Epstein - Food Triggers: End Your Cravings, Eat Well and Live Better

Food addiction is real. Its also discouraging, and the endless diets are exhausting and, in most cases, worthless. In Food Triggers, Dr. Rhona shares how she won the food fight and brings science and faith together to chart a path to freedom and self-control.

Dr. Tim Clinton, president of the American Association of Christian Counselors

The dilemma in conquering food addiction is that you cant just quit using like an alcoholic or a drug addict. The need to eat exposes us to many triggers that take over our appetites. Dr. Epstein provides a way to put your triggers on safety. If you struggle with weight as I have, you will find something new and very helpful in Food Triggers.

Stephen Arterburn, author of Lose It for Life and founder of New Life Ministries

If you work this plan you will see lasting results! And you dont have to starve yourself. This model is one that can last a lifetime. I highly recommend Dr. Rhonas revolutionary book on how you can achieve results and then maintain consistent results for life!

Thomas Whitman, PhD, founder of Life Counseling Services

Dr. Rhonas unique combination of personal recovery, professional experience, and spiritual power will show you how to create true freedom from addictive eating. Combining scientific truth and overwhelming grace, this book will lead you out of the darkness and help you create your new life.

H. Theresa Wright, MS, RD, LDN, Renaissance Nutrition Center, Inc., www.sanefood.com

Anyone who has lost control of their eating and is in search of help will find it here. As a professional who treats addictions, I understand the challenges. Food Triggers provides hope for a way to recover.

Mark Laaser, PhD, author of Faithful and True

As someone who has struggled most of my life with food, I wish I could have given this book to myself years ago!

Michelle Aguilar, author of Becoming Fearless and Season 6 winner of The Biggest Loser

A masterpiece of a roadmap designed to bring love, acceptance, freedom, and, most of all, balance back into the lives of those torn up by the claws of addictions.

Lindsay Roberts, author, speaker, co-host of The Place for Miracles and host of Make Your Day Count

If you cant put down the fork, if you never have leftovers, if youre always hungry but never full, if your addiction to food is running your lifebuy this book and let it set you free!

Daniel G. Amen, MD, author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Body

With scientific truth and overwhelming grace, Dr. Rhona provides escape and a way of rescue for those trapped in the pit of food addiction. Read this book youll be glad you did!

Amy Feigel, licensed professional counselor

Food Triggers offers a new perspective and real answers to those struggling with food addiction. For those who have failed with diet and exercise alone, and felt it was simply a lack of willpower, Rhona Epstein offers hard science and real-life experience to give new hope.

Jennifer Cisney Ellers, Christian counselor, life coach, and co-author of The First 48 Hours: Spiritual Caregivers as First Responders

Dr. Epstein is one of the few professionals to speak to the tantamount role of spirituality and faith in sustained recovery. I wholeheartedly recommend Food Triggers to anyone struggling with the tyranny of addictive eating or dieting.

Marty Lerner, PhD, CEO, Milestones Eating Disorders Program

Dr. Rhona has the unique and potent combination of her personal recovery experience as well as professional training to help those still suffering. Her book brings to life what food addiction is, the research that substantiates it, and hope for anyone still suffering. There is a way to freedom!

Kim Dennis, MD, CEDS, CEO and medical director, Timberline Knolls

FOOD TRIGGERS

* END YOUR CRAVINGS *

EAT WELL AND LIVE BETTER

RHONA EPSTEIN, PsyD

CERTIFIED ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR

Copyright 2013 by Rhona Epstein, PsyD, CAC

Published by Worthy Publishing, a division of Worthy Media, Inc., 134 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027.

Worthy is a registered trademark of Worthy Media, Inc.

HELPING PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE HEART OF GOD

eBook edition available wherever digital books are sold

Audio distributed through Brilliance Audio; visit brillianceaudio.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Epstein, Rhona.

Food triggers : end your cravings, eat well, and live better / Rhona Epstein, Psy.D., C.A.C.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-61795-084-1 (trade paper)ISBN 978-1-61795-158-9

1. Compulsive eaters. 2. Food habits. 3. Eating disorders. 4. Nutrition. I. Title.

RC552.C65E7 2013

616.85'26dc23

2013014708

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic or mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Many of the names and identifying characteristics of the individuals in this book have been changed to protect their privacy. Some of the individuals described are composites of two or more people.

Because each individual is different and has particular dietary needs or restrictions, the dieting and nutritional information provided in this book does not constitute professional advice and is not a substitute for expert medical advice. Individuals should always check with a doctor before undertaking a dieting, weight loss, or exercise regimen and should continue only under a doctors supervision. While we provide the advice and information in this book in the hopes of helping individuals lose weight, multiple factors influence a persons weight, and individual results may vary. When a doctors advice to a particular individual conflicts with advice provided in this book, that individual should always follow the doctors advice.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

For foreign and subsidiary rights, contact worthypublishing.com

Published in association with Jan Miller of Dupree Miller Associates.

ISBN: 978-1-61795-158-9 (trade paper)

Cover Design: Faceout Studios

Interior Design and Typesetting: Finer Points Productions

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 VP 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For all of my dear clients,
who have opened themselves to change,
and all those now enjoying freedom,
and those still in the battle:
we can live freely.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

You Can Stop the Triggers

Y ou were just going to take a taste, but one bite led to more and ended in a pile of leftover wrappers, packages, sacks, and containers. Or you love someone whos living this way. You arent sure how that first mouthful led to the consumption of an unmentionable amount of something-something, but you dont want to talk about it. You couldnt bear for anyone to know about the gluttony, even though the evidence is right there in the pounds piling on. Whatever you call itpigging out, bingeing, abusing food, getting a food fixyou pray no one knows about the shameful indulgence as you try to hide the evidence.