Stay Attuned ™: The E-zine for Nourishing ConnectionsYour journey to freedom from food and weight struggles presents an opportunity for not only a new relationship with food, but also a new relationship with yourself and others. Ultimately, it is a journey of nourishing connections with yourself, others--and yes--even food. Stay Attuned™ is committed to supporting you in this journey and to helping you develop nourishing connections that will last a lifetime. Remember, a journey always starts with one small step.... From fellow travelers,
Nourishing Nuggets"Natural eating pleases your soul because it speaks to your senses and your heart. A meal becomes enchanting as you feel physically satisfied while forming a deeper connection with yourself, others, and the world." ~ Linda R. Harper, The Tao of Eating "Women, raised to deny their own needs and feelings in deference to others and as a way to maintain attachments, often deny their bodily needs or delay meeting them ." ~ C. Bloom, L. Kogel, L. Zaphiropoulos in Eating Problems Reflections for Staying AttunedBreakfast? “No time to eat, I’m running late.” Vacation? “I’m too busy to take a day off.” Every day we have the opportunity to tune into our physical and emotional needs. And every day, many of us consciously or unconsciously tune out and disconnect from our needs. So, our physical needs (hunger, sleep, activity, thirst) and our emotional needs (love, attention, connection, safety) may go unmet. If our body or soul signals a need -- more sleep perhaps or connection with a compassionate friend -- and this need goes unmet, we may turn to food in an attempt to make things feel right. The more we tune out, the more our true needs go unmet, and the more we may turn to food to deal with these unmet needs. With restriction or bingeing, hunger is missed. With too much caffeine, fatigue is muted. Over-functioning deflects loneliness. We can become so skilled at ignoring our needs that disconnection feels comfortable, safe, and almost natural. But in the long run, we pay a physical and emotional price. Our immune system weakens, our performance falters, our heart aches. And, we may circle around again to using food for a boost or to numb the pain. To let go of this emotional eating, we need to risk re-connecting with and respecting our needs. Re-connecting requires self-awareness, self-care, and time spent tuning in. As we listen to the valuable information our bodies and souls impart, we will be more likely to give ourselves what we really need, instead of eating emotionally. When we tune in and conduct our self-care according to our body-soul symphony, our appetite becomes satiable, our cravings calm, our emotions manageable, our energy restored, and our heart content. Stay Attuned TipSeveral times today, stop and check in with yourself. Do a body scan—start at the top of your head and slowly feel what is going on in your body. Work your way down to your toes. Do you feel any physical or emotional needs? Ask yourself: “Do I need to clear my head?”…“Do I need to close my eyes?”… “Do I need to cry, to laugh?”…“Do I need to eat or drink?”… “Do I need to stretch my body?”…“Do I need to move my feet?”…“Do I need to sit still?”…”Do I need to take time off?” Stay Attuned Affirmation "I am in tune with the body-soul symphony of my needs. " What's New at Nourishing ConnectionsIt’s Girl Scout cookie season, and the Food Police, backed up by the Cookie Cops have their sirens on full blast. At Research and Such at Nourishing Connections, enjoy an editorial on how this cookie crime “further exacerbates an alarming crisis, no matter how cute the uniforms are.”Feedback and ClosingWelcome to our new subscribers, and hello to current members! Stay Attuned™ exists for you. If you have ideas for topics or feedback (did you try an idea? how did it go?), please write us at dr.k@nourishingconnections.com. Spread the WordFeel free to forward this E-zine to others. We just ask that you keep the E-zine intact, including contact and copyright information. For any other use, written permission is required. And thank you for sharing Stay Attuned™! Subscribe or UnsubscribeTo subscribe (to join), email join-stayattuned@list.nourishingconnections.com. To unsubscribe (be removed from list), email leave-stayattuned@list.nourishingconnections.com. Delivery Problems If you experience delivery problems, check here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stay Attuned™ is written by Karin Kratina,
PhD, RD © Copyright 2007. Dr. Karin Kratina and Amy Tuttle. All rights reserved. ~~~~~ DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to constitute a professional
relationship between Karin or Amy or the reader, nor is it intended as therapy
or counseling. Be sure to consult a qualified professional if you require
medical or psychological services. |