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In Part 1, we explored why Overeaters Anonymous (OA) can feel comforting at first - offering structure, certainty, and a sense of belonging - and why, for many people, it ultimately reinforces shame, rigidity, and a sense of personal failure rather than real healing. If you’ve ever wondered why “trying harder” hasn’t worked - or why you feel worse, not better, despite doing everything you were told - this article is for you. Moving forward This article isn’t about attacking

What Happens in Food Addiction Programs? For decades, "food addiction frameworks" and 12-step programs like Overeaters Anonymous (OA) have offered what seems like hope: abstinence from "trigger" foods, structure, and a path to freedom. If food were an addiction like alcohol or drugs - then, theoretically, recovery would look similar to protocols in alcohol or drug addiction treatment. This is the premise of OA's framework - whether it's sugar, fruit or fat - if you are behav

I get it. You want to lose a bit of weight for health. You want to feel more at home in your body. You’re craving a sense of control after things have felt off-track for a while. Wanting to diet isn’t wrong, and it often feels like the first step toward change. The real question is whether now is the right time to make adjustments to your food intake, and that depends a lot on your history with food - especially if restriction has played a big role before. Reality of dieting

You can't develop your intuition - crucial for making good, intuitive food decisions - if you are constantly disregarding what feels bad for you. Our circle shapes much of how we see ourselves and the world. They offer support, connection, and shared memories. But what happens when a relationship no longer reflects who you truly are anymore? Sometimes, leaving a bad relationship - whether romantic or platonic - is not just an option, but a necessary step toward reclaiming you

Appetite is a strong biological drive that we would struggle to constantly fight if it were the sole driver of food house. However, you don’t necessarily need medication to quiet constant food thoughts. While GLP-1s reduce appetite and subsequent thoughts around food, there are sustainable, empowering and effective ways to reduce food noise without medication . Let me be clear: I'm not against taking medications to support health and personal goals. Biology is often stringer

For many, health is seen as the absence of pain, the presence of energy, and a sense of overall wellness . But life rarely unfolds in such clean lines. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we are met with suffering - physical, emotional, or spiritual - that lingers far longer than we’d like. What happens then? How do we make sense of life? Are we still allowed to call ourselves healthy, happy, or whole? The gift of pain? Like many of the people I now support, I’ve walked th

We often think of “acceptance” as giving up - like waving a white flag to our pain. But real acceptance is much more alive than that. It's not about liking what’s happening or pretending everything is okay. It's about making room for your experience as it is , so you're not constantly fighting reality. Corey Muscara Take mindfulness teacher Corey Muscara, for example, who once went on a 6-month silent Buddhist retreat - and nearly quit. What pushed him to the edge wasn’t t

Emotions drive our choices - food, purchases, friends, actions, house-moves - you name it. The things that we choose to do highly likely to not be driven by logic all of the time - despite what we might like to think! Our emotions come from different parts of us. When we tune into which part is speaking - the tired part, the anxious part, the hopeful part, we start to understand what we’re really feeling and why . That helps us manage expectations. If a part of you is feeli

Find yourself making bad decisions when you're emotional? Try looking at Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - one of the "newer" therapeutic approaches on the block. The key to ACT is working on psychological flexibility - facing challenging feelings but still acting in line with your values, such as eating and exercising for health no matter how you feel. Let's explore a 4 point overview of ACT's core philosophies... Acceptance Instead of avoiding or suppressing negat

What would life be without emotion? Emotions help us connect to others, reflect our inner experiences, and give meaning to our lives. However, strong emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming as we navigate life's challenges. If you can relate to this, and feel it is negatively impacting your life - you're not alone! Read the 4 biggest contributors to emotional overwhelm below... Are you prone to strong emotions? Why are some people more prone to strong emotions than others?!

What are we up against, and what do we do about it?! Let's take a deep dive into the ins and outs below. Research highlights that the modern environment—more so than biological or genetic factors—plays a significant role by reducing individuals’ ability to regulate their food choices. How does the food environment impact decision-making, and how can we navigate it effectively? Check out the 4 points below! Mega Marketing Food advertising leverages visual appeal, expectations

Scary thought, right?! Let's explore what we know below. Food addiction is a term often associated with distressing cravings and a loss of control, which leads to the overconsumption of food. However, whether someone can be addicted to food is still an area of debate and controversy, and it is currently inconclusive as to the true definition and validity of food addiction. What would the mechanism be? For a start, we must decide how food addiction would actually work in the b