By Julie M. Simon
Binge, exercise, criticize thighs, repeat. Overeaters can feel awash in a downward spiral, unable to pull free and paddle to shore. Julie M. Simon’s new book on emotional eating throws a lifeline. Simon, a psychotherapist and life coach, has 20 years of experience helping overeaters and chronic dieters. She based her book on her seminar, the Twelve-Week Emotional Eating Recovery Program, and uses real examples of positive change from her workshop clients. Unlike the boot camp and “shrink the belly fat this month!” approaches that abound in American society, Simon advocates for a gentler and more comprehensive approach. Sort out the internal imbalances, she says—and those can be emotional, physical, spiritual, or all three—and you’ll be able to heal the external problem of excess weight. Simon is an assured guide, navigating us through subjects such as self-care skills, hormone imbalances, plant-based nutrition, and how to process feelings rather than turn to food for comfort. Using her techniques, a reader will be able to weave her own net of support, becoming properly nourished on many levels. How joyful to be able to finally say to your body, as Simon suggests in a journaling exercise, “You are safe here with me.”