The Beyond The Food Show |empowering|educating|women|health|mind Body Connection

In today's episode, we'll talk about the #1 nutrition trend of 2020 Back in 2014, I decided to explore and test Keto on myself. No one knew keto back then…there were no books and certainly no keto influencers. I made that decision at the peak of the paleo craze. As a nutrition expert, I was at the forefront of new research and trend in the industry. I knew that paleo wasn’t going to last and that the next things were coming. So, I wrote a book on keto, created a protocol for keto, supervised clients on keto protocol and interviewed the top keto leaders. Always seeking the “thing” that would make it all come together for me and my clients. As many of you know, I never found that “keto thing”… However, I found emotional eating, binge eating & body-shaming instead (another story for another day

In today's episode, we'll talk about binge eating and restricting. Whenever somebody brings up the topic of how to stop binge eating, I vividly remember the day I caught myself binge eating. This story happens at the peak of my most restrictive dieting period. It was a Friday, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. My plans with my partner just fell through; he decided to accept an invitation from his buddies to watch a game. I was left alone with no plans on a Friday night. I thought I’d just stop by the grocery on my way home, put on my PJ’s, and watch some movies. At the grocery store, I automatically gravitated towards the food I was restricting myself at the time: Carbohydrate, Dairy and sugar (hint, hint Keto!) I grabbed a frozen family-size pizza, some fresh mozzarella, a bag of mini brownies, and a pint of Dulce Haagen Dazs ice cream. Food was going to be my companion as I hit the couch for a romantic movie night. By the time the first movie was over, I was sitting there on my couch with an empty box of pizz

In today's episode, we'll talk about coming to terms with our body... now Coming to terms with my body now was one of the hardest emotional events of my short life. I had to grieve my fantasy body... the body that was going to bring me everything I didn’t have now. Moreover, I had to grieve the thin ideal that diet culture had pushed into my core beliefs and that I was dreaming about since the age of 12. I had to learn to be in my body now... not the one I thought I should have but that one I have now. Body Fantasy We are indoctrinated very young to the thin ideal. I can remember, as young as 6 years, me playing with barbies and thinking about how I would look like her when I would be older. How I would dress my thin waist and be the admiration of everyone. As we grew in my teens, I became obsessed with chasing this thin body. You see at 12 years old, I dieted for the first time. People told me to lose weight if I wanted to be beautiful. As has my brain developed even more, I acquired in my core beliefs this

In today's episode, we'll talk about how to get unstuck It’s illegal to discriminate based on sex and absolutely unacceptable in society. It’s also illegal to discriminate based on race and absolutely unacceptable in society. Now, it’s illegal even to discriminate based on sexual orientation and becoming rapidly unacceptable in society. But...it’s legal to discriminate based on body weight and completely acceptable in society. Whatttt? Yup. Weight Discrimination Not only is weight discrimination legal, but the diet culture absolutely encourages it as well. Marketing campaigns use the think “before and after” weight loss picture to sell the latest diet. “This picture will inspire you to achieve your goals and see what’s possible for you!”? What do you think would happen if a “before and after” skin whitening procedure picture was posted with this caption? First, get beyond the fact that it’s illegal and it would be the end of the company using that marketing technique. Yet every day, ad agencies and weight los

In today's episode, we'll talk about how to get unstuck Do you feel stuck? You desperately want to change an aspect of your life but you just can’t get yourself to take the leap. Is the solution to get unstuck and move towards your goal simply to be harder on yourself? I know I think about that before. If only I could be tougher and have more discipline, I could reach my goals. For that reason, I fantasized on that day when it would finally click... and I would get unstuck. Am I alone? Our guest on today’s episode of the podcast says the solution is within our mind. That is to say, if we change our minds, our life will follow. Her solution: Ditch your negative mindset, squash those limiting beliefs, and quiet the constant chatter in your head so you can finally live the life you desire, spark the change you want to see and feel better than you ever dreamed possible. That sounds familiar, right? In fact, it’s so in line with the Going Beyond The Food method and there’s a good reason for that. My guest today i

In today's episode, we'll talk about everything the BMI gets wrong Are you "overweight"? Am I "overweight"? That single question creates more anxiety & stress to women than any other question. Being overweight implies that there’s a weight we should be at. In today's society, THAT weight is determined by BMI. The Body Mass Index, the metric that uses to classify people in groups. Moreover, it’s the measure of "obesity" as per medical view and a simple calculation of 2 factors: weight and height. To convert the measurement to the unit of BMI in kg/m2, you must divide the weight in pounds by the height in inches squared, then multiply by 703. My BMI Story For the purpose of this article, I did my BMI calculation using the official CDC BMI calculator. If you are between 18-24.9 you are deemed normal, 25-29.9 "overweight" and 30 or above "overweight". I bet you’re curious to know my result? 39. I’m considered a class 2 "obese". As a matter of fact, for the longest, I can remember I was never not considered “

  In today's episode, we'll talk about Undiet 2020 Undiet 2020 is what I did last weekend. It’s a process of goal setting specialized for women wanting to make peace with food and their body. If you think about how you feel right about your body: Do you feel stuck? Do you deeply want to change the way you engage with food and your body but right away feel so overwhelmed? The first steps in the process of change The first step in the process of change is to believe that change is even possible for us. Believing in oneself is the outcome of having the intention of love, not fear. When we live in a state of fear, we repeat choices that make us feel safe and most likely keep us stuck. As weird as this may sound, being stuck is the place we feel the safest... not the best but the safest. Crazy! Then, the only way for us to see this for ourselves is to take the time to reflect. Setting time aside to sit quietly and ask ourselves … is my approach to life (replace with food or body) over the last 12 months resulted

In today's episode, we'll talk set point Think of your set point like a natural mechanism your body uses to maintain a natural weight. Just like your lungs manage the appropriate amount of oxygen for your body without you having to do anything or the way in which your heart manage your blood pressure. Another fascinating analogy is how your brain automatically gets you back steady on a bike even if it’s been 10 years since your last ride…it just happens without you having to think about it. Set point manages your weight in the same way. What is set point? In her book Health Every Size, Dr. Linda Bacon describes it as the Fat thermostat in our bodies. It acts just like a heat thermostat in a room. When set to a certain temperature, the thermostat will send a message to the heating system to activate when below a determined temperature. Your hypothalamus, the region of the brain that controls the system in your body that regulates your set point. It will send a message of hunger and fullness to manage your wei

In today's episode, we'll talk about Women Food and Power Women Food and Power is the emotional story of a woman on a journey away from diet culture back into her power... in the hope that it serves as an inspiration to others. My life was pretty good: I had food on the table, a home, a car, a great career that brought in enough money, cool friends, a supportive family. I thought of myself as an independent fierce woman.  But I also wondered, “… is that what life is really about?” I kept wondering if every other woman was as anxious as I was about how I looked. This was while by society standards I was doing all the right things. Were they as overwhelmed as me at the thought of not losing or worse gaining weight? Is it normal to feel this frustrated with food and not being able to eat like everyone else. Everyone around me reflected that it was all ok, but secretly, I knew something wasn’t right. So, I kept going making sure I was checking all the boxes:         My partner: Making sure he was happy, satisfi

Me: “... but I need to lose weight”. Her: “Ok... I can see how you can think that.” Me: “Everything you are sharing with me makes so much sense and I can feel it inside of me, that it’s what I need [pause & sigh] … but I need to lose weight”. The tears started to roll off my cheeks. Uncontrollably crying. The tears were coming from the depth of my gut. It was one of those moments when you want to stop crying because you really don’t want to cry in front of strangers but you can’t... it’s not in your control. Her: “Stephanie, your desires to lose weight are valid. It’s normal that you want to lose weight. These desires are encouraged every day by the society in which we live in, an environment that is laden with weight stigma, body size discrimination, and fatphobia. It makes perfect sense that you want to lose weight.” I was deeply confused.  Life is on hold until I lose weight I was 38 years old and the last 25 years of my personal life had been a series pressing “pause” and “play”. I only allowed myself

In today's episode, we'll talk about the wisdom of emotional eating Can we find wisdom in emotional eating behaviors? Or is emotional eating something to be demonized and eliminated? The vast majority of society say ‘no’ to the first questions and say ‘yesss’ to the second one. Then, they ask next: What’s the trick to stop emotional eating? What if I said to you there’s a gift in emotional eating... what would be your gut reaction? Likely doubts like most women. The truth is that yes, there’s wisdom, magic, and power in emotional eating. That is if we accept to do one simple thing: Trade judgment for curiosity. Empowerment & emotional eating The view we have on emotional eating is a direct reflection of our current relationship to food, weight, and body. In fact, most women are typically afraid of emotional eating. They are terrified to gain weight or not lose weight so they seek to end it. Moreover, self-described emotional eaters are typically “stuck” in the diet cycle and adhere greatly to diet cultur

In today's episode, we'll talk about healing diet and intuitive eating I’m a health care professional trained in using food as a way of healing the physical body. Healing diet, restrictive and elimination food protocol is what I studied for years yet today I very seldom recommend it. Why? I have seen and experienced too many situations that healing diets, restrictive and elimination food protocols actually caused more collateral damages than benefits. Furthermore, in most clinical cases what really was causing the health issue had nothing to do with food. So, why obsess about food? If I can, I'd like to take you back in 2015... Carole breaks down I was sitting in my clinic office talking to a patient seeking help with rheumatoid arthritis. She was in the middle of a major flare-up. All joints in her lower body were painfully swollen and she was in a 9/10 pain level. She wanted me to examine her AIP (auto-immune protocol) dietary protocol & supplement protocol and advise her on what she was doing wrong so

Intuitive Eating and Hormonal Health Women love intuitive eating as a concept but often will refute it based on other advice they receive, found or read on the internet. One of the most frequent situations I encounter is with hormonal health. Women wanting to balance their hormones, perhaps heal their hormones, are being told that to achieve such goal they must restrict certain food, go on a reset hormonal diet or do an elimination diet; therefore they can’t be an intuitive eater. “I love intuitive eating but I’m working on balancing my hormones and I read Dr. XXXX book and she says that I must restrict all grains and dairy. Maybe later I can become an intuitive eater.” Is this true? Is food restriction the solution to hormonal health? I’m not a hormone specialist, but I’m a health expert and knowledgeable enough to know that this statement isn’t totally true. Is food a contributing factor to health: YES. Is food the only way to “balance hormone”? NO. Is hormonal balance even a possibility? Well yes and no.

Health Beyond Diet and Weight Loss For many of us in this community, our first encounter with dieting wasn’t a concern with health. Similarly, for me and all the women I work with inside of my programs, their first diet was strictly focused on being in a smaller body. That is to say, we dieted for aesthetic reasons, not health. As women, we do not want to diet. Instead, we want to be in a thinner body. Our modern society believes that being thinner is better, smarter, and healthier. In other words, all of us have been taught at a very young age that health = thinness but is it true or is it just an assumption? What if health wasn’t the outcome of the weight on the scale? Would you still want to diet? Does “Obesity” Cause One to Be Unhealthy? As of today in October 2019, there isn’t one study or research evidence that directly points to being overweight (BMI-based status) as a causative factor in diseases. That said, many studies will link/correlate obesity to health risks. In other words, weight status is ne

What is self-coaching? The word "coaching" is an identified process used to transport people from where they are to where they want to be. It's a form of development, a process of supporting someone towards a goal. Self-coaching is when we become our own coach. We know what’s best for us. That’s the innate wisdom we all have. The same wisdom that directs our hunger and fullness cues within the framework of intuitive eating. This innate wisdom is how we are the expert in our own life. Self-Coaching and Intuitive Eating Intuitive eating is the process to learn how to tap in the innate wisdom of our body to know what, when, and how much to eat. Tap into this innate wisdom that all of us have to feed ourselves. Intuitive Eating is a proven and well-researched self-care eating framework that makes YOU the boss of YOU. Intuitive eating teaches us to have a healthy relationship with food empowering you to trust your ability to meet your needs, distinguish between physical and emotional hungers and ultimately develo

On today's episode, we'll talk about 'She's Beyond the Food Chapter 6-My Journey 2.0' From Shame to Fame. That was the title of episode 101 of The Beyond The Food Show Podcast in which I shared my in-depth personal story for the first time. I asked one of my friends Sean Croxton to interview me. I gave him carte blanche... the result was amazing. My Story 1.0 As a public figure, I had shared my origin story in occasion before mainly inside my programs or during my public workshop but never to this level of vulnerability of this interview. Certainly, I remember being very anxious before, during, and after the recording. But the greatest gift came a few days after the interview when it hit me: I no longer need to hide my imperfections, my mistakes, my errors. That is to say, although I was scared of what people would say, the relief of being completely transparent was by far greater. From Shame to Fame episode 101 of our Intuitive Eating podcast was just another chapter in my story... She's Beyond the Food: My

On today's episode, we'll talk about cyclical living If our body is wise enough to know what to eat, when to eat and how to eat... what else can it do for us?  What else can we learn from our womanly body? According to a study from the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, fluctuations of hormones over the monthly menstrual cycle play a crucial role in our emotional status, appetite, thought processes, and so much more. Women reported high levels of well-being and self-esteem during the middle of the cycle in the study. Increased feelings of anxiety, hostility, and depression were reported before their period. Cyclical Living Our egg wisdom is perhaps for us women another expression of our innate body wisdom. When I say egg wisdom, I’m referring to the wisdom of our female cycle. This wisdom that is our female cycle is wise enough to create life from… an egg and a sperm. What else can it do for us? Over the last year, I became really acquainted with my female cycle and discovered a whole new world of intuit

  On today's episode, we'll talk about the BE DO HAVE formula for success That you want to change your health habits, stop overeating or make peace with your body, HOW you go about the process of transformation will determine your success. The process that most of us have been thought to apply when wanting to create something new in our life has been the DO HAVE BE model. In order to BE successful, for example, we need to first DO the things that HAVE the Success. When we DO enough of the “things, we hope to be rewarded by finally BEING successful. DO BE HAVE in health transformation Take the example of the goal of being happy & healthy for women in today’s society. We are taught that in order for us, women to be happy and healthy, must HAVE thinness. We must fit in the proper BMI and have the “normal thin” body. In order for us to have the thin & a proper BMI body, we must DO diets (control food and / or exercise). When we have thinness and proper BMI, we will be rewarded by being healthy and happy.

On today's episode, we'll talk about the perfectionist paradigm shift Do you struggle in creating new long-lasting habits in your life? Particularly around food and health? Maybe it’s exercise: you pay your new subscription to the gym with excitement and enthusiasm and plan to go 5 days a week before work. Yet 6 weeks later, you’re not going to the gym anymore and your brain is going crazy with very self-critical thoughts as to why you once again failed yourself and all the things that are wrong with you. Is that you? That was me until I learned to shift my paradigm about perfection. Perfectionist, is that you? The perfectionist is a personality trait characterized by a person's striving for flawlessness and setting high-performance standards, accompanied by critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others' evaluations. Is that an accurate description of you? Perfectionism is a trait of character present in many women that have been dieting for a long time. Our diet brain tells us that we need to be p

On today's episode, we'll talk about stepping beyond the struggle In a way, this podcast is not just a message to those of you who are struggling, but it’s also a message to my former self. It’s the advice I wish someone shared with me when I was struggling. It’s the advice I wish I had when I went through so many dark times. My struggle was my weight. Like most of you... for 25 years, that struggle occupied my life. It caused me lots of emotional pain, physical pain with crazy exercise protocols, tears,  break up, missed relationship, the struggle of my body and weight caused a lot of drama in my life. And for 25 years, I believed that the only way to stop the struggle to get over that pain was to lose weight. Some say... but you did lose weight. Yes, I did multiple times but here’s where it gets really crazy... when I did lose weight, you’d think struggle would be over right? No, it didn’t. Instead, I just moved on to the next expression of the problem: saggy skin, soft skin on my belly, I'm still not thin