Guest Post: Healthy Mind, Healthy Diet

by karen on April 19, 2018

Please help me welcome Erica Foote, nutrition student at the University of Nevada, Reno who is a guest blogger this week.  Thank you to Erica for this blog and her work behind the scenes in getting my weekly posts to you.


 

“Don’t touch that.”

If you have children, or have any experience with kids, you know very well that the statement above won’t be productive. In fact, they will probably be more likely to touch the said object now than if you had said nothing.

…Do you really think we lose this trait when we grow up?

Unfortunately, we don’t. This is shown in a motivational theory known as reactance, which essentially states that we tend to do the opposite of what we are told when we perceive a threat to our freedoms. Combine that with an enhanced reward response under a mentality of deprivation, and you have a disaster waiting to happen–especially when that threat to freedom involves food.

I am going to go out on a limb and say our psychological mentality toward food is just as important as what we choose to put on our plates. When we start thinking in terms of restriction; “I can’t ever eat X again” or “I really shouldn’t eat X”, guess what we start to crave?  X, of course. What are you most likely to overeat? X.

In my estimation, no good can come from an unhealthy relationship with food. It either leads to:

a) chronic overeating

b) development of disordered eating habits or a full-on eating disorder, or

c) an unsustainable, unsatisfying lifestyle

A restrictive mindset rules over us, disconnecting us from our body’s true needs. Diagnosed with anorexia nervosa my sophomore year of college, I should know. This message is just as much for me as it is for you.

However, I don’t think people realize that a restrictive, fearing mentality towards food is just as detrimental for the overweight individual, or for the person with Type II diabetes, bulimia, or for the binge-eater, as it is to the person struggling with a restrictive eating disorder.

Scroll through Facebook and you’ll see an ad for a fad diet that “helped Bob lose 25 pounds in four weeks”, followed shortly by a recipe for a decadent triple chocolate mug cake you can make in four minutes. Our society as a whole has a distorted mentality towards food and health, and with the increasing prevalence of both eating disorders and obesity, we clearly need a shift in our attitudes towards nutrition.

Whether you want to lose weight, gain control over a health condition, or become stronger‒ a healthy, intuitive perspective on food is essential to long-term, sustainable results. If you feel overly burdened, exhausted, or deprived with your current diet, jumping on the next fad-diet bandwagon won’t help. Nourishing your body in a healthy way rarely involves drastic restrictions or deprivations that prevent you from living your life to the fullest.

See the source image

I realize that shifting to a truly healthy, balanced, intuitive relationship with food can be an uphill battle. Please do not fight that battle alone. Meet with Karen or Valerie, registered dietitians who can help you find a diet that works for you– one that fits your budget, your lifestyle, and your body’s individual needs.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Rayonna May 2, 2018 at 7:31 am

Son of a gun, this is so hefllup!

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