What Does Emotional Trauma Have To Do With Weight Loss And Insulin Resistance?

October 31, 2013

In case you haven’t already noticed, a lot of weight issues have an emotional component, either large or small.  You don’t have to spend a lot of time in therapy to turn many of these issues around.  Some of the most common core issues that need to be addressed are:

·         Feeling safe while having a thin body/being attractive
·         Believing that you deserve to be healthy and attractive
·         Believing that it is possible for you to be healthy and attractive in spite of family history or expectations, low self-esteem, etc.

When I am helping people with this work, I use MRT* and intuition to pinpoint the limiting belief(s) that are keeping them unhealthy, and to trace these beliefs back to their origin.  Once I have some of that information, I draw from three or four techniques to change their limiting belief(s) so they can move forward with the life they want.  These techniques work by helping a person to process the trauma(s) that created these beliefs from a safer, more informed place than where they were when those beliefs got “stuck” somewhere in their subconscious mind.

The Legacy of Trauma

People are often surprised at the other positive changes that occur when they release a trauma for weight loss, insulin resistance, financial success, relationship issues, etc.  However, when you consider that the trauma just released, and the emotions attached to it, have been circulating in their body for a long time, you realize that a myriad of energy channels could have become blocked over time—and cleared when the trauma was finally released.  Imagine the possibilities when someone releases a trauma that created the belief that they do not deserve the good things life has to offer!

Early life experiences create a “colored” lens through which we view the rest of our lives.  Traumatic experiences frequently create a “fear colored” lens that makes everything we see look frightening.  One example could be of a girl who was sexually abused, who then believes that keeping herself unattractive and “insulated” by extra weight will protect her from more assaults.  Another example could be of a person who has been rejected or abandoned early in life, who then keeps himself so busy with work that there is no time or opportunity to develop a close relationship. 

The conscious mind may not remember the trauma at all, or may downplay it, and have no idea of the belief that was formed because of it.  The subconscious mind does remember the trauma, makes a judgment about it based on its frame of reference (remember the “colored” lens it is looking through), and faithfully goes about its job of protecting the person from future traumas – or so it believes.

The Release of Trauma

There are a number of theories on how trauma is processed and what happens when it is not, and we certainly see many examples of what can happen when extreme trauma is locked up inside a troubled mind.  The examples of suicides and mass murders are extreme, but becoming all too common.  Seemingly more relevant to our everyday lives are examples of self-sabotage in our eating habits and in pursuit of our dreams of success in our chosen fields.  “I know I should . . . but I just can’t follow through” is a frequent comment from such diverse individuals as a frustrated entrepreneur, a student, an author or a homemaker.  Whether sitting at home, too depressed to act, or signing up for more programs and classes that will surely be the key they need, success eludes them because they are programmed for something else.

For all of these people, finding and releasing the trauma(s) that bind them will allow them to move forward with greater confidence and peace of mind.  Affirmations are great, but when they are competing with prior programming for failure, success often remains out of reach.  Reprogram the subconscious mind with the possibility of success, whether it be financial, health, relationships, career, etc., then add those same affirmations, and you can finally be on your way to wherever you choose!

May you find the path to your success!

*Muscle Response Testing – from Applied Kinesiology

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step – Which Step Will You Choose?

September 30, 2013

You KNOW you need to change something to defeat insulin resistance and get your blood sugar under control.  What was the first “something” that came to your mind when you read that sentence?  For me it was exercise.  It doesn’t have to be formalized, e.g. I don’t need to go to the gym or even get out a DVD.  I just need to start moving a certain amount (more than I have been) on a consistent basis.  That’s it for now.  We’re talking about a first step here, so all I need to do now is start moving consistently more than I have been.  Once that is an established habit, I can choose my next step.

How about you?  What are you going to choose as your first step?  Is it something you need to stop doing, like maybe eliminating a specific snack food, or stop staying up so late?  Is it something you need to start doing, like reading labels so you can make better food choices, or using a smaller dinner plate and filling it only once?

There are so many things that can be a first step on that journey to better health.  Notice that the first step doesn’t have to be a big one, but it can give you a feeling of victory that will help you take the next little step, and so on.  It does get easier once you have some victories, but you may get stuck from time to time, or even backslide.  That’s why we have support groups!

The next support meeting at my Walnut Creek office is Tuesday, October 8, 2013.  If you are in the area, please join us.  We all need support when making a lifestyle change, and this is a chance to meet other people who are on that same journey.  You don’t have to walk alone.

For those who are too far away, a discussion group would be helpful.  Weight Loss & Insulin Resistance is my facebook page for this topic.  If people are interested, I can start a closed group for privacy.

Why I Chose Alternative Health Care

September 21, 2013

I started college with the intention of becoming a medical doctor.  I had always wanted to be a doctor for as far back as I can remember.  At age 22 I had back surgery to restore the use of my right leg, and it did work.  However, after the surgery my doctor informed me that I just had a bad back and would be having surgery every 5 to 10 years for the rest of my life.  Remember, I was only 22 at the time - YIKES!

I was appalled!  It was – “Oh no, this was a one-time deal.”

I dropped out of pre-med and began looking for something that would fulfill my dream of being a healer.  At age 27 I was talked into trying chiropractic, and was also introduced to nutritional supplementation.  What an amazing combination!  It’s been nearly 40 yrs since that surgeon’s depressing prognosis, and still no back surgery on the horizon.

I finished my pre-med requirements and enrolled in Chiropractic College.  With the excellent, well-rounded education and degree in chiropractic, and a passion for nutrition and other safe and natural healing modalities, I am the healer I dreamed of becoming!

Sleep Issues

 Sleep Issues

August 3, 2013

Not that I have a one-size-fits-all answer, but I’ve collected some information on sleep issues over the years.  If you are having difficulty getting the sleep you need, consider the following:

 
·         Your circadian rhythm could be skewed, meaning that your cortisol may peak at night instead of in the morning hours when it’s time to get up.  This can be tested with a salivary panel wherein you collect four separate saliva samples at specified times during a 24 hour period and send the four samples to a lab.  This is an excellent starting point for solving the mysteries of many health issues.
 
·         Your cortisol may drop so low at night that your adrenal glands produce adrenaline to keep your blood sugar high enough to meet the needs of your brain.  Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you can continue to sleep with adrenaline spiking.  (Adrenaline, AKA “epinephrine” comes from a different part of the adrenal gland.  It typically wears out later and recovers faster than the adrenal cortex where the cortisol is produced.)
 
·         You may have something in your bedroom that you are allergic to, causing production of adrenaline during the night while you are trying to sleep.  Because a person can be sensitive to anything, so you need to use your imagination, and perhaps bring someone else in to help you make a list of everything in your room.  Don’t forget personal care products, especially if you or your bed partner bathe just before going to bed.  All of these things can be tested with muscle response testing to help you find what may be keeping you awake via a sensitivity reaction.  Not to worry though, because most such reactions can be neutralized with techniques such as NAET.  I’ll write more on the allergy connection later.
 
·         A busy mind that won’t turn off at bedtime is another common sleep thief.  Once again, there is no one remedy that works for everyone, but two of my favorites for this issue are the Bach flower essence, “White Chestnut”; and Heel’s “Neurexan”.
 
·         There can, of course, be more serious issues affecting your sleep, so you should have your primary care doctor check that out early in the process.
 
·         Don’t forget that emotional stress also causes cortisol and adrenaline surges that can keep you awake.  There may be recent emotional trauma, or there may be post-traumatic stress that gets triggered by a current life event, even if that event seems insignificant.  

You may have to turn over many stones to find the solution for your sleep issues, but good sleep is worth it!  I will surely be writing again on this topic!  Sleep well, my friends.

P.S.  This post is a continuation of a series that started out as “weight loss & insulin resistance” on my facebook page.  Next, I started blogging on my website, but wasn't satisfied with the features, so here I am trying something new!  Find the earlier posts at http://barta4health.com/ and facebook.com/weightlossinsulinresistance