2529: Overcoming an Unhealthy Relationship With Food by Crystal Karges on Diet Culture & Holistic Wellbeing

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[00:00:42] Overcoming an Unhealthy Relationship with Food by Crystal Cargis of crystalcargis.com.

[00:00:48] And I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator. Hey there and welcome to another Tuesday edition

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[00:01:14] optimizing your life. Overcoming an unhealthy relationship with food

[00:01:23] by Crystal Cargis of crystalcargis.com.

[00:01:27] Quote, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely

[00:01:33] the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health

[00:01:39] is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race,

[00:01:43] religion, political belief, economic or social condition. World Health Organization 2006.

[00:01:52] From an outsider's perspective, I gave the appearance that

[00:01:55] I was doing everything possible to be quote unquote healthy. I ate an array of fruits and vegetables.

[00:02:01] I turned down desserts and ate a minimal amount of sugar. I rarely skipped a day of exercise

[00:02:07] and ran several miles every day. From society's viewpoint, I was successful when it came to

[00:02:12] doing all the quote unquote right things for being healthy in the eyes of our culture.

[00:02:18] However, I was killing myself in the process. In fact, doing all the things that were supposed to be

[00:02:25] healthy were actually hurting me physically, emotionally and mentally. My eating habits

[00:02:31] were rigid and obsessive, negatively impacting the quality of my life. I had sacrificed

[00:02:37] relationships and experiencing the fullness of life because of the time and energy that

[00:02:42] my unhealthy behaviors occupied. Truthfully, nothing I did was ever enough. There was always another

[00:02:49] pound to lose, more ways to control my food intake or longer distances to run. These sabotaging

[00:02:56] behaviors with food and my body were a vicious cycle that ultimately developed into a full-blown

[00:03:02] eating disorder. The sad thing is that diet culture is so prevalent in our lives every day

[00:03:08] that it has become the new normal. We sacrifice everything that is truly important and meaningful

[00:03:14] for the sake of following a quote unquote healthy diet, but there is nothing healthy about this.

[00:03:20] The dangers of dieting. Whether you have struggled with an eating disorder such as

[00:03:25] anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, chronic dieting or any form of disordered eating,

[00:03:32] having an unhealthy relationship with food can cripple your ability to truly thrive in life.

[00:03:37] Sadly, unhealthy eating behaviors are often hidden under the guise of being healthy.

[00:03:44] But what is being sacrificed in the name of health? Maybe you have missed out on important

[00:03:48] moments with your children or family because of fear of eating certain foods. Perhaps you

[00:03:53] have found yourself stuck in a cycle of guilt and shame when it comes to eating and how

[00:03:58] you feel about your body. You may go through diet after diet only to find yourself frustrated

[00:04:04] with an unsustainable way of living. Our culture has trapped us into a belief that our health is

[00:04:10] defined by numbers, but our health encompasses so much more than weight, body mass index and clothing

[00:04:17] size. Health is reflective of the nature of our eating habits, how we treat our bodies

[00:04:23] and the quality of each aspect of our lives, not just simply how much we weigh.

[00:04:28] So how do you begin to transform your approach with eating to one that is more

[00:04:32] compassionate and conducive to a fulfilling life? This is a process that unfolds slowly,

[00:04:38] but ultimately leads to overcoming the dieting mentality that can often leave you frustrated,

[00:04:44] dissatisfied and mistrusting of your own body. Practice awareness.

[00:04:50] Cultivating a healthy and satisfying relationship with food begins with understanding where you

[00:04:56] are. Coming to the realization that dieting simply doesn't work is the first step toward

[00:05:01] reclaiming your life from self-sabotaging behaviors around food and your body. Take a

[00:05:06] realistic assessment of the current behaviors you are engaging in and ask yourself if these

[00:05:11] efforts are benefiting your whole life or bringing you down. Truthfully examining your life in

[00:05:17] this way is not easy and can even be painful, but this will help you better understand how to

[00:05:23] move forward. What have you given up or sacrificed in your pursuit of healthy eating?

[00:05:28] Do you feel unhappy in other aspects of your life as a result of your food behaviors?

[00:05:34] Being aware of where your relationship with food and body is now

[00:05:37] is fundamental for change. Redefine Health

[00:05:42] The definition of health has sadly been hijacked by a multi-billion dollar dieting industry.

[00:05:47] We are taught that we are healthy if we deny ourselves pleasurable foods, exercise religiously

[00:05:53] and kill ourselves in the process. It's time we wake up and redefine the measures by which

[00:05:58] we determine health. Understand that achieving a certain weight through unrealistic means is not

[00:06:04] a healthy behavior whatsoever. Nourishing our bodies appropriately and cultivating an approach

[00:06:10] toward living that encompasses self-care and body appreciation are indicators of good health,

[00:06:16] not the pursuit of weight loss. Ultimately, we are healthier individuals when we adopt

[00:06:21] this type of lifestyle that supports every aspect of our being, including our physical,

[00:06:27] mental, spiritual and social wellness. Fear mongering in the name of health is commonplace

[00:06:34] in our culture, but rejecting this definition of health can support an entirely new way of living

[00:06:39] and thriving. Seek professional help. Exposing unhealthy thoughts and behaviors around food

[00:06:47] and the body can feel shameful or embarrassing at times. Perhaps you feel like you are struggling

[00:06:52] through this confusing journey alone, unsure of how to piece together the different parts of your

[00:06:57] life that are controlled by an unhealthy relationship with food. It's important to know

[00:07:03] that you are not alone. Seeking out professional help can be instrumental in helping you overcome

[00:07:09] an unhealthy relationship with food. This may include working with a registered dietitian

[00:07:14] who specializes in intuitive eating and a therapist or counselor to begin renegotiating

[00:07:21] how you approach food and body. Above all, know that you do not need to sacrifice the things

[00:07:27] you love or enjoy anymore. You can rediscover what health means for you outside of the confines of

[00:07:33] a sabotaging dieting culture. Ultimately your life is worthy and you are deserving of wellness

[00:07:41] in each aspect of your life.

[00:07:47] You just listened to the post titled Overcoming an Unhealthy Relationship with Food by Crystal

[00:07:53] Cargis of crystalcargis.com and I'll be right back with my commentary. We're driven by the

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[00:09:07] Need to hire? You need Indeed. Dr. Neal here for my commentary. Okay, so you've heard me talk

[00:09:13] about this before. I have a chronic disease. I was diagnosed with this disease when I was 19

[00:09:18] years old. Now let's think back to the World Health Organization's definition of the term

[00:09:24] health. Again, here's how health is defined. It is a quote state of complete physical, mental,

[00:09:31] and social well being and not merely the absence of disease end quote. So technically,

[00:09:36] technically I don't have complete physical well being since I have a chronic disease right?

[00:09:43] Or do I? What's the difference between the word health and well being or wellness?

[00:09:50] Well, think of wellness this way. Wellness is all about the behaviors you're performing

[00:09:56] to improve your physical, mental, and social well being. It's the behaviors you're doing

[00:10:01] to improve your overall health. So even though I may have a chronic disease and technically

[00:10:07] don't have complete physical well being because of that disease, I am still achieving wellness.

[00:10:14] That's because I eat mostly nutritious foods most days. I exercise regularly.

[00:10:19] I manage my stress most of the time. I get plenty of sleep most of the time.

[00:10:24] So I'm doing things to maximize my health. I'm participating in behaviors that maximize my

[00:10:29] overall health. So even though I do have a chronic disease, I am trying to do what's best

[00:10:35] for me and that's what Crystal is telling us and I hope you are able to do the same.

[00:10:41] All right, that'll do it for the Tuesday episode. Thank you so much for being here.

[00:10:44] Thank you for listening all the way to the end. I hope you're having a wonderful day

[00:10:48] and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where Optimal Life awaits.