Today on the Holistic Dentistry Show, Dr. Sanda Moldovan speaks with Tricia Nelson, an emotional eating expert and TEDx speaker whose talk has garnered over 2 million views on YouTube. Tricia is the author of the bestselling book "Kill Your Hunger: Seven Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating" and host of the Heal Your Hunger show. As a recovered emotional eater who lost 50 pounds by addressing the underlying causes of her overeating, Tricia shares profound insights about the real reasons behind our food struggles. Tricia explains that overeating is rarely about the food itself but rather about "what's eating you." She describes how emotional eaters use food to cope with uncomfortable feelings, change their mood, or numb emotional pain. Rather than focusing on dieting, which has a 98% failure rate, Tricia emphasizes the importance of addressing the root emotional causes that drive overeating behaviors. She outlines what she calls "the anatomy of the emotional eater" - a set of 24 personality traits that have nothing to do with food but contribute to problematic eating patterns. The conversation explores how people-pleasing, perfectionism, and poor boundaries create the perfect storm for emotional eating. Tricia explains her "PEP test" (Painkiller, Escape, Punishment) to help identify the emotional drivers behind unhealthy eating behaviors. She offers practical advice for breaking free from emotional eating, including establishing regular meal patterns, developing self-awareness about true hunger versus emotional hunger, and creating healthy tools for processing emotions. For Dr. Sanda's dental audience, she highlights how reducing sugar intake can dramatically improve not just overall health but oral health as well. Want to see more of The Holistic Dentistry Show? Watch our episodes on YouTube! Do you have a mouth- or body-related question for Dr. Sanda? Send her a message on Instagram! Remember, you’re not healthy until your mouth is healthy. So take care of it in the most natural way. Key Takeaways: (00:01:57) Tricia's journey losing 50 pounds by addressing emotional eating (00:06:25) "Overweight is a symptom of overeating, and overeating is a symptom of what's eating you" (00:11:31) Distinguishing physical hunger from emotional hunger (00:16:23) The people-pleasing trait in emotional eaters (00:18:22) Why 98% of diets fail to address root causes (00:22:28) Food addiction: uniquely challenging because we must eat to live (00:26:37) The physically addictive nature of sugar and carbs (00:28:24) Hidden sugars in processed foods (00:33:16) The PEP test: Painkiller, Escape, Punishment triggers (00:37:37) Three steps to begin healing emotional eating Guest Info: Tricia Nelson - Emotional Eating Expert and TEDx speaker Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealYourHunger https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretsaucetoendemotionaleating/ Instagram: @tricianelson_ Email:
[email protected] Determine if you’re an emotional eater or a food addict (or somewhere in between). Take the quiz and get your personalized score. Emotional Eating Free Quiz Want to discover proven strategies to overcome emotional eating? Grab Tricia's bestselling book 'Kill Your Hunger: Seven Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating' on Amazon and start your healing journey today. Connect With Us: AskDrSanda | YouTube BeverlyHillsDentalHealth.com | Instagram DrSandaMoldovan.com | Instagram Orasana.com | Instagram
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