With so many different diet trends and fads displayed on social media it can be hard to know what is real or fake. Many diets have you cutting out certain food groups or labeling food as “good” or “bad.” I am not entirely sure where these notions come from, but one thing is for sure – the public tends to listen to it. What we see on the internet or on television often comes from unreliable sources and people who are tying to make money off of this multi billion dollar industry. What is important to remember is that if it seems to good to be true it usually is.
This leads us into the next principle of Intuitive Eating, Honoring your Hunger. Hunger is your body’s physiological response to needing more energy in the form of food. This includes all food groups: protein, carbohydrate and fat. It is important to remember that carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body and the brain. Without it, your body starts to take energy from your muscles, decreasing your muscle mass and slowing your metabolism. Therefore it is important to incorporate carbohydrates at each meal as well as the other food groups.
Without eating a balanced diet, or if we consume too little calories and don’t listen to our hunger cues, we are more likely to overeat later on. Many times individuals will skip meals or decrease their intake throughout the day only to find that they are starving by evening and have no “willpower” so they will overeat. If your body tells you it is hungry, then it is important to listen to prevent this. Overeating at dinner because you didn’t eat enough throughout the day is completely normal and serves as a reminder for us to eat a balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between to nourish our bodies, keep our metabolism working properly and prevent feelings of intense hunger or deprivation.
For more information or for help identifying your hunger levels and eating according to your body’s signals, please feel free to reach out and set up an appointment. Intuitive Eating takes time and I am here to help you begin on your journey to more mindful eating.
Allison Marco is a Registered Dietitian in the DC Metro area licensed to practice in both Maryland and Washington, DC. Allison has extensive counseling experience working with clients with needs ranging from weight loss, weight gain, nutrition therapy for disease states, emotional eating, food allergies, disordered eating and more. Allison is passionate about helping clients achieve their goals through an overall lifestyle approach that is unique to each individual. Her focus is not on weight loss, but creating healthy lifestyle changes through mindful eating, where the additional benefit is achieving a desirable weight. Contact Allison to inquire about nutrition counseling services here at Capital Center for Psychotherapy & Wellness.
There are quite a few differences between an emotional support, therapy, and service dog. Each type of registration provides the animal and its owner certain rights that otherwise are not granted to pets. Service dogs help with performing a function for a person that is limited by a disability. Emotional support dogs help individuals with emotional problems by providing comfort and support. Therapy dogs provide affection and comfort to individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities. Service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disability Act, while Emotional Support Dogs are protected under the Fair Housing Amendment Act and the Air Carrier Access Act. These protections allow service and emotional support dogs to be able to fly with and provide emotional support for their own and not be charged by the airline, to be able to reside with their owner even in buildings with pet restrictions, and to be able to take their animal to public places. The only questions the owner is legally allowed to be 
asked is the dog a service dog required because of a disability, and what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Outside of those two questions, all other information is considered privileged. In order for your dog to be certified as a therapy/emotional support dog a doctor’s note is required. The doctor’s note should generally be on the doctor’s letterhead to identify the doctor and show legitimacy, and provide the doctor’s name and contact information. The note will state that you have been under the care of the doctor, that the doctor has determined that you have a disability, and that the doctor believes that an emotional support dog would assist you with your disability.
well thought out, as most decisions in getting a companion animal should be. Corgis are known to be extremely friendly (they literally always smile), have a wonderful temperament, and are very loyal dogs. Corgis were breed to be sheep herding dogs, so they stick close to you and may have a tendency to nip at an ankle every now and then (especially if they don’t agree with where you are walking to). Corgis are longer dogs with very short and adorable legs. They will weigh anywhere from 22-30 pounds full grown and will only be 10-12” tall. The combination of these factors make the Corgi an ideal therapy/emotional support dog. It is important to assess your needs when deciding what breed to get, as some dogs are much better suited for some needs over others.
needed for living situations and/or for airlines to make sure that your Emotional Support/Therapy dog can be loyally by your side at all times.
I often thank my patients for letting me have the opportunity to become a part of their wellness plan and for most people it’s the first time they have been introduced to the concept. So what is a wellness plan?
It’s the same story I hear from my clients. They try a diet and do great, losing 15-20 pounds in the first week or two. Then they become hungry, irritated – mad that they are missing out on parties and events because of the diet they are on. They become resentful of the plan and feel deprived of their favorite foods, spiraling into negative thoughts and eventually giving up on the diet. These negative thoughts and “screw it” attitude lead to overeating on the foods they were restricting and 
Have you ever found yourself in an argument with your partner that started over something silly or small, like the toothpaste cap being left off or not bringing your significant other a latte after you made a personal stop at the coffee shop on the way home? Maybe you and your partner were in a car headed some place new and the co-pilot informed the driver that you guys have just missed a turn, which irritated the driver and he/she made a passive-aggressive comment about the co-pilot’s navigation skills. The co-pilot became defensive and yelled at the driver and you two were off to the races! Resonate at all?
Jayla Fincher
Relationships are dynamic, and they can encompass many aspects of our health and wellness. I often hear people ask about the healthiness of past and current relationships. Although we could use many tools by which to measure a relationship’s health, for this post let’s address one construct I often hear used to gauge the successfulness of a relationship — independence versus dependency.
It is quite difficult this time of year to stroll through many stores and not be inundated with reminders that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Valentine’s Day is often a time when couples try to reignite their sex lives, but just like New Year’s Resolutions many of these attempted changes are not long lasting. Sexual intimacy is something many couples struggle to maintain during the duration of a relationship, but is vital to its longevity. A great way for couples to enhance their sex lives is through sexting.
Massage is one of many import aspects of health and fitness for your body and mind. One of the key benefits of sports massage therapy compared to other modalities is its ability to target muscular tendon junctions. The particulars of the sports massage technique are specific to the athlete’s sport of choice. Focusing on areas of the body that are overused and stressed from repetitive and often aggressive movements. I work with each client on a case by case to deliver the best results. Each session will be a mix of deep tissue and stretches to reach desire results. Past clients have discovered that specially designed sports massage provides; flexibility, reduces fatigue, improves endurance, cardiovascular, improves recovery time between workouts, helps prevent injuries and repairs our body and mind for optimal performances. Sports massage therapy weekly, every two weeks or monthly depending on your level of workouts and your desire, will be a great addition to your normal regimen. Each client is treated with respect, I am passionate and give my all in every session every time. You will experience a new level of massages therapy you might have been missing in the past.