Care Nutrition and Counselling

PSA – FOOD RULES AND HEALTH CLAIMS.

Just wanted to do a quick post about the never-ending rules and claims that pop up around food. Every day it feels like I come across a new one. It’s exhausting but I am constantly checking my own bias, understanding of these claims and reading the current evidence to determine if there’s any new information.

It is great that people are passionate about food, nutrition, and their health. It is also great people want to learn about food, nutrition and health. It can also cause a lot of confusion and worry. Interest is helpful and enables people to be advocates for their own health which makes a difference to outcomes.

I’ve spent more than a few years formally and informally studying health and nutrition as well as teaching nutrition. I am still studying, learning and teaching. It was because of hearing various claims and the mixed or contradictory messages I was hearing in my teens that lead me to formal study and now practising.

Unfortunately, since my teens, the claims and confusion have continued. Often despite no new evidence there are people who make a name for themselves by focusing on the idea that one diet or nutrient, or food or behaviour causes OR fixes our health woes…. Simplicity is compelling. These kinds of messages also sound and look convincing, especially if they have a credible title, are famous and popular or are endorsed by someone who is in any mainstream media. However, the potential for harm both mentally and physically is high.

These messages are simply not true for everyone and while some may benefit, others will have no benefit and even worse there are those who may have a negative outcome. Any benefit may be due to a number of other reasons. Caution should be practised with all these claims.

Additionally, the constant attempts to follow all the various rules can reach the point that people become very disordered in their eating. The become not just confused but scared of foods and eating. Scared and worried about getting it wrong. We also see this food and eating shame appearing in public spaces. What concerns me even is these increase feelings of shame and confusion that impact people, more especially children. These kinds of messages can and do lead to eating disorders for at risk adults, teens, and children. Given the rise in eating disorders, we need to be so very careful about the information about food and health we share as well as the source of that information.

I’m observing people cutting out foods with little guidance from nutrition professionals based on these messages. If all the foods from the various claims were removed, what would we be left to eat? If we did this every time someone had a brain fart about a food or nutrient, we'd be very hungry.

Also, for those who live in poverty who don’t have the luxury of even having enough food, how do these kinds of message impact them? What about those who are homeless who may rely on charities to provide food, will they feel they can’t eat if it doesn’t conform to strict rules? What about those with disabilities or health conditions and already have nutrition challenges, do they need more or is it their fault due to eating the wrong thing or not eating the right thing? Public health nutrition messages while often well researched and well meaning, can often be problematic for these groups of people too. This is especially true with the eat well and you won’t get or be fat messages. That is simply false.

It is important to approach health and nutrition topics with a curious but questioning mind, knowing there is no single factor or food group is responsible for all health problems. And for those who wish to do some of the own research, may I highly recommend Dr Emma Beckett’s latest book full of easy to read and common-sense nutrition information. She says it so much better than I can. Her book is You Are More Than What You Eat. Science, nutrition & a perfectly imperfect approach to eating.

I’m always happy to discuss or consult with individuals or groups, workplaces, schools to discuss and nuance this kind of information to enable folks to have the best opportunity to achieve health they want. My goal for individuals and community is for food and eating to remain a calm, relaxed, and enjoyable part of life and

The picture below is of a range of different foods, but is nowhere near the range of foods we could eat. All of us will like some foods and not others. Let others and ourselves eat what works for them and us without comments. Enjoy your food. My motto is “Have fun, be curious and keep playing with your food”.

It's been awhile since I've been actively promoting my business. However I'm now happy to say that I'm ready to get going again.

So it's a new day and I have a new brochure.
Brochure Text reads:
CARE NUTRITION AND COUNSELLING
A Fresh Approach to WELLBEING

Care Nutrition and Counselling embraces a non-diet approach with clients. Non-diet services are increasingly in-demand, especially in today’s loud and crowded health and wellness landscape. Here are six key reasons why:

1. Growing demand for a non-diet approach
Traditional diet culture, with its restrictive, weight-loss-focused mindset, is increasingly being found wanting as research reveals it’s poor record of achieving promised outcomes with increased potential for harm. People are tired of restrictive dieting, weight cycling, and the mental and physical toll that comes with it. People are now seeking sustainable, evidence-based alternatives that promote holistic health and well-being and associated indicators of health.
2. Body positivity with a mental health focus
There is now a strong shift in society towards inclusivity, acceptance, body positivity and and mental health awareness. People are craving support that empowers them to respect and care for their bodies without the pressure to conform to narrow societal ideals. A non-diet approach aligns perfectly with this shift, being at the forefront of providing a refreshing and much needed alternative to the harms of the mainstream diet industry.
3. Evidenced-based and sustainable results
Many individuals are realising that quick fixes and fad diets aren’t effective in the long term. A non-diet approach is evidence-based and offers realistic and sustainable results assisting people to build sustainable and healthier relationships with food and their bodies. This approach is particularly valuable for those at risk of, or recovering from disordered eating, chronic dieting and body image concerns.
4. Focus is on overall well-being
A non-diet approach emphasises holistic health, focusing on mental, emotional, and physical well-being using a range of measure not numbers on a scale or tape measure. People want to feel better, have more energy, and improve their quality of life. Care Nutrition and Counselling offers the opportunity to do that without guilt, shame, fear or restriction.
5. Inclusivity for all bodies
Shifting to a non-diet approach is relevant to people of all body sizes and shapes. A non-diet approach helps to break down our internalised weight stigma. It helps to challenge the idea that only thinness equates to health and worth. Inclusive messaging around bodies is resonating with a growing and wide audience. This is due to the personalised care that delivers and supports the diverse individual needs needs and experiences.
6. Support for those with health conditions
Individuals with health conditions like PCOS, diabetes, or heart disease are traditionally advised to lose weight. The non-diet approach encourages curiousity and self-determination. It supports and enables individuals to learn to manage their health through a range of nutrition-based options, self-care practices and without the burden and disappointment of unattainable and unsustainable weight-focused goals.

Care Nutrition and Counselling meets the growing desire for non-diet nutrition and body image support in healthcare. People choose to work with Kerry because of the unique blend of passion, expertise, and values she brings to the table.

ABOUT US: Care Nutrition and Counselling is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, and supports clients around the world.Kerry is an experienced and passionate counselling nutritionist who uses a non-diet approach to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.
Providing personalised and inclusive general nutrition support, and specialising in disordered eating, emotional eating and body image concerns for adults.
SERVICES: Individual Sessions. Group Coaching, Talks and Workshops. Training. Programs and Resource Development, Recipe Modification and More. APPOINTMENTS: Appointments are available via ZOOM, phone or in person. After hours appointments available.
Book a FREE 15 minute discovery session to learn more.
PRICING: I offer equity pricing to be accessible and affordable
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.carenutrition.com.au

Here's a poem I wrote as I'm so over the handwringing and pearl clutching around food. Especially when it comes to children.

Life is so short.
Life is so fraught.
Our time here will quickly pass,
and our loss felt in others hearts.
So find wonder in the everyday,
Celebrate it all in memorable ways.
Don't scrimp on the joy, love or laughter
of moments in time to be remembered ever after.

Basically eat the bloody cake.
Enjoy it.
Celebrate anything you want and allow children to have their freaking childhood. Sugar is not the antichrist. Sugar is not deadly. How I wish we could stop moralising food and creating this world of anxious eaters.

When it comes to eating and children, Ellyn Satter is the go to
you can learn more here

Raise a healthy child who is a joy to feed. Raise a healthy child who is a joy to feed by doing your jobs with feeding and letting your child do his. Trust your child to eat and grow in the best way.

Hello Perth folks, highly recommend seeing this and Luna cinema. I'll be going and happy to meet after for a cuppa if anyone is interested.

YOUR FAT FRIEND digital Q&A featuring Aubrey Gordon and Director Jeanie Finlay - Coming Soon - Luna Cinemas YOUR FAT FRIEND DIGITAL PRE-RECORDED Q&A SCREENING Screening Sunday 13th ...

FYI: Just did a quick check of the latest research and there is still zero, none, nada evidence that detox diets deliver any benefit.

People selling them are selling you hope and nothing more.

Save your money, sanity and your joy and run far away. Invest that money in some fresh food and enjoy that.

And as if right on cue, I had this story just pop up. Again there's no evidence of any benefit BUT there are absolutely risks.

A 3 year suspension is so little compared to life lost. https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/gross-lack-of-care-herbalist-barred-after-womans-death/news-story/2aed0ae39e25cc7bac6cf02c07676492

Very good tips on how to practice fat advocacy

I'm absolutely furious and ropable at this proposal.
I'm lighting my torch to burn this harmful and deadly ideology down.
There's a number of components to this
- direct action to the nurses union, and state education departments.
- helping to inform parents of the potential harm and what their right are and how to protect their child.
- working to get the media better informed
- finding out what die-t companies are involved in this BS.
- community action to better understand the issues and both the short and long term harms.
We already have enough children and teens with eating disorders who don't have enough support. We have adults that don't have any access to care or even a diagnosis.
This is just total bu****it and I'm furious.
Who's with me?

School nurses to weigh and identify kids at risk of obesity under contentious plan The Australian College of Nursing is also calling for the “normalisation of collection and discussion of height and weight data of all children” as part of it contentious plan to curb rising obesity rates.

Yesterday I had the absolute privilege of attending a workshop and learning from the amazing Dr Tracy Westerman from https://www.facebook.com/thejilyainstitute on "Beyond Cultural Competency to Behaviour Change"

It was powerful, amazing, thought provoking and also opportunities to be confronted with my own unacknowledged bias, racism and assumptions in the most gentle, positive and motivational way.

I knew I had gaps.
I knew I had blindspots.
I went because I wanted to find those.
I achieved that.

Tracy's teaching style is how I like to learn and I wrote copious notes. I've just typed out my scrawl and it still makes sense and the profound messages are there.

I have my lessons to apply.

So much of what is shared as cultural competence is so not. It's a mere tick-a-box activity. This is especially true in organisations and businesses. I knew that even with my own identities, especially dealing with university. The many tokenistic blurbs but the same cultures of privilege persist with little to no change or ability to fight against it.

The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health To provide a world in which our most vulnerable Indigenous children, people, and communities, can hav

Beautifully and powerfully said.

Our body doesn't define our worth, our capacity, our hearts or minds. And we can chase our dreams in the body we have.

Seeing body diversity is so critical to eliminating weight stigma both in the world around us and in ourselves.

Send a message to learn more

The rise of AI should concern each of us. The use of AI to create fake images that conform to idealised standards that aren't discernable to those viewing them should most definitely be troubling for so many reasons, but most troubling is the impact on eating disorders and self esteem of the vulnerable, impressionable and inexperienced children and teens but also adults. We know this from decades of research that visual imagery has consequences on us. Bonner discusses the issues, the lack of regulation and the implications of this new, powerful and unregulated juggernaut we are facing.

Meet the woman taking on AI, its 'fake' models and alarming beauty standards Chelsea Bonner has been fighting to change unrealistic perceptions of beauty for decades. Now she's taking on her biggest foe yet – artificial intelligence.

Tigress Osborn Find out why Tigress Osborn is on the TIME100 Health list.

I posted earlier today on my own page with some questions about health. It's a topic that I think is on most of our minds in some way or another.

Please please please speak with a professional if you have questions or concerns about your health. Do not use AI to get advice, some things are just too important to take risks with the wrong advice.

I'm always available to help where I can.

Learning to love our body is a life long pursuit when living in a world that tries to convince us that only certain looks are worthy. Diversity is normal.

Loving your body can’t be all about loving your looks - that’s some objectifying, conditional, shallow crap! 💩 Don’t let this whole “love your body” idea be another way you are objectified and made to feel like you are ALLLLLL body and not SOOOOO much more than a body. If you take “love your body” to mean you have to love how your body LOOKS, that is the most fleeting, fickle, love imaginable. You’ll live with heartbreak every day. If your body only deserves your love when you like your appearance, that’s not really love, is it?

💗Love is not conditional. You deserve to love yourself in a much more holistic, deep and secure way. You deserve the kind of love that doesn’t take you on a roller coaster depending on how you look in those pictures or how your cellulite looks in that lighting or how many compliments you get on that outfit. You deserve that deep love - that love that comes from a place of compassion, understanding, respect.

🖤You’ve had a long history with your body - the only one you’ve ever had! Pledge now to love your body by KNOWING IT IS GOOD, regardless of how it looks. Love your body by living our mantra: My body is an instrument, not an ornament.

💗Try to care for yourself the way you care for your loved ones. You don’t love them for their body, you don’t obsess over their parts, you don’t stop loving them when their body changes, you don’t shame them into changing their appearance for you. You want them to feel good, you build them up, validate them for more than their looks, love them for who they are beyond their body - for who they are, what they do, and how they make you feel. You don’t see their “flaws” or notice tiny changes to their looks day to day, but instead see them holistically, for more than their parts.

👊🏽For more, read More Than a Body by Lexie & Lindsay Kite, Ph.D., available anywhere books and audiobooks are sold and on Amazon here (and this links to Audible in case you have some audiobook credits to use!): https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Body-Instrument-Ornament/dp/0358229243

For so many in middle life, the pressure around appearance intensifies and that vulnerability is profitable.

The endless focus on weight that never goes away, no matter how old we get, and this increases the risk of eating disorders. What people don't realise is that you have a greater risk of an eating disorder as a middle-aged woman than you do from breast cancer. Breast cancer gets a lot of focus and screening yet we hear nothing about the risk of eating disorders in this same group.

What few, including doctors and other health professionals, is that dieting increases the risk for an eating disorder. Dieting is definitely not benign or safe.

If you want to understand more about eating disorder and the risks of dieting in middle age, please feel free to get in touch.

Let. This. Land.

This morning I was walking on my way to work listening to The Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, hosted by who was speaking with Dr Margo Maine, world renowned expert in Eating Disorders in Midlife. Dr Maine cited a statistic that literally STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS. And it was this one. The similarities didn't pass me by - the stigmatisation of larger bodies (both in breast cancer & EDs), the elevation of "certain" bodies as being "successful" in recovery - usually smaller bodied, white, conventionally attractive women and femmes. Larger bodied women being missed, or putting off seeking medical help due to experiences of shaming or stigmatisation. Apparently 25% of people seek help for an ED - a stat I think is perhaps over-stated. It's not insignificant that there are reasons why particular people get help and adequate treatment, and others don't. The stories I hear regularly in my clinic rooms are frightening, & fill me with both sadness & rage at the injustices of attitudes to bodies. Fat phobia is rife in both breast cancer & ED spaces and ain't no one got time for that s**t with these stats. We must STOP stigmatising fatness, STOP pretending that we can address stigma by "being nice to fat people" (PUH-LEASE), STOP the body shaming, STOP the silencing, STOP the elevation of thin researchers & clinicians telling fat folx how to live in their bodies. Weight stigma and fat phobia kill people. We have GOT to do better.



Ref: Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of eating disorders amongst women in mid-life: a population-based study of diagnoses and risk factors

http://ow.ly/fkDv50kIyhO

One in four Australians suffering from eating disorders are male, yet research on muscle dysmorphia remains scarce. Those with muscle dysmorphic disorder take longer to get a diagnosis as the red flag behaviours are ignored and even praised as they are mistaken for healthy living.The lack of awareness and training of health professionals is another big factor in this space.

Alex appeared to have the perfect physique, gym and diet regime. In reality he had an eating disorder Sculpted men with bulging muscles, sweating it out at the gym is not commonly an image one would associate with eating disorders, but, with more than 1 million Australians suffering through an eating disorder, the reality is 25 per cent of them are males.

OUT OF HOURS APPOINTMENTS
available for Nutrition and Counselling.

Here is an overview of what I offer:
- equity pricing to suit different budgets
- appointments outside of normal business hours
- no wait times for appointments, especially helpful for those needing some talk therapy
- can do zoom or phone or in person, so location isn’t an issue
- I offer general counselling, nutritional support and assessments
- I use a person-centred, non-diet approach, we will work together to find helpful solutions.
- A simple assessment of nutritional intake is just $30 and can useful to know if you are getting enough nutrients such as calcium or iron for example.

It's Weigth Stigma Awareness Week. So to kick it off, here's my first share: A YouTube intro about the book "Sugar Rush. Science, politics and the demonisation of fatness" by Karen Throsby

I've not read this book yet, but it's going on my list. But it has an insight that is so often overlooked or not discussed beyond spaces like this.

It's no secret I've long been frustrated by black and white thinking about bodies but also about food and nutrients. So anything that challenges that is something I want to look into.

This reductionist thinking is problematic for a number of reasons. But mainly it stops us understanding things properly and therefore impacts the decisions we make and therefore the outcomes we get - as individuals but also as society. Black and white ideologies are especially harmful when it comes to bodies, weight, health and the causes.

If anyone has read this I would love to know what you think? Good bad and anything in between.

Sugar Rush by Karen Throsby In this video, author Karen Throsby introduces her new book Sugar Rush, Science, politics and the demonisation of fatness. This book argues that despite its ...

Just a quick Friday reminder that there are no “good” or “bad” foods! 🍉🥖🍿🥗🧁

All food is morally neutral, but that doesn’t mean all foods are equal. Some are going to give you energy, some will help you feel full, and some just taste good! These are all things to keep in mind when you’re feeding yourself, but that isn’t to say that one of these foods is better than the other. What you eat depends on what you like and what you need at that moment.

It can be hard to let go of these “good” and “bad” labels when you’re just diverging out of diet culture. It can also feel really overwhelming to go from a strict diet to allowing all foods. My advice is to start small, and stay neutral. It takes practice & a conscious effort but you’ll be so glad you worked on it!

If you’re new to intuitive eating or just feel like you could use some extra support along your journey, I’m launching my brand new I.E. program in September! 🎉There are 3 tiers for whatever level of support you’re looking for - self guided, with group support, or these 2 + additional 1:1 support with me! I’m offering free discovery calls for anyone who’s interested, so click that 🔗 in bi° to book a call with me! I promise no high pressure sales over here 😊 I’m super excited to help folks on a deeper level with their intuitive eating journey. My website, blog, email list, and info about my upcoming intuitive eating events can all be found in the 🔗 in my b!° 💥

**kdietculture **kdiets

The Weight Stigma Conference is starting in 12 hours and I'm excited. It's hybrid so there's still time to enrol plus all sessions are available to access for a month after especially useful if the timezones don't suit. Amazing speakers and topics too.

take a look

Programme 2023 From 2023, the Weight Stigma Conference will be hybrid with both in-person and remote attendance available. All sessions will be recorded and videos will be available for one month after the event.…

Another example of why the BMI is BS. Health is complex and deserves far more consideration and support regardless.

Centre for Integrative Health We are Brisbane’s leading treatment provider for eating disorders and body image concerns

The

is coming up very soon. This conference is being held in Denver Co and also online.
Learn more and register here

9th Annual Weight Stigma Conference Denver, CO, USA, 28–29 June 2023 [Hybrid]

When we realise that these words are being misused to mislead, then we can begin to ask why?

I'm so grateful for time and effort that has been invested by Ragen to explain and share these insights.

Key Words That Have a Different Meaning In Weight Science Research This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter! If you appreciate the content here, please consider supporting the newsletter by subscribing and/or sharing! In the twenty-ish years that I’ve been studying weight science research, I’ve noticed that there are some common words that seem to mean diff...

I wish that die-t culture would die. Except it's far too profitable )around a trillion dollars annually) and pervasive to go quietly. While more of us are walking away, the medicalisation of weight is stepping up.

Is diet culture dead? What Jenny Craig's demise means for society's weight obsession Does the downfall of Jenny Craig signal the end of diet culture?