Hypnotherapy, Blog
Hypfocus Therapies

  
Official recognition Emotional eating IS behind our Obesity Epidemic 
Yes!  Finally the word is getting out there!  .As I drove to the beach for my morning walk today, the ABC news came on, and there it was in the mainstream news, recognition and acknowledgement of the fact that Emotional Eating IS the main driver behind our current Obesity epidemic.  There are now  calls to take a Mental Health approach in conjunction if not ahead of the other health initiatives currently in place.  It's about time! (I'll post a link to the associated ABC article at the bottom of this blog).  
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Coping mechanism
If staying fit and slim and healthy were as simple as Calories in vs. Calories out none of us would be overweight.  The fact is that our modern society has swept us up into a frenetic pace of living where we are distracted and manipulated by marketing seducing all of our senses; we're less connected with our fellow man (loss of meaningful connection is a major driver of addiction) and  we've become out of touch with all of our natural emotions and instincts  to the point that we automatically respond with an often unhealthy coping behaviour when we sense a shift in our emotional state.  Sometimes that uneasy feeling may be as benign as boredom but we've become so hyper vigilant  that mild or even a positive shift in our emotions will trigger our alarm system and our coping mechanism will be put in motion.   We try to avoid our all of our emotions and one of the easiest ways of doing this is to engage and distract all of our senses with the process of eating.  This is the coping mechanism of choice for 90% of overweight women and 86% of overweight men. Sometimes a traumatic event will be responsible for initiating the behaviour, but often its an accumulation of stress combined with an erosion of healthier coping skills.

There's a biological component
Stress and Depression are two of the main drivers that set this process in motion. When we are stressed our depressed we know that certain hormones are released which drive you to want high fat and high sugar foods.  


So what can you do?
So how to stop this?  Mindfulness is an incredibly effective strategy.  Mindfulness (with regular practice) enables us to re-learn the skill of pausing, noticing our emotional shifts at the subtle early stage, and teaching us to sit with our emotions without being engulfed by them.  Mindfulness teaches us to swim strongly through our emotional waters, and provides a stabilising life line when the waters are turbulent. Mindfulness if practiced consistently  teaches us to reorient into the present and to be more present in the present as it where, it helps us avoid those mindless moments where we find ourselves looking at an empty biscuit packet thinking OMG did I just eat those?  We can learn to eat and drink more mindfully and make it a fuller more satisfying experience, by increasing our awareness we do feel more satisfied with less. If for example the next time you are about to eat, take a mouthful of food and really look at it, look at the colour, smell the aroma and really consider it, then slowly put the food in your mouth and hold it there, notice the flavours, all the elements and notes, notice the texture, notice the temperature, hold it there without chewing for a moment longer, where in your mouth are you picking up the flavours?  then chew slowly and notice how long it takes to chew the food properly.  You find after a couple of mouthfuls in this way that you are satisfied sooner, the experience has met all of your senses and been fuller.  If you try to make time every hour to breath mindfully for just 60 seconds, just noticing your breath, the temperature of the air, the movement of your shoulders as you breath, the expansion of the lungs, you'll find that after just a minute you feel calmer and more centred.  By incorporating these practices into daily life, stress levels will gradually go down.  This practice can be expanded to help ride out emotions.

If the coping mechanism of eating is deeply embedded  Clinical Hypnotherapy provides the tools required for you to change your behaviour and notice positive results in much less time than can be achieved with mindfulness alone.  Clinical Hypnotherapy enables you to learn new skills, shed counter-productive and harmful beliefs as well as gaining resolution over unresolved emotions that are hindering your progress towards achieving your goal of a healthier lifestyle. Clinical Hypnotherapy is suitable if you've been finding it difficult to start a Mindful practice because your Stress level or Depression are not allowing you to focus and relax for long enough to begin to feel the benefits.  A good therapist will teach you the skills that enable you  to navigate through your emotions, without feeling overwhelmed.  A therapist that has also trained in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) can utilise  these techniques to enable you to become unstuck from unhelpful behaviours and the patterns of stress and depression.

* If you'd like help in losing weight I'm very happy to discuss further with you.  I'm an accredited Clinical Hypnotherapist, Professional Counsellor and NLP Practitioner  and I'm also a Certified Practitioner of the Sheila Granger Virtual Gastric Band Program, go to this link for further information on this highly successful weight loss program.   I've helped many people overcome this issue and live the lifestyle they want and deserve without feeling deprived or that they are in a daily struggle against themselves.   I use Clinical Hypnotherapy to take the struggle out of weight loss and  get people back in alignment with their true values and their aspirations.  It's not a crash diet, it's about being satisfied with smaller healthier meals and gradually losing weight in a healthy sustainable way, by removing urge to use food as an emotional crutch and teaching people to stand firm on their own feet.  One of my recent Virtual Gastric Band clients said this
"I feel  more comfortable in my own skin than I ever remember, I forget why I ever thought  I needed to eat so much, it just doesn't occur to me to eat mindlessly any more"

You can call me now on 0435 923 817 or use the contact form either at this link or at the page above.  


As promised here's the link to the ABC Article it's a very interesting read!



​* Results may vary 

Shocking Statistic for Australians!
I discussed Diabetes Type 2 in an earlier blog, and mentioned that an Australian is diagnosed with this disease every 5 minutes!!  That statistic needs to become more widely known, because it doesn't have to be this way and the more people learn about this the more likely we are to change it.  While some people have a genetic pre-disposition to Diabetes, many more are heading down the road to Diabetes type 2 simply because of poor lifestyle habits & choices. 
We've learnt about smoking now it’s time to turn to our eating habits…
We need to accept this as a fact of life now, just as we've accepted that smoking seriously damages our health, we need to accept that poor eating habits and lack of exercise are shortening our lifespan and significantly reducing our quality of life.  We can increase our chances of living a  long, healthy, happy vibrant life just by making different choices and changing  our faulty  beliefs about food. 
How do you know if you’re at risk?
So, if you think you may be at risk of Diabetes Type 2 what are the symptoms to look out for?
First of all know that often, pre-diabetes has no signs or symptoms.  Some people notice that their skin has darkened on certain parts of the body. This condition is called acanthosis nigricans.  This particularly affects the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles.
The most commonly known symptoms that indicate pre-diabetes may be an issue for you include:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision

 
When to see a doctor
You should see  your doctor if you're worried about diabetes or  have experienced type 2 diabetes signs or symptoms i.e.  increased thirst and frequent urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.
According to the Mayo Clinic other reasons to consider  being tested include::

• You're overweight, with a body mass index above 25
• You're inactive
• You're age 45 or older
• A family history of type 2 diabetes
• You're African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian-American or a Pacific Islander
• You developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant or gave birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms)
• You have polycystic ovary syndrome — a condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity
• You have high blood pressure
• Your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is below 35 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (0.9 millimoles per liter, or mmol/L) or your triglyceride level is above 250 mg/dL (2.83 mmol/L)

*Hypnotherapy can help!
If you believe your lifestyle may be putting you at risk and would like help to do what’s in your power to avoid developing Diabetes Type 2, consider Clinical Hypnotherapy.  If you are overweight Clinical Hypnotherapy can help you to change your mindset and develop healthy eating and exercise habits and make your new healthier habits feel as if they're natural to you.  The Virtual Gastric Band Program is very successful in turning peoples lives around;  if you need to completely overhaul your way of living, and still find enjoyment and satisfaction in making better choices for yourself this is the program for you!

Enjoying life is the key, Hypnotherapy doesn’t use a mindset of deprivation but instead helps you to focus on and appreciate the many many benefits of adopting a healthier lifestyle.  Rather than feel deprived, you’ll be aware of everything you’re gaining e.g.  energy, health, self-esteem and greater quality of life overall.

Call me today on 0435 923 817 if you’d like to discuss this further.  My name is Georgina Mitchell and I'm a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist in Melbourne.
If you’d like to make an on-line enquiry please feel free to use the form at the end of this linked page
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I look forward to hearing from you and getting you on to the right path for a better healthier, happier life!

​* Results may vary 

Type 2 Diabetes is on the Increase

In Australia someone develops Diabetes every 5 minutes!  That's a shocking statistic isn't it?   I found this state on the Diabetes Australia Website.
1.7 million Australians have Diabetes, 85% of which have type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes is also on the increase.  Genetics do play a role, however in a high % of cases lifestyle is recognised as being a major contributor.  

How did we get to this?

58% of Type 2 Diabetes can be delayed or prevented by exercise and healthy eating, but we've become increasingly sedentary and our diets have changed dramatically in the last couple of decades.  Our processed food consumption has blown out, our portion sizes have increased dramatically, and we just aren't moving as much as we used to.  Our weight has been creeping up and creeping up,  and if you combine that with smoking it can be a lethal combination.  

The problem is that once these habits are established it can be hard to change them alone.  We begin to accept our unhealthy lifestyles as being somehow part of our identity.   People that smoke may also have the belief that if they quit smoking their weight will balloon even more.

*How it's possible for Clinical Hypnotherapy to help prevent and reverse the symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

If you have developed Type 2 Diabetes, or your  lifestyle is putting  you at increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, Hypnotherapy can help you identify and change the belief system that keeps you stuck in an unhealthy lifestyle.  Whether you need to lose weight, quit smoking, reduce stress or any combination of these a good Hypnotherapist can work with you to help you change your mindset and get on track to achieve your goals.  

As a Certified Virtual Gastric Band practitioner I get people on track to adopt healthy eating patterns eating smaller regular healthy meals and a healthy protein snack to lose weight in a healthy sustainable way.  It's not a crash diet solution, it's a long term healthy lifestyle solution, which also motivates people to build up their exercise habits safely.  Hypnotherapy is not an alternative therapy, it's a complimentary therapy, so my programs are run in conjunction with any medical treatment you are undergoing.     You can find more information on my Virtual Gastric Band Program by clicking on this link

Similarly if you are a smoker I can offer a Quit Smoking Program and if required combine this program with the Virtual Gastric Band Program at a reduced rate to ensure my clients are giving themselves their best chance of improving their health and reversing the symptoms as far as is possible.

Clinical Hypnotherapy doesn't just help you to enforce a healthy eating regime, it also addresses underlying emotional causes that contribute to emotional eating and binging, and teaches the client the skills required to accept and sit with uncomfortable emotions without fear.

If you are interested in finding out more about how Clinical Hypnotherapy can help you, please don't hesitate to give me a call on 0435 923 817, my name is Georgina Mitchell and I'm the founder of Hypfocus Therapies, a Counselling and Hypnotherapy practice in Melbourne (South East Melbourne).  If you'd like to send me a written enquiry you can use this contact form

​* Results may vary