Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Julie Simon | Selfgrowth.com
- How Important is the Glycemic Index? - by Submitted on Oct 12, 2013 from Julie SimonThe glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after ingestion. Different carbohydrate-containing foods (sugars and starches) vary in their effect on blood sugar levels. Foods with a high GI are ...
Views: 1451 - Setting Limints Means Delaying Gratification - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2013 from Julie SimonM. Scott Peck, MD, author of The Road Less Traveled,defines delaying gratification as “a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.” Most children learn the skill of ...
Views: 1413 - Are You Addicted to Sugar? - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2013 from Julie SimonAre you consuming sweets daily? Do you add a sweetener to your daily bowl of cereal or cup of coffee or tea? Do you hunt for sweets at particular times of the day? If so, perhaps you feel powerless over your sweet cravings. If you’re like the average American who consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar ...
Views: 1628(1 vote) - Is Wheat Making You Fat, Sick and Tired - by Submitted on Apr 25, 2013 from Julie SimonI have always had a love-affair with flour products, the doughier the better. Especially bread, the staff of life, right? Feed me anything made from wheat, like pasta, tortillas, scones, pretzels, crackers, cookies, croutons, and even licorice, and I’m in heaven. I feel immediate bliss. Well, at ...
Views: 1594(1 vote) - The Diet Gurus--What Do They Agree On? - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2012 from Julie SimonThere is always much debate surrounding the issue of diet and among the experts, there is still quite a bit of disagreement. Are starchy carbohydrates like potatoes and corn okay to eat or should we limit them? Should we follow high-protein or low-to-moderate protein eating plans? Is it wise to ...
Views: 1478 - Five Tips to Avoid Halloween Hangovers - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2012 from Julie SimonFor many emotional eaters, the holiday season’s over indulgences begin with Halloween. The sheer volume of candy and delectable treats lining supermarket and drugstore shelves and home pantries is in itself downright spooky! And to add insult to injury, candy is being handed out every where you ...
Views: 1404 - Emotional Eater's Don't Just Eat When They're Sad or Depressed - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2012 from Julie SimonAt a seminar I gave recently on emotional eating, Cyndie, an attractive, well-dressed woman in her late forties came up to me and shared: “Even though I’m obviously overweight, I don’t think that I’m an emotional eater because I don’t eat at all when I’m sad or depressed. In fact, I can’t eat at ...
Views: 2236 - Today is International No Diet Day - by Submitted on May 06, 2012 from Julie SimonI bet you didn’t know that today is International No Diet Day. Well it is, and its observed annually on May 6th. It’s a day dedicated to raise awareness regarding the dangers in dieting and to celebrate body acceptance and body shape diversity. Despite the entrenchment of the diet mentality ...
Views: 1596(1 vote) - Do you have an Inner Nurturing voice? - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2012 from Julie SimonWhen the adult voices of our childhood are primarily warm, kind, encouraging, hopeful, validating, soothing and nurturing, we begin to develop a supportive voice within that can restore us to emotional balance when needed. As we mature into adulthood, this supportive voice becomes the voice of ...
Views: 1794 - Gain Self-Care Skills, Lose the Weight - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2012 from Julie SimonIt makes me crazy when I hear supposed weight loss experts preach that the road to weight loss begins and ends with calorie counting, daily weigh-ins and intense workout regimens. This kind of advice couldn't be farther from the truth and, in fact, it encourages us not to listen to the wisdom of ...
Views: 1808(1 vote) - Are you eating to rebel against someone or something? - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2012 from Julie SimonDo you find that you sometimes grab food (and eat even though you're not hungry) because you're angry at someone or about something? Or maybe because you're resenting some situation and feeling powerless to change it? You're mad or frustrated at these times and you certainly need something. In ...
Views: 2434(1 vote) - Resolve to be kind to and patient with yourself this New Year - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2012 from Julie SimonDid you make any New Year’s resolutions this year about losing weight, getting in shape or stopping your emotional eating? If your like most Americans, you made one or more resolutions along those lines. And now, almost two weeks into the new year, you may be wondering where all those good ...
Views: 1334 - Do you feel worthy of self-love? - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2012 from Julie SimonWe’ve all heard it said that you can’t love anyone else until you love yourself. And although we know there’s truth to this old adage, most of us persist in looking for love outside of ourselves, often in all the wrong places. In one of my emotional eating groups this week, we discussed the ...
Views: 2783(1 vote) - Are you truly motivated to end your emotional eating? - by Submitted on Dec 03, 2011 from Julie SimonOf course you want to end your emotional eating. Yesterday, thank you. And while you feel motivated to give it the boot, somehow, somewhere you lose hold of your motivation most days and find yourself grabbing those cookies or that bag of chips or going for seconds. Perhaps you’ve convinced ...
Views: 1738(1 vote) - Embrace All Your Emotions - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2011 from Julie SimonHave you ever thought about the purpose of your emotions? If you're like most people, you don't think much about emotions (yours or anyone elses) and you just move through them, hoping to experience more of the pleasant, energizing ones and steer clear of the deflating ones. When unpleasant ...
Views: 1658(2 votes) - Spiritual Depletion and Emotional Eating--Part II - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2011 from Julie SimonYou may be sensing that some deeper longing or hunger within you is fueling your emotional eating. How do you know if your emotional eating represents a yearning for spiritual connection and nourishment? In Part I of this article, I suggested that spiritual depletion may be experienced as a ...
Views: 1944(1 vote) - Spiritual Depletion and Emotional Eating--Part I - by Submitted on Oct 22, 2011 from Julie SimonJust as a wholesome meal nourishes our body, spirituality nourishes our soul. The spiritual component of well-being involves a search for meaning, serenity and joy that goes beyond our day-to-day concerns. You may be sensing that some deeper longing or hunger within you is fueling your ...
Views: 1729(2 votes) - Do you tend to emotionally eat when the days get shorter and darker? - by Submitted on Oct 07, 2011 from Julie SimonAt this time of year, many of my clients come in complaining of the shorter, darker days. Understandably so. It’s not just that the Summer has ended and the longer, lazy days are behind us. With this particular season change, those who suffer from mild to moderate mood disorders (especially ...
Views: 1309(1 vote) - Loneliness and Emotional Eating Part II - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Julie SimonChronic loneliness is a symptom and signal that you are disconnected from one or more of the three main sources of soul nourishment and sustenance: Self, Others and Spirituality. Some level of a positive connection to all three sources is essential for good emotional and physical health. In ...
Views: 1183(3 votes) - Loneliness and Emotional Eating Part I - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Julie SimonMy client Alexis (name-changed), a forty-four year old web designer, has been single her entire life. Without partner or child, she often feels invisible at social gatherings filled with couples and families. Her parents passed away in the last few years and as an only child without much ...
Views: 1875(2 votes) - The Emotional Eater's Expectations: Are they realistic? - by Submitted on Oct 22, 2011 from Julie SimonAfter spending Saturday afternoon with a close friend, Jackie came home and baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. The time spent with her friend Carol did not feel nourishing. The two dishes of ice cream and the plate of hot, fresh baked cookies did. Just baking the cookies felt more ...
Views: 2452(3 votes) - Are unmet needs sending you to the refrigerator? - by Submitted on Aug 09, 2011 from Julie SimonDoes it feel like you’re living your life, day-to-day, with many of your needs unmet? Do you think this may have something to do with your overeating? If so, you’re not alone. Many overeaters, frustrated by years of unmet needs, find themselves regularly “using” food for emotional comfort, ...
Views: 1493 - Procrastination and overeating--what's the connection? - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2011 from Julie SimonWe all procrastinate to some extent. There are only so many hours in the day and some tasks are just plain more onerous than others. Sometimes we procrastinate because we feel overwhelmed by everything we need to get done and we’re having trouble getting started. Other times, we feel ...
Views: 3205(4 votes) - Hope is everything - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2011 from Julie SimonThe Random House College Dictionary defines hope as "the feeling that what is desired is also possible or that events may turn out for the best." It's certainly easy to have hope when everything is going your way--you just landed a great job, met the man/woman of your dreams, lost a lot of ...
Views: 1949(3 votes) - Are you overeating because your life lacks purpose or meaning? - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2011 from Julie SimonNothing feels better than waking up and looking forward to the day. Life feels worth living. We feel a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction because our life has purpose and feels meaningful. And even better if we feel inspired and passionate about what we're doing. We can feel purpose and ...
Views: 2247(1 vote) - Are you eating over losses and disappointments? - by Submitted on Jun 02, 2011 from Julie SimonMost of us don’t like to spend much time thinking about our losses and disappointments or painful childhood experiences. Yet, without much effort, they are brought to the forefront of our minds when something in our environment triggers thoughts of them. We see a happy couple and think ”Oh, ...
Views: 1375(2 votes) - Chronic Stress can lead to overeating - by Submitted on May 29, 2011 from Julie SimonYou certainly don’t need me to tell you to reduce stress. We all feel the effects of it regularly, from tension in our bodies to chronic headaches and illnesses. Stress in small doses can actually be useful. The stress you feel before a big exam may just be the motivation you need to increase ...
Views: 1293 - Moving Your Body is easier than you think - by Submitted on May 04, 2011 from Julie SimonFor many of us, our parents and grandparents got much more physical activity than we get today. They shoveled snow, raked leaves, chopped wood, scrubbed floors, hand-washed garments, hand-mowed lawns, washed and waxed cars and walked miles per day. And for our earliest of ancestors, physical ...
Views: 1289 - Food Allergies and overeating--what's the connection? - by Submitted on May 01, 2011 from Julie SimonWe all have our favorite foods. For me, freshly baked bread and scones top the list. And for some of us, once we start eating these foods, we can’t stop. It’s as if they’re calling to us. Before we know it, we’ve eaten the whole carton of ice cream, or polished off the entire bag of cookies. ...
Views: 2725 - Are you overeating to pump up depleted brain chemicals? - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Julie SimonDo you experience strong cravings for modern “drug” foods artificially concentrated in fat, sugar and salt? Foods like cookies, ice cream, chocolate, pastries, chips and french fries trigger the release of powerful “feel good” chemicals in the brain. Do you feel the need for stimulants like ...
Views: 2552(1 vote) - Could hormonal havoc be contributing to your overeating? - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Julie SimonJanet approached me at the end of a seminar I was giving on emotional eating. She was in a state of desperation. In the last six months, she had gained twenty-five pounds and she was afraid she would gain more weight. She was sure her eating had an emotional component to it but was unsure of ...
Views: 4275 - Poor sleep and weight gain? - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Julie SimonEver notice how hungry you feel when you don’t get enough sleep? Did you know that when we are sleep-deprived we eat more because we are actually hungrier? Yes, it’s true. Chronic sleep loss disrupts the body’s endocrine system by triggering increased insulin resistance and a disruption of ...
Views: 1402 - What’s the best eating plan? - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Julie SimonIf you have been overweight for some time, you’ve probably tried many diets and are unclear as to how to lose the weight and keep it off without feeling hungry or deprived. There seems to always be debate and controversy surrounding the issue of diet. Which is the correct eating plan? Should you ...
Views: 1458 - Getting Back on Track - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Julie SimonIt seems we are constantly trying to “get back on track” with something in our lives. We may be trying to get back to healthy eating, working out, de-cluttering, dating or work on some project we’ve dropped. And if we’ve really fallen behind, the disappointment and overwhelmed feeling can lead ...
Views: 1320(1 vote) - Stink’n Think’n - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Julie SimonHave you ever thought about how powerful your thoughts are and how quickly they can alter your mood? Truthfully, how often does a thought or series of thoughts ruin a perfectly good day for you? How often do you grab something to eat to calm or soothe yourself because of overwhelming, anxious ...
Views: 1632(2 votes) - Adopt a Zero Tolerance Policy for self abuse - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Julie SimonI often hear from my overeating clients that they wish they could get motivated to take better care of themselves. They ask me “why is it that I can’t motivate myself to eat better and exercise consistently? It shouldn’t be this difficult!” While the answer will vary from person to person, one ...
Views: 1447(4 votes) - Is your eating driven by emotional hunger? - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2010 from Julie SimonIf you're like most of the people that attend my seminars, workshops and classes on Emotional Eating, you've tried all kinds of diets, fasts and exercise regimens to take off the weight. Perhaps you've even tried pills, shots and surgery, all to no avail. You've lost weight many times but ...
Views: 1545(2 votes) - The Weight of Thanksgiving - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2010 from Julie SimonThanksgiving is a time when most of us overeat. It's just what we do on this holiday, right? We eat until we're stuffed, and then when we have a little room opening up again in the old digestive tract, we fill it back up immediately. Hours later, we do it all over again. It's okay--we're ...
Views: 1903(2 votes) - Could your excess weight be a form of protection? - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2010 from Julie SimonI recently saw the play Ruined at the Geffen Theatre here in Los Angeles. It was an extremely moving and poignant story of the sexual and emotional abuse of women in the war-torn Congo. In this fictional story, some of the female Congolese refugees were "lucky" enough to find work and shelter in ...
Views: 1625(1 vote) - Living in this moment; Loving in this moment - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Julie SimonIn one of my overeating support groups this week, we were discussing the notion of "living in this moment." So often, when we aren't satisified with our bodies, we put our lives on hold. We tell ourselves that we're not applying for that new position, going back to school, volunteering, ...
Views: 1551 - Stopping the Diet Mentality - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2010 from Julie SimonPerhaps you've just gone through a rough patch in your life, or a very busy, stressful time and you've been overeating. Maybe your life, in general, feels like one big rough patch! You've gained some weight and you're trying to figure out how to lose it. Often, the quickest way to feel some ...
Views: 2556