Category Archives: Family

Eating Disorders Counseling Center

Eating Disorders Counseling Center Did you know that more women than men have eating disorders? Learn more about eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating. An example of other specified feeding and eating disorders is “atypical anorexia nervosa”. This category includes individuals who may have lost a lot of weight and whose behaviors […]

Food Is Not the Enemy is Partnering with Hello Life Eating Disorder Recovery Services

Hello Life Eating Disorder Recovery Services received a $10,000 grant from the Health Care Foundation to offer its first professionally-led support group. The Longview nonprofit is partnering with Food is Not the Enemy of Vancouver to offer the free group to Cowlitz County adults for a year, according to a press release. Hello Life provides […]

The #1 Myth About Eating Disorders

Correlating eating disorders with body size/weight decreases diagnosis and treatment There are so many myths about eating disorders thanks to media portrayals and those stereotypes are perpetuated due to a lack of understanding about eating disorders. This misinformation is dangerous because it often prevents people from getting the help they need. Eating disorder myths also […]

Indoor Activities to Entertain Your Kids During Bad Weather

Indoor Activities to Entertain Your Kids During Bad Weather This article is one of the many informative resources you can find on FoodIsNotTheEnemy.com. written by Carrie Spencer from http://thespencersadventures.net/ With the winter season fast approaching, parents are once again looking for ways to keep their little ones active and entertained during the dark, wet days ahead. […]

Eating Disorders and the Narcissist

Eating Disorders and the Narcissist Patients suffering from eating disorders binge on food and sometimes are both anorectic and bulimic. This is an impulsive behaviour as defined by the DSM (particularly in the case of BPD and to a lesser extent of Cluster B disorders in general). Some patients develop these disorders as a way to self-mutilate. It […]

The Culture of Thin is In

Ever notice how many television ads you see tell you 1) how to lose weight and be happy on this diet or that diet 2) why you should eat this food because it is healthy and will help you lose weight or lower your cholesterol 3) that “bad” foods seductively portrayed as delicious, smooth, velvety, […]

Three Stages of Recovery from Abuse: Beyond Survivor

Written by: Rachel Grant, Trauma Recovery Coach I grew up in a fairly small town in Oklahoma, and when I was five years old, my grandfather came to live with my family. I often helped my mom and dad take care of him. I would do simple little things like taking him a bowl of […]

Do the Words Eating Disorder Hinder You?

You may recall my recent survey in which I requested your help. I asked if you wanted a program to help you stop binge eating. THANK YOU to all who responded!!! It was immensely valuable and I am hard at work creating the program and adding all the elements you requested! In one survey response, […]

The #1 Secret to Ending Eating Disorder Behaviors

Being caught in this binge purge cycle to any degree will not help you have a good relationship with food. When you purge, the binge will always return. When you binge, the purge will always return. You can’t have one without the other. What they lead to and remind you of is how much you […]

Look fantastic on the outside, feel beautiful on the inside; no weight loss required

Pants, dresses, shorts, skirts, t-shirts, blouses, bras, lingerie, socks, tights, leggings… oh my! Silk, linen, wool, cashmere, cotton, denim, leather… exquisite! Patterns, prints, flowers, solids, sunny colors, warm colors, dark colors, all the colors of the rainbow and more…fun! Unlike women a hundred years ago, we have tons of garment options in loads of combinations! […]

More of Me to Love on the Inside

I used to be a lone business owner. For years, I worked on my business all by myself. This is what I was taught after all. I was the only one I could count on; I had to do it alone. Finally, one day I realized that I didn’t want to be alone in it […]

Revolutions Not Resolutions

The turn of the calendar into a New Year occurs again. I admit it; January is my favorite month of the year. Not because it’s a time to renew my resolution and finally get the body I have always wanted. Not because I get to start over once again with this-diet-will-work- this-time resolution. Not because […]

Eating Mindfully

If You are Going to Eat It, You May as Well Taste It If you are a compulsive overeater, you may tend to shovel food down without even tasting it. Have you ever eaten an entire meal and still felt hungry afterwards? This is because you didn’t eat what you really wanted or didn’t take […]

Critically Think Your Way to Feeling Good about Yourself

An acquaintance of mine, who knows what I do for a living and partially understands it, likes to tell me what he knows about the study of weight, food, etc. It is his way of bonding with me and supporting me. I appreciate it. Yet because he only partially understands, I often tense a little […]

Death and Taxes and Eating Disorders

What do these have to do with eating disorders? “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” -Benjamin Franklin I believe in living a healthy life. I believe in eating healthy and exercising for health. I also believe in emotional health and I believe emotional health is as important (if not more so) […]

Find a Community of Support

We all want to fit in. It is natural and normal. It is human. We need each other because we are social beings. Even if you are shy or have social anxiety, you need a tribe of people – a place you fit in. In a society where thin is in and any other body […]

There are Steps to Take Toward Recovery

Recovery from an eating disorder (or disordered eating, if you prefer) is no simple task. You have been dealing with or even better, using it as a way to cope for a very long time. It is attached to you, stuck on you, and you are stuck on it. It is like a best friend […]

The Hunger Scale

Food is fuel for your body. It gives you the energy you need to go through your day, to work, to play, to study, to parent, to enjoy life. You expend energy while you do those things and food helps you replace the energy so you can keep going. Without enough food, you get tired, […]

Is Shame or Defense Your Protective Game?

An interesting moment occurred during the process group I lead. I want to share it with you because I believe you will also find it interesting. This is where it began… I said something provocative to the group members. It was provocative because I knew it would trigger at least one person. I promise – […]

Recovery Is Possible

Lately, I have had a few clients ask me what recovery from disordered eating is. Interestingly, I don’t often hear this question yet it seems that those who struggle with food and body image challenges would want to know. So I started thinking about it, wondering why more people don’t ask. In my curiosity, I […]

Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It

I lead a group for women who struggle with food and body image issues. We meet once a week for an hour and a half. The group members skillfully support each other in learning how their struggles are not about food but about other underlying issues and feelings. I love being a part of this […]

Understand Yourself and Your Eating Disorder

Transactional Analysis (TA) is a social psychology theory developed by Eric Berne, MD. I was taught this theory when I attended a counseling skills class before beginning graduate school. I found TA to be a very helpful tool in understanding myself, others and underlying emotions. When I teach it to clients, they also share a […]

Shame is the Enemy, Part 2

Today you are reading Part 2 of Shame is the Enemy. Last month, I talked about shame and eating disorders.(If you missed it and want to correct that, or to just read it again, click here). This month, I continue the discussion. Because, shame really is the enemy… not food. Although some shame (aka: guilt) […]

Have a Different Kind of New Year

Last year, right around this time, my friend Tina suggested we spend the year focusing on learning about a topic to which we were unfamiliar or just wanted to explore more. We each chose our topic and decided that the full year would be dedicated to learning about this topic any way we chose. My […]

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