recovery diet must be raw, it must consist of a lot of live foods. Click here for some nutritional articles.

UNDERSTAND THAT CANCER CAN BE AN OPPORTUNITY: The 3rd cause of cancer is mental, emotional & spiritual distress – e.g. deep-seated unhappiness. It is very important that a cancer diagnosis doesn’t aggravate this state of mind – instead you must be hopeful and optimistic and perhaps even see this as a fantastic chance to heal your life and body, to become happier and more fulfilled than ever before. A cancer scare can give you a really good reason to finally improve your lifestyle.

LIVE YOUR DREAMS: Many people do not get to accomplish what they really wanted to accomplish in their lives. They settle down for less than they wanted. They gave up their dreams and ideals for convenience and comfort. A part of them has died. They are grieving this part of themselves. It is essential for recovery to get in touch with this deep self and give it a chance It is never too late to fulfill your dreams, to live up to your ideals. It is never too late to change your life. I have known a person who upon hearing a diagnosis of cancer decided to go sailing around the world because that is what she always dreamt of doing. She reversed her cancer. Read this article on psychology and the fighting spirit. (Dr. Baylac has been a psychotherapist for 35+ years.)

PRAY AND MEDITATE: Prayer has been shown to be effective. To pray and to be prayed to. Meditation is another way to mobilize the spiritual energy and put it at work for healing. Next read this article on hope and spirituality. Read Create your Own Miracle. Read about meditation here. Learn and use EFT, a powerful quick-method for emotional freedom. Do laughing-yoga. Read a cancer case article in Remarkable Recoveries here. Read Eckhart Tolle’s books, view a free 15-hour online Oprah interview with him. And perhaps read Brandon Bays’ The Journey for more ideas.

ACT QUICKLY! Note: If you wait too long with the important steps of detoxification, and nutritional re-building – you can reach an advanced stage from which reversal is very difficult. Begin the detoxification process, and nutritional (raw foods) re-building process, as soon as possible! Immediately cutting down on all toxins, from all sources, is a good idea. Down to zero. Read Toxins What Are They? At our Alternative Cancer Treatment and Gerson Therapy retreat you will get help to go through with the steps above. You will get professional psychotherapy, and raw meals prepared for you every day. Gerson Therapy also involves coffee enemas.