Beyond Binge Eating Rewiring the Mind & Body: A Holistic Approach to Healing with Jennifer Donovan
In this week’s episode, we welcome Jennifer Donovan, founder of Whole Body Healing and a trauma therapist turned holistic health expert. Jennifer shares how her personal battle with chronic illness led her to discover the powerful connection between nutrition, nervous system regulation, and mental health.
Here’s what we’ll cover in the video:
From Trauma Therapist to Holistic Healer: How Jennifer transitioned from traditional therapy to a full-body approach, integrating gut health and ancestral nutrition.
Food & Mental Health: Why nutritional deficiencies, gut imbalances, and metabolic dysfunction can masquerade as mental health issues—and how diet can play a key role in recovery.
The Befriending Method: Why viewing your body as a partner (instead of an enemy) is essential for healing chronic illness and emotional struggles.
Keto & Nervous System Regulation: How a bio-individual approach to keto and whole-food nutrition can help with depression, anxiety, and even severe neurological conditions.
Overcoming Binge Eating & Stress Eating: The link between sensory input, grounding techniques, and why binge eating often stems from more than just willpower.
Practical Steps to Heal: Jennifer’s go-to movement practices, mindset shifts, and brain exercises to help rewire your nervous system and regain control over your health.
If you’ve struggled with chronic health issues, binge eating, or mental burnout—and feel like conventional solutions aren’t working—this episode will provide you with the tools and insights to start your journey toward healing.
🗣️ Contact and Follow Jennifer here:
https://www.instagram.com/wholebodyhealingwithjen/
https://www.facebook.com/wholebodyhealingwithjen
https://www.youtube.com/@WholeBodyHealingwithJen/videos
https://wholebodyhealingwithjen.com
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00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Who is Jennifer Donovan
01:51 - Jennifer's transition from trauma therapy to holistic health
02:36 - The connection between trauma therapy, mental health, and nutrition
04:17 - How nutritional changes impacted Jennifer’s mental health
05:30 - The role of food in nervous system regulation
06:36 - Common misconceptions about food and mental health
07:18 - The impact of ketogenic diets on the nervous system
08:29 - When a ketogenic diet is necessary for mental health
09:26 - How ketosis supports neurogenesis and brain function
10:30 - The relationship between fasting and mental clarity
12:07 - Why ketogenic diets aren’t just about weight loss
13:09 - Bio-individual approaches to diet and mental health
14:46 - The difference between mainstream keto and therapeutic keto
15:14 - The connection between binge eating and nutritional deficiencies
16:39 - The role of protein and fat in preventing binge eating
17:32 - Addressing emotional components of binge eating
18:44 - Sensory interventions for binge eating urges
20:03 - The importance of grounding techniques in emotional regulation
21:21 - How sensory input helps regulate the nervous system
22:55 - The role of soothing sounds and smells in nervous system regulation
24:07 - The concept of "befriending" your symptoms and body
26:19 - How symptoms communicate the body's needs
28:51 - Viewing symptoms as feedback rather than an enemy
30:34 - Movement and posture’s impact on nervous system function
32:50 - Diaphragmatic breathing
34:38 - Mindset work: shifting from neutral to positive
38:17 - Brain exercises for rewiring thought patterns
40:07 - How to gradually build mental resilience
40:30 - Short brain exercises
42:07 - Where to find Jennifer online and learn more about her work
#autoimmunedisease #rewireyourbrain #recoveryjourney #mindbodyconnection
Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.