A high percent of patient's who seek help for an eating disorder problem, have been sexually abused. The connection between sexual abuse and an eating disorder can be caused by guilt and shame which lead to a desire to forget, hurt themselves, protect themselves and or a desire to change their perception of themselves.

Sexual abuse affects eating habits and a persons self perception. A person sees themselves as a victim and has difficulty separating feelings of food satiation and sexuality. The results can be anorexia, bulimia or compulsive over-eating or even drug abuse.

A person who has been sexually abused may try to change their appearance to make themselves less appealing making themselves less of a sexual target. They overeat or starve themselves to become too skinny or too fat. They become obsessive compulsive about food.

Eating Disorder is connected feelings of shame and guilt, as a result of an experience that may have occurred in someone's childhood. The propensity of the patient to hold on to the secret about both their eating disorder and the sexual abuse stems from the perception that they were at fault for the abuse. Professional Therapists at an Eating Disorder Treatment can help the patient sort out the reality that is necessary for a person to recovery from the trauma.

The events that cause the compulsive eating disorder are often hidden so deep within a persons psyche that an eating disorder professional must intervene to help the patient recall the events. Recalling these events will allow the patient to rid themselves of the guilt, shame, and rage and begin working on the symptoms of the original trauma.


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Maintaining a healthy, well balanced diet is the most important factor when trying to lower your cholesterol. The normal cholesterol levels for an adult is suggested to be between 140 and 200. If your cholesterol is over 200 there are several food that can work wonders in helping you to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol. Eating foods that are naturally high in fiber are a great place to start when trying to control cholesterol levels. Oatmeal and oat bran are examples of fiber rich foods to help lower bad cholesterol. These fiber rich foods contain soluble fiber which has been proven to reduce the absorption of cholesterol that takes place in your intestines. A few other soluble fiber rich foods include fresh broccoli, cooked barely, 1/2 cup of apricots or figs, flax, collard greens, lentils, beans, and prunes. Most doctors will describe the foods high in this certain fiber as legumes, fruits and root vegetables.

Almonds and walnuts are also proven foods to lower bad cholesterol. Recent studies have proven that both of these nuts significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Walnuts and almonds are both rich in polyunsaturated fat. Walnuts are also beneficial because they help keep your blood vessels elastic and healthy. The consumption of walnuts and almonds in your diet to fight bad cholesterol can usually be noticed about four weeks after you begin consuming them. It is suggested that you consume 2 ounces a day of these nuts for the most beneficial results.

Olive oil contains antioxidants that make it a perfect food to lower bad cholesterol. To achieve the maximum benefits, the Federal Drug Administration suggest consuming two tablespoons of olive oil a day. This food is one of the easiest to add to your diet because olive oil can be consumed in many different ways. Olive oil is common in salads, and marinades and you can also saute vegetables in it. Many people also use olive oil as a much healthier substitution for butter while cooking many different things.

Plant sterols or stanols are substances that are only found in plants and greatly help to block the absorption of cholesterol. There are many food rich in plant sterol. There are now many types of yogurt drinks available that have specially added sterols that prove to be excellent foods to lower bad cholesterol. You can also find margarine and orange juice with this added ingredient in it. The suggested serving daily for these bad cholesterol reducers is at least 2 grams a day which is equal to about 16 ounces of sterol fortified orange juice.

There are many cholesterol-lowering benefits found in fatty fish because it contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Any doctor will recommend eating at least two servings of fish a week to help lower bad cholesterol. Albacore tuna, salmon, herring, and sardines are included in these foods to lower bad cholesterol. You can also obtain omega-3 from foods including canola oil and ground flaxseed. Also available at your local health store are fish oil supplements that you can add to your diet.



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Binge eating usually comes like a tidal wave. Suddenly, an enormous hunger attacks you and you feel helpless to fight it. It doesn't matter what causes a binge eating attack, it is always hard to face.

However, if you want to end binge eating know that there are things you can do. In fact, there's a very simple step which I've used myself and it has helped me a great deal. I call it the Power of the Pause, and it goes something like this.

Whenever you want to stop binge eating, you need to break the process that got you there. Usually, you get a crave, rush to the fridge or the fast food joint, eat without even thinking about it, and then feel guilty and ashamed.

The truth is that once you have the food in your hand, there is no way you'll be able to stop this binge eating attack from happening. You have to stop the crave from making you overeat. For that, you need the Power of the Pause.

The Power of the Pause is a technique by which you distance the craving from the action you take to get the food. Since it is often hard to differentiate an emotional craving from true physical hunger, this is something you need to do before every time you eat. Whenever, you feel hunger, you need to stop and take some form of action that will take your mind off your hunger. Some people simply count to ten and breathe deeply. Others do some sit ups or go for a walk. You need to see what works for you and tweak it.

For instance, if counting to 10 doesn't work, then go for 20 or 30. If you need to get away from the fridge then take a walk. You make the pause into your own. But whatever you do, you must program your body and mind to realize that you're in control, that no craving is sending you to binge no more. If you do that, you will regain control of what you eat and stop binge eating.

Of course, you will still have work to do in figuring out why you binge in the first place, but with the Power of the Pause, you've taken a major step to a better life.

To get a Free course on how to deal with Compulsive Eating, visit this webpage:
Overcome Binge Eating Disorder.



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