February has been a long month for me. My mother, who has been living with me for the last four years, passed away. Her death was peaceful, and it was a gentle ending to a long and productive life. Mothers and daughters have complicated relationships, and mine was no different. After her passing, I made my way to a retreat center, and there, I was greeted with this quote.
“Suffering is the inability of our minds to accommodate changing circumstances.”
Syliva Bornstein
If you and I have just met, mindfulness is my go-to tool to face the unavoidable suffering in life. After meditating for 25 years, my continued effort is to pause. At times, this doesn’t feel like much, which causes my mind to wonder, “Is pausing the best thing you can do right now?” As I reflect, my body’s wisdom emerges, and I remember, “Yes, pausing is the best thing I can do right now.”
Pausing as a bridge.
I often visualize pausing as a bridge for the body and mind to reconnect. It allows me to question habitual assumptions surrounding food and eating. “Is eating less really helpful?” or “Why am I rushing right now?” Pausing gives me time to hear, listen, and choose to come alongside myself and my clients compassionately.
My journey with Mindful Eating began in 2005 when I co-authored Discover Mindful Eating. A popular thought to explore with clients is Just What Is Mindful Eating, Anyway? What would you say? There isn’t a singular answer, but one way to understand mindful eating is to imagine awareness as a spotlight. The spotlight represents where your mind is at any given moment. Empathize with your client about how easy it is to have the mind drift. From thoughts to fears, ideas, and memories, the mind jumps from thought to thought. Then I ask, “How often are your thoughts nonjudgmentally focused on the act of food and eating?” My curiosity is reaching for the client to consider, “What would change if there was compassionate attention on food and the act of eating without shame or judgment?” The responses that client’s share are so interesting our nutrition counseling session continue to inspire me.
In April, you can learn more about how I offer mindful eating when I will present a two-part program via The Center for Mindful Eating. Please join me on April 10 and 17, 2024! Mindful Eating and Motivational Interviewing program via The Center for Mindful Eating.
Here is what is happening in February
- The Inclusive Diabetes Care Newsletter is offered twice a month as a free way to explore stigma in diabetes care.
- The Problem with ‘Predisposed.’ Is the ADA screening tool for diabetes asking healthcare professionals to engage in racial profiling? This article explores the weakness of racial and weight-based risk factors in diabetes care.
- Rejoicing vs Remembering This Black History Month February is known as Black History Month, but how does focusing on the past increase the sense of disconnection and isolation in the BIPOC diabetes community?
- No Weight Loss Required Newsletter is a free weight-inclusive publication for your clients. It is published 2-3 times per month. Here are a few recent posts.
- Five Conditions Needed for More Stable Blood Sugars: What are five essential changes to stabilize blood glucose, no weight loss required?
- Stress, Distress, and Diabetes Stigma: Tracking how diabetes stigma leads to diabetes distress and burnout isn’t rocket science, but knowing how to spot it and what to do is out of this world!
Inclusive Diabetes Care offers self-paced professional education to help unpack the many stigmas surrounding diabetes care. One of our popular classes is Increasing Your Referrals: Whether you want to increase your referrals, have been dreaming of creating a podcast, or are passionate about starting your own business, it is essential you know about the four critical times clients need to see you.
Individual SessionsI am offering virtual appointments for clients via Nourish. If you are a therapist or provider looking to refer clients for nutrition education, counseling, or diabetes education, please reach out. I would be delighted to chat with you to learn more about your specific situation. I am currently licensed in the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, HI, ID, IN, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY.