Eating Well Isn't About Perfection

There are always so many things I want to say in honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Lisa and I have shared our thoughts about “dieting,” body image, and our society’s preoccupation with a certain ideal before.

This is why we feel so good about our non-diet philosophy.

In a TED Talk I recently watched featuring Sandra Aamodt, titled “Why dieting usually doesn’t work,” she points out that the typical outcome of dieting is that you’re more likely to gain weight than lose it.

Why?

Diets tend to categorize certain foods as ‘bad,’ ‘wrong,’ or ‘off-limits,’ which often sets the foundation for a cycle of failure and/or guilt. When we feel deprived, this often leads to subsequent overeating.  How many times have you broken your "diet" and thought “I blew it anyways, so I might as well have more…”?  

When we allow all foods into our life, we can relieve ourselves from this cycle of deprivation followed by guilt, and learn to truly enjoy food and listen to our bodies for hunger and fullness cues.



Sandra Aamodt concludes her TED Talk perfectly: "Our daughters have learned to measure their worth by the wrong scale," she said.

So this week (and every week!) we want you to keep this in mind.

And this...

And this...

And this...

And this...

A very special thanks to the wonderful crew at Nature Box for making our body loving tips so beautiful!

Wanderlust

We’re still beaming from the afterglow of Wanderlust.

We returned home yesterday, after spending two days in one-on-one nutrition consultations with the attendees at the California festival who were there to practice yoga, enjoy great music and revel in the incredible beauty and serenity of the California mountains rising around Lake Tahoe.

It was the last of the three Wanderlust festivals we attended on behalf of LUNA, working with the incredible LUNA team to promote the power of positive snacking, helping to keep women (and a few men!) on their power curve. 

All of the Wanderlust events were equally amazing--we were also in Vermont and Colorado.

When we first launched NourishRDs—almost exactly one year ago!—we made a conscious decision to be thoughtful and intentional about the companies and products with which we align ourselves.  LUNA was the first company we called. 

LUNA bars are all made from organic and wholesome real ingredients—we can pronounce every single item on the ingredient list and understand where it comes from.  The company does not promote the LUNA bars—designed specifically for women—as meal replacement bars, but as a healthy snack and convenient treat to help keep your energy up and your mind focused as you’re running throughout your day.  It’s not a diet bar.

Plus, the LUNA team is made up of fun and inspiring women.  We like them a lot.  What’s not to like?

At the Wanderlust festivals, we met with attendees one-on-one for 20 minute nutrition consultations.  We got lots of questions about gluten-free diets and how to transition to or maintain a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.  But most of all, we got questions about sugar cravings and how to avoid the mid-afternoon crash that often leaves us cranky and with a glazed look in our eyes, headed for the coffee or snack machine. 

This is what we told them:  Nourishing your body throughout the day is important.  Skipping meals always backfires.  You think you’re “saving up” for a great dinner, and then you overeat—usually because you’re famished.  Eating small, regularly-spaced meals and snacks throughout the day helps to maintain your power curve, prevents brain fog, or worse—irritability and grumpiness—and gives you plenty of energy to keep up with your kids on the playground, complete your work project in record time, or master that yoga pose you've been practicing.

Click here for our advice on healthy, balanced snacking.

Because women are so hard on themselves, and always trying to live up to an unrealistic expectation of perfection, we also got a lot of questions about guilt and shame around eating, food and snacking.  Here’s our advice.

It’s time for us to…

-     put aside unrealistic expectations of beauty.

-     stop dwelling on the number on the scale or the size of our clothes and start embracing our own unique bodies and individuality.

-     choose to engage in activities we enjoy because it helps us feel good—not because we think we have to log a certain number of minutes on the treadmill or trail.

-     fuel our bodies with good quality nutrition—that fulfills our cravings—so we can live our fullest and best lives.

-     treat ourselves with the love and respect we deserve.

That powerful message resonated with the women—and the men!—we met with in our sessions.  We helped them to come up with a daily affirmation for themselves, a mantra to help them look at themselves in the mirror each morning and before bedtime to say, “I am beautiful and strong, just the way I am.”

A few of our new friends agreed to share their daily affirmations with others.  Like, "I will stay on the course that makes me happy." 

Or this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

At the end of the day, after speaking with dozens of inspiring women (and a few men!), we went back to the LUNA house and practiced what we preached--creating balance in our life by enjoying good food and lots of laughter with our new friends.

combining our love of all great things -- pizza, yoga & each other!

We would like to thank the team members at ALL of the Wanderlust events for making us feel like a part of the LUNA family.  You are each inspiring.

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

Last week, I spent some time at College of the Canyons working with SNAC - the Student Nutrition & Wellness Advocates at COC - for their Healthy Student BODY Fitness Walk. This amazing group of students, led by Registered Dietitian, Sheri Barke, organized this fitness walk on campus with six stations set up along the way to deliver their unique messages about body image and real beauty. 

I felt so fortunate to be part of this day with them because promoting healthy body image is something which resonates deeply with me. 

I realize as a society, we spend countless moments thinking about our appearance and criticizing our imperfections when we could be using those moments doing so much more. I want the people I care about to spend their time pursuing what makes them happy rather than chasing after an unattainable image or someone else’s ideal. Our brain cells, time, energy and passion deserve to focus on living a healthy, active, fulfilling life. Our time is meant to be spent with people we love, eating good food, eating real food, traveling, laughing, hiking, sweating, dancing, swimming, surfing, picture taking, reading, writing, cooking, baking, singing, snowboarding, skiing, painting, organizing, gardening, being happy, and doing so much more–than obsessing about food or perfection. And my theory is once you learn to appreciate your body and everything it allows you to do, you’re much more likely to take care of it. 

As a dietitian, I think eating well isn’t about perfection. Some days, you’re going to eat too much. Some days, you’re going to eat too little. And some days, you’re going to have a piece of cake simply because the occasion calls for it. And, that’s OK. There’s room for every type of food in a balanced diet. If you don’t eat the most nutritious one day, try not to stress about it. Go to bed and wake up in the morning with a fresh perspective. View the new day as an opportunity to take care of yourself. 

 As for the body perfection part - I know I’m just one person when I say this, but when someone is comfortable in his or her own skin – they radiate and I love it. 

 So, you really can have your piece of cake and eat it too. And enjoy it! Because tomorrow morning you can treat yourself to a nutritious breakfast. 

 
Love,

McKenzie