Broken Mirrors

After interviewing 3,200 women in 10 countries, a 2004 study found that only 2% considered themselves beautiful, and nearly 50% believed they were too fat.

There's an obvious link between how you see yourself and how you feel about yourself, but your body image can actually have a powerful effect on your health, too. Eating disorders, for example, can be complex issues with many causes and many symptoms, but one constant between them is body image. In a recent German study of 56 people with eating disorders, each anorexic and bulimic overestimated their actual body mass.

While there is uncertainty as to what exactly precipitates the development of a distorted body image, it is clearly related to insecurity and self-worth. Our view of ourselves comes primarily from the outside world, including media, role models, peers, and family. In my private practice with clients, I've found that body image gets distorted over time through a process of frequent comparisons to others.

My method for treating eating disorders and body image distortion uses NLP and hypnosis to neutralize the representations created through harmful comparisons. The seven steps below use basic principles to normalize the body image and create positive feelings about self.

1. Elicit the current self-image (size, shape, location of image)
   
2. Regress to cause of the image distortion (use hypnosis or time lines)
   
3. Elicit and anchor resource states of safety, acceptance, love, and "good enough"
4. Link resource states to imprint memory & give supportive suggestions
   
5. Progress into the future and conduct an "As-If" frame (how did you overcome this issue?)
6. In the present time, holding an accurate picture of the client, begin to code the old self-representation to match
7. Fire off resource anchors again as they view the accurate self-representation
   

After completing these processes over a period of time, additional clean-up may be necessary. Be sure to address behaviors, such as binging and food choices, utilizing anchoring and hypnosis. You may also consider creating a new identity that involves healthy eating and emotions.

Support Freedom in Health Care

Created in 1962 by the United Nations, Codex Alimentarius (Latin for "food code") is the set of global standards governing every aspect of food production, distribution and trade.

However, Codex Alimentarius threatens to dramatically reduce our health freedoms. Health-conscious consumers may lose the ability to purchase many of the organic foods, nutritional supplements, and herbs we take for granted. Sixty percent of the world's population that depend upon herbal medicines will not be able to afford pharmaceutical drugs to replace them. And, the new laws requiring genetically modified crops, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in foods will be cost-prohibitive to people living in developing nations, leaving billions of people to die as a result of these policies.

In the United Stated our health-care rights and freedoms are currently protected by a Federal law enacted in 1994 called Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). DSHEA considers nutritional supplements and herbs to be foods and as such, there is no upper limit on dosages. This act protects our rights as consumers and guarantees the rights we currently have.

There is a good chance that without consumer participation, the US Congress will adopt Codex Alimentarius for our import and export standards, and act to repeal or significantly weaken DSHEA.

Here are a few facts about Codex from Rima Laibow, MD:

• Codex requires that all meats, poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables must be irradiated by Dec. 31, 2009.
• Codex requires that all dairy cattle are to be given Monsanto bovine growth hormone by Dec. 31, 2009.
• Codex reclassifies vitamin and mineral supplements as toxins and dramatically limits their dosage and availability.
• Many nations have already harmonized their laws with Codex making it their de facto law. This has already been approved by the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and others.
• Codex allows significant trade sanctions to be levied against noncompliant nations.
• In 2005 there were five bills submitted to congress to weaken or eliminate DSHEA.

It was only through the awareness and actions of the American consumers that DSHEA was passed in 1994. Please act now to support freedom in health care!

Incidents at Virginia Tech

Not often do I feel the need to comment on gun violence, but this event has struck too close to home. Not only is Virginia Tech my alma mater, it is a place that I hold near to my heart. I chose to attend Tech the moment I first drove into town. I grew up in the suburbs of Ft. Lauderdale, and I had no idea that such beauty and serenity existed in any community, especially a small town like Blacksburg. In the 4 years I spent at the school, I always felt safe and secure. Doors were never locked, and everyone got along.

When my sister called yesterday to tell me the news (I rarely watch), I was in disbelief. After spending several hours trying to contact my friends that still live and work in Blacksburg, I spent some time watching the footage online. The idyllic background hardly seems like the setting for a tragedy such as this.

I ask and encourage each one of you to take a few moments and send love and blessings to the town, its residents, and the families affected by the events. Now is the time for lightwork, not for grief or self-indulgent sadness. Let's raise the vibration for healing for those who really need it. Thanks for reading and for your loving thoughts.

The 90 / 10 Principle

"The secret of life isn't what happens to you, it's what you do with what happens to you."
-Norman Vincent Peale

What would be different for you if you knew that your life is decided, not by the things that happen to you, but by your reactions to them?

If we were to examine our lives, we'd recognize that we have little to no control over 10% of what happens to us. Cars break down, planes arrive late, and spills happen. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different, because you have a choice in your reaction. You may not be able to control a red light, but you can control your reaction to it. And although it may not appear to be possible, you can control how you react to anything.

Our responses to the world around us are learned behaviors, not accidents. And because they're learned, we have the opportunity to unlearn them and make a new conscious choice.

For example, imagine eating breakfast with your family before heading to work. One of your kids knocks over a cup of coffee onto your shirt. While you have no control over what just happened, what happens next will be determined by how you react. In one scenario you curse and blame everyone at the table for your misfortune. You storm upstairs, change your shirt and come back down to leave for work. Your kids are too upset to get ready for school and so miss the bus. You rush to the car and drive your kids to school, but because you are late, you drive 15 miles over the speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and a traffic ticket, you arrive at school. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.

Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it? C) Did the policeman cause it?
B) Did your kids cause it? D) Did you cause it?

Not surprisingly, the answer is "D" . You had no control over what happened with the coffee, but how you reacted in those next 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. So, let's try on another option.

Coffee splashes over you. Your kids are about to cry. You gently say, "It's OK. Please just be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After changing your shirt and picking up your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your kids getting on the bus. You arrive at your office on time, and look forward to going home to your family at the end of the day.

Two different scenarios with the same beginning and different endings. Which would you prefer?

Remember the 90/10 principle, and stop worrying! Use the leftover energy for something more positive and uplifting. And remember, 90% of life is made up by the choices we make every day. Choose well, and have an amazing month!