I am leading a 1-hour webinar tomorrow titled Body Positive Nutrition: Integrate the Health at Every Size® Approach Into Your Practice. It’s worth 1 CPEU for dietitians. Participants can join live or watch the video on-demand anytime.
I am excited to share this perspective with my colleagues! Learn more and register.
After six years of chronic bingeing and purging, Kathryn Hansen stopped her eating disorder independently and abruptly, using the power of her own brain.
I recently heard Kathryn’s story while listening to the Nutrition Matters podcast. Her story was powerful and her approach to recovery sounded compelling. She also sounded very bright, and she supported her ideas with research. So, I purchased and read her book, Brain Over Binge, to learn more. Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Weight Management
Tagged binge eating, eating disorders, mindfulness
Do you really need to kill yourself to save your life? You might think so, if you look at the way some health fanatics strictly follow their diet or exercise plans. However, not-so-novel research suggests that being healthy is much easier and more fun than we’ve made it out to be. In Healthy Pleasures, an old but timeless book, authors Robert Ornstein, PhD and Davis Sobel, MD identify life’s simple pleasures and describe the proven ways they contribute to health and well-being. Continue reading
After nearly five years, I have decided to leave my job in medical weight management to practice a Health at Every Size® (HAES®) approach.
Here’s why:
Dieting does more harm than good. Research shows that dieting is more likely to lead to weight gain than weight loss. A review of 31 weight loss studies found that dieting was ineffective at producing long term weight loss, and one-third to two-thirds of dieters gained more weight than they lost (Mann et al, 2007). Calorie restriction leads to preoccupation with food, binge eating and weight obsession.
Weight loss messages contribute to weight stigma. Weight loss messages perpetuate the idea that anyone can lose weight, and that “overweight” people are lazy or lack willpower. In reality, weight is determined by a complex interaction between genes, environment and social influences. Once a set-point weight range is established, the brain works hard to defend it (Sumatran and Proietto, 2013). Size diversity should be respected and embraced, just like other types of diversity.
Weight loss is not necessary for health improvement. People who exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and practice other forms of self-care can improve their health, without losing weight (Matheson et al. 2012; Schaefer and Magnuson, 2014.)
Dieting is not a healthful practice and can lead to weight gain in the long run (Mann 2007). Here are 5 specific diet traps to avoid, and alternatives to try.
Every parent and dietitian should read Ellyn Satter’s Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming. Ellyn Satter is a registered dietitian and family therapist, and is considered to be the leading expert on feeding and raising healthy kids.
In the book, Satter refutes the idea that parents must force their children to eat less and exercise more to lose weight. In the long run, this technique backfires, as children become preoccupied with food and turned off to physical activity. Rather, Ellyn coaches parents to feed well, parent well, and allow children to grow up to get the bodies that are right for them.
For a summary of the books main points, read on, or click here for a PDF summary from Satter herself.
Recent research provides some insight as to why maintaining weight loss is especially difficult. View this clip from the Weight of the Nation documentary series for an explanation.
Note: You don’t need to pursue weight loss to improve your health. Learn about a Health at Every Size approach.
Today, I have reached a blogging landmark: my 100th post! In honor of this occasion, I have decided to share with you 100 nutrition tips. Each tip is from one of my previous posts, starting with my very first post and working up to today. Each tip’s number links back to the original post. If you see a tip you like and want to read more, just click on the number. Enjoy!
Are you having trouble motivating yourself to exercise after a long day of work? One great way to start exercising is to create a walking club at work. Organizing a walking club at your workplace is an easy, fun and inexpensive way to exercise. Not only is exercise good for your body, but it can improve concentration, decrease stress, and help make the workday go by faster too! Walking with a group makes exercise fun, which increases the chances you’ll stick with it.
Follow these easy steps to get your walking club started:
For more information on how to get a walking club started in your workplace, check out this Guide from the Network for a Healthy California, or watch the video below.
March is here, and that means it’s officially National Nutrition Month®! I love this year’s theme, Eat Right with Color. A wonderful way to boost the nutritional quality of your diet and improve your health is to add more colorful fruits and vegetables to your meals and snacks. Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different types of cancer-fighting antioxidants, which is why we should eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables.
How many fruits and vegetables should we eat each day?
The slogan used to be “5 A Day for Better Health,” but now we’ve discovered that’s not enough for most individuals to experience the maximum health benefits. Today, the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s slogan is “More Matters,” because most people will improve their health by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat. The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack. This will help ensure you’re eating enough nutrients and may help prevent overindulging in higher calorie foods.
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Now, that’s Eating Right with Color!
Nicole Geurin, MPH, RD 