Although we are vehemently against all things diet culture, it took a lot of self-learning and education on topics we didn't learn in school. Unfortunately, most of what we learned in our education to become registered dietitians, might promote an obsessive and unhealthy relationship with food. Sometimes, this can lead to disordered eating or even a full blown eating disorder.
Here are the top 4 things we learned that we simply don't agree with or use in our practice:
*Identifying foods as "healthy or "unhealthy"-this translates into "good foods" and "bad foods". It unnecessarily creates rigid rules and beliefs about food. Truth is, all food has nutritional value and can be included in a balanced lifestyle. Too much kale is not healthy, nor are too many Reeses.
*Encouraging a rigid exercise routine-ever heard you need to workout so many days/week and do the perfect combination of cardio, strength, and stretching? Feel like you have to sweat, get your heart rate up and be sore for it to "count"? Yeah, that's what we learned in school. However, the best movement is what you enjoy doing and what makes you feel the best. Not what you have to force yourself to do.
*Use of BMI-simply put, BMI is BS. BMI is an outdated tool used to measure "health" by most medical providers and institutions. It was developed by an astronomer & mathematician (say whatttt?!) who was simply interested in what the average man weighed in relation to his height. Yup, you heard that right, data was based on white, males only. Obviously, this excludes a majority of the population. Health is not simply a number related to our height/weight ratio.
*Calories in, calories out-our bodies are so much more than a simple equation. There are many things that impact our energy input/output including metabolic rate and history of dieting/eating disorder behaviors. We are not as "in control" of our weight as diet culture leads us to believe.
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