The Daily Ascent

Latest Episodes:

125. Healing Your Relationship with Food Is a Journey, Not a Race Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

If you are in the process of healing your relationship with food, you might have periodic thoughts that say: "Why is this taking so long?" or "Why don't I feel better yet?" These are all valid questions, but there is this misconception that we won't feel good until we reach the finish line. There is no finish line. Healing your relationship with food - or whatever you are working on - is a journey, and you need to start enjoying it.

In this solo episode of What You're Craving, Molly encourages you to quit the impatience and let go of these racing, unsafe thoughts. These thoughts are provoked by perfectionism, are rooted in fear, and reflect what might not have worked in the past.

Molly shares a few tips to overcome these beliefs: practice gratitude and be thankful for the good little things you have in life and how far you have come. Be of service to others who are also going through tough times and have their own battles to overcome. Accept that these overwhelming thoughts are just thoughts.

Episode Quotes

"When you're trying to make a big change, history suggests that you're not going to do it. Unfortunate truth: the best indicator of future performance is past performance."
"Whatever it is you're struggling with, you're in a relationship with it."

About Molly Carmel

Molly is a leading addiction and eating disorder therapist and the founder of the BeaconProgram, which offers individual and group solutions to help people break free from their destructive relationships with food and dieting. She is also the author of 'Breaking up with Sugar' and the host of 'What You're Craving' Podcast.

Connect with Molly

Sign up for CAMP SELF CARE - find what may be the missing link for you to be living the life you deserve - learn more at: mollycarmel.com/camp-self-care
Join my mailing list for info (+ discount!) on our SELF LOVE CAMP coming in August, my Sunday Love Letter, and a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signup
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: com/mollycarmel.buws

124. How the Nervous System Impacts Your Relationship with Food with Michelle Shapiro Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

Join this episode of What You're Craving as Molly chats with Michelle Shapiro about how the nervous system affects our relationship with food. Michelle Shapiro is a Registered Dietitian with an integrative and functional approach, and today she explains more about this concept and why it is so important to understand this mind-body connection.

Michelle shares that when someone comes to her with symptoms of a chronic illness, the first thing she does is stabilize the environment in which that person lives instead of jumping to adjusting the person's diet or eliminating their favorite foods. That is what she did with Molly. For instance, she encouraged Molly to focus on breathing techniques and less screen time to treat her symptoms.

Michelle also talks about how the mind and the body are intimately intertwined and that food is just a component of how they correspond. Also, sometimes the nervous system can impact different diagnoses, such as binge-eating disorder. On that note, Michelle explains that our brain wants short-term results instead of long-term results, which is why binge eating makes so much sense for many people. Tune in to learn more!

Episode Quotes

"Food is not the game. Food is a piece of the puzzle, and it can be extremely healing or extremely instigating."
"Binge-eating is caused by physical symptoms just as much as it's caused by mental conversations."
"There is no healing if your nervous system is not regulated."

Connect with Michelle Shapiro

Podcast: Quiet the Diet

Website: www.michelleshapirord.com

Instagram: @michelleshapirord

Connect with Molly

Sign up for CAMP SELF CARE - find what may be the missing link for you to be living the life you deserve - learn more at: mollycarmel.com/camp-self-care
Join my mailing list for info (+ discount!) on our SELF LOVE CAMP coming in August, my Sunday Love Letter, and a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signup
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: com/mollycarmel.buws

123. The Courage to Heal: A Conversation on Recovery and Wellness Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly welcomes back Felicia from the Breaking Up with Sugar Community. She shares her current struggles in healing her relationship with food at the same time she is being treated for cancer. According to Felicia, the community has been helpful, with people caring for and checking up on her.

Felicia also shares that on numerous occasions, people would offer her solutions to help her quit the addiction, but she explains it does not work like that. An addicted person often thinks that what works for others will not work for them because they are "beyond that point". Or they are too afraid that that specific solution will, in fact, work, so they back away.

In addition, Felicia shares more about the obstacles of someone treating cancer and treating addiction at the same time. She explains that it is common to feel like you "have the right" to give in to random cravings just because you are going through tough times. However, she encourages people that may feel this way to not give up.

Episode Quotes

"I haven't had a chance to really have this big, beautiful life without the food in the way. And I want that for myself."
"The truth is life is going to happen - the good stuff and the bad stuff - and it is going to pass. And the reality is as long as I am breathing, and I take another breath, and I stay sugar and flour free, I have an opportunity to be a participant in my own life. I don't have to be a victim."

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Come join us at CAMP SELF CARE, beginning August 16th - visit mollycarmel.com/camp-self-care for more info!
Join my mailing list for info (+ discount!) on our SELF LOVE CAMP coming in August, my Sunday Love Letter, and a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signup
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: com/mollycarmel.buws

122. There's No Healing Without Feeling Safe Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of What You're Craving, you will listen to Leanne's story and her journey so far. Molly and Leanne talk a lot about the idea of being honest with the people around us, such as our friends and family who are supportive of our journey. When we are on a mission to quit an addiction - especially food addiction - we might think that sharing our struggles with others will make them leave. Leanne is living proof that is not the case.

It is important to be open with people we trust. But it is also essential to tell the truth to people you know will accept it, no matter what. On another topic, Leanne talks about the importance of having a community, a group of people she can trust - like the Breaking Up with Sugar group.

Episode Quotes

"I went to the group, I did the homework, I listened, and read, and really immersed myself in it but at the same time I realized that was this part of me that was just hanging on for dear life to my previous ways."
"If we are trying to establish safety and if you were to drop a bunch of weight like you would do on a quick-fix diet, I would actually think that would be rather disorienting. If you think about the weight as a shield."

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

LOTS of EXCITING stuff going on over at mollycarmel.com
Join my mailing list for info (+ discount!) on our SELF LOVE CAMP coming in August, my Sunday Love Letter, and a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signup
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: com/mollycarmel.buws

121. Shift the Script and Realize You're Doing an Amazing Job Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

After breaking up with sugar and flour for four months, Sara still needs to accept that the little voice urging her to binge on something will still show up after her meals. After 25 years of having an unhealthy relationship with food, four months of recovery is not that much time if you think about it. Discomfort after eating is more than normal: it is expected.

In this episode of What You're Craving Podcast, Molly welcomes Sara to discuss her journey with the Breaking Up with Sugar community. Sara shares this sort of emotional urge to keep eating after her meals (specifically breakfast), and Molly advises her to try to shift the script a little. What is uncomfortable can also be exciting.

When someone is going through some kind of change in life, especially when it comes to healing food or alcohol addictions, it's easy to get caught up in perfectionism. We may feel like everything has to be perfect and easy, and no setbacks or unpleasant feelings are allowed. It is not going to be like that. It is a process, and creating too many rules and conditions in order to feel that you're doing an amazing job won't help.

Episode Quotes

"When we take the cravings so seriously, it's when they become problematic."
"Shame is protecting us from rejection."

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

LOTS of EXCITING stuff going on over at com
Join my mailing list for info on our SELF LOVE CAMP coming in August, my Sunday Love Letter, and a free mini masterclass by clicking HERE: com/signup
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: com/buws
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: com/mollycarmel.buws

120. Overcoming Hard Times through Mindfulness and Meditation with Lindsey Pearson Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly connects with Lindsey Pearson. Lindsey is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher (MBSR), a Registered Yoga Teacher, as well as a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator from Mindful Leader. She has led international workshops and is the author of the Distraction Detox: A Self-Care Workbook.

Lindsey talks about the impact that practices like meditation and mindfulness had on her healing journey. Lindsey went through hard times a few years ago - relationship issues, losing her dream job, and on top of that, the pandemic - and she saw herself having to handle her biggest fears all at once. At that time, she had to make a decision: to relapse or to shift her perspective.

These trauma wounds inspired her to create her company and to help others experience more peace and feel happier, even when dealing with setbacks. In addition, Molly and Lindsey discuss guilt and how it plays an important role in our journey to change and how self-compassion is the best way to live daily life. Tune in!

Episode Quotes

"I saw very quickly that beating myself up for this pain was going to do nothing. Shaming myself didn't feel good and it was also not effective."
"You can be firm without being cruel."

Connect with Lindsey Pearson

Website: www.doyoumindfully.com

Connect with Molly

LOTS of EXCITING stuff going on over at mollycarmel.com
Join my mailing list for info on our SELF LOVE CAMP coming in August, my Sunday Love Letter, and a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signup
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: com/mollycarmel.buws

119. Regulating the Nervous System and Healing Childhood Wounds with Dr. Alisa Kriegel Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly welcomes clinical psychologist Dr. Alisa Kriegel. Dr. Alisa shares her perspective on two relevant topics that have a lot of evidence nowadays: how our childhood wounds impact our relationships and how the nervous system maintains balance in the body.

According to Dr. Alisa, in our relationships, we tend to repeat the same patterns we learned during our childhood. All the lessons, the emotions, and the wounds can be a significant part of how we interact with our partners. The key here is to learn to heal those wounds first instead of focusing on fixing the external world around us.

When it comes to regulating our nervous system, it is fundamental to identify when we are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or triggered. By being aware of it, we can start regulating the nervous system with a few techniques. Dr. Alisa also explains the differences between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system and the reactions we experience when we become anxious, known as fight or flight reactions.

Episode Quotes

"I'm a big believer that you have to understand what happened in the past. Not to blame it, but to learn from it, to understand yourself, and to use it, because that's going to dictate what comes up for you."
"Ideally, in a relationship, you can be co-regulators for each other, but what that requires is first recognizing your own nervous system responses and what helps you to feel soothed."

Connect with Dr. Alisa Kriegel

Website: www.alisakriegel.com

Podcast: Let's Talk about Sex, Really

Connect with Molly

LOTS of EXCITING stuff going on over at mollycarmel.com - Join my mailing list for a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/minimasterclass
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: facebook.com/mollycarmel.buws

118. Is the Diet Industry Preventing You from Forgiving Yourself? May 31, 2023

Show notes

Join this week's episode as Molly talks about how women can break free from the unrealistic beauty standards imposed by diet culture. Women of all ages suffer every day, trying to achieve unrealistic goals. These goals are not their own; they result from decades and decades of what society thinks is right.

During this process, we start to feel guilt, frustration, and a sense of hatred for our own bodies. We tend to hold on to the wrong beliefs - and the crazy diets. How do we break free from this cycle? How do we drop the scarcity mentality and embrace the part of us that wants to heal? How do we stop believing in a culture so ingrained in our minds?

If you don't have answers to these questions, this episode is for you. It's time to regain control of your own self-worth and self-esteem. Healing takes courage, but believing you can is the most important first step.

Episode Quotes

"We are really stuck in this abusive relationship with diet culture, that is draining all of our energy."
"Choice is the most powerful tool around. We choose to forgive, we choose to get out of this relationship… imperfectly, but we do it."

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

LOTS of EXCITING stuff going on over at mollycarmel.com

You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws

Join my mailing list for a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/minimasterclass

Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: facebook.com/mollycarmel.buws

117. How to Safely Stop Psychiatric Medication with Dr. Mark Horowitz May 24, 2023

Show notes

Join this episode of What You're Craving as Molly connects with Dr. Mark Horowitz. Dr. Mark is a Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), and today he talks about depression, the different symptoms and treatments of this condition, antidepressant withdrawal, and the side effects of discontinuing it too quickly.

With a background that very much matches his line of study today, Dr. Mark has been researching how depression works, what the causes and life experiences associated with it are, and the many health conditions produced by medication withdrawal. Also, according to him, the idea that depression is merely a chemical imbalance is a misconception.

Dr. Mark explains that everyone has gone through some depressive state in their lives, and everyone has or will have depression to some degree. This condition can be caused when our emotional needs are not being met, and everyone is susceptible to this situation. Tune in to understand more about antidepressant withdrawal, the placebo effect, the correlation between depression and weight loss, and much more.

Episode Quotes

"You hear these people that have perfect lives but then depression just drops in their lap… I have never met such a person. Everybody that I have met that has been depressed has had clear reasons in their lives."
"It appears that we become depressed as a response to things in our lives."

Connect with Dr. Mark Horowitz

Website: www.markhorowitz.org
Twitter: @markhoro

Connect with Molly

LOTS of EXCITING stuff going on over at mollycarmel.com - take a look!
You can purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: mollycarmel.com/buws
Join my mailing list for a free mini masterclass: mollycarmel.com/minimasterclass
Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbook

Come hang with me on social media!

IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel
YouTube: Molly Carmel
TikTok: @realmollycarmel
Facebook: com/mollycarmel.buws

116. What If Shame and Fear Take Over? May 17, 2023

Show notes

To feel shame and fear for whatever reason is not an easy process. Both feelings are not simple feelings to live with, especially when we know what it feels like to live without them. But what to do when we feel sad, frustrated, and overwhelmed by something that happened to us, leading to feelings like shame and fear?

In this episode of What You're Craving Podcast, Molly talks about a personal matter that has been very challenging for her. Molly shares how she has been responding to this situation, how she has been getting the help needed, and how she was confronted by an old version of her - a rebellious version - throughout this process.

When we worry too much about things we can't control, we give our power away. We adopt a victim mentality that simply does not serve us or help to solve the problem. So the initial steps not to let shame and fear take over are: recognizing these feelings, not reacting to them immediately, and having compassion for yourself.

Episode Quotes

"I was so busy screaming for everybody to help me that I stopped the behaviors that help myself."
"Sometimes I have to get really, really quiet in order to learn the lessons that I need to learn in this life."

Related Links

Michelle Shapiro, RD (michelleshapirord.com) - Functional Nutritionist

Wendy Swanson (wendyswanson.com) - Acupuncturist

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

LOTS of EXCITING stuff going on over at mollycarmel.com - enrollment for ALL IN INtensive Coaching is OPEN! Get the spots while you still can! 3 months of coaching, connection, and guaranteed CHANGE! Sign up here: mollycarmel.com/all-in