When approaching conversations related to body image, I often use the term “body respect”. The idea of “loving”, or even “liking”, your body is difficult for many of my clients. This is why I lean into the the word “respect”. You do not have to like your body, to respect your body because body respect has little to do with how you feel about your body, and instead is centered around how your treat your body. Respecting your body is a critical turning point in eating disorder recovery, and ultimately becoming an intuitive eater. Lacking respect your body, interferes with our innate ability to listen its cues neutrally. Respecting your body allows for focus on the behavioral piece of healing.

As a Registered Dietitian, I am always learning new information from my clients. Unfortunately when it comes to nutrition information, much of this information is exaggerated, skewed, or totally inaccurate.  It is no secret that misinformation surrounding nutrition has been being spread for a very long time, but with social media information is being spread at high speed all over the world. The misrepresentation of nutrition information and the strong presence of fad dieting information on social media can seriously damage an individual’s relationship with food and body. It can damage self esteem and body image. It often promotes being “thinner” as a pathway to gaining love, acceptance, & respect.  Striving to become “healthy” can become very “unhealthy” and much of the information presented on social media, promotes external induced changes versus internal changes. Sustainable changes require us to explore why we eat, how we eat, and who we are as an eater. 

Food is energy, food is culture, food is comfort. Food has always, and will always, be an integral aspect of life. If you’re feeling stuck in the mindset of “good foods” and “bad foods” I encourage to widen your lens. What other values can you see in food outside of nutritional value? It is undeniable that foods hold sensory values, emotional values, and environmental values. Intentionally incorporate variety in your intake and see what happens when you view food from the context of all of its values. What values feel important to you? By shifting our focus we are able to widen food acceptance and reduce guilt. Who doesn’t want that?!