I Have No Willpower With Pastries and Chocolate, Help!

There is much debate among health experts and laypersons on the subject of food cravings. Some say it is a sign of a nutritional deficiency, excess or other imbalance. Some say it's Psychological and is a sign for a need for comfort or therapy. Others say it has physical causes and hormone balancing is the answer. Others chalk it up to weakness and lack of willpower.

Well, it could be any one or a combination of these things, but one thing I know for sure is that it's not due to a lack of willpower. It's never about willpower; there is always another reason. In fact, the patients with food cravings who I have seen have been highly successful and in all areas of their lives, and yet struggled with this specific area, that is, until they came to see me. After seeing me, they were in charge of their eating, and no longer felt bad because supposedly they lacked willpower.

In my work with patients that had food cravings and resolved them, it became clear to them during our work together that they were stuck in an old habit pattern that was no longer serving them. They had outgrown this pattern long ago, but were still operating on some level as if they could get what they wanted. Lack of willpower was not the issue, and never was.

You've heard the saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? In the case of food cravings, this is often what happens. A triggering event occurs, and by default, we return to an old outdated coping skill as a way to deal with it. We're not always conscious of this, but it happens nonetheless. Part of us still hopes that we will find a different outcome, but we just don't.

The work that I do with patients helps them quickly identify this outdated coping skill and resolve it on the spot, and it happens without effort. New neural pathways are created and the outdated neural pathways are 'retired.' Then and only then, can we develop new, current and up to date behaviors that serve our highest good, in the present time and situation.

Cravings Can Be Driven By Old Memories

So, how does this work for a person with cravings for sweets like pastries and chocolate? As an example, I recently worked with a patient that had very strong cravings for sugary foods, chocolate and bakery items. She couldn’t pass a bakery without going in and buying something. Before booking our session, she told me that she remembered feeling the most loved when her mother took her to the bakery and encouraged her to eat because she was so skinny. She didn't even really like the pastries, but she loved the whole experience with all the smells and warm feelings of love. Now, the key here is that she knew about this old memory, but the knowledge of it had not changed her behavior.

So, in her adult life, when she felt stressed or otherwise a little out of balance, her brain recalls the memory of the bakery experience. It felt good in the past, and that's the strategy that her brain knew to work, even though it was many decades outdated. The session however, changed her behavior and did so immediately and permanently. She automatically found a new strategy, that didn't involve that old, outdated habit. She was now free to walk by the chocolates and pastries around her and not be tempted. Before, she would not only have been tempted, but also indulged and then felt bad, as she knew better! She didn't need more willpower; she just needed to let go of an old pattern.

I'm always happy when this happens for my patients, even if it means I only see them once. Things are just easier when you're in charge of your eating. So, here's a question for you:

How would your life be different if you didn't have Food Cravings?

How would if feel to be in charge of your eating?

Contact me, I'm here if you want a little help.

Yours in Health,

Kara Sorensen, MS, LAc
The Food Craving Solution
15066 Los Gatos-Almaden Rd
Suite 200
Los Gatos, CA
e: kara(at)karasorensen.com
p: 408.805.5272 (KARA
p: 800.514.1406

Breaking the Cycle of Sugar Cravings 

I am often asked about sugar cravings, and how I help with this very common craving. I help people break the cycle of craving with Acupressure, and it works even when the cravings are really strong. The result after treatment is that they don’t crave it in the same way, and if they have some, it doesn’t trigger more cravings as it did before. If you crave sugar, you may find this too good to be true, as you know how hard it is to resist, and how eating even a little bit, can turn into a binge.

After treatment, some people decide to avoid sugar altogether and others have it on occasion and enjoy it in smaller amounts than they used to eat. If they have some, they’re satisfied much more quickly and don’t want for more. I'll give an example of someone that used to be stuck in the cycle of craving, named Paul. He came to me over two years ago and is still craving free.

Struggling to Overcome Sugar Cravings

Paul tried cutting out sugar and chocolate on many occasion, and it worked for him for several weeks at a time. When he'd done this before, it helped him to lose weight. He’d be doing fine and then something would come up, he’d eat something sweet and he’d be right back where he started with the additional helping of guilt and self defeat. This was not his fault, he was not a weak person, he was just wired to crave.  His biochemistry made it difficult to resist sweets. This is not unique to Paul. Many patients tell me they were doing fine with sugar until a family member came into town or they got into an argument with someone, etc. Can you relate?

There is no peace in this cycle of craving. Sugar becomes the thing to be avoided or the thing desired, but which doesn’t truly satisfy. When we crave sugar, there simply is no peace. Peace is evasive if we avoid it or if we eat it.  I'm not advocating that people eat sugar; I'm just suggesting there could be more peace involved around sugar.  So, back to Paul’s sugar cravings.

Can Peace with Sugar Be Found? 

Paul came to me for help as he wanted to lose weight and his cravings were getting in the way of achieving his goals. We had one session and Paul was free of the cycle of craving. The great thing was that his craving for sugar, chocolate and junk food all resolved together. That happens sometimes, where multiple cravings clear in a single session. After his session, he was able to make food choices that were in alignment with his desire and he lost 20 pounds over the following months. He said it was easy now to follow a healthy food plan. He knew what to eat; he didn’t need my help with weight loss, as all he needed was to be in charge of his eating.

Yes, Peace with Sugar Can Be Found 

If you could break your cycle of craving for good, would you be interested in hearing more? I've worked with many men and women with their cravings for simple sugars. Before making any dietary, lifestyle, supplement or treatment suggestions, we focus on the 'underlying' cause of their craving with Acupressure. This addresses it at its source, the only place where true and permanent relief can be found.

After the craving is resolved, the unwanted habits fade. Some patients just need that one session and they are done, others need continued support. After the craving is cleared, I’m always happy to make recommendations for continued healing when appropriate.

I've had so many patients ask about their results, "Could it be this simple?" My response is, YES, it can be and you're living proof!  So, if you’re stuck in the cycle of craving sugar and you’d like a simple solution to break the cycle, contact me, I’m here to help.

Yours in Health,

Kara Sorensen, MS, LAc 
The Food Craving Solution
15066 Los Gatos-Almaden Rd
Suite 200
Los Gatos, CA
e: kara(at)karasorensen.com
p: 408.805.5272 (KARA
p: 800.514.1406

Cravings for Tea and Coffee Replaced by Satisfaction

I wanted to share a testimonial sent by a client because it describes what can happen during a food craving session. Everyone's experience and outcome is unique to them, but more peace around food is a common theme.

Really, I couldn't describe this better myself and am grateful to Michele for sharing this with you. Sharing this is important, because most people with food cravings think they are the only one who struggle with them. They think everyone else has it all under control. This is just not true, and when one person shares, it can help someone else trying to overcome a similar issue. Sometimes, we just need to know that help is available. So here it is:

'I went to see Kara because I knew there was something off in my relationship with tea and coffee. I noticed that when I was out to coffee with a girlfriend, I didn't need to drink the whole cup, but when I was home alone, I would go through 2 or 3 cups in the morning without thinking, and then drink black tea with milk and sugar in the afternoon -- sometimes ALL afternoon. What I found in my work with her was that the warm, sweet drinks were standing in for love that I desperately wanted, and couldn't find on my own (I could find it when I was with a friend). My mantra became, "I choose to have all the love I need," and my desire for those sweet things diminished remarkably. I still drink tea and coffee, but much more mindfully. I found Kara's approach to my weirdness around tea to be exactly what I needed. She found the heart of the issue in under an hour, and her solution continues to serve me, many months later. I can't recommend her highly enough to people with "inexplicable" food cravings.

Michele V.
Berkeley, CA

Why We Crave

Coffee and Tea are a wonderful treat, but they're no substitute for love and friendship. If you're struggling with cravings for tea or coffee that get out of hand, please know that you are not alone. These cravings are so common in our fast paced society, because we want for something that can get lost in the shuffle. Sometimes it's more energy, rest, or a boost in our mood we want. Sometimes it's the love of a friend we crave.

Cravings can be driven by our thoughts, emotions as well as physical origins. The cause is not as important for treatment. There are so many reasons behind our cravings, but once we look at them while holding specific Acupressure points, the craving starts to fade and the craving is replaced by a greater sense of satisfaction. It doesn't matter if it's a physical or emotinal cause. If you're aware of 'why' you crave and you're wondering why you still crave, it might be because you haven't tried Acupressure. Curious? Call me, I can help you.

Yours in Health,

Kara Sorensen, MS, LAc
The Food Craving Solution
15066 Los Gatos-Almaden Rd
Suite 200
Los Gatos, CA
e: kara(at)karasorensen.com
p: 408.805.5272 (KARA)
p: 800.514.1406