weightneutral Archives | Nutritious Thoughts

Back to School!

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on September 11, 2019. Posted in Body Image, Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care.

We are a few weeks into the 2019-2020 school year. With returning to school comes a set of new stressors, deadlines, and social activities. How do we maintain recovery when taking on the role of “student”? Eating Disorder Hope recently released an article on this topic exactly, and we couldn’t have written it any better ourselves. Therefore, we’ve provided the article for you here in this blog post! Keep reading for some top-notch tips on staying recovery-forward in the midst of transitioning back to school.

Best Practices for Returning to School

Here are the best practices for returning to school in eating disorder recovery:

Make time for recovery. Even with a busier schedule, it’s important to prioritize recovery. This includes continuing to attend appointments with your treatment team at a frequency that will continue to support your recovery. This also includes keeping your long-term health and wellness in mind in spite of the stressors that come with school.

Identify your triggers. Before returning to school, identify what may trigger disordered eating thoughts and behaviors. Triggers may be things like overhearing classmates talk about their bodies, eating with others in the lunchroom, or the amount of math homework you’ll be facing.

Have a go-to list of coping skills and self-care plans that will help you manage these triggers. This will help reduce any risk of relapse.

Develop a healthy daily structure. Finding a daily structure means finding balance. It’s having a routine that provides regular sleep and regular meals.

It’s a schedule that includes social activities that make it difficult to isolate, as well as things like making time for academic efforts to prevent school work from “building up.”

Self-care is an important part of the daily structure — as part of the best practices for returning to school, be sure to build in time each day to take care of yourself and manage daily stressors.

Get support. Know that when things get difficult, you don’t have to figure it out all on your own. Call in your support system — whether it be parents, friends, teachers, the school counselor, or a formal support group — for support around whatever is troubling you.

Many students in recovery need support around academic workload, time management, stress management, meal prep, and/or mealtime support.

Consult with your treatment team. Work closely with your treatment team to address any triggers or challenges that may arise. If you have any concerns, be sure to share them with your treatment team, as they will be able to support you and offer up individualized recommendations.

If you begin to feel like things are getting on top of you, like you’re not coping as well, or returning to old disordered eating thoughts or behaviors, it’s important that you reach out to your treatment team as soon as possible.

Special consideration for student-athletes. Work closely with your coach.

For students in recovery who are returning to athletics along with school, it’s important that your coach understands how to support you in your recovery.

Coaches should be aware of any recommendations being made by your treatment team and be willing to support you in following those recommendations.

This is important for both your short-term and long-term health and wellbeing.

About the Author:

Chelsea Fielder-Jenks is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Austin, Texas. Chelsea works with individuals, families, and groups primarily from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) framework.

She has extensive experience working with adolescents, families, and adults who struggle with eating, substance use, and various co-occurring mental health disorders. You can learn more about Chelsea and her private practice at ThriveCounselingAustin.com.

Is Laughter Really The Best Medicine?

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on July 31, 2019. Posted in Articles, Self Care.

This past month, the Nutritious Thoughts team participated in Laughter Yoga. Yep, you read that correctly! Never having heard of this form of self-care, we were greatly intrigued and wanted to learn more about the potential benefits of this practice. Happiness Coach Jennifer Parr (make sure to check out her services here!) gave us an incredible introduction to Laughter Yoga and how giggling can promote overall well-being!

Laughter Life Hack – written by Jennifer Parr

Laughing for just 15 minutes can literally save your life. 1 in 2 Americans struggle to stay happy and the majority of us are seeking solutions to escape the overwhelming stress so many of us face on a daily basis that can be felt in the form of anxiety, irritability, fatigue, digestive problems, and headaches.

One of the fastest and most immediate ways to reduce stress and rewire neural pathways in the brain to get immediate and noticeable change is laughter. Laughter is now recognized as a legitimate, scientifically validated form of preventative medicine.

Physiologically, stress and laughter are complete opposites. If you are laughing, it is physically impossible to also experience stress in that moment. When you experience stress, it negatively effects the functioning and health of your body including an increased heartbeat, rise in blood pressure, and constriction of blood vessels. However, when laughing, your heartbeat slows, blood pressure naturally decreases, and blood vessels are no longer constricted.

The health benefits of laughter are endless.

Laughter Benefits:

Decreases Stress Hormones.
Counteracts Symptoms of Depression.
Relaxes Muscles, and Simulates Circulation.
Improves Memory, Creativity and Problem Solving Skills.
Increases Energy Levels.
Strengthens Immune System.
Improves Digestive System.
Elevates Self Esteem.
Reduce or Prevent Symptoms of Allergies, Asthma, Arthritis, and Cancer.
Quiets the Mind.
Better Sleep.
Release of Feel Good Endorphins.
Emotional Balance and Joy.
Improves Overall Health.l

How can you get MORE laughter in your life? You are 30 times more likely to laugh in the company of others (vs. laughing on your own). One of the most fun and effective ways to guarantee regular laughter while in the company of a supportive community is to take a Laughter Yoga class. It is necessary to laugh for at least 15 minutes to receive the full health benefits of laughter. Laughter Yoga will guarantee that you get at least 15 minutes of Laughter (and in most cases much more) so you can experience immediate and noticeable health benefits.

WHAT IS LAUGHTER YOGA?

Laughter yoga combines yogic breathing techniques, guided laughter exercises and a unique form of meditation. No mat or yoga experience is needed or required.

Class Includes:

· Light Stretching

· Yogic Breathing Techniques.

· Laughter Exercises and Movement.

· Low impact cardiovascular workout for any fitness level.

· Laughter Meditation.

What To Expect In A Laughter Yoga Session?

Play and joy are basic human needs, even for adults, and necessary for living a happy and balanced life. This class supports participants in meeting such essential needs and can bring lasting joy when practiced regularly through a variety of guided group and partner exercises. Learn how to laugh without having to rely on humor, jokes or comedy!

What Will You Experience After Laughter Yoga?

Immediately following a laughter yoga session, you will understand the value of laughter as a form of low impact cardiovascular exercise. Many participants have reported decreased anxiety, stress, tension, and worry immediately after the first class as well as increased energy and relaxation.

You will learn how to change your mood within minutes through the exercises. Practicing regularly will help create a more positive attitude and positive coping mechanisms for difficult life situations. Participants will also learn techniques for releasing built up negative emotions. Many participants also report that they feel more connected and comfortable with other participants in class and it can often help in forming friendships.

If you are interested in experiencing a Laughter Yoga class, we will be offering regular classes at Nutritious Thoughts led by Jennifer Parr. Her website is www.jennparr.com.

“Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.” – Lord Byron

Is ‘National Nutrition Month’ a Recovery-Positive Campaign?

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on March 10, 2019. Posted in Eating Disorder Recovery, Education.

As registered dietitians dedicated to the prevention and evidence-based treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating, we found ourselves asking the following questions leading into National Nutrition Month®:

Does National Nutrition Month® (NNM) align with Eating Disorder/Disordered Eating (ED/DE) recovery?
As Health At Every Size® (HAES) informed professionals, to what extent might we ethically support participation in this month-long campaign focusing on nutrition and physical activity to our clients, our peers, friends, loved ones…ourselves?

The quick answers?

A little bit, kind of, sorta…
Proceed with caution

Here’s a more in-depth look at our perspective:

Let’s begin by explaining a little bit more about NNM! NNM was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals in the United States. AND defines NNM as follows:

What is National Nutrition Month®?

National Nutrition Month^® is an annual nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign, celebrated each year during the month of March, focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

– Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)

We’ve done a thorough review of the National Nutrition Month website for 2019 and wanted to share some thoughts with you.

What we appreciated about this year’s theme:

The 2019 NNM theme is self-titled (“National Nutrition Month®”) which makes it more inclusive of many different topics of discussion – including eating disorders and disordered eating! Win!
Many of the educational materials encouraged making sustainable changes towards achieving balanced food and movement routines that are individualized. We love this approach!
Mental health and motivation for change (which are totally intertwined with eating and moving our bodies) were not excluded from the conversation!

What we could have done without:

The language! Reviewing the NNM website brought up a much larger conundrum – the way we speak about nourishment in our society. The language we use to address nutrition and movement is morally charged. The “good/bad” or “right/wrong” polarization is not recovery-positive and continues to drive us farther away from seeing food as just food and moving our bodies as joyful and drives the shame wagon. Shame does not motivate people to adopt health-promoting behaviors.
Weight management. Encouraging weight management through portion control and calorie tracking is not an approach that is respectful and accepting of all body shapes and sizes and promotes the message that larger bodies are inherently in need of “fixing” or must be controlled in some manner. Nah, nah, nah. Not buying it. Weight management is not weight neutral. It’s not HAES-informed. It’s not recovery-positive. It’s oppressive and unethical to prescribe disordered eating behaviors to people living in larger bodies. Also, there is a body of evidence against it.

*Caveat: National Nutrition Month was not created specifically for those in recovery from ED/DE, but for the general United States public. However, even so, language equating terms such as “weight management” and “portion control” as being “right” can be harmful for at-risk populations and creates unnecessary vulnerability to developing ED/DE behaviors.

Suggestions for observing NNM in ED/DE recovery:

Celebrate how far you’ve come! Take this opportunity to reflect on how eating and movement patterns have become more sustainable and balanced.
Set goals. How might you propel your recovery forward this month? What would it look like to take steps to strengthen our relationships with ourselves and with food, movement, and recovery?
Increase your food variety – try some new foods this month!
Take up space and use your voice. Be in a larger body. Be fat. Exist as you are.

We love our field, our colleagues, and the wealth of valuable knowledge provided by AND, and we hope to continue to shift the way nutrition and wellness are presented to the general public to be more inclusive and less stigmatizing!

Check out what other ED/DE clinicians have said about NNM over the years:

https://marcird.com/my-take-on-national-nutrition-month/

https://veritascollaborative.com/blog/blog-national-nutrition-month/

https://www.sovcal.com/recovery/having-an-eating-disorder-during-national-nutrition-month/

What is “Health At Every Size”?

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on February 11, 2019. Posted in Education.

THE HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE® APPROACH:

Weight does NOT define Health.

The framing for a Health At Every Size (HAES®) approach comes out of discussions among healthcare workers, consumers, and activists who reject both the use of weight, size, or BMI as proxies for health, and the myth that weight is a choice. The HAES® model is an approach to both policy and individual decision-making. It addresses broad forces that support health, such as safe and affordable access. It also helps people find sustainable practices that support individual and community well-being. The HAES® approach honors the healing power of social connections, evolves in response to the experiences and needs of a diverse community, and grounds itself in a social justice framework.

The Health At Every Size® Principles are:

Weight Inclusivity: Accept and respect the inherent diversity of body shapes and sizes and reject the idealizing or pathologizing of specific weights.

Health Enhancement: Support health policies that improve and equalize access to information and services, and personal practices that improve human well-being, including attention to individual physical, economic, social, spiritual, emotional, and other needs.

Respectful Care: Acknowledge our biases, and work to end weight discrimination, weight stigma, and weight bias. Provide information and services from an understanding that socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and other identities impact weight stigma, and support environments that address these inequities.

Eating for Well-being: Promote flexible, individualized eating based on hunger, satiety, nutritional needs, and pleasure, rather than any externally regulated eating plan focused on weight control.

Life-Enhancing Movement: Support physical activities that allow people of all sizes, abilities, and interests to engage in enjoyable movement, to the degree that they choose.

Tag: weightneutral

Back to School!

Best Practices for Returning to School

Is Laughter Really The Best Medicine?

Is ‘National Nutrition Month’ a Recovery-Positive Campaign?

What is “Health At Every Size”?

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