Healing Grief Through The Gut: Emotional Eating, Inner Wisdom, And The Power Of Listening To Your Body With Shirley Billigmeier

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina

What if the way to healing your heart isn't through your head... but through your gut? In this episode, we welcome Shirley Billigmeier—author, intuitive coach, and gut-brain expert—for a powerful conversation on grief, food, and reclaiming your inner wisdom. Shirley shares how emotional eating, especially after deep loss, is often not about willpower—but about unspoken sadness and a longing for connection. You’ll learn why you were born with built-in hunger cues, what your gut is trying to tell you, and how listening to your body—truly listening—can transform your relationship with food, water, and ultimately, yourself. Whether you’re carrying extra “storage” or simply craving peace after loss, this episode will open your eyes (and heart) to what’s really happening beneath the surface.

Quote:

“The appearance of the body is a visual, an interpretation of our brain. It is not a sensation felt internally, like hunger. Innergetics has proven that honoring the gut’s simple hunger and taste messages will result in a slender body that is balanced overall. In contrast, a narrow focus on the size of the body will only result in continuous struggle and frustration; intellectualizing about food actually blocks information that our body sends about hunger, satisfaction, and other needs and feelings. In essence, work is created where there is meant to be no work. Eating is natural, is pleasurable, gives energy, and was never meant to interfere with our creative minds.”

I am sharing my experience of loving the same man for 32 years, a mother to two adult children, a retired military officer, a breast cancer survivor, and my connections with others.

Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts should reach out to a suicide hotline or local emergency number in their country: Psychology Today Suicide Hotlines and Prevention Resources Around the World.