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Normal Eating – what does that mean?
Normal Eating – what does that even mean?
I came across this fantastic article that perfectly sums up why I want to be a dietitian. Follow this link for the full article, from Appetite for Health. A blog written by two RD’s who share their knowledge of “eating healthier in the real world”.
Here are a few quotes that had me smiling and reaching for that chemistry book to get back to studying so I could put these thoughts into practice:
“I believe that part of healthy eating and normal eating is the enjoyment of food. It means feeling good about what you eat – even if it’s not a veggie or so-called ‘superfood’. It means listening to your body and allowing your taste buds to have a vote on what you eat.”
“One of the things that irks me about the dietetics profession is how frequently food is labeled as ‘bad’, ‘good’, or even ‘super’. It can leave people with lots of mixed feelings about food and eating. Many popular diet plans applaud restricting food or even eliminating entire food groups. Often we’re led to believe that there is a definite ‘right’ way to eat and that we are unhealthy if we don’t follow it.
As an RD, of course I support a healthy eating pattern: a diet of fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean protein, and heart-healthy oils (olive, canola, etc.) And we can’t eat unlimited quantities of food all the time. But I think that there is room for some flexibility and I worry that with some of the rigid messages about “eating do’s and don’ts”, too many of us end up with feelings of guilt and uneasiness about food. We may be eating healthy foods, but sometimes our relationship with those foods is anything but healthy.”
There’s a lot more – along a wonderful definition of Normal Eating from Ellen Satter, a well known RD who is an expert in children’s nutrition.
Through my own journey, I’ve learned to understand normal eating. I strive to practice normal eating habits on a regular basis. I’m still de-programming myself to stop the negative self-talk when I stray from normal eating behaviors. It’s still a journey, there is no finish line.
Have a wonderful Monday everyone. I hope you enjoy the day and take care of yourself.
Great thoughts, Carrie… you’ll make such a great dietician. Glad to see that you had a pain free run on Sat, too!
Thank you so very much Laura.
I love that, especially coming from a dietician! I always hate it when someone tells me they are on a diet and they can’t eat “fill in the blank”. Any diet that tells you to get rid of an entire food group is bad news. I especially cringe when someone says they aren’t eating carbs. How are you supposed to get the energy you need to exercise? Thanks for this and happy monday:)
Oooh, the no carb thing really kills me! Really. There’s so much information out there, it can be so overwhelming.
I used to be active on a site where one of their professionals “preached” that food is fuel and nothing more — she totally disavowed the pleasure/social aspects. She had no credibility in my book!
Wow! How sad to not enjoy food. And, then to tell people to do the same. Awful.
Normal eating. The goal. Elusive. Lord, grant me moderation.
It’s definitely a goal for me too. We are a work in progress.