{HMW} What If "I Can't Control Myself" Is Actually a Restriction Problem?

Dear Reader,

What if the reason you can't stop thinking about certain foods has nothing to do with willpower or self-control — and everything to do with the fact that you've told yourself you can't have them?

This is the permission paradox: restriction doesn't protect you from overeating. It's often what causes it. When a food is off-limits, your brain treats every opportunity to eat it like it might be the last. The urgency, the "I can't stop," the guilt spiral — that's not a you problem.

That's what restriction does, almost without exception.

Real permission, (not "I'll allow myself this once") but genuine, unconditional, it's-in-my-pantry-and-I-can-have-it-anytime permission — is what actually quiets the obsession.

It sounds backwards but it works.

Don't believe that kind of permission (or freedom) is possible? Let me tell you more about some of the methods I've used in the 20+ years I've supported clients using conscious eating practices.

>>> Set up a free 30-minute session with me here.

Have it:

Interesting article alert: Why Crying a lot is good for you, actually.

Loved playing around with this new app I discovered called Which Book....you can find books based on mood and emotion or by where in the globe the novel takes place or even based on a type of plot or protagonist you are in the mood for.

Made it:

5-Senses Sunday

This week's 5-Senses Sunday has me rediscovering my long-lost Soda Stream, sitting with a deeply personal update about Alzheimer's research, and learning why shaking your body after stress isn't just a Taylor Swift lyric, it's also neuroscience. Plus, a color recall quiz that will humble you fast.

Come explore all five senses with me.

My Favorite Reads in February

The best books I read last month kept circling the same underlying questions: What do we actually want, versus what we've been told to want?

Who do we become when the life we built stops feeling like ours?

And what does it take to stay connected to other people, and to ourselves, when everything is pulling us away from both?

Want it:

The best new products at Trader Joes - I want to try all of them.

I've always wanted to try fake eyelashes - this product had me at "pre-glued"

Ingredient Spotlight:

Baby Corn

Baby corn is one of those ingredients that shows up everywhere — stir fries, salads, Thai takeout — and yet most of us never think to actually cook with it at home.

Nutritionally, it's low in calories, contains fiber, folate, and a decent amount of vitamin C. It's also naturally low on the glycemic index, meaning it won't spike your blood sugar the way some other starchy vegetables can — good info to have if that's something you're paying attention to.

It's also just... fun to eat? There's something satisfying about a vegetable you can pop in whole.

Here are 16 recipes to help you get more creative with baby corn!

Announcements & Upcoming:

Collaborations to look forward to in March

Everyday Balance Bundle - Coming March 16th

Emotional Empowerment Summit and Bundle: Starts March 21st

Bloom + Be: A Gentle Self-Care Experience: Coming March 24th-26th

Mom's Spring Break Bundle: Coming March 30th

Extra Bytes:

What I'm Reading: Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng, by Kylie Lee Baker

What I'm Watching: DTF, St Louis

What I'm Listening to: This Brain-Boost Mix