The Missing Link
By Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht.
Regardless of the behavior you want to change, I always ask each client to tell me what they eat.
Specifically, I want to know what type of food, how much and at what time of day the item is
consumed. My motivation to ask these questions is usually obvious to someone who wants to
lose weight; someone who is preparing to take a test at school or make a big presentation at
work is often perplexed. They ask me, “How does what I eat affect how I feel?”
In more ways than you can imagine. According to hypnotherapist and clinical psychologist, Dr.
John Kappas, how and what people eat is one of the most important determinants of how they
perceive and respond to the environment. Eating too many carbohydrates and/or not eating
enough protein can tax the adrenal system, thus triggering hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Continuous physical and/or emotional stress can also have this effect, he warned.
According to Kappas, hypoglycemia manifests in physical and psychological symptoms.
Paradoxically, you don’t always feel hunger pangs when your body needs to eat (energy). Many
of us have experienced at least one of these symptoms at some time: shaking, irregular
heartbeat, light-headedness or dizziness, feeling tired, irritability, lower self-esteem, impaired
memory, inability to concentrate, anxiety/panic and fear of losing control.
“It’s an irrational fear based on physical sensations,” he explained. “You think something will
happen to you.”
Consider the dynamics of this phenomenon when you add your 1,200-pound, highly sensitive
horse into the equation; and horses are similarly affected by what they eat. For example, a mare
that is nursing her foal, racehorses and show horses are typically given oats to increase their
energy to perform a specific task. However, this type of feed typically increases the animal’s
sensitivity and excitability. Your equine partner is naturally empathic; his survival depends on his
ability to “read” the mood of his herd leader (you). If your posture is a little slumped, or the
cadence (fast) or the pitch (high) of your voice implies anxiety or annoyance, he will take his cue
from you and try to get away from danger as fast as he can. Who, in this situation, wouldn’t feel
even greater panic, increased heart-rate, dizzy/light-headed, and become terrified of losing
control?
Since drops in blood-sugar level are associated with triggering a phobic response, I teach my
clients relaxation, breathing and visualization exercises to help them relax. I also employ
therapeutic guided-imagery techniques to desensitize them to stimuli that triggered the initial
phobic response. According to the Business and Professions Code 2908, as a certified
hypnotherapist, I may work with people to address vocational and avocational self-improvement
issues, such as the work I do with equestrians. However, it is always advisable to consult a
physician to diagnose and control hypoglycemia.
“As the blood-sugar level stabilizes, the client’s anxieties will start dissipating on their own,”
Kappas said.