In the News

Venting anger can cause heart blockages in women

Researchers found that women who tended to outwardly express their anger had a higher risk of artery blockages if they also had one of several other heart risk factors: older age, diabetes or high cholesterol. Read the full article here

The benefits of furry friends

Pet ownership can lower stress and anxiety and strengthen social relationships according to Health Day News. Presumably they are not talking about the phase during which your puppy has chewed one of each shoe and peed on your favourite rug.

"Very short interactions with an animal that's not even a pet can significantly reduce a patient's anxiety and fear before a serious medical procedure," said Sandra Barker. Read the full article here

More men seeking help for depression

A New Zealand Depression Helpline is reporting success with it's latest television campaign. The advertisements seek to raise awareness of depression and encourage people to seek help. To view the advertisements click on the photo to the left or here

In the advertisements, former All Black, John Kirwan talks candidly about his experiences with depression. He talks about being told by friends that he needed to toughen up, and how that was the wrong thing to do. Kirwan provides proof that there is a way through the mire of depression.

A spokesperson for the Depression Helpline has reported an increased number of calls to the Helpline. In particular, they have been surprised that approximately half the callers are men. In the past, women have been reported as being twice as likely to experience depression, however this advertising campaign appears to be encouraging men to seek help and support. Click here for a Video link to the news story on the positive response to the depression campaign.

Kirwan is not the first celebrity to talk about depression. Nancy Schimelpfening reports that celebrities such as Beyoncé Knowles, Brooke Shields and Jessica Simpson are talking openly about depression.

Talk about depression at our forum

Pursuit of money linked to depression

British psychologist Oliver James warns that the compulsive pursuit of money and possessions is making people richer but sadder.

The idea that chasing material success doesn’t lead to happiness is not a new one. However, James’ book Affluenza is the first to explicitly link the pursuit of flash cars, boats and clothes to depression. According to James there is currently an epidemic of 'affluenza' throughout the world - an obsessive, envious, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses - that has resulted in huge increases in depression and anxiety among millions.

Studies in lots of different nations show that if you place high value on those things, you are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety, addictions and personality disorders

These findings, are supported by Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology. In his book, Authentic Happiness, which discusses happiness and life satisfaction he proposes the following formula for happiness:

H = S +C + V
H: Your enduring level of happiness
S: Your set range (includes genetic predisposition to happiness)
C: Your life circumstances
V: Factors under your voluntary control

Seligman’s conclusion? Approximately half of your score on happiness tests can be accounted for by your gene pool (nature). The other half depends on what happens to you, how you react to it and the decisions you make in life (nurture).

Interestingly, being wealthy isn’t what makes you unhappy despite the cliché of the unhappy rich.

Wealth has a surprisingly low correlation with happiness level. Rich people are, on average, only slightly happier than poor people.
Real income has risen dramatically in prosperous nations over the last 50 years but the level of life satisfaction has been entirely flat in most wealthy nations

Instead, James and Seligman posit that people who value money more than other goals are less satisfied with their lives as a whole.

If you would like to participate in Positive Psychology research you can sign up here

For an online forum on depression click here

Hypnosis may be better for anxiety than relaxation techniques

A small study found that hypnotherapy helped psychological treatment in reducing anxiety and feelings of helplessness in students.

This was a small study of 10 students aged 11-16 years. The hypnosis was used in conjunction with therapy sessions involving the students and their parents and compared with the results of relaxation techniques.

Interestingly, in this trial the students' teachers said they had seen more changes in the students using the relaxation techniques. But Mr Byron speculated this may be because the hypnotherapy produced cognitive and emotional changes.

Hmmm, this suggests that the study while producing hopeful results, requires further testing and validation.

Quick Links

SharpBrains: Your Brain Fitness Center has a brain fitness blog carnival. There are some great posts on health and wellness including some interesting articles on Positive Psychology and Cognitive Therapy

Motivational Counseling Reduces High Risk Behaviors
Motivational interviewing, a specific counseling technique that involves targeted yet brief intervention, has been found to be effective in helping women limit risky drinking. During this randomized, controlled trial, the trained counselors used MI techniques such as open-ended questioning, reflective listening, summarizing, and affirming.

Do we have shopping centers in the brain?
According to Neuron it is possible to map the neural pathways of buying decisions

Their results support the theory that the decision to purchase involves the integration of emotional signals related to the anticipation of both obtaining
the desired product and suffering the financial loss of paying for it.

In the News: Eastern philosophy promises hope for eating disorders

A psychological technique based on Buddhist philosophy and practice may provide a solution for women who struggle with binge eating and bulimia.

The technique known as 'mindfulness' is being taught to Queensland women to help them understand and deal with the emotions that trigger their binges.

Unlike many therapies for eating disorders, there is less focus on food and controlling eating and more on providing freedom from negative thoughts and emotions.

Griffith University psychologists Michelle Hanisch and Angela Morgan said women who binged were often high-achievers and perfectionists.

When such women perceived they didn't measure up to self-imposed standards or were not in control of situations, they indulged in secretive eating binges. A typical late-night binge could involve four litres of icecream and a couple of packets of chocolate biscuits, Ms Hanisch said.

"Many women develop elaborate methods of hiding the evidence of their binges and some feel so guilty afterwards they also induce vomiting, overuse laxatives or exercise excessively to counteract the effects of the binge," she said.

"Binge eating is largely a distraction – a temporary escape from events and emotions that nevertheless can cause long-term physical problems including electrolyte imbalances. Instead, women need to learn how to react in a different way."

Mindfulness involves exercises similar to meditation that could help people live more in the moment, develop a healthy acceptance of self and become aware of potentially destructive habitual responses.

"Women who have been through the program report less dissatisfaction with their bodies, increased self-esteem and improved personal relationships," Ms Morgan said.

"They learn that thoughts and emotions don't have any power over us as they are just passing phenomena and aren't permanent."

Mindfulness has already been shown to be effective as a treatment for anxiety and depression, substance abuse, and the stress associated with physical conditions such as trauma, chronic pain or cancer. Mindfulness is a technique made popular through the books and teachings of Jon Kabat-Zinn

The eight-week program is being offered at no charge at Griffith University campuses on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. Women who binge eat and are interested in participating in the program can phone 07 3735 3324.

Mardi Chapman
m.chapman@griffith.edu.au

Smoking is bad for you, but nicotine may improve depression

Nicotine may improve the symptoms of depression in people who do not smoke, Duke University Medical Center scientists have discovered. Despite this, researchers do not recommend that you smoke.

The finding does not mean that people with depression should smoke or even start using a nicotine patch, the researchers caution. They say that smoking remains the No. 1 preventable cause of death and disability in the United States, and that the addictive hazards of tobacco far outweigh the potential benefits of nicotine in depression.

But the finding suggests that it may be possible to manipulate nicotine's effects to safely reap its potential medical benefits, according to the researchers. As an example of the drug's potential, they said, pharmaceutical companies already are developing compounds for treating other brain disorders by mimicking the beneficial properties of nicotine while avoiding its addictive nature.

"The hope is that our research on nicotine will spur the development of new treatments for depression, which is a huge public health problem," said lead study investigator Joseph McClernon, Ph.D., an assistant research professor of medical psychiatry and researcher at the Duke Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research.

"Our study also provides evidence that smokers may indeed smoke, in part, to improve their mood -- a notion that has been quite controversial in the field," he said.

The research was supported by the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.

Scientists have established that people prone to depression are twice as likely to be smokers, and are less likely to succeed in quitting smoking after taking up the habit, according to McClernon.

The Duke study explored the theories behind the higher smoking rates among people experiencing depression.

"Smokers may be more prone to depression than nonsmokers," said Edward Levin, Ph.D., a professor of biological psychiatry and researcher at the Duke center, who was senior investigator in the current study. "Or, people with depression may be self-medicating by smoking, albeit in a deadly way."

In the study, the researchers recruited 11 people who did not smoke but who were experiencing symptoms of depression. Participants were randomly assigned to wear either a nicotine patch or a placebo patch that did not contain any nicotine. The researchers used a standardized method, a 20-item questionnaire called the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, to measure depression symptoms among the study participants."

Despite the small number of participants, this is the largest study of its kind," McClernon said.The team found that participants who wore the nicotine patch for at least eight days experienced a significant decline in their depression-assessment rating scores. McClernon said this finding indicates that the drug led to an improvement in depression symptoms.

As a possible explanation for how nicotine exerts its beneficial effect, McClernon said: "The same areas of the brain that are stimulated by nicotine appear to be involved in the regulation of mood."

Nicotine stimulates the release of specific neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which carry messages between nerves cells. Depression has been linked to chemical imbalances of these neurotransmitters, McClernon said.

Looking ahead to possible therapeutic uses of nicotine for treating depression, the researchers say the nicotine molecule can be manipulated to remove its addictive effect while maintaining its ability to increase levels of the various brain chemicals that can alter mood. Currently, pharmaceutical companies are developing nicotinelike drugs that target chemical imbalances in the brain that are thought to cause anxiety, schizophrenia, attention deficient hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

The study also suggests that people prone to depression may need extra help in order to quit smoking, such as nicotine replacement therapy, the scientists said.

Despite the positive effects of nicotine discovered in their study, the researchers emphasize that it is not currently appropriate for treatment of any medical disorder outside of nicotine dependence.

"I certainly recommend that people don't smoke," Levin said. "If you do smoke, quit." Other researchers participating in the study included F. Berry Hiott, Eric C. Westman and Jed E. Rose.

Discuss depression at our forum

Exercise and Depression

I found this interesting post over at Sarah's blog. She says:

I have solved my depression!!
I don’t exercise (and there, I admitted it)

I sit on my rump all day and type on the computer (both at work and at
home) or read or cross-stitch or watch TV or eat or anything but(t?) exercise.
However, even the Mayo Clinic says that small amounts of exercising can improve symptoms of depression & anxiety.

Doctors often tout the benefits of lifestyle changes including eating better and exercising more, but it can be hard to get motivated when you're feeling depressed or drowsy. Personally, I enjoy exercise - it beats taking drugs any day of the week.

I know I know, lots of people need meds, and I would encourage you to continue taking your antidepressants. However, if you can do anything to help the meds I think it’s worth it (except giving up chocolate - no one should be expected to make that sacrifice).

Talk about depression at our free forum

Anti-Depressants - Is the cure worse than the illness? (Part 2 of 2)

Married to antidepressant meds

The author has a wonderful quote on taking meds:

an unexpected relationship will become permanent

He uses this quote (from a fortune cookie) as an analogy to taking meds. He suggests that many people are encouraged to take meds as a temporary measure not realising that for some they will need to be on antidepressants for the rest of their life – either because the illness is too severe or because the withdrawal symptoms of stopping are too painful.

Dr Karp likens the relationship with meds to a marriage:

This process of becoming committed to drugs can be seen as having four stages: desperation, experimentation, engagement and marriage.

I'm not sure I like the analogy, unless you were to describe it is an arranged marriage - for many taking meds is not something they willingly choose.

I can see where he is coming from but I believe the process of becoming wedded to medication is more like that of grieving. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has defined the five stages of grieving as:

• Denial
• Anger
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance

I think many depressed people move back and forth between the first four phases before finally reaching acceptance. At that point they acknowledge that they have a psychiatric illness and that medications are a necessary part of the recovery.

For some people acceptance never comes. Instead they form an uneasy alliance with the meds and their health professionals but in their mind it is a temporary arrangement. Even after 15 or 20 years in medications there are many people who long to give them up and fight or question on a regular basis the need for antidepressants.

Doctors encourage patients to take meds likening the antidepressants to treatments for diabetes or headaches. However there is one critical difference - antidepressants are mind altering substances.

In my experience with doctors they are all reading from the same script. They all want you to believe that antidepressants are better than the alternative. I’m not convinced that is always the case. From my own personal experience the side-effects of meds often outweigh the benefits.

Do the drugs really work?

The author points out many of these drugs are relatively new. While they have been tested and found safe this is only within the parameters of their testing. If a drug has only been around for 10 years there is no way to know what it’s long term effect may be on someone who needs to take that med for another 50 years.

For many the improvement from antidepressants is only slightly greater than the placebo effect. According to one study of SSRI antidepressants:

Approximately 80% of the response to medication was duplicated in placebo control groups, and the mean difference between drug and placebo was approximately 2 points on the 17-item (50-point) and 21-item (62-point) Hamilton Depression Scale.

There were many patients interviewed in the book who had little or no relief from the prescribed antidepressants. They also disliked being labelled as someone with a mental illness and found it difficult to tell friends, colleagues and new acquaintances about their diagnosis and the need to take pills.

Dr Karp shines the light on unethical pharmaceutical practises such as:

“commissioning multiple studies to assess a drug’s effectiveness and then reporting only on the research most flattering to their product
“failing to systematically ask study respondents about certain side effects
“Limiting drug trials to short periods of time

He also states that:

rarely does the antidepressant medication far exceed the placebo in effectiveness, and sometimes subjects in the control group actually report greater symptom relief

It makes you wonder why doctors prescribe antidepressants! In reality, I think antidepressants are helpful for many people with depression and anxiety, but for those that don't find them helpful doctors would be wise to stop experimenting and forcing drugs on treatment resistant individuals and focus instead on therapy, cognitive behavioural techniques, positive psychology and lifestyle changes.

What about the side-effects?

Side-effects vary according to the individual biochemistry of the individual taking meds. As we've seen in Part 1, the patient's trust in their doctor is a factor in the efficacy of the meds as well as their attitude towards taking meds for depression.

One of the most contentious risks is the possible increased risk of suicide in children and teens. The US FDA became so concerned about the risk of youth suicide among those taking antidepressants that they asked for a blackbox warning on all antidepressant meds. You can read an analysis of the black box warning issue here

According to the manufacturers of Prozac, the meds may increase the risk of suicidal ideation in children and teens. They also state that there are benefits and risks in using antidepressants.

What are possible side effects of PROZAC?

• Some people experience side effects like nausea, difficulty sleeping, drowsiness, anxiety, nervousness, weakness, loss of appetite, tremors, dry mouth, sweating, decreased sex drive, impotence, or yawning. Most of these tend to go away within a few weeks of starting treatment and, in most cases, aren't serious enough to cause people to stop taking PROZAC.


• PROZAC can cause changes in sexual desire or satisfaction.

Do not drive a car or operate dangerous machinery until you know what effects PROZAC may have on you.

• Contact your doctor or healthcare professional if you get a rash or hives, or other side effects that concern you while taking PROZAC.

While the manufacturers state that ongoing drowsiness and loss of sex drive is relatively uncommon, Dr Karp found in his interviews that the majority of patients experienced these side-effects.

Please don't stop taking your meds without medical supervision

The jury is still out on the effectiveness of antidepressants compared with the placebo effect, and for many the side-effects of meds make them unpalatable. However, the placebo effect does show an improvement, and some patients have found antidepressants a lifeline for depression and anxiety. The results were less clear in the interviews with bipolar patients, possibly due to the fact that many bipolar are prescribed a mix of antidpressants and antipsychotics or mood stabilisers.

If you have any doubts that your meds are working effectively, please see your health professional to fully discuss your options. Sometimes switching to another antidepressant can bring about radical improvements. You may also like to consider therapy and lifestyle changes.

I look forward to your feedback.

Part 2 of our review of Is It Me or My Meds?: Living with Antidepressants by David A. Karp

You can read part 1 here

For help with depression and other emotional issues visit our forum

Fashion Bosses say NO to code for Skinny Models

Hopes that the Italian fashion industry was about to turn its back on the x-ray look and embrace a more rounded model of beauty were crushed yesterday after the director of a top model agency heaped scorn on an agreement reached between the industry and the Government.

Read more here

Anti-Depressants - Is the cure worse than the illness? (Part 1 of 2)

This is the sort of book you wish your doctor would read.

It looks holistically at depression considering the biomedical model (i.e. there is something wrong with your body and in particular your brain) as well as psychosocial factors, lifestyle changes and other environmental influences. Is It Me or My Meds is penned by David Karp, who has long term depression and anxiety. He interviewed 50 people (including teens) with major depression and manic depression to gauge their attitudes about taking antidepressants and dealing with depression and the stigma around it.

Why people take antidepressants

Commonly accepted wisdom is that depression is caused by a biochemical balance in the brain which can be helped by taking antidepressants. Not everyone accepts this hypothesis. Some believe that depression and other mental illnesses can be fixed through meditation, counselling or other types of therapy, dietary changes, exercise or sheer willpower.

According to an anonymous academic who blogs here

Please. There may well be brain issues in people with various “mental illnesses,” but this whole ‘chemical imbalance’ thing is 95% marketing, 5% science. Find a serious scientist who will step up to the mic (sic) and tell us about the definitive chemical imbalance that causes bipolar, schizophrenia, or much of anything else in the mental disorder world.

While there were many people that resisted medication there were some who welcomed it with relief. Many patients were anxious for anything that might grant them some relief from unrelenting feelings of sadness, worthlessness and at times suicidal ideation.

Individuals reported varying degrees of success with antidepressants. For some, taking medications were a lifesaver that enabled them to feel more confident, overcome feelings of hopelessness and get on with life. However large numbers of people reported dissatisfaction with the side-effects of meds, failure of the meds to work effectively, gained only short-term relief from antidepressants or felt ostracised by being labelled as someone who needed to take psychotropic medications.

There were several patients who refused to take meds, or found themselves hopeful that they would one day be able to wean themselves off antidepressants. Overall, the majority of patients interviewed did not like taking meds for depression, bipolar or anxiety.

This attitude is also reflected in the attitude of the author, who has tried unsuccessfully to withdraw from taking antidepressants and antianxiolytic meds.

The people interviewed referred to searching for identity and not knowing whether the self on drugs is the ‘normal’ person or the one off drugs. Many felt pressure to conform to society’s expectation of normalcy.

The book includes a quote from Francis Fukuyama:

There is a disconcerting symmetry between Prozac and Ritalin. The former is prescribed for depressed women lacking in self-esteem; it gives them more of the alpha-le feelings that comes with high serotonin levels.
Ritalin on the other hand, is prescribed largely for young bots who do not want to sit still in class because nature never designed them to behave that way.

How your relationship with your doctor affects you

It was also evident throughout the book that the relationship of the individual to their health professional made a substantial difference. In situations where the individual felt that the health professional listened to their needs and offered trustworthy advice, patients were more likely to take meds and more likely to have success with them.

In this respect the placebo effect of medications was influenced not only by the knowledge that they were taking meds for their depression but also by their trust in the Health Professional prescribing the meds.

Part 1 of our review of Is It Me or My Meds?: Living with Antidepressants by David A. Karp
You can read Part 2 here

~ For help with depression and other emotional issues visit our forum ~

Carnival of Emotional Eating #1 January 2007

Welcome to the first blog carnival at the Centre for Emotional Well-Being. I'm very excited by the posts that have been submitted, which I hope will help people who are struggling with emotional eating, body image and stress related eating.

What you think (and read) affects your weight

Jon Schnaars presents Reading About Diet Can Encourage Eating Disorders posted at Anxiety, Addiction and Depression Treatments, saying, "This post looks at research that identified dieting stories and suggestions in magazines could contribute to unhealthy body images and eating habits."

Karen Lynch suggests that you can use your thoughts in the process of Attracting Weight Loss posted at LivethePower.

Hal Sommerschield, Ph.D. presents North Star Mental Fitness Blog: Why Did I Gain Weight? posted at North Star Mental Fitness Blog. According to Hal, gaining weight is the results of "over-weight thinking" and over-weight eating with insufficient exercising.

Strategies to help you stop overeating

Linda Freedman presents Everyone needs therapy? Lessons from a family therapist: 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006 posted at Everyone needs therapy? Lessons from a family therapist, saying, "TherapyDoc asked her resident genius why people eat and got the answer, "Tastes good." But seriously, she presents a few strategies and thoughts on how to pass, even though it does, indeed, taste good."

Personal experiences: changing eating habits

Matthew Paulson discusses the real cost of drinking soft drinks in Say No to Soda posted at Getting Green. His theme is that you can save money and avoid potential caffeine addiction by cutting soft drinks. The post isn't really about emotional eating, however as caffeine addiction does stimulate eating and drinking, it may be of interest to those of you who crave coffee, energy drinks, or soft drinks.

Craig Harper talks about the choices he has made to keep himself trim in Nothing tastes as good as being in shape feels posted at Renovate your life with Craig, saying, "Next time you're feeling a little 'deprived', don't focus on the cake (biscuit, ice-cream, chocolate) that gives you five minutes of pleasure... focus on the body that you live in twenty four hours a day." This article isn't so much about emotional eating as it is about general dieting, however it is interesting to read Craig's personal experiences with food. Turns out he likes sugar as much as the next man.

Is lack of will power responsible for obesity?

According to researchers from Duke University Medical Center the majority of people favour policies aimed at reducing obesity. Suggestions include regulating availability of junk food and providing tax incentives to employers and insurance companies to encourage weight loss.

The researchers also asked survey respondents about their perceptions of the causes of the current obesity epidemic. More than three-quarters blamed a
lack of will power, while 73 percent thought the cost of healthy food was a
factor. Men were twice as likely as women to cite these factors as causes of
obesity, while people with lower incomes were actually less likely to blame the
cost of healthy food.

About half of those surveyed thought society helps cause obesity, while
about one third said they believed "bad genes" or lack of knowledge were
responsible. Source: Reuters

What do you think? I don't think the cost of healthy food or even will power are the major causes. I think people need to find better coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and develop habits. It's not easy, but to my mind overcoming emotional eating is the key to beating obesity.

Discuss emotional eating at our forum

Latest research news

Holding hands with your partner can reduce stress
A University of Virginia neuroscientist has found that women under stress who hold their husbands' hands show signs of immediate relief, which can clearly be seen on their brain scans.


Obesity, cancer and other diseases may be predetermined
Tests on rats have indicated that obesity may result from lack of nourishment in the womb. The field of epigenetics is a relatively new area of science that investigates the interaction between the external environment and DNA. New Zealand based Epi Gen Research Consortium is focusing on developmental epigenetics - the way in which the environment in the womb and in early childhood influences a person's genes.

Stress could be making you fat

If emotional eating is affecting your weight check out this Reader's Digest article by the Oz & Roizen, authors of You: On a Diet

it's a myth that we can resist temptations if we just put our minds to it. What happens under your skull plays a vital role in what happens under your belt.

When you try to combat stress with food, you activate the reward center of your brain. But after that initial feel-good system wears off, you'll reach again for the same thing that made you feel good, calm and relaxed in the first place: more food. With emotions like stress and anxiety, it's that much more difficult, neurochemically, to control your eating.

If you'd like help with emotional eating visit our forum today

Weight loss: I can make you thin

Can your thoughts make you thin?

According to TV hypnotist Paul McKenna the answer is yes. I have watched his TV program “I can change your life” and I have to admit I was impressed. He took a man with hysterical blindness and helped him improve his sight. Later in the show his diagnosis was revised – it turned out the problem was physiological not psychological! The experts were at a loss to explain how the hypnotist had been able to improve a physiological condition.

McKenna also helped a lifelong sugar-holic with diabetes overcome sugar cravings. In the face of temptation that would make even a saint reach for a Toblerone she remained strong. Naturally I rushed out and purchased Paul McKenna’s books and tapes.

He makes a bold claim in his #1 Bestseller ‘I can make you thin’ which includes a free weight loss CD. According to his book you should:

“Forget about dieting. For ever. Diets are no more than training courses in how to get fat and feel like a failure.”

McKenna blames obsessive dieting, emotional eating and faulty programming (or your thoughts) for excess weight and claims a greater than 70% success rate with his program. I decided to put his claims to the test.

He is convinced that if you follow his four golden dietary rules and listen to his CD that you will lose weight. His book includes a large number of testimonials from successful weight loss participants. Some had used the book and CD but it appeared that the majority had the advantage of one-on-one consultations with the magical hypnotist Paul McKenna.

McKenna’s rules for weight loss

1. Eat when you are hungry
2. Eat what you want, not what you think you should
3. Eat consciously and enjoy every mouthful
4. When you think you are full, stop eating

If only life were so easy. The rules are great but not everyone will be able to implement them. This is where the CD comes in. It includes visualisation and hypnosis geared towards changing your programming.

I’ve listened to the CD a few times but unfortunately I am not susceptible to hypnosis so I can’t tell you whether I noticed any change in my thinking patterns. Nor am I skilled in visualisation. However I did think that the affirmations and statements of positive intent on the CD were likely to be helpful.

The book ends with craving buster techniques including tapping (Thought Field Therapy). There are a lot of positive testimonials from people who have used TFT or EFT techniques - unfortunately I'm not one of them - but it's worth a try.

I asked a friend to trial the CD. She has been overweight for a long time and was very keen to try McKenna’s CD and book. She has been listening to the CD for nearly three weeks and feels that there has been no significant change in her thinking patterns. However, she still believes the book is a good investment. She liked the CD and the book which she found to be very encouraging. She is optimistic that the improvements in her self-confidence and dietary habits will take place if she perseveres.

Click here for help with emotional eating

Interesting links on healthy food and eating disorders

The World's Healthiest Foods

Have you been wondering which foods are the healthiest? You can now check it out at this site. Each food has its own page complete with background on the food, health benefits and nutritional information. The information is fully referenced and very comprehensive. The site has a bias towards organic and free-range food which may not suit everyone, but I was impressed with the breadth and depth of the information.

The George Mateljan Foundation is a non-profit organization free of commercial influence, which provides this website for you free of charge. Our purpose is to provide you with unbiased scientific information about how nutrient-rich World's Healthiest Foods can promote vibrant health and energy and fit your personal needs and busy lifestyle.

Check out The World's Healthiest Foods here. (Thanks to Jessi for the link)

Online support effective for Eating Disorders

Researchers have discovered that many people with Eating Disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia seek help from online support groups, rather than traditional channels, such as visiting their doctors. The researchers were surprised to find that many of the people in the online support groups had the same or greater severity of symptoms as patients that are treated in clinical settings and hospitals. Read the research here

At this stage researchers are unsure whether this method of treatment is effective but it is speculated that many people are more comfortable seeking help in the privacy of their own home and that online support groups may be a growing trend.

Resources:

1. You can visit our forum here if you would like help with emotional eating or compulsive eating.
2. For help with anorexia or bulimia we recommend Something Fishy Eating Disorder forum.

Diet police - children should be banned from junk food

An interesting poll in this morning's NZ Herald reports that parents are hypocrites!

In a classic parental tale of "do as I say but not as I do", a Herald summer poll has found people think adults should be allowed easy access to chips, chocolate and cans of coke but children should be spared such temptations and delivered a diet of wholegrain salad sandwiches and fresh fruit.

The poll showed 82 per cent of those surveyed believed schools should only sell healthy foods.

The poll follows on the heels of efforts to ban junk food from schools and limit television advertising in an effort to fight youth obesity.

There has also been talk of banning junk food from workplace vending machines to stop adults from overindulging in sweeties, but thankfully Big Brother has decided not to interfere with free enterprise.

Still, New Zealand has a long way to go before it goes as far as some areas of the United States that ban fast food restaurants in some locations.

The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make with New Year's Resolutions

1. Making the same resolutions every year
Many people make the same resolutions on the first day of every year without assessing why they didn't achieve their goals the previous year. There's no point vowing to quit ciggies for the fifth year in a row, if you haven't asked yourself why you didn't succeed in previous years. What have you tried? What worked and what didn't work? Do you need to learn more about quitting smoking, see a doctor or a hypnotist? Maybe you need to buy patches to combat withdrawal.

2. Failing to make a plan to achieve your goals
So you want to lose 10kg (22lb)? Great! However, without a plan your chances of success diminish. You need to know how you are going to lose that weight. Will you count calories? Do more exercise? Have you set aside a specific time each day to do your exercise or prepare healthy meal?

3. Setting unrealistic goals
I'm all for setting goals that are a challenge and stretch you. If your New Year's Resolution doesn't force you to make changes then it's not going to help you move forward with your life, but is it realistic for a 60 year old to play basketball for the NBA? Chances are it's not. You need to set goals that are just slightly out of reach. If you achieve your goal in record time you can always add new goals to your list as the year rolls on.

4. Choosing goals you are not committed to
Doing something because you "should", because your boyfriend or mother thinks it's a good idea isn't going to work. Choose goals that are meaningful to you - if your heart's not in it then you won't enjoy the process or the results. There are many things we "should" do in our lives. If your smoking is causing cancer, or your weight puts you at risk of diabetes then you need to make changes, but you need to put your entire heart into the effort. Without that commitment you will falter at the first obstacle.

5. Failing to take any action to achieve your goals
So, 2007 is going to be your year. You're going to buy for your first home, get fit and take a course in flower arranging. Fantastic! But what are you doing about it? Setting goals is only the first step. If you want success you need to make a plan and take action.

6. Not preparing your environment to support you in your goals
There will always be obstacles when you are making changes. If you want to be successful you need to anticipate these obstacles and adjust your environment to help you in your goals. If you are planning to quit smoking, chocolate or alcohol then you should clear these things out of your home. If you want to start a new business, but are surrounded by people who fill your mind with doubts and negativity, then you need to move away from those unsupportive people or find ways to protect yourself. Look at the people around you and your physical environment and ensure it is compatible with your goals.

7. Lacking a powerful reason to make the necessary changes in your life
In a word your powerful reason for making change is your motivation. Without motivation it's hard to persevere, particularly if your goal involves hard work or deprivation. Maybe you've decided to launch yourself into an exercise program. Now ask yourself why? What is your powerful reason for change? What fires you up and gets you excited? Is it to lose weight or fit into some of those "skinny" clothes in the back of your wardrobe? Are you getting fit so you can learn dancing or go on a cycling tour in the south of France? Give yourself a reason to change, and remind yourself of this on a daily basis. Pin pictures on the wall of the places you'd like to visit and the things that you will be able to do with the extra energy you get from your new exercise program and you will assure yourself of success.

8. Not chunking your goals down
When you set large goals they can seem insurmountable, but when you break them down into smaller goals and tasks they become more achievable. You can set a goal for the year and then break it down into weekly or monthly goals. I think it's better to set small goals, or if you have a big goal to break it down into smaller goals. Imagine if we could add one new habit each month! In a year your life would be totally transformed. So, instead of thinking of one big goal for the year, consider 12 small goals that would transform your life at the end of the year.

9. Focusing on failure
Maybe, you planned to lose 20 kilos but only lost 10kg last year. Is that a failure? No. Partial achievement of goals is still a success. When you focus on falling short of your goal you lose your motivation and become discouraged from further action. By focusing on the things that you did right and the progress you have made you learn how to improve your life.

10. Not reviewing goals
You need to review your goals on a periodic basis. There are lots of benefits to these reviews. For one thing, it's easy to lose focus and 'forget' that you planned to change your saving habits or cut back on junk food. It's also easy to give up when your plan to transform yourself doesn't pan out. By reviewing your goals you can decide whether they need to be changed, or devise new strategies for achieving them.


For more information on achieving goals, check out this simple guide to setting goals and improving self-esteem.

Good luck with your goals for 2007!