Podcast Summary
Understanding the Neuroscience of Disordered Eating: Trauma and dysregulation in the nervous system can lead to harmful eating behaviors and even contribute to disease. By examining the root causes and applying neurology techniques, individuals can heal their relationship with food and regain focus for living a fulfilling life.
Our relationship with food can be deeply rooted in trauma and a scarcity mindset, leading to disordered eating patterns. Elizabeth Kristof, a neurology expert and founder of Brain Based Wellness, shares her personal experiences of how trauma and dysregulation in the nervous system can manifest in harmful eating behaviors and even contribute to disease. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the neuroscience behind binge eating and applying neurology techniques to heal trauma and disordered eating. Both Elizabeth and her guest, Ro, share their experiences of developing unhealthy eating habits at a young age and the negative impact it had on their lives. They discuss how food can be seen as a source of comfort and safety when other areas of life lack it. By examining the root causes of disordered eating and applying neurology-based techniques, individuals can begin to heal their relationship with food and regain their energy and focus for living a fulfilling life.
Our brain's response to caloric restriction: Our brain perceives food restriction as a threat, leading to a neural loop of binge eating. Focus on a balanced, sustainable approach to eating instead.
Our brain's response to caloric restriction is not a failure or a sign of weakness, but a natural survival mechanism. When we deprive ourselves of food, our brain perceives it as a threat and initiates a neural loop that can lead to binge eating. This response is not about willpower or addiction to certain foods, but rather a deeply ingrained survival instinct. The more we restrict, the stronger this response becomes, often leading to a cycle of restriction and binge eating, fueled by a scarcity mindset and the allure of forbidden foods. To break this cycle, it's essential to understand that food restriction and deprivation are not the solution, but rather the problem. Instead, focusing on a balanced, sustainable approach to eating, free from shame and guilt, can help us build a healthier relationship with food and our bodies.
Binge eating: A complex issue rooted in philosophy and physiology: Healing from binge eating involves cultivating a healthy relationship with movement and food, viewing them as essential components of our human experience rather than sources of punishment or scarcity.
Binge eating is a complex issue rooted in both philosophical and physiological factors. From a philosophical standpoint, it can stem from a scarcity mindset or disordered relationships with food. From a physiological perspective, it can be an output of the nervous system in response to high levels of stress. When we push ourselves too hard, our brain may protect us by triggering negative outputs like binge eating to reduce stress and threat levels. This can be particularly true for individuals who learned to push through pain and discomfort at a young age, as I did growing up with a hardworking single mother. It's important to note that movement is a crucial part of overall health, and it should be viewed as a nourishing and joyful experience rather than a form of punishment. Our bodies rely on movement for various systems to function properly, including the lymphatic system, heart health, and joint health. When we don't move, our brains lose the ability to accurately map our bodies in space, making it harder to make predictions and trust our movements, potentially leading to further stress and potential binge eating. Ultimately, healing involves cultivating a healthy relationship with movement and food, viewing them as essential components of our human experience rather than sources of punishment or scarcity.
The more we repeat a behavior, the stronger the neural pathway becomes: Understanding the physiological reasons behind our behaviors can help us make positive changes, as our brains and bodies are interconnected. Changing ingrained behaviors requires more energy but can lead to improved health and well-being.
Our brains form neural pathways based on our experiences and behaviors, and the more we repeat a behavior, the stronger the pathway becomes. This is because our bodies are trying to be efficient and lay down myelin on the nerves to make it easier for signals to be transmitted. However, changing a well-worn pathway requires more energy and can be threatening to the brain because it disrupts pattern recognition and makes predictions harder. This is why it can be difficult to change ingrained behaviors, even if they are harmful. The discussion also highlighted the importance of movement and stimulating mechanoreceptors in maintaining a clear picture of our body's position in space, which is crucial for taking steps and staying alive. Overall, the key takeaway is that our brains and bodies are interconnected, and understanding the physiological reasons behind our behaviors can help us make positive changes.
Food issues rooted in nervous system response: Identify food issues as nervous system response, reduce overall threat levels, shift to abundant view of food, and seek neuro coaching for healing
Food issues are often rooted in the nervous system and not a lack of willpower. The speaker shared her personal experience of dealing with binge eating, which she identified as a "freeze" response to stress and trauma. This response can manifest as a compulsive need to eat, often without pleasure or satisfaction. The speaker emphasized that healing requires recognizing this as an output of the nervous system and working to reduce overall threat levels. She also shared the importance of shifting to an abundant view of food and away from diet culture and scarcity mindset. The speaker's journey to overcome binge eating spanned several decades and she highlighted the importance of neuro coaching and reconnecting the brain and body in the healing process. It's important for individuals struggling with food issues to remember that they are not alone and that healing is possible.
Healing mindset vs. toxic diet culture: Scarcity mindset and diet culture lead to harmful behaviors and disordered relationships with food. Focus on listening to your body's signals and allowing indulgences to prevent excessive chemicals and sugar intake. Healing the nervous system and training the vagus nerve are crucial steps to improving mental and physical health.
The mentality of strictly healing yourself with food can be harmful. It's not specific foods that cause disease or disordered relationships with food. Instead, it's the scarcity mindset and diet culture that lead to binging and create a toxic environment in our bodies. Allowing ourselves to listen to our body's internal signals and sometimes indulge in treats can prevent us from putting excessive chemicals and sugar in our systems, leading to disease. Additionally, healing the nervous system is crucial to overriding harmful behaviors and reducing the threat level our bodies experience. Training the vagus nerve, which is responsible for internal signals from the brain to the body, is an essential part of this process. By developing a stronger connection to our bodies and reducing the perceived threats, we can improve our mental and physical health. Studies show that disorders in interception, our body's internal cues, are linked to mental health issues like eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. Our interoceptive system makes predictions and sets our body's automatic functions in response to perceived challenges. By focusing on these aspects of healing, we can create a healthier relationship with food and our bodies.
Understanding Interoceptive Dysregulation and its Effects: Interoceptive dysregulation from trauma or chronic stress can cause heightened anxiety and a constant sense of threat. The vagus nerve can be trained to help regulate the nervous system through various methods, but addressing the root causes of high threat levels is also crucial for creating lasting resilience.
Our interoceptive system, which helps us sense internal signals and predict threats, can become dysregulated due to trauma or chronic stress. This dysregulation can manifest as heightened anxiety or a constant sense of threat, even in everyday situations. The vagus nerve, which plays a key role in interception, can be trained through various methods such as somatic meditation, tactile stimulation, or diaphragmatic breathing to help bring the nervous system back into balance. However, it's important to consider why our threat levels may be so high in the first place, as childhood experiences and societal pressures like judgment and imposter syndrome can contribute to interoceptive dysfunction and a scarcity mindset. By addressing both the physiological and cognitive aspects of stress, we can break free from recurring patterns of anxiety and create a more resilient nervous system.
The impact of chronic stress and trauma on our lives: Chronic stress and trauma can lead to a dysregulated nervous system, causing negative outputs like disordered eating, disconnecting from relationships, and workaholism. Healing involves addressing physiological aspects through neuro coaching and somatic healing practices, and changing behavior patterns to break the cycle of scarcity and exhaustion.
Chronic stress and trauma can lead to a dysregulated nervous system, which in turn can cause various negative outputs such as disordered eating, disconnecting from relationships, and workaholism. This vicious cycle is often rooted in a scarcity mindset, which affects various aspects of our lives including our food choices, work habits, and financial situation. To heal, it's essential to address the physiological aspects of the nervous system through methods like neuro coaching and somatic healing practices. Additionally, changing behavior patterns and focusing on being present in the moment can help break the cycle of scarcity and exhaustion. Books like "The Body Keeps the Score" and "Waking the Tiger" can provide valuable insights into somatic healing and recognizing the connection between trauma and disordered behaviors.
Trauma healing goes beyond the mind, body activities help: Trauma healing involves recognizing body symptoms, trying activities like walking, nature, grounding, and challenging internalized privilege.
Trauma resides not only in the mind but also in the body, and healing requires recognizing and addressing it physically. Meditation, while beneficial for some, may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with complex trauma or PTSD. Instead, activities like walking, looking at nature, and grounding oneself in the body can be more effective. Additionally, engaging in practices that challenge internalized privilege, such as comparison to others and adherence to diet culture, can help in the healing process. Remember, everyone's experiences are unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing.
Self-love as a radical act: Practice gratitude and humility for unique experiences and bodies, shift from scarcity to abundance for healing.
Self-love and acceptance are radical acts that challenge systems of injustice. Deepak Chopra's perspective on judgment and food resonated with Elizabeth, who shared her own journey towards radical self-love. She realized that comparing ourselves to others or to past or future versions of ourselves perpetuates the belief that not all lives and bodies are equal. Instead, we should practice gratitude and humility for our unique experiences and bodies, treating them with the respect and care they deserve. This shift from scarcity to abundance is the key to healing. Elizabeth encourages listeners to embrace self-love and offers a special discount code "illuminated25" for 25% off their first membership at Brain Based Wellness. Remember to leave a review to help spread the message of self-love and acceptance. Tune in next week for another inspiring episode.
