I am willing to use ANY tool in my tool bag to help someone do this, from healing foods, to unique personal assignments, joyful movement, detox, no detox, soul purpose astrology, bodywork, yoga, and meditation, to name a few.

It all depends on where that person is coming from.

I see it as paramount for me to draw out what it is that makes them glad to be here, glad to be alive, glad to live in their body.

One thing is certain on this journey and that is, eating nourishing whole foods is a marvelous entry point to helping someone get ‘in there’.

Sometimes though, because of our habitual patterns, being in this body doesn’t feel so good. We can feel addicted to substances, a slave to cravings, and like we’re riding a daily roller-coaster on foods that don’t work for us.

Today’s Taurus new moon eclipse at 5:28pm PT invites us to get into our bodies, to enjoy our senses, and to set our intentions on what makes us glad to be in this body, on this earth.

When we don’t take the high road with this energy we can get stuck and go for “false” pleasures like too much sugar and caffeine. These are false pleasures because they leave us feeling worse off in the longrun.

Though I am not a purist when it comes to food…(I have way too much of a rebel inside) I do know that having a strong base of foods that support my body has been a huge factor in my ability, as well as so many people that I have seen, to create a healthy relationship with food that adds to a nourishing and delicious life.

So what helps you get into your body? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

What we focus on might be as elusive as listening to their intuition, it might just as easily be as fundamental as increasing the power of their digestion.  Either way it takes willingness for both of us to listen to their gut for guidance.

It’s all so connected, but when our physical system is stressed, its hard for any of the messages to be clear.  And from a confused place, many of the food choices we make end up leaving us worse off. This can lead to a vicious cycle for our physical and mental well being.

For example….what do you think the following symptoms have in common?

• Bloating
• Allergies
• Eczema
• Depression
• Resistant weight loss

Can you guess the physical root of all those expressions?

It’s your gut.

That’s right, the health of that long twisting tube deep-seated in your abdomen is a key factor in a host of health situations. And those symptoms are often a manifestation that something’s gone awry in yourdigestion.

You can consider these symptoms in that same camp:

gas ~ constipation ~ diarrhea ~ sensitivities to certain foods ~ headaches ~ asthma ~ decreased immunity ~ brain fog ~ anxiety ~ and the list goes on. . .

When your digestive system is suffering, you are too.  

The reverse is also true, when you are suffering for any number of reasons, your digestion takes a hit.   

How you’re digesting your food is often a metaphor for how you’re digesting your life.

Emotional and physical health are always feeding into each other, either in a supportive way or a destructive way.

That’s why looking at the health of the gut is so powerful.  Though I spend a lot of time writing about emotional health in relationship to food, today I’m diving into the physical workings of your gut.

The small intestine, when running smoothly, is your gatekeeper.  It selectively decides what travels into the circulatory system and what stays out.

But let’s back up a bit.

Your food is broken down into smaller nutrients higher up in the digestive system ~ in the mouth, in the esophagus, and in the stomach. Auxiliary organs of digestion, the pancreas and gallbladder, produce enzymes to help the food break down further. Those enzymes are pumped into the “gates” of the small intestine.

Yet what comes out of those gates is dependent on the health of your small intestine. There are intricate chemical processes that sort and select what will go into circulation. If nutrients that aren’t properly digested leak into the bloodstream then the suffering begins.

That grief can take the form of gas, bloating and indigestion, but it can also create more systemic problems from disrupting your mental health to increasing your toxic load, to just feeling like crap.

In my practice I look to find the root cause of any symptom whether it be emotional, physical or spiritual. I always start with how my client can relax more into their life, and I often end up checking out what is happening in the gut. Since most of digestion and absorption happens right in that organ, it needs to be in good repair. The good news is that with your caring attention it can indeed be repaired!

So what’s your gut saying?  Listen in and see if it’s time to give it some loving attention. It’s your core after all and it deserves the very best.  I would love to read what you are hearing below.

That’s what it’s like when you try to change your diet from a place of “fixing”,  eventually resentment  builds and your body rebels.

On the other hand, have you ever noticed when you do things for someone out of joy and just  to see them smile, you both get energized?

That’s what it’s like when you shift your diet from a place of inspiration.

And whether you use force or inspiration makes all the difference in the world to the outcome.  When you are inspired, you tap into feelings that are valuable to you ~ feelings like joy, aliveness, and connection, and the outcomes are more satisfying.

The same is true when you approach the question of whether or not to do a detox.

If you have been following me for a while you know I would never tell you that you should do a detox if you weren’t inspired to do so.

I would never tell you that nuts, raw kale salad or ground flax seed was a must have if didn’t support your body’s needs and thus support your happiness. Each and every body has different dietary and emotional needs. And your requirements for health and healing are based on a multitude of factors.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

My clients come to the table with different diets, different histories, different cleansing experience, different relationships to food, and obviously different bodies.

And, together, we discover their optimal path to well being.

Dietary change, healing, and the journey to health is not only NOT a one-size-fits-all proposition, it’s also not something that should be out of anyone’s reach or forced.

That said, sometimes parameters are the most loving thing you can give yourself as you learn new ways to nourish yourself.

With a detox our goal is to remove the foods that may be muddying the waters, keeping you stuck in patterns that are making you feel less than your best. For a set period of time while you detox, you experiment with eliminating substances that slow you down, make you sick and heavy, clog your sinuses, cause gas and bloating, and leave you feeling tired, foggy and forgetful.

Sometimes the things we’re removing are a type of food and sometimes they’re more than foods. . . a set of behaviors or beliefs.

The intent with this detox is to work from the food end of the spectrum to alleviate physiological stressors, optimize your digestive function, and invite nourishment that will enable a deeper level of self understanding and healing.

We do this by eating a clean, whole foods. It’s not about feeling deprived.

By clearing the toxic substances from your diet you also clear a pathway to a deeper understanding of what your body needs to create the opportunity for transformation.

A full moon is when the moon (unconscious mind) is in opposition to the sun (conscious mind).  This full moon represents a pull between the need for authenticity (Scorpio) vs the need for security (Taurus).  When aiming for more authenticity, your shadow thoughts are often right there with thoughts that keep you stuck.

Despite what it might feel like, they aren’t there just to haunt you.  They come up to be listened to, to be noticed, to be transformed.

For many of us the first sign of shadow is noticing that you are knee deep in stress eating.

Shadows often come as repetitive thoughts that spiral you down into behaviors that spiral you down further. Eating can be an unconscious way to stuff the shadow thoughts.  It’s the power of your mind being used against you.

What’s important here is to stake your claim and identify your CORE VALUES in the situation at hand.  What is it you want?  What is it you value? Use the answer to HARNESS the shadow energy.

Try this exercise: Every time you notice you are having a repetitive draining thought, thank the thought and attach a transformational one infused with the power of your core value.

Draining Thought:  I will never be able to change_____________(this eating pattern, this relationship, this…whatever is holding you down)

Transformational Thought: Thank you for reminding me that above all else I value __________ (peace…or other core desired feeling)

Try this and pay attention to how the transformational thought affects your body.  Now experiment with using more and more of your shadow thoughts for your own transformation.  That is a serious mental detox!

Next week I will share an opportunity with you for an online food detox, but for now….

What thoughts are draining your energy?  How might you harness their energy for your own transformation?

All your thoughts are welcome below.

If you enjoy contemplating nature even a little bit you may have noticed that all of life manifests from the types of seeds that are planted.  This is true whether its an actual seed or the thoughts in your head which all your actions springs from.

We are constantly planting thought seeds that are sprouting, but most of them are unconscious and not always what we really want.  Intentions are like very strong seeds, the type of energy that goes into them is what takes root and bears fruit if we nourish the plant.  When those seeds are in alignement with what resonates as truth for us, they have a positive physiological effect on our whole body.  Truth helps us to relax and feel alive.  When we are not spending energy pretending to be something we are not, we have more energy to feel the power of our life force- ie, metabolism.  When we feel alive our metabolism is turned on, and as one of my favorite teachers says “Personal Power = Metabolic Power”.

One of my intentions lately is to up the ante and use my life to live from an even deeper level of truth. This has led me to refining the language I use to express the offerings on the Divinehunger website.  One example that you might notice is that I switched from “Astrology for Weight Loss” reading to “Astrology for Healing: Food, Weight and Body” Reading.  The product is the same, but the seed, the intention, feels more true.  Even though I help people with weight loss, it’s so much more than that.  This change is not what my business coach advised, but then again ultimately it’s more important to make things that feel good to make.

Little adjustments can help you feel more aligned with your soul’s purpose.  Those are the types of seeds I want to be planting. So what are your intentions for this spring new moon?  It adds power to them when you write them down and share them.  I invite you to step into your own metabolic power and share with us in the comments below!

Speaking of Spring Intentions….Watch for my first Spring Detox coming right up in May!

She happens to be the emotional sign of Cancer and though she has studied years of self help and nutritional wisdom, at this moment, none of that is helping.

Every time she tries to stop the cycle and eat “good” food in proper amounts, she rebels and turns to food for comfort and the trauma repeats. She doesn’t know why she’s doing what she’s doing. On top of stomach pain, none of her clothes fit and she’s questioning her entire career.

What happens in the thick of a food/body struggle is that we feel trapped, and because we feel trapped, we panic. The panic tightens the knots further, driving us deeper into fight or flight. Since you can’t fly from your body, your stuck in fight, and you end up at war… with yourself. What could be more stressful than being your own enemy?

Lack of self trust affects your cravings, hormones, energy, and your confidence in every area of your life.

Fighting = more stress = more stress eating. This also means the cerebral cortex, (the part of your brain responsible for wise decisions) is shut down.

So what’s a person to do? Give up? Starve? Keep eating?

Two words that can wake you up and bring you back on track might sound counter-intuitive but they are “I Agree”.

You might assume this means giving up on yourself, but actually you’re giving up on the war against yourself. When you’re no longer fighting, that shy creature called wisdom can emerge, clarity too.

When you “agree to what is” at this very moment, you’re no longer a victim that has to fight back, instead you become an aware participant in your life. This is different than resigning yourself to the situation or pretending you love what is happening when clearly you are suffering.

It is different because you’re acknowledging what IS as part of your life right now, as part of your unique path that might actually have something to teach you. Also when you agree, even for one pristine moment, your nervous system can relax and you actually have choice.

As you agree, you may have to sit with feelings you blocked off when you were telling yourself “this isn’t my real body”.

That said, your body right now, is the only place you’re empowered to choose the next loving thing to do.

That might look like more parameters around the foods you eat or how you are eating, but it gives you a chance to do that from a different place than self rejection, which always backfires.

So try it whether you are struggling or loving this moment.

“I agree.

To this body as it is right now.

To the lessons this body is waking me up to.

To this very life.”

Just for a moment. Agree, and from there make your choices and see what happens…

The next day my friend called to tell me that all day long she used “I agree” like a mantra. She agreed to things she was in resistance to, “I agree to these thighs, this belly, this job, this challenge, this tiredness, this life journey.”

She also agreed to what she was enjoying, “I agree to this sunny day, this smile, this breath.” It had the effect of neutralizing the things she was resisting, even her capacity to feel joy, (which increased greatly). It was also the first day in weeks that she ate her meals in a nourishing way without overeating or struggling.

From there she was able to come up with a plan for nourishment that felt protective rather than restrictive.

So, where in your life are you in disagreement? Where could you experiment with agreeing to what is so you can take the next loving step?  Let us know below!

My witnessing mind was calm.  She has learned to be patient with this one.  Then she said, “OK that’s fine, eat all you want, but I want to ask you one question.  Do you have a choice right now?”

“NO!”

That’s interesting!  Why don’t you have a choice?

“Because I’m really pissed off that she (person, just on the phone) is always so freaking negative and can never really be happy for me!”

When that information came, the clouds parted and it broke the spell.  ”Oh, I’m really pissed off.”  I had kind of suspected that, but had not consciously acknowledged it.  For me, that moment of awareness, gave me a choice.  I hadn’t fully realized that I’d been in “victim mode” and had given my power away to someone else’s reactions.  When I realized this, I was able to back away, to allow space for myself to feel what I was feeling.

When I’m working with clients and they tell me about a binge or a bad day or week or two, they often say they felt like they had no choice.  (I get it.)  When I ask what emotions they were having, it’s a mix, sometimes they don’t even know.  All they know is that they went into a familiar fog-like trance and before you know it they were in the drive through, or the gas station picking up junk food or doing the refrigerator shuffle.  It’s more the speed and the feeling of fullness that is driving them, rather than what they are eating.  There’s no real pleasure in the consumption, just temporary pain relief.

In those moments, I sometimes wish I was there, to help them notice, whether or not they have a choice.  There’s so much potential in that very moment, but it takes at least one part of the mind willing to tread lightly enough to be curious.

Knowing whether you have a choice gives you a treasure chest of information, which in turn gives you a tremendous chance for transformation.

For example, when I answer, “Yes, I do have a choice,” it’s as if I hadn’t realized it before the question came, and I often find I don’t even want the food in question.  Knowing this, I can walk away relaxed, there’s no more fight, it’s not really what I want.  When I answer “No, I don’t have a choice”, then I get curious, I want to know why I don’t have a choice.  That answer is right below the surface of the “No.”  Asking why I don’t have a choice is the equivalent of shining a light on the fog of the impulse that is steering the ship.  This by it’s very nature gives understanding, which is the first step to empowerment.

Try this Experiment:  Next time you find you’re eating in a compulsive way, ask yourself. “Do I have a choice?”  If you do, then ask yourself, “Do I really want this?”  If you don’t really want it try walking away and show yourself you do indeed have a choice.  If you do have a choice and you still want it, then for heaven’s sake, slow down and let yourself be nourished by it.  Notice everything that you like about it, how it feels in your mouth, in your body and after you digest it.

If the answer is that you don’t have a choice, then get curious- why don’t you have a choice?  Be open for the first thought that pops up.  WARNING: It may sound very much like an upset child.  Don’t dismiss this voice just because you think it’s not rational- neither is stress eating.  It’s the child that’s so often running the show.   To ignore her/him would be to toss the most valuable information of your compulsion out the window and to stay in the dark, choiceless.

Having a relationship with all parts of you is integral if you want to live an empowered life, a life where you get to make conscious choices.  It’s a path to trusting yourself.  When you can trust yourself to have a nourishing relationship with food, it spills over into the rest of your relationships.

Full Disclosure: I did go back a few hours later, and in a relaxed way, sat down and enjoyed the crunching immensely.

So do you have a choice when you find yourself stress eating?  I would love to hear your experiences below!

And then there is actually losing weight! Got on the scale on Friday and I’m at number I have’t seen in over a year. . . I feel our work together is close to the core of the onion I’ve been peeling for over 40 years.

My partner and I are both noticing that my expressions of affection have a little more spice!”