Successful Weight Loss Strategy - with Rena Greenberg | The Empowering Neurologist EP. 9

Hello everyone, Dr. Perlmutter here. Today I'm going to be speaking with Rena Greenberg. She's written this really great book that deals with controlling appetite. It's called The Craving Cure, and she in fact has had quite a bit of success in helping people lose weight. She's worked using weight loss hypnosis in individuals who've undergone gastric bypass procedures. And Rena herself has been featured in more than 150 news stories, being talked about on USA Today, Women's World Magazine. She's been on The Doctors program, CNN, Good Morning America, and even ABC TV's Nightline. Rena is the director of Wellness Seminars, Inc., and that is her company that— where she does her wellness programs. And her programs have in fact been reviewed and sponsored in 75 hospitals around the country, including even our local hospital here in Naples, Florida. Her programs have been implemented in more than 100 major corporations, including Walt Disney World, AT&T, Home Depot, and she's been involving herself in the corporate world with these programs since 1990. In August of this year, 2015, she produced her public television program that aired nationwide called Easy Willpower, and she is the author of The Right Way and The Craving Cure, which is the book that we're going to be looking at today. Rena holds a degree in biopsychology from the City University of New York, and she's also certified in hypnotherapy and in biofeedback, another Very powerful modality. Rena works with people all over the world virtually using Skype. And, you know, her goals are really to allow people to break free from their addictions, allowing them to lose weight, improve their relationships, and achieve their goals. So her website is easywillpower.com. So let's just jump right into our interview. So hello, Rena.

Hi, Dr. Perlmutter. It's a privilege to be here today with you.

Well, I want to let our viewers know that you and I met in the green room. We were in— where were we? Baltimore, wasn't it?

Baltimore, yes.

We were both getting ready to do our public television programs. And I had some time to talk to you about your book and about the work that you're doing. And I want to just jump right in because, I mean, you, you really take kind of a strong position about our motivations for the foods that we eat. And I think it's a good position, but actually saying that to some degree, The way people eat is actually an addiction. Can you explain?

Exactly. Foods today, they're so processed and full of chemicals and the sugar and then the artificial sweeteners, and it's so easy to become actually addicted to the foods you're eating. And what that means is just feel— be eating compulsively. You know, if you think about it, we're supposed to eat as a way to nourish ourselves, to sustain ourselves, right? Out of physical hunger. But for so many of us, physical hunger isn't even, you know, in the picture when we go Yeah,

we never, we never get that to that place. I mean, we recently interviewed Dr. Leo Galland, and he was talking to us about leptin receptivity and leptin insensitivity. And we certainly know about the role that in terms of addiction potential of sugars and other simpler carbohydrates, based on the work of Dr. Robert Lustig, for example. But I think that the good news here is You've offered up your readers the opportunity, the tools to really turn this around. How does that all work?

Exactly, because, you know, so often we're reaching for food, it's a way to fill ourselves up, to fill that void. And so much of it is just habit. You know, we were taught as children, finish everything on the plate, have some cookies and milk, you'll feel better. So there's that component. And then there's the constant seeking of pleasure. But really what I do is help people to change their thinking subconsciously so they no longer associate pleasure with those foods that are harmful to them. And instead, they're much more attracted to the healthy, nutritious foods that sustain them. So when you're dieting, you're using all this willpower and it's a struggle. It's tough because in your mind you're thinking, I want those donuts, I want those cookies. But what my work is about changing your thinking. So whatever it is, the cookies, the donuts, or whatever your weakness is, you don't even want it anymore. It just looks different to you, and you actually are seeking the healthy foods that, that energize you.

For me, it was Snyderman's pretzels and Canada Dry ginger ale, but luckily I was able to break the habit.

Yes.

So you say you teach people how to do that, and how do you go about that?

Well, what I help people to do is To, first of all, to relax. You know, this is such a stressful world and so many of us are just doing a lot of things, including eating, and it's just a matter of being on autopilot. So it's about choosing food mindfully, consciously, with awareness. So I teach people to kind of pause, take a breath, and really check in. What am I really needing? So often we reach for food and we may really just need a few deep breaths or to take a rest. Mm-hmm.

Or really then connect with the fact that they're actually in the process of eating food.

Exactly.

I remember years ago I went to a lecture by Deepak Chopra.

Yes.

And he was talking about exactly the same thing, but as it related to cigarette smoking, which I think pretty much uniformly we would agree is a bad habit. And he said, you know, so many people mindlessly smoke. They're smoking while they're doing other things, driving the car, on the phone.

Yes.

And if you're going to smoke, okay, go outside, sit down, take a deep breath, and then connect with the fact that you are smoking. And that might make it easier for you to stop rationalizing it in one way or another. So I guess that's what you do with people. What further are you able to do in terms of really allowing them to develop the mental awareness of the importance of what they're doing in terms of eating?

Well, what I do is I teach people a form of self-hypnosis so they can actually change the pictures that are running through their mind. You know, it's interesting because sometimes I bring up the word hypnosis and people say, I don't want to be controlled. And I laugh because I'm actually unhypnotizing people. We're already hypnotized by the advertising, the media, the environment. And so we think we're so free, let's say, when we reach for that cookie or pull through, you know, the fast food places. But really we're not. We're being manipulated. And, you know, all these kind of techniques are being used to make us think that these foods are really going to make us happy when, as you know, of course, in reality, they're not. They're making us sick and tired on so many levels— mentally, physically, emotionally. So what I do is really help people— I retrain the brain to help people develop a new mental movie, a new way of seeing themselves so they can actually see themselves confident, strong, maybe sitting in a restaurant with friends, and instead of cleaning the plate, pushing the plate away even if there's still food on it. And what happens is when they rehearse this process in their mind, it sort of It's a little like training for a sport. When you practice in your mind, you're going to be that much better on the court and on the field. So I'm giving people sort of a practice session so that they can be in control of their life and their habits.

Another one of your tools is biofeedback, and I wonder if you could just take our viewers through what biofeedback is all about. How does it work, and how have you utilized that in these— in this program that you provide?

Yeah, thanks. Biofeedback is a wonderful technology, and what it really does is it's a way of measuring our brain waves. We can measure skin temperature. We can measure heart rate, muscle tension. And the purpose of these measurements— biofeedback really doesn't do anything. It's actually just taking measurements and feeding back to us what's happening in the body. So basically, it's up to us to shift the way we're paying attention, the way we're using our own level of consciousness in order to change what's happening in our body. And when I was sick so many years ago, which is what brought me into this field, is it was incredible for me to discover that there was so much power in the mind to actually change these things, things that were thought to be, you know, part of the autonomic nervous system. We didn't think we could have control over, let's say, heart rate, muscle tension, skin temperature, but turns out we do. So I basically teach people the techniques to be able to lower the stress level in the body, and when that happens, For example, let's say you're measuring skin temperature. Well, what happens then is the blood vessels begin to dilate as you get out of that fight-or-flight mode, and now the result is that your skin temperature is warmer. So when you're doing biofeedback training, you may start out, your skin temperature might be at the tip of your finger, maybe let's say 89, and you may discover that just by doing self-hypnosis or meditation or breathing techniques, you can get your temperature up to let's say 92 or 93, and you realize it's a sense of empowerment. It's realizing that we're not necessarily victims, that we do have some control over our body and therefore our mental and physical health.

So, I mean, I guess the issue in terms of what you're shifting it to is really pretty much up to the individual in terms of what he or she wants to accomplish, whether it's their day-to-day work habits or their dietary choices. I would say that it seems that you're trying to steer people away from What's that all about? Why is that important?

It's so important because the real issue, of course, is the insulin response and the blood sugar. When your blood sugar is spiking up and down because of the types of foods that you're eating, meaning the processed foods, the white flour, the sugar foods, what happens is it takes a terrible toll on your health. Of course, a lot of people who come to see me, it's for their weight. People say, but I'm always hungry. Well, a lot of times what we don't realize is we're always hungry because we're eating the wrong foods. hungry because we're eating these foods that are just causing our blood sugar to plummet, and then we're hungry again even though we may have just eaten, you know, a big plate of food. So we want to naturally start eating healthier foods, foods that balance the blood sugar. And of course, we can all read a book and discover what these foods are, but for so many of us, the issue is how do you get motivated to stick with a sensible eating plan and feel good about it? And that's where I come in. I help people to really change that motivation so they actually now prefer healthy food. They're turned off to harmful food. They want to exercise instead of feeling like it's a chore. So we're really creating a new mental movie in the mind. And that's really— I guide people through that experience and then I give them reinforcement material like a CD or an audio recording. And then they can constantly— it's like rehearsing. And as they practice, and the subconscious part of the mind doesn't know the difference between what's real and what's imagined. And that's why when we rehearse it enough in the mind, all of a sudden we find ourselves, you know, not wanting those foods that are harmful anymore.

Well, it's been said that neurons that fire together wire together. So in other words, the rehearsal part of your story is actually really intriguing from actually a a biological perspective, in that the more you do something, ultimately becomes hardwired and part of the engram and part of what motivates our behavior. So I think for our viewers, it's really important to recognize that what we're hearing here is not necessarily geared at a specific diet, Right. but rather at the resolve to maintain the diet that through your reading or— and discovery that you think is going to be best for you. It's really all about Getting away from these motivational factors that are really dysfunctional in terms of making whatever choices you think are important.

Exactly. It's about creating new positive habits, new patterns, and we want to release the old habits and any guilt and shame around it— the overeating, the binging, the snacking, the emotional eating. I'm really saying it's like being an actor. It's like stepping into a new role and all of a sudden really identifying with I'm a person that, that loves healthy food. I'm a person that doesn't eat chocolate. And you're right, if someone else gives you a diet, it's something that you're going to want to rebel against. You have to come up with your own eating plan based on— each of us does— based on our own research. But the key is to stick with it and stay motivated. And that's where I really help people to change that thinking, especially subconsciously, to change those limiting beliefs, the idea that certain foods are going to comfort me or give me pleasure. We want to release all that because those harmful foods have done nothing but cause pain, and we want to make that You know,

it's unfortunate, though, that sugar and even elevated blood sugar from more complex carbohydrates does give us a sense of reward, does give us that dopamine surge that is satisfying. And unfortunately, you know, people seek that out as they seek out chemical stimulation from other sources. So that's what we're up against. I was taken by, in your bio, how you are able to present this information to large groups, large numbers of people at a time. How are you able to do that as opposed to working one-on-one?

Yeah, the large groups are wonderful because then there's that group energy and group support. And, you know, actually research shows that people who lose weight often do better when they have a buddy or when they're working with other people. So I love the groups. It's very powerful. Basically, I've had this 2-hour seminar that I've done in over 75 hospitals for over 100 major corporations for the employees there. It's really guiding them through a process to really make that decision because you bring up a good point. The only reason we're eating the foods that are harmful is because we're seeking that pleasure. We're seeking whatever we can get out of it. It's that memory that at one time, it made us— that ice cream cone just made us happy.

If you were good, you got the sugar.

Exactly right. And so what I am doing is kind of creating a brand new scenario where you actually pass up that ice cream cone even if everyone around you is eating it and you don't feel deprived or denied. See, when you are on a diet and you say, oh, no thanks, but you feel like, oh, you are missing something. We are going to change that thinking so it is like you actually feel like a little chip on your shoulder like, yes, you know, you really feel good about it. And so when I am guiding people in groups, it is the same thing. I am actually guiding people through a very, very deep relaxation session. I use a lot of powerful hypnotic tools and techniques to help people really come to a new feeling within themselves that they're ready to step into sort of this greater version of themselves. And the fear is, oh, I'm not going to get to— something's going to be taken away. Like, I'm not going to get to enjoy food. But I totally disagree. I mean, I stopped eating sugar almost 30 years ago, and I don't miss it. I enjoy every bite I eat. I get to eat, you know, with friends and family. Because you find ways to get around it and to actually— your taste for food changes, your palate changes. So, I mean, just a little sweet potato can taste like a dessert, you know, when you start changing your eating.

Well, I think it's also important that people recognize that everybody on the planet has a sweet tooth, that it is our sweet tooth that allowed us to survive. You know, sweet is what happens to fruit in the late summer and early fall as it ripens. And when we eat that fruit, as hunter-gatherers, it stimulated our bodies to make insulin, which told our bodies to make fat and allowed us to survive during periods of caloric scarcity. It's been a survival mechanism for all of us. Unfortunately, now those calories are abundant 24/7 for the winter that really never comes. Yet we are saddled with that mechanism. So,

yes,

you know, everybody feels rewarded, I think, when they have something sweet globally. And I think your work is so important because it allows us to exercise our prefrontal cortex and override that really much more primitive desire to seek out sweets. So it's very, very empowering work.

Thank you, Dr. Perlmutter. But, you know, there's a big difference between having a small something sweet at the end of the meal after maybe working out in the field all day, you know, than, than to be indulging in the kind of And now sugar is in everything, even where you would least suspect. I mean, look at, look at, let's say, diet salad dressings. I mean, they're just filled with chemicals. What does your body do with those chemicals? So it's really about looking at the whole picture of what you're eating. It's not necessarily just any one thing.

That's true. And, you know, we also can look at that whole situation from the perspective, from the lens, through the lens of the microbiome. the gut bacteria and how sugar changes the bacteria, and really paves the way for us to have bacteria that harvest more calories from the very food that we eat. And how one of the biggest culprits happens to be artificial, non-sugar, non-caloric sweeteners. So—

Yes.

Yeah. It's an interesting time. Well, I'm really grateful that you could spend some time with us. Again, here is the book. And we're going to give our viewers more information about The Craving Cure. This is available everywhere.

Yeah, absolutely.

Great.

Yeah, especially also on my website, easywillpower.com.

We actually have that in the introduction, and we'll put that as a graphic as well. So, Rena, thank you for spending time with us, and I hope we get to talk soon.

Thank you so much.

Okay, bye for now, everyone. So again, the book is called The Craving Cure by Rena Greenberg, and, uh, I'm certain it's available everywhere. Really helps to give us another look at what motivates us to make the various food choices that we do. And in addition, gives us some pretty powerful tools to break free of what may be considered these maladaptive kinds of motivational forces that we need to overcome. So I hope you read the book, and we'll talk soon. I'm Dr. David Perlmutter.