Shades of Hope Alumni Story: Jackie
Jackie’s daughter suffered from anorexia and bulimia for more than 4 years before her family became involved. Upon identifying her eating disorder with her therapist, the family came to Shades of Hope. Read Jackie’s story and know that there is hope for your own child or family member struggling with…
Understanding Food Addiction
Food, like chemical substances, can be addicting. Many people use food as a comfort when feeling down, depressed, anxious, stressed or angry. Foods high in sugar, salt, starch and fat are the most addictive and can trigger the brain with “feel-good” chemicals, similarly to heroin or cocaine. When food addicts experience pleasure from feel-good chemicals, […]
Food Addiction Q&A with Tennie and Betty Ford Center
Tennie was recently the featured speaker at the Betty Ford Center Women’s Symposium. Prior to the event she sat down with the Betty Ford Center for a brief Q&A session on food addiction. You can read the full Q&A on their website. The Women’s Symposium mission is to provide innovative tools that help professionals care…
Help Make “Shades of Hope” a Bestseller Again!
Tennie’s book “Shades of Hope” is now out in paperback, and we’re trying to make it a bestseller again. We have a special offer for those who help us boost sales this week. Order your paperback copy of Shades of Hope at Amazon.com by Tuesday, March 12, and we’ll send you an autographed bookplate from Tennie as…
Addiction and Codependency: Are you an Enabler?
We all want to help the people we love, but there is a difference between helping and enabling. Do you have an addict in your life? Are you an enabler? Answer some of following questions to find out: Do you help the addict in your life avoid consequences for their behavior? Do you make excuses […]
Understanding Emotional Eating
Eating can be a psychological act. The term “emotional eating” is often thrown around with a negative connotation, but it can be misunderstood. There are numerous occasions in which eating is emotional: popcorn at the movie, corn dogs at the fair, ice cream with a friend, etc. We eat the foods we love, foods that […]
Signs of Eating Disorders in College-Aged Boys
An estimated eight million Americans suffer from eating disorders. One in eight of those are male. While eating disorders are more prevalent in girls, the potential for boys and young men to suffer from eating disorders should not be ignored. Teenage and college-aged boys, like girls, experience pressure to perform at school or sports, pressure […]
Sugar Addiction and the Brain
If you experience strong cravings for sugar, don’t pass them off as something to be ignored. Research has revealed that sugar shares some of the same addictive properties found in substances like nicotine and heroin. Foods that are high in sugar may actually trick your brain into consuming more. How sugar addiction works Addictive substances […]
If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother
All addictions, including food addictions, develop as a result of a delicate “dance” between an individual’s genetic predisposition and environmental inputs. Studies suggest that the percentage of genetic predisposition can be as high as 50%. This could sound like an alarming statistic until you consider the flip side of that same number – 50% of […]
Understanding Binge Eating
Binge eating, also called compulsive overeating, is an addiction defined by an individual’s inability to control how much they eat. Binge eaters often eat in secrecy, or while doing other things like watching TV. Sometimes, a binge eater’s bedroom is where the eating takes place, and wrappers and food packages may be found under the […]