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A woman enjoys an ice cream cone at a dessert shop, embracing a balanced approach to eating. Explore nutritional counseling in Raleigh, NC, and support from a dietitian in Hendersonville, NC for a stress-free relationship with food.

How Nutritional Counseling Helps You Navigate Emotional Eating Without Shame

Written by Kendra Gaffney on . Posted in Articles, Eating Disorder Recovery, Education, Self Care. No Comments on How Nutritional Counseling Helps You Navigate Emotional Eating Without Shame

Emotional eating gets a bad reputation and is often thought of as a negative thing. Blogs, books, even other medical professionals often talk about it as something to be controlled, stopped or overcome. They tell you to “stop stress eating” or “control emotional eating”. As if the act of finding comfort in food is something to be ashamed of. Yet, food and emotions are deeply connected. They can remind you of home, provide solace during difficult times, and even bring people together. So, why is this made out to be a bad thing?

The idea that eating should only be about fueling your body, never for comfort, joy, or connection? That just doesn’t reflect how we actually live. Food is a part of your memories, our daily experiences. Even your body can crave certain foods to help you feel better. That’s why nutritional counseling can be so helpful in navigating emotional eating without shame. Nutritional counseling gives you a safe space to dive into your emotional eating. Without any judgment or the need to “fix” anything. It allows you to better understand your patterns. But it also allows you to unpack the deeper reasons behind them, and develop a more attuned relationship with food. One that honors both your body and emotions.

Creating a Safe Space to Explore Emotional Eating Two women smile and collaborate while working on a laptop, highlighting the supportive approach of nutritional counseling in Raleigh, NC with a nutritionist in Raleigh, NC to create personalized, sustainable wellness strategies.

One of the most powerful aspects of nutritional counseling is that it’s not about restriction, guilt, or control. It’s about understanding, validation, and empowerment, all in a space that’s free of judgment. Often people don’t talk about their emotional eating because of the shaming and judgmental messages around it. It makes sense that you would fear talking about this. Especially when you’re constantly told that it’s “wrong” or that you just need more willpower. But the reality is that emotional eating is a coping mechanism. And like any other coping mechanism, it needs to be understood and addressed in a supportive way. Plus, food isn’t just fuel to our bodies. It has cultural, social, and emotional significance, especially during difficult times. And, it can be a big part of how you care for yourself.

Nutritional counseling gives you the space to talk with a registered dietitian. It gives you the time and space to be curious about the reasons behind your emotional eating. Together, you can begin to recognize what’s happening beneath the surface when you reach for food in response to emotions. Maybe your emotional eating has been your way of coping with stress, anxiety, or loneliness. Or, maybe it’s been a form of self-soothing that’s helped you feel safe and comforted in the past. Whatever the reason, instead of focusing on stopping emotional eating, counseling helps you explore why it’s happening. Along with the what your body and mind are truly asking for.

Understanding the Root of Emotional Eating

Emotional eating isn’t just about the food. It’s about how you connect with yourself. Everything in life is a relationship, and food is no different. When you turn to food for emotional reasons, it’s a way of trying to fulfill an unmet need or soothe uncomfortable emotions. This could be due to past experiences, beliefs about yourself and food, or simply not having the tools to cope with difficult emotions. But with the support and guidance of a registered dietitian or nutritionist, you can dig deep and uncover the root causes of your emotional eating. Then you start addressing the underlying issues instead of focusing solely on the food aspect. When you’re working with your registered nutritionist in counseling, you can unpack your relationship with food by reflecting on questions like:

  • What feelings usually trigger emotional eating for you? 
  • How did your relationship with food develop as you grew up? 
  • When you eat for comfort, what emotions are you trying to soothe or avoid? 
  • Are you listening to your hunger cues during the day, or are restrictions causing you to turn to food later on?

In a safe, supportive space, you can start shifting from guilt to understanding. Emotional eating isn’t a failure on your part nor is it wrong. It’s a signal from your body that something isn’t right and needs to be addressed.  This can be a signal that something deeper, like stress, exhaustion, or loneliness, needs your attention and care. By exploring the root of your emotional eating, you can develop a stronger sense of self-awareness and work towards making choices that truly align with nourishing your mind and body.

Moving Away from Diet Culture & Shame A man prepares a nutritious meal with fresh ingredients, highlighting the benefits of nutrition therapy in Raleigh, NC with guidance from a nutritionist in Raleigh, NC for a balanced and mindful approach to eating.

Ever been told to “just have more discipline” or “cut out trigger foods”? That’s diet culture talking. It makes emotional eating seem like a flaw. It says eating when you’re not physically hungry is bad. That finding comfort in food is wrong. That resisting cravings and cutting out certain foods will somehow “fix” everything. Yet, here’s the thing, taking away food doesn’t take away the need your body has for comfort and nourishment. It only adds more pressure and shame, leading to a vicious cycle of restriction followed by bingeing. If you’ve been turning to food for emotional comfort, trying to restrict it will only make things harder. The goal of nutritional counseling isn’t to control your eating, it’s to help you reconnect with your body in a way that feels safe and supported.

That’s why our approach focuses on curiosity, not control. Instead of viewing emotional eating as a problem to be solved, we see it as a conversation your body is having with you. Nutritional counseling can help you break free from the guilt that often comes with emotional eating and replace it with self-compassion. Society tells you this is something to feel guilty about or that it’s “wrong”. But in reality, emotional eating can be a form of self-care. It’s a way to cope with difficult emotions and provide comfort when you need it most.

By acknowledging this and treating yourself with kindness, you can begin to transform your relationship with food. That’s why we start by recognizing the patterns. When and why do you turn to food for emotional reasons?  What emotions are you trying to cope with? By bringing awareness to these triggers, we can work towards finding coping mechanisms that work for you and your lifestyle while still nourishing your body. It’s not about eliminating emotional eating altogether, but rather finding balance and creating a positive relationship with food and your body.

It’s not about restricting certain foods or labeling them as “bad”.

Often, other medical professionals, social media influencers, and diet trends may promote restrictive diets or labeling certain foods as “bad”. However, food is not a moral issue, and we do not believe in restrictive eating. Our approach to nutritional counseling is rooted in the belief that all foods can fit into your lifestyle. We encourage you to listen to your body’s cues and honor its cravings, while also incorporating nutrient-dense foods to nourish your body. By removing the guilt and shame associated with food, you can begin to make choices that truly serve your body’s needs. We believe in empowering individuals to trust their bodies and make informed decisions about their health.

Our goal is to empower you and provide tools for long-term success. This is why at Nutritious Thoughts our team of registered dietitians encourage a non-diet approach that focuses on intuitive eating and honoring your body’s natural cues. This means listening to your body’s signals of hunger and fullness, rather than following strict rules or restricting certain foods. We also believe in incorporating joyful movement and finding ways to enjoy physical activity, rather than viewing it as a punishment for food choices.

The Role of Attuned Eating in Emotional Well-Being A woman enjoys a meal while listening to music, embracing a balanced approach to eating with guidance from a dietitian in Hendersonville, NC and a nutritionist in Raleigh, NC.

Attuned eating is all about tuning into your body’s cues, respecting both your physical and emotional needs, and ditching those external food rules. It’s a key part of nutritional counseling that helps you rebuild trust with your body. You learn to trust that your body knows what it needs, that all foods can fit into your life, and that emotions don’t have to take over. Attuned eating shifts the focus away from labeling foods as “good” or “bad” and instead asks, what feels nourishing and supportive right now?

It’s about learning to tell the difference between emotional and physical hunger, but also about allowing yourself to eat emotionally without guilt. Emotional eating isn’t inherently harmful, it only becomes an issue when it’s the only tool you have to cope. We know this can be a vulnerable process, and it’s so important to create a safe, supportive space for you to explore your relationship with food and body image. Emotional eating and curiosity are closely connected, which is why building trust with your nutrition counselor matters so much.

Diet culture has taught us to feel guilt and shame around food, but in nutritional counseling, the focus is on creating a relationship where you feel seen, heard, and understood. We’re not here to give you a list of rules or tell you what to eat. Instead, we’re here to offer an open, supportive space where you can explore your relationship with food without fear of judgment. This is a place to share your experiences with emotional eating, get guidance tailored to your unique needs (not some one-size-fits-all diet advice), and feel supported as you move at your own pace. Healing your relationship with food isn’t about willpower or discipline—it’s about creating safety around food, noticing patterns with curiosity, and building coping skills that truly work for you.

Finding Peace in Your Relationship with Food

Emotional eating doesn’t have to feel like a constant struggle, and it’s definitely not something you need to “fix” or feel bad about. Instead, it can be a chance to pause, reflect, and discover what you really need in a way that feels nourishing and satisfying.   If you’re ready to build a healthier relationship with food, one based on self-trust, awareness, and compassion, nutritional counseling in Raleigh & throughout North Carolina can help. We’re here to guide you through emotional eating without judgment, so you can feel more confident, clear, and at ease. Because food should be about self-care, not self-criticism. You deserve support that truly helps you take care of yourself, mind, body, and soul.

Compassionate Support for Emotional Eating Through Nutritional Counseling in Cary/Raleigh, Asheville, Hendersonville, and Across North Carolina

Emotional eating isn’t something to “fix”, rather it’s something to understand. At Nutritious Thoughts, our registered dietitians and nutrition counselors help you explore your relationship with food in nutritional counseling, which is a non-judgmental space, free from diet culture. Instead of shame, we focus on compassion, curiosity, and lasting change that honors your needs. With locations in Asheville, Hendersonville, and Cary/Raleigh, plus telehealth services across North Carolina, we make accessible, shame-free support available wherever you are. Whether you’re untangling emotional eating, chronic dieting, or just want a healthier relationship with food, we’re here to walk alongside you. So why wait? Take the first step towards a healthier relationship:

  • Contact us at (828) 333-0096 or email us at info@nutritious-thoughts.com
  • Tell us more about yourself
  • You deserve a relationship with food that feels safe, intuitive, and free from guilt.

Expanded Counseling Services at Nutritious Thoughts

At Nutritious Thoughts, our support extends far beyond individual counseling. Through our Community Wellness & Education programs, we engage with schools, workplaces, and recovery centers to bring tailored nutrition counseling, workshops, and educational presentations directly to your community. Whether delivered on-site or virtually, our goal is to provide accessible wellness tools where they can make the greatest impact. Reach out to learn more about our services and pricing.

What Does it Mean to be Healthy? (Repost!)

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care.

**This post was written by and re-posted from: Cara Lisette of Cara’s Corner

We are bombarded with images of ‘health’ everywhere – social media, supermarkets, television, billboards. 

Being healthy is wonderful, and I do believe health is something people should hope to be. But what is ‘healthy’? Is it clean eating and raw foods and ultra marathons? Is it flatlays of avocado toast and juice cleanses and leg days?

I’m saying no.

Health does not stop and start with your body, but it is influenced by your relationship with your body, and how this impacts your mind.

Health isn’t just about eating your vegetables and drinking enough water and going to the gym. Don’t get me wrong, I am an advocate for those things because they boost my energy levels, my overall physical health and my self esteem. But actually, having a healthy mind is just as important as having a ‘healthy’ body. And a healthy body does not equal thin, no matter what the media leads us to believe.

A healthy mind, for me, means being resilient, accepting of myself and being able to challenge my negative thoughts. I am certainly not always of ‘healthy’ mind but it’s where I try to be.

When my mind is healthy, it also means I am able to recognise when I need extra support, and to have enough self esteem to know I deserve that extra support. It doesn’t mean being happy all the time, it just means I can cope with sometimes being unhappy.

It also means that I can eat chocolate and have a glass of wine at the end of a long day. It means that if I’m tired, I can skip the gym. It means that sometimes I need that extra couple of hours in bed, and that’s okay. Health doesn’t mean rigid diets and calorie counting and strict exercise regimes and meeting your macros. It means being able to listen to what your mind and body are telling you, and sometimes they are telling you you need a rest. There are so many messages in the world that lead us to feel guilty for not conforming to binary concepts of health, or looking like people with abs having protein smoothies after their daily 6am workouts. But you should not feel guilty for doing whatever you need to do to keep yourself well – and that is personal to you.

And really, the point I’m trying to make is that this entire post is just about my idea of health. It is personal to me. You may agree or you may not, but if you have other ways that work for you, that’s okay too.

Health isn’t just superfoods and squats. It’s being kind to yourself in whatever form that takes for you.

It’s okay if…

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care.

The emotions and thoughts you are experiencing right now….let them flow. Let them just be here for a moment while you read on.

In light of the current COVID-19 crisis, none of us have the answer for when life will return to normal and all of us are grieving the Spring time we thought we would have. It’s okay if you’re feeling angry, exhausted, trapped, relieved or rested. Any of it fits.

It’s also okay if….

  • You miss your friends and family…or you don’t.
  • You want to eat more…or you don’t.
  • You feel like you might jump out of your skin…or you don’t.
  • You need to sleep more…or you don’t.
  • You enjoy working from home….or you don’t….or you can’t.
  • You have a productive day…or you don’t.
  • You get dressed…or you don’t.
  • You feel grateful…or you don’t.

There is no right way to feel, act, or “be” right now. Your responsibility is to be true to yourself and your physical, mental, and emotional needs during this time. These needs might not look like your parents’, roommates’, friends’, etc. and that is okay!

Sometimes, it is difficult to meet our needs all on our own. Nutritious Thoughts is here to support you in whatever way possible. As we experience this crisis together, we want you to know that we provide the following services and hope to lighten the load of stress you may be carrying.

  • Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for  chronic illness
  • Menu/Meal planning for individuals and families
  • Grocery list creation
  • Support around the following:
    • Easy meal preparation
    • Feeding your child during difficult times
    • Discussing food insecurity, budgeting, etc.
    • Body image concerns during a time of isolation
    • Emotional eating & loss of appetite concerns
    • Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating

Stay well, friends.

We stand with you and whatever you’re feeling right now.

Let us know how we can help you meet the needs of yourself and your family!

 

 

Resourcing Yourself

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Body Image, Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care.

What does it mean to “be in your body”?

For many of us in recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating, this question is one that we shy away from. Being in our bodies? Nah, not for us. However, being in our bodies (embodiment) may be a tool to help strengthen and expand recovery.

So, let’s ask again. What does it mean to be embodied?

Being embodied means to have the ability to listen. When we can attune to the messages our bodies are sending us, we then have the opportunity to meet our needs accordingly and to be in and with ourselves.

Becoming embodied is a process that can take a lifetime, as we are discouraged from listening to our bodies from a very young age. How do we begin this process? See the tools below that can be used to exercise the “listening muscle” and enhance our ability to sense our bodies and how they fit in the world around us.

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Tool

  • This grounding technique helps us to orient to the world around us, which is the first step to being able to orient to the world within us (an embodied state).  Practice utilizing this tool linked above.

Body scanning

  • Body scanning is a type of meditation that invites us to notice sensations within our bodies. Practice body scanning to your comfort level using the video linked above.

Begin your journey to exploring embodiment by practicing the 5-4-3-2-1 and body scanning tools above. What do you notice about your thoughts, feelings, and sensations? What do you notice about your comfort level with yourself?

 

Stay tuned for more information about embodiment in recovery in our April blog post!

 

 

SURVIVING VALENTINE’S DAY DURING EARLY RECOVERY

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Articles, Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care.

This Valentine’s Day, we share a post via New Method Wellness. These words are truly a worthwhile read!

With love,

Nutritious Thoughts

“It’s a little annoying when stores start putting up Valentine’s Day decorations before it’s even January. Well, February is here already, and now the countdown has begun toward that lovely – or dreaded – Hallmark holiday. Relationship experts and addiction professionals warn about love during the first year of recovery, but when “love is in the air” and all around you, it’s hard to block it out of your mind, especially around this time of year! As you scroll through your Facebook feeds and Instagram pics, you can’t help but wonder, how would a little love hurt anyone?
WHAT’S BETTER THAN LOVE AFTER RECOVERY?
If you are in recovery, your best bet is to make sobriety the top priority on your list rather than finding love. That can be pretty hard to do when every store you walk into is full of reminders that you are single, but rest assured, you won’t regret sticking to the discipline of sobriety for the following reasons:
• Focusing on your sobriety will, in the long run, lead to healthier relationships overall, not just in the romantic domain, but also in all aspects of life
• You increase your chances of success at any endeavor if you stick with the treatment plan that you and your substance abuse counselor developed together
• You reduce your chances of relapsing by avoiding romantic distractions
• You avoid the pitfall of unhealthy relationships. If you get involved with someone during your early stages of recovery, you get addicted to the “high” of falling in love rather than falling in love with the person
• You get to exercise responsibility by not entangling others in an emotional rollercoaster while you sort out your own emotions and discover who you are.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO INSTEAD OF FINDING A NEW RELATIONSHIP?
Do what makes you happy. Fill your schedule with activities that excite you. Here are some ideas you might want to try:
• Sign up for a dance class. Tired of salsa? Try swing dancing and bring a friend with you who will be supportive of your recovery.
• Get into photography and soak in the beauty around you. Form a new habit by creating an album of memories and people you never want to forget. Appreciate beauty in all its forms wherever you go.
• Go horseback riding. Aside from letting you bond with your favorite animal, horseback riding offers you nontraditional benefits of a physical workout. It helps strengthen your muscles and improve your cardiovascular health.
• Like water? Try water sports like surfing and paddle boarding. Not only are they great for physical exercise but they’re also excellent ways to enhance your mood and reduce anxiety.
DO NOT ISOLATE YOURSELF ON VALENTINE’S DAY
It’s a well-known fact that those who have a history of addiction tend to isolate themselves, irrespective of the type of addiction they have. Case studies have shown that social isolation largely contributes to higher rates of drug use, and the maladaptive patterns developed during substance abuse negatively affect one’s existing relationships.

Reach out to a loved one. Reach out to your recovery community. Stay connected this Valentine’s Day!

Seasonal Self Care

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Articles, Self Care.

Autumn is transitional.  The light reflects a bit differently on the trees at dusk, some schedules speed up while others slow down, and we prepare for the holiday season ahead.  Seasonal shifts can be a challenging time to maintain self care. In fact, for many of us, the ways in which we care for ourselves shift with the season.  Nights are longer, temperatures drop, the air becomes filled with family-focused activities, and so on.  Do you struggle with maintaining self care regimens as summer transitions to fall?  Read on for some key points to taking the seasonal shift head on and taking the pressure off of yourself when it comes to self care!

Sometimes Simple Works Best

Self care doesn’t have to be “all or nothing”.  Setting realistic expectations for yourself during more chaotic times is essential to prevent self care from feeling like a chore.  Simple self care this season might look like going to bed 30 minutes earlier, just like daylight does!  It could also be remembering to turn the crock pot on before leaving the house.  These things can (and should) matter just as much as carving out time on a sunny morning to run or booking that weekend getaway. 

Set and Keep Boundaries

Repeat after us, “You do not have to accept every invite you receive.”  Autumn is filled with fun activities and gatherings of all kinds!  While this time of year typically has something for everyone, this doesn’t mean that you have to do all the somethings at the expense of your own peace. If going to that bonfire on Friday night feels like too much, trust your gut…it’s probably too much…AND, you are empowered to say “no” to attending!

Look After Your Body

Yay, fall!  Not so “yay”  is cold and flu season.  Practice taking care of your physical body this season.  Get that flu shot, put lotion on that dry skin, stay hydrated.

Mind Your Mental Health

It’s SAD (seasonal affective disorder) season. If you feel you struggle more with your mental health this time of year, ramping up your mental health care game might need to be in the cards for you. “What more could I do?”, you ask? Here are some ideas:

  • Reach out for support – friends, family, clinicians
  • Begin a daily mindfulness practice – journaling, breathing, coloring, etc.
  • Self help – don’t knock the self help section of the book store…it’s a goldmine.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful fall season! Happy October!

 

Back to School!

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Body Image, Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care.

We are a few weeks into the 2019-2020 school year.  With returning to school comes a set of new stressors, deadlines, and social activities.  How do we maintain recovery when taking on the role of “student”?  Eating Disorder Hope recently released an article on this topic exactly, and we couldn’t have written it any better ourselves.  Therefore, we’ve provided the article for you here in this blog post!  Keep reading for some top-notch tips on staying recovery-forward in the midst of transitioning back to school.

 

Best Practices for Returning to School

Here are the best practices for returning to school in eating disorder recovery:

Make time for recovery. Even with a busier schedule, it’s important to prioritize recovery. This includes continuing to attend appointments with your treatment team at a frequency that will continue to support your recovery. This also includes keeping your long-term health and wellness in mind in spite of the stressors that come with school.

Identify your triggers. Before returning to school, identify what may trigger disordered eating thoughts and behaviors. Triggers may be things like overhearing classmates talk about their bodies, eating with others in the lunchroom, or the amount of math homework you’ll be facing.

Have a go-to list of coping skills and self-care plans that will help you manage these triggers. This will help reduce any risk of relapse.

Develop a healthy daily structure. Finding a daily structure means finding balance. It’s having a routine that provides regular sleep and regular meals.

It’s a schedule that includes social activities that make it difficult to isolate, as well as things like making time for academic efforts to prevent school work from “building up.”

Self-care is an important part of the daily structure — as part of the best practices for returning to school, be sure to build in time each day to take care of yourself and manage daily stressors.

Get support. Know that when things get difficult, you don’t have to figure it out all on your own. Call in your support system — whether it be parents, friends, teachers, the school counselor, or a formal support group — for support around whatever is troubling you.

Many students in recovery need support around academic workload, time management, stress management, meal prep, and/or mealtime support.

Consult with your treatment team. Work closely with your treatment team to address any triggers or challenges that may arise. If you have any concerns, be sure to share them with your treatment team, as they will be able to support you and offer up individualized recommendations.

If you begin to feel like things are getting on top of you, like you’re not coping as well, or returning to old disordered eating thoughts or behaviors, it’s important that you reach out to your treatment team as soon as possible.

Special consideration for student-athletes. Work closely with your coach.

For students in recovery who are returning to athletics along with school, it’s important that your coach understands how to support you in your recovery.

Coaches should be aware of any recommendations being made by your treatment team and be willing to support you in following those recommendations.

This is important for both your short-term and long-term health and wellbeing.

About the Author:

Chelsea Fielder-JenksChelsea Fielder-Jenks is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Austin, Texas. Chelsea works with individuals, families, and groups primarily from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) framework.

She has extensive experience working with adolescents, families, and adults who struggle with eating, substance use, and various co-occurring mental health disorders. You can learn more about Chelsea and her private practice at ThriveCounselingAustin.com.

Is Laughter Really The Best Medicine?

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Articles, Self Care.

This past month, the Nutritious Thoughts team participated in Laughter Yoga.  Yep, you read that correctly!  Never having heard of this form of self-care, we were greatly intrigued and wanted to learn more about the potential benefits of this practice.  Happiness Coach Jennifer Parr (make sure to check out her services here!) gave us an incredible introduction to Laughter Yoga and how giggling can promote overall well-being!

Laughter Life Hack – written by Jennifer Parr

Laughing for just 15 minutes can literally save your life. 1 in 2 Americans struggle to stay happy and the majority of us are seeking solutions to escape the overwhelming stress so many of us face on a daily basis that can be felt in the form of anxiety, irritability, fatigue, digestive problems, and headaches.

One of the fastest and most immediate ways to reduce stress and rewire neural pathways in the brain to get immediate and noticeable change is laughter. Laughter is now recognized as a legitimate, scientifically validated form of preventative medicine.

Physiologically, stress and laughter are complete opposites. If you are laughing, it is physically impossible to also experience stress in that moment. When you experience stress, it negatively effects the functioning and health of your body including an increased heartbeat, rise in blood pressure, and constriction of blood vessels. However, when laughing, your heartbeat slows, blood pressure naturally decreases, and blood vessels are no longer constricted.

The health benefits of laughter are endless.

Laughter Benefits:

Decreases Stress Hormones.
Counteracts Symptoms of Depression.
Relaxes Muscles, and Simulates Circulation.
Improves Memory, Creativity and Problem Solving Skills.
Increases Energy Levels.
Strengthens Immune System.
Improves Digestive System.
Elevates Self Esteem.
Reduce or Prevent Symptoms of Allergies, Asthma, Arthritis, and Cancer.
Quiets the Mind.
Better Sleep.
Release of Feel Good Endorphins.
Emotional Balance and Joy.
Improves Overall Health.l

How can you get MORE laughter in your life? You are 30 times more likely to laugh in the company of others (vs. laughing on your own). One of the most fun and effective ways to guarantee regular laughter while in the company of a supportive community is to take a Laughter Yoga class. It is necessary to laugh for at least 15 minutes to receive the full health benefits of laughter. Laughter Yoga will guarantee that you get at least 15 minutes of Laughter (and in most cases much more) so you can experience immediate and noticeable health benefits.

WHAT IS LAUGHTER YOGA?

Laughter yoga combines yogic breathing techniques, guided laughter exercises and a unique form of meditation. No mat or yoga experience is needed or required.

Class Includes:

·       Light Stretching

·       Yogic Breathing Techniques.

·       Laughter Exercises and Movement.

·       Low impact cardiovascular workout for any fitness level.

·       Laughter Meditation.

What To Expect In A Laughter Yoga Session?

Play and joy are basic human needs, even for adults, and necessary for living a happy and balanced life. This class supports participants in meeting such essential needs and can bring lasting joy when practiced regularly through a variety of guided group and partner exercises. Learn how to laugh without having to rely on humor, jokes or comedy!

What Will You Experience After Laughter Yoga?

Immediately following a laughter yoga session, you will understand the value of laughter as a form of low impact cardiovascular exercise. Many participants have reported decreased anxiety, stress, tension, and worry immediately after the first class as well as increased energy and relaxation.

You will learn how to change your mood within minutes through the exercises. Practicing regularly will help create a more positive attitude and positive coping mechanisms for difficult life situations. Participants will also learn techniques for releasing built up negative emotions. Many participants also report that they feel more connected and comfortable with other participants in class and it can often help in forming friendships.

If you are interested in experiencing a Laughter Yoga class, we will be offering regular classes at Nutritious Thoughts led by Jennifer Parr. Her website is www.jennparr.com.

“Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.” – Lord Byron

 

The grittiness of growth.

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care.

 

It’s summertime, and the living is…well, a mixed bag of emotions.

Growth is hard. Healing is raw. This month, we chose to feature the blog of a local Asheville clinician – Elizabeth Gillette, LCSW of Heirloom Counseling – to celebrate the “realness” of getting in touch with our true selves. See her recent blog post below about being gentle with yourself as you walk your own path of growth and healing.

Being Gentle with Yourself as You Grow

Hi!
There is something many of my clients realize once we start really digging into relationship and self-work: it doesn’t feel very good.
On one hand, I don’t enjoy seeing people experiencing discomfort or big emotions (I have had to learn to hold space for this and allow it instead of rescuing or fixing). But on the other hand, I have realized that the place where emotions are flowing and discomfort is welcomed and old hurts are received instead of pushed away is where the healing happens. Healing is feeling it all and changing your relationship with your feelings. When the emotions are unearthed, I take that as a good sign. You are a living, breathing, deeply feeling person and I want you to know I respect that—so I let you feel it. We feel it together.
Whether you’re actively shifting your attachment style toward security or it seems like your life as you know it is crumbling all around you or you are growing so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with yourself, please know you are still loved and worthy and whole. None of this work is easy. I’ve come to believe that if you are awake and aware and showing up in any conscious way in this world then you are exposed to the pain of all of it. So many of us are hurting. I know that.
But here’s what I want you to remember. The work you do reverberates out into the collective. Your healing is my healing, and mine is yours. We all deserve to heal. Every one of us. We can help each other do that—by offering support, by being in relationship in a conscious way, and by being accountable for our own stuff. Healing is unlearning just as much as it is acquiring new skills and practicing new responses. We must take inventory of our values and beliefs, gain an understanding of how we came to those beliefs (and whether they still make sense), and move into alignment with who we are now.
Your personal work is incredibly powerful because we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves.
Healing doesn’t happen overnight. And attachment and relationship work? We are in it for the long-game. This work takes practice, time, energy, dedication, and awareness. We must be gentle with ourselves to maintain our commitment. Humans don’t learn well when they are shamed or afraid or experience harshness. How can you create compassion for the parts of you that are learning right now? The fact that you are engaged with the work on a daily basis and healing at your own pace is good enough. Let it be good enough for this moment. Rushing this type of healing doesn’t allow us to dive deep, to fully embrace our experiences, to feel everything we need to feel to move forward.
We all have our own stories and experiences of healing and I believe it’s very important for us to hold space to hear those experiences and learn from one another. I am so thrilled to launch the here to heal podcast on June 11! It’s coming up soon and I’ve done some amazing interviews with incredible folks in my community as well as solo shows where I share more about my own experiences with healing. I’m looking for folks who would be willing to be part of my Podcast Launch Team—people who will listen to a few episodes and then rate and review them on iTunes and get the word out to others who might be interested. If that’s you, will you hit reply to this email and let me know? I will send you instructions and a reminder when the podcast launches! THANK YOU!
I also want to share an opportunity for an in-person healing experience that I am offering on June 22, 2019, with Liz Gunn and Monica Leblanc in the mountains of Western North Carolina. We are hosting an afternoon gathering to support your relationship to yourself utilizing attachment theory, astrology, and the Enneagram (a combination that I have found to be extremely powerful in my own healing work). This experience will provide grounded and practical tools for increasing consciousness and self-awareness with a healthy dose of fun, pleasure, and play. This gathering will be nourishing on many levels and is the perfect way to celebrate the summer solstice! Space is limited so the gathering feels intimate—please register as soon as you can to secure your spot!
Thank you so much, always.
Warmly,
Elizabeth

 

FYI! Elizabeth is launching a podcast THIS MONTH that we are seriously stoked for. Check out the details here: here to heal Podcast

Happy [and sad and frustrated and whatever else you may feel] Growing!

Spring Time Blues

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care.

The weather is warming, daylight lasts longer, and the world seems to be blooming…and it expects you to be doing the same.

This month, we feature a very important blog post by Carolina Partners in Mental HealthCare, PLLC that highlights the pressure we may feel to present ourselves to the world as happy, energetic, and carefree this time of year and how it is perfectly alright (and actually makes sense) if “happy-go-lucky” is not everyone’s reality during the Spring season.

Check the post out below!

IT’S SPRING! WHY YOU DON’T HAVE TO FEEL HAPPY

Spring is finally here. People are wearing shorts, the birds are infectiously happy, flowers are blooming everywhere. In the grocery store today, a man told me, “You look so sad. Be happy! The weather is beautiful.” While there’s always room for gratitude in our days, and nice weather certainly can be something to be grateful for, I’m here to tell you why you don’t have to be happy.

There are admittedly many proven mental health benefits to Springtime. The increase in daylight provides a boost in one’s serotonin levels (serotonin is a crucial ingredient for feelings of happiness). And during the new season, people don’t need to expend as much energy to fight off the drowsiness that occurs when it’s darker outside. Also, people tend to socialize in the Springtime more, which comes with other mood-enhancing benefits; for example, laughing with friends or hugging loved ones, both of which release important endorphins.

With all of this bright light, social bustle, and beautiful, blooming nature, there can be an unspoken expectation to be as happy as possible all the time. But, for a number of reasons, many of us don’t feel happy during Spring … or we don’t feel as happy as other folks seem to think we should. And I would like to detail a number of reasons for why we may not feel happy, despite the beautiful weather and chipper social milieu:

  • The expectation to be happy itself can be stressful, and can, perversely, end up making us feel less happy. It is very alienating to be pressured to feel a certain way when you don’t already feel that way to begin with, and this social pressure is severely heightened in Springtime.

 

  • The warmer weather can make it more difficult to think clearly on a physical level. Ideally, Spring is a time of moderate levels of warmth that help us adjust to the oncoming heatwave of the Summer. But in reality, Spring is often dramatically warmer than we expect or want it to be, and those changes usually happen without warning.

 

  • A third reason is that many of us need to spend our days indoors during these lovely Spring days. Students are busy studying for exams. Office workers continue to spend eight hours a day inside, regardless of the season. That disconnect between desire and reality can be very demoralizing.

 

  • Some people experience a problem with sinuses during this time, which can make simple things like going on a walk in your neighborhood very unenjoyable.

 

  • Perhaps most importantly, it is important to remember that the regular ups and downs of life continue to happen in Spring, despite the shifting climate. For some folks, Spring is the anniversary of a loved one’s passing. Other people are experiencing terrible illness. There are folks who lose their job in Spring, or get into a car accident. The mere existence of warm weather and budding cherry blossoms does not erase the usual tribulations of life.

While there are likewise many reasons to enjoy the season, it’s important that we be aware of our own impulse to assume that everyone else is happy, or that everyone else should be happy, or that we should be happy. Spring is a time of should-ing. We “should” all over each other during this season, a practice that often makes even the enjoyable aspects less enjoyable.

As you move about in the world during this season of opening and renewal, remember to hold yourselves and others in a place of understanding and compassion. If you find yourself feeling sad, angry, frustrated, hopeless, etc., remind yourself that those emotions are a part of life, no matter the season. The same goes with other people whom you interact with. Every season is the right season to treat yourself and others with compassion, and to reach out for the help that you need.

To access other posts from the Carolina Partners in Mental HealthCare, PLLC blog, follow this link: Be Well Blog