Do you ever find yourself turning to food for comfort or support? What if you could reframe your cravings, not as something to be overcome, but as an invitation to slow down and listen to your body? In this episode of UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna explores the deeper reasons behind overeating, from stress, boredom, and unmet needs to shifting hormones and ingrained childhood patterns. She shares her own story of moving through restriction, bingeing, and the changes of menopause to show how both biology and mindset shape our habits. Along the way, she offers simple tools to help break free, like pausing before giving in to cravings, practicing delayed gratification, and trading self-criticism for compassion. Dr. Jenna also explains how environmental triggers and subconscious beliefs can drive self-sabotage, and why awareness is the key to change. Tune in for a compassionate, practical conversation on how to find balance with food and reclaim your power to choose joy and health!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why we overeat: stress, anxiety, boredom, and self-soothing with food.
• Food as a distraction from discomfort or procrastination from pursuing your goals.
• How childhood reward patterns can fuel emotional eating.
• Ways that restriction can trigger binge-restrict cycles.
• Blood sugar crashes and the physiology of cravings.
• Dr. Jenna’s story of teen restriction and overexercise.
• Finding balance: gut healing, moderation, and delayed gratification.
• Practical tools: rating your cravings, pausing, breathing, and moving.
• Hormones and menopause as powerful drivers of appetite and cravings.
• Sleep disruption and its effect on hunger and mood.
• Why awareness, not shame, is the first step to change.
• How perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking fuel rebellion.
• Recognizing the subconscious “self-saboteur” that keeps us in old patterns.
• Environmental triggers like hyperpalatable foods and eating in social settings.
• Identity conflicts and fear of success as hidden causes of sabotage.
• Choosing compassion and joy as a healthier path forward.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

UPLEVEL Holistic Health

UPLEVEL Holistic Health on Instagram

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