Posting about the Five Flavours and their therapeutic effects was thoroughly enjoyable for me.
I was excited to share the ancient wisdom flavour has on our tastebuds and the influence it has on our bodies.
But while I was writing, my joy was interrupted by a nagging feeling. I want to address something that comes up often in clinical practice; the understandable emotional attachments human beings have to food.
Let’s face it – food is delicious. Eating is a wonderful, pleasurable time honoured practice that not only keeps us alive, but brings us together. All over the world, humans eat with other humans to celebrate, to nourish hardworking bodies or to learn about one another. We have an entire industry devoted to making food a complete experience, from atmosphere to actual taste. Nature meets tradition meets innovation in modern cooking and I’m here for it.
Why would anyone think that people could separate their emotional selves from the pleasurable act of eating?
Yes, there are some of us who ‘eat for fuel’ and that’s fine by me. But when I advise my patients on their diets, I’m aware that change is not always easy. I’m a firm believer of adding foods before subtracting. It’s common for many of us to fixate on what we can’t have, so moderation is key.
This all sounds well and good on paper, but real life is a far cry different. Since coming back to practice in Stage 2’s re-opening, I’ve had many patients expressing how bad they feel about the weight they’ve gained during the pandemic. I’ve listened to their frustrations and even seen shame in some eyes.
As a woman, I am no stranger to the complicated relationship we can have to food.
I along with countless women have restricted or permitted certain foods and based eating patterns on unproven nonsense fads or outdated scientific data all the while ignoring or being ashamed of our emotional states. Our minds and bodies are connected, so why wouldn’t our emotions be too?
When we make food the enemy or see it as a necessary evil, it’s flat-out cruel. Food is something we ALL NEED TO SURVIVE. This is a non-negotiable fact about human physiology; food is crucial in providing the energy for us to live. Of all the things to create a discord with, I’m so sad its this. It’s so upsetting to think that people are suffering not from starving, but from the sheer psychological strain the concept of food gives them.
And we all know why; being skinny or not defines your value as a woman. This concept has got to go.
We all know what Eating Disorders are, but did you know about Disordered Eating?
Here’s the difference; severity. If Eating Disorders were on one end of the spectrum, Disordered Eating sits precariously on the other end. Only a mental health professional can diagnose either one, but I found the research data relatable and alarming. Essentially, due to our culture’s obsession with size, weight, diet and exercise, research indicates that upwards of 50% of the population “demonstrates problematic or disordered relationships with food, body and exercise. Rates of clinical eating disorders are much lower, estimated from 1 to 3 percent of the general population”(Eating Disorders, Compulsions, and Addictions Service (EDCAS) of the William Alanson White Institute).
I clearly don’t have the answers. For most of my life I’ve been part of this 50%. My attitude towards eating, no matter how healthy and ‘rational’, was focused on keeping the pounds off.
Getting older, wiser and working in healthcare has changed my attitude towards myself and to food. I used the people and resources around me to create a healthier and balanced approach to eating and it’s been liberating. I eat what my body needs or wants. I exercise regularly listening to what my physique can handle. But most importantly, I’ve adopted a deeper and more compassionate approach to myself. This took a lot of time and can feel like work, but I feel it’s worth it.
If you or anyone you know may have an issue with disordered eating, please contact the amazing people at Sheena’s Place or take a visit to CAMH. Help is ready and available.