faulker053

I've seen it first hand. And I'm certain that if you were to experience it first hand, that you'd be sold too. This is no testimonial for quick weight loss, nor for the latest cleanse. And I haven't lost my mind. And yes, I've already eaten my breakfast, and had my coffee--so my thinking is quite clear. It's time to open our eyes to what Google already knows about being healthy and fit. And to apply those lesson plans to our schools--and to our selves. I'm talking about the Google diet: Google's approach to food and eating, to feeding it's many employees, that's super smart. It seems strikingly crafted, based on the research on keeping us healthy--and happy. I had no plans to blog on this, but after visiting a couple of Google offices I just had to share. Because we can all get some answers from Google. So what's so impressive about the Google diet? Snacking: from portions to placement Google likes snacking. So yes, already I'm sold. Ther...

I don't know Jean Forney, a Phd student and AED (Academy for Eating Disorders) member studying eating disorders, but she has some very interesting ideas. She recently contacted me requesting I do a blog post on her research. Better yet, I thought-- you can do it! I wasn't just passing the buck, but preferred to give her the opportunity to describe her proposal.  One step in the right direction. Measuring hormone levels to help predict eating disorder recovery (keep reading for the full description) is not simply about determining how long your eating disorder will last. It may offer insights about biological causes of eating disorders and ultimately to treatments for bulimia, binge eating disorder and purging disorder.  I post this to offer hope--to show what young researchers are exploring to better understand eating disorders and help the path to recovery. And to offer you an opportunity to personally support the research (see her link at the end).  The Importance of P...

I was talking to a guy from San Francisco this week, and the subject turned to earthquakes. This long-time SF resident and survivor of the big quake of 1989 offered some very practical advice for me to share with my son, a San Francisco newbie, fortunately naïve about the seriousness of going through an earthquake. His focus was not on what to do during the crisis—although that advice is critical as well—but rather what to do before hand. How to be prepared for this challenging situation, because being prepared, as he put it, is the surest way to increase survival. Imagine that while sitting and discussing such matters my mind moved to you, my dear readers. No, there’s no need to worry about earthquakes for most of you. Rather, the subject of preparedness as a means to ensure survival and minimize damage struck me as most fitting—whether you struggle with an eating disorder or living free of diet rules. Have a plan , he said. In San Francisco that might mean knowing which are the secu...

It’s 10 AM Sunday and quite frankly, I’d much prefer to be leisurely finishing my coffee after my blueberry pancakes-topped with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and heated real maple syrup. But Ludwig and Friedman’s Always Hungry? Here’s Why piece in the NY Times  today compelled me away from my plate. To start, let’s get a title change, please, let’s say Here’s What We Think based on virtually no research at all. This is an opinion piece stating two doctors’ theories about why we get fat and what we should do about it. Period. But with the sensational image and title you, like most people, will be drawn into more myths about weight management. Here’s where we agree—and disagree Do you just eat bread for your meal? Agree : There are factors outside of your control that may contribute to your size. Genetics and the presence of fat cells exert their influence. Once you have gained to a higher weight with an increase in fat cells, you will be fighting an uphill battle to lose that weight...

So you long to be at your old weight, the lower size, the place where everything was fabulous? Like the amnesia when recalling an old boy/girlfriend—you know, that selective memory that favors only the good times (not how miserable they made you feel or how unhealthy your relationship was with him/her)—you remember longingly how great it was to be thinner, and you strive unhealthily to get there. Remember how happy you were, how you loved your body then? Don’t you recall how great you felt—physically and mentally? No? Was it as good as you recall or did you feel trapped? The door is open for change! Likely not! What was that disordered relationship with food really like? How great did/do you truly feel and function? Perhaps, as I hear from so many... Your mood was off. Depression crept in, as did anxiety. Thoughts might have become obsessive. As a result, you were not truly present. Rather, your thoughts were racing, removing you from engaging in conversation and interacting in a healt...