Our bodies are intricate and powerful machines. You've likely heard of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. To put it simply, the sympathetic nervous system activates when you're stressed, while the parasympathetic nervous system activates when you're relaxed. This distinction matters because it affects our digestion. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, digestion essentially shuts down. The body, recognizing stress as danger, redirects energy from digestion to survival.

In modern life, we face fewer physical dangers but plenty of stressors like deadlines, bosses, and traffic. For example, if you're too busy to take a proper lunch break and scarf down food while working, your body won't digest it effectively. This can lead to poor nutrient absorption, resulting in either quick elimination or storage as fat. Eating under stress can also leave you feeling hungry and craving snacks soon after.

​The good news? There's a simple solution: trick your body into thinking it's calm. This might even make you feel genuinely calmer. Here's how:

Do this before every meal. Make it a game or a routine at your dinner table. Everyone will benefit.

​This simple trick helps your body absorb food more effectively. When your body absorbs the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, you stay satiated longer, feel better, and snack less. All of this can be achieved through the simple act of mindful breathing.

Did you know that three distinct parts of the human brain play crucial roles in creating change in our lives? Understanding these components and their functions can help us make changes that once seemed impossible. They are:

The Cortex or “Human Brain” This part deals with the logical, conscious mind. It justifies our choices and behaviors, making sense of our feelings and experiences.

The Limbic System This system generates emotions, promoting a sense of safety and well-being. It drives us toward or away from experiences affecting love, safety, and belonging.

The Brain Stem or “Critter Brain” Responsible for physical survival, the Critter Brain controls heart rate, breathing, blood sugar, and other vital functions.

Most of us rely heavily on the cortex for tasks like meal planning, budgeting, and work. However, we often overlook the power of the limbic system and the brain stem. The limbic system ensures we feel loved, while the brain stem keeps us safe.

Our perceptions of love and safety are shaped by our experiences. For instance, if you grew up with alcoholic parents, your brain might associate alcohol with safety and love. Similarly, if you experienced verbal or physical violence, you might repeat those behaviors as an adult.

The key to overcoming these unconscious patterns is self-compassion and awareness. Recognize that even harmful actions are attempts to feel safe and loved. This awareness allows us to assess our actions and their true impact on our lives. We can choose to act intentionally and thoughtfully, rather than unconsciously repeating past behaviors.

The Critter Brain resists change, categorizing familiar actions as safe and integrating them into our identity. As health-conscious adults, we must evaluate our choices, keeping those that serve us and modifying those that no longer meet our needs for safety.

​By understanding and balancing these three parts of the brain, we can make meaningful changes and improve our overall well-being.

When we embark on a journey towards change, it's common to find ourselves self-sabotaging and potentially giving up. One major reason for this is our deep-seated desire to retain love, community, and companionship.

As humans, we invest a lot of time building communities—whether with family, coworkers, close friends, neighbors, or any group we value. Sometimes, the changes we want to make in our lives may conflict with these groups, threatening the love and connection we've worked hard to create.

Take weight loss, for example. Imagine you set a goal to lose 20 pounds in 90 days. You have a meal plan, an exercise plan, a coach, and a great aunt Edna who makes the best buttery mashed potatoes on the face of the earth. You usually go to her house for Sunday dinners, and the potatoes are always on the menu. You know it will be tough to turn them down because seeing people enjoy her potatoes brings Aunt Edna so much joy, and her joy brings you joy too. What do you do?

This is a form of social pressure and a common reason for self-sabotage. Whether it's mashed potatoes, alcohol, drugs, or gossip, breaking free from behaviors that conflict with your goals, out of fear of hurting others, can be extremely challenging. The good news is that Aunt Edna won't hate you for not eating her mashed potatoes. You might need to explain your goals, but this can actually strengthen your relationship, not weaken it. It takes courage to share your goals with loved ones or to just say "no" occasionally. Of course, you might lose some people in the process, but you have to prioritize what’s most important for you.

​​Once you're aware of how self-sabotage creeps into your life, you can make it powerless. Simply noticing situations where you might fall prey to these behaviors puts you back in the driver's seat, allowing you to make choices that best serve you.