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5 thoughts

Thanks for all the blog post ideas from the last ‘5 thoughts’ post.  I’m making a list and excited to address many of those topics soon!

1. I am so going to remake this blog post with all my favorite froyo combos.  What a fun idea.  We got froyo last night.  Delicious as always.  I went for cake batter + vanilla + oreos + strawberries.

2. When recovering from my ED and starting to incorporate more “off-limits”/fear foods, something that was helpful for me was focusing on what the nutrients in my fear food could do for me that was positive.  Even if something tasted good, it was tricky in early recovery to allow the pleasure my tastebuds felt to override the myths my ED had brainwashed me into.  Myths about certain foods being good or bad.  I had to hyperfocus on the little things I could find positive about the food.  Here’s an example of how this worked for me…if it was a milkshake or nachos I was challenging myself to incorporate, I would repeat, “calcium is good for my bones” while I drank/ate them.  Anxiety can be sky high when incorporating all foods.  Focusing on particular characteristics of food was really helpful in allowing me to cope with that anxiety during exposure therapy and not be overtaken by it (…that and having a therapist to work with who understood EDs).

Just wanted to drop that there in case anyone else finds it helpful when incorporating ALL foods :)

3. Eating food that makes you feel “BLEH” does not conflict with intuitive eating. (if you don’t follow Rachael on insta, I think you should.  She’s super funny.)

4. As you know, I recently read (listened) to, The Gluten Lie, on Audible. It is a really great book, however the Audible version leaves out key annotations, which leaves you thinking that in the last chapter the author contradicts everything he previously wrote about as he promotes a diet.  I HIGHLY recommend the book and to avoid confusion read it rather than listening to it on Audible.  It is my favorite book I’ve read in the last year.  If anyone wants to email me pictures of the last chapter of the book, I’d be mega grateful ;)

The book is great mainly because it points out that anxiety about food causes physical symptoms that makes people think they are “intolerant” or have allergies to particular foods.   The book helps people become aware of the myths and lies that are perpetuating their anxiety around gluten, salt, sugar, etc.  

Some great points made in the book…

  1. Be aware of the “no-cebo” effect (aka when you think something is going to make you sick and then you eat it and it does make you sick because you told yourself it would).  HOLY SMOKES! I see this all the time in society and with clients, however I never had a name for it.
  2. There are easily 10 times more yearly deaths from EDs in the US than all food allergies combined, yet everyone is freaking out over being allergic to ‘x’.
  3. (shared this on insta) If you are making people feel more paranoid and fearful about feeding their bodies…you are doing more harm than good.

5. Last night Andrew came to the office with me and helped me hang some more decor.  In our marriage, I kill all the bugs (while he stands behind me for moral support) and he hangs stuff for me.  It works.  

I love the below picture.  We found it at a used office supply store for like $6.  You can’t tell here, but it has a lot of different textures to it.  LOVE IT.

14 comments

  1. Adding that book to my list to find at the library. I finish my internship tomorrow and I am so pumped for all the books I’ll be able to read! 

  2. i like your fear food strategy, and im going to try it. i should be thinking about how fat helps my brain, instead of freaking out that “omg fat is bad!!!” definitely something ill try to keep in mind with different foods and nutrients and stuff :)

  3. I love point #2! I’ve surprisingly never thought about it that way but am definitely sharing a screenshot of that to some of my friends who are in a similar boat like me :)

  4. Ahh #2…perfect timing. I’m doing a food exposure today and getting a latte for the first time in a longggg time. I’ll be repeating “calcium is good for my bones.” Thank you!

  5. That book sounds great. It’s amazing the power our minds have over our bodies.

  6. I am really looking forward to your post on intuitive eating and IBS. I have been struggling with it because the foods I crave upset my stomach and cause constipation, which… well, it really sucks.

    • Seconded! Also, my GI recommended I follow the FODMAP diet for my symptoms which is something I’m struggling with. I spent so long trying not to worry about what I eat and now I am being told to think about everything I put in my body.

      • Always good to tell your GI about any eating disorder or disordered eating past. They shouldn’t recommend FODMAP if you tell them that.

  7. I LOVE this post and all of these that you’re sharing!

  8. I like the tip about reminding yourself what the nutrients are in a  fear food. I have the assignment from my dietitian to go out for froyo and I keep putting it off. I will remind myself that it is full of calcium and probiotics  (I think lol) and that it will taste amazing!

  9. Really love that second tip! I went to a session at a conference a month ago that talked about how our culture looks at pizza. Most people think it’s a “bad” food, but when we break it down – the crust has all kinds of B vitamins; the sauce gives us lycopene/vitamin A; cheese gives us protein & calcium, and meat gives us iron. Obviously we don’t want to look at food as just the sum of its parts forever, but I agree that it can put you on the path to true food freedom!

  10. Hi Kylie!

    I’ve been reading your blog for quite some time now. Your content has always resonated with me so much, and I just wanted to say thank you for all you do! I will be a dietetic intern starting in August with a goal of becoming an eating disorder dietitian. Your blog has inspired me to help others with disordered eating. 

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