(This blog was originally posted on February 13, 2015)
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| Photo by Rick Hustead |
When Bill Maher asked when was the last time
your (generic) doctor asked you what you eat on the February 6, 2015 episode of
Real
Time with Bill Maher, I started to wonder the same thing. Depending on what
the blood-test results show, a lecture about the dangers of high cholesterol
and how certain foods affect this level may be forthcoming. They also want to
know if and how much I exercise each week; presumably that is because exercise
is an easily quantifiable and relatively benign question to ask. Ditto for
getting the stats about daily alcohol consumption (basically, none). But I
honestly could not remember any time
a physician or even a nurse (RN or LVN) asked me what I actually eat on a
regular basis versus offering advice about what to avoid eating, altogether.
However, one of
the first things I do ask my
hypnotherapy clients is about their diet. This is true whether the person wants
to increase his or her self-confidence, improve a golf swing or lose weight. I
want to find out what they eat and even when they eat. I want to know these
details because nutrition plays a huge role in how we perceive and respond to
events in our environment.
Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., observed that low
blood-sugar levels can exacerbate or even cause a person’s presenting problem
(behavior or belief). For example, a sudden drop in blood sugar can trigger
physical symptoms such as shaking, light-headedness and feeling tired, or even
psychological symptoms such as depression, paranoia, irritability and memory
problems. Furthermore, Dr. Kappas found an association between a person’s low
blood-sugar levels and fluctuating suggestibility
with the onset of a phobic
response. (This fluctuation in suggestibility literally becomes obvious in our
handwriting: lines of writing literally become “wavy” when the person is hungry
and blood-sugar level is lower).
Not only do I
ask my clients about their food choices and eating patterns, I describe how and
why what they ingest (and imbibe) can affect their behavior. In addition, I
explain how eating nutritious meals that contain protein prevents the sudden
drop in blood-sugar level that can contribute to those physical and
psychological symptoms of anxiety. If and when necessary, I will refer a client
for a further medical and/or psychological evaluation if the individual
describes dysfunctional eating behaviors (e.g., bingeing/purging,
starvation) or beliefs about food or nutrition that are out of scope of my
professional expertise.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an
appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
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