How intuitive eating can help make the holidays brighter

2024-03-13T09:45:28-07:00By |

Once upon a time, holiday foods stood out as highlights in a year of relatively simpler fare. But in today’s food environment, with its year-round access to delicious and even indulgent foods, it’s as if the holiday season has upped the ante, making the holidays feel like a minefield.

Why mindful eating isn’t ‘careful’ or ‘mind full’ eating

2024-03-13T09:45:40-07:00By |

There are always spikes in interest in mindful eating around this time of the year. Unfortunately, much of that spike is because diet culture has tried to co-opt mindful eating for its own devices. In the process, it has twisted mindful eating into “careful” eating and “mind full” eating.

Being a dietitian doesn’t make me the food police

2024-03-13T09:45:58-07:00By |

It’s a refrain I hear a little too often: “I just need someone to tell me what to eat.” In today’s age of rampant nutrition confusion, I sort of get it—but I'm not your boss, I'm not your mother, and I'm definitely not the food police! As adults, we need to develop the skills necessary to make decisions about the things that are important to our health and happiness.

Why mindfulness benefits aren’t black-and-white

2024-03-13T09:47:26-07:00By |

Mindfulness is experiencing some backlash lately, but I think the dismissal of mindfulness is based on the unfortunate co-opting of the term, which in many people may contribute to the pursuit of being “perfect” about being mindful. As in other endeavors, don't let perfection be the enemy of the good.

It’s time to call out the “really, it’s not a diet” gaslighting

2024-03-13T09:47:27-07:00By |

(Includes some important 2022 updates!) Diets in disguise...they’re everywhere. But increasingly, diet promoters have turned to gaslighting by verbally jumping on the “non-diet” trend, then promoting what is in fact a diet while telling you it’s not. Well, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.

The true benefits of mindful eating

2024-03-13T10:09:32-07:00By |

It’s no secret that mindful eating—and mindfulness, generally—is hot, hot, hot. But to view mindful eating as the latest trend is to ignore that mindfulness itself has a very long tradition—2,500 years or so—and has a lot of modern science to back it up. I look at some mindful eating benefits, and explain why some purported benefits aren't in line with the science on—or the spirit of—mindfulness.

I’m Your Dietitian, Not The Food Police

2024-03-13T10:10:04-07:00By |

It’s a refrain I hear a little too often: “I just need someone to tell me what to eat.” In today’s age of rampant nutrition confusion, I sort of get it—but on another level I don’t get it, not at all. I'm not your boss, I'm not your mother, and I'm definitely not the food police. As adults, we need to be able to make decisions about the things that are important to our health and happiness.

Die, Diets, Die!

2024-03-13T10:10:07-07:00By |

Last week, I was sitting with a group of my Menu for Change patients at an event, and one of my long-time patients said that whenever she tells someone about Menu for Change, they ask her, "So, what's the diet like?" She looked at me, and we laughed, and I said, "I would rather die than put someone on a diet." And that's the truth. Because diets don't work.

Calorie Counting vs. Intuitive Eating

2024-03-13T10:17:40-07:00By |

In my most recent On Nutrition column for The Seattle Times, "Counting calories? Don't put too much faith in numbers," I wrote about how it's useful to have an idea of about how many calories are in certain foods, but it's not useful to get bogged down in tracking calories in and calories out. While there is a sense of security in numbers, it's increasingly difficult to be certain of what a calorie actually means.

Mindful Eating Day is Coming!

2024-03-13T10:17:46-07:00By |

Have you been working on cultivating mindful eating skills (or thinking about it)? You may be encouraged to know that tomorrow is the inaugural Mindful Eating Day, sponsored by The Center for Mindful Eating (TCME). Registration, which is free, will earn you an invitation to join a special Facebook group created just for this event.

Putting the Brakes on Food Waste

2024-03-13T10:17:47-07:00By |

As I discuss in my latest On Nutrition column, food waste is a big problem in this country, but so is our society's lingering tendency to maintain membership in the Clean Plate Club. I have a few patients who told me they were raised to believe that it was an actual sin to not clean their plates.

Happy Holidays!

2024-03-13T10:17:48-07:00By |

I'm sure that your week is as busy as mine, but I wanted to take a moment to wish all of you, my readers, Happy Holidays, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the Solstice, Kwanzaa, or Festivus. Work has been surprisingly busy this week (and next). Who knew that so many people would actually want to see their dietitian over the holidays? If I had to wrap up my holiday eating advice in three bite-size nuggets, it would be this.

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