I am so tired of hearing people say fruit is bad for you 🙄 Let's think about what primitive man ate before they had the convenience of McDonald's. Natural stuff from the earth? The occasional animal protein? I hate rules to begin with, but that kinda stuff makes me incensed. Good for you for sticking your fingers in your ears - I can see it took a lot of work on yourself to get to that point. But I believe that is how we take our lives back.
Thank you for mentioning Binge Eating Disorder. My daughter has undergone intensive treatment for this most misunderstood and little known ED. Every little bit of bringing it into the light helps awareness.
Thank you for writing about this, Denise. The whole diet / influencer industrial complex is so harmful, and I’m sorry it got you in it’s grips. Some of the shit that pedaled isn’t just stupid - it’s dangerous. There’s a great Aussie nutritionist I follow - Lyndi Cohen - who lays bare all the lies told by the diet industry and shows with real data that restricted eating doesn’t work - people usually put on more weight. Ps I had an over ripe banana this morning! 🍌
I hadn't heard of ARFID, just googled it. Maybe that's what my ED morphed into, too (that along with BED). I am glad you've recovered and hope you find that peace.
I identified with most of this. 😁 But I think that what our society considers normal eating (both the mentality and the food itself) is every bit as unhealthy as the pronouncements of paleo and resistant starch gurus.
Enjoyed many things in this piece: your description of being allergic to trends. the reminder of dial-up internet (that sound is seared into my brain!). panacea as a word choice. and your evolution of not listening to the noise and being kinder to yourself.
I so relate as do many of my clients. I'm an anti-dieter myself after years of repetitive dieting. Still working on figuring it all out, and trying to listen to my body, but no more dieting for me! Thanks for sharing your journey.
This is just exquisitely written, and so unwank, friend.
Meaning no offense to anyone, I discovered this principle you outline in my religious life. I was submerged in a fundamentalist way of reading the christian texts before I could think, and only emerged from it in my early fifties (embarrassed). In subsequent years, when offered a chance to discuss, I have noted that nothing prevents virtue like the promise of reward for virtue, and nothing guarantees low behaviors like the promise of punishment for same.
You’re being too nice saying they have good intentions. Their intentions are like most others in any field that push “hacks”…to make money.
Very true, Henny
Yes! I'm thinking of those pushing expensive supplements with dubious health value.
Plenty of those!
You can say that again. 🙄
I can relate to almost all of this. Also, laughed out loud when I read the "I am sorry to be so wanky." 😂
Very human. 🌺
I am so tired of hearing people say fruit is bad for you 🙄 Let's think about what primitive man ate before they had the convenience of McDonald's. Natural stuff from the earth? The occasional animal protein? I hate rules to begin with, but that kinda stuff makes me incensed. Good for you for sticking your fingers in your ears - I can see it took a lot of work on yourself to get to that point. But I believe that is how we take our lives back.
100%! It’s just not helpful to be scared of real food.
Thank you for mentioning Binge Eating Disorder. My daughter has undergone intensive treatment for this most misunderstood and little known ED. Every little bit of bringing it into the light helps awareness.
Thanks Leslie, I hope she's doing well
She is doing really well!
Thank you for writing about this, Denise. The whole diet / influencer industrial complex is so harmful, and I’m sorry it got you in it’s grips. Some of the shit that pedaled isn’t just stupid - it’s dangerous. There’s a great Aussie nutritionist I follow - Lyndi Cohen - who lays bare all the lies told by the diet industry and shows with real data that restricted eating doesn’t work - people usually put on more weight. Ps I had an over ripe banana this morning! 🍌
I can't believe you ate it, you daredevil 😄. Yes Lyndi is pretty cool.
I feel this. 3 years ago I went to rehab after reading about ARFID and realizing my disordered eating morphed into that.
I’m recovered now, and trying to make peace with my body. Or perhaps grieving the loss of my thinness.
I hadn't heard of ARFID, just googled it. Maybe that's what my ED morphed into, too (that along with BED). I am glad you've recovered and hope you find that peace.
Great read from someone who recently saw a nutritionist who told me not to eat bananas but if I did make sure it had no spots 🤪
😆😆 I intentionally ignore all of it and try to focus on mostly wholefoods. I believe heaps of experts have eating disorders themselves.
I identified with most of this. 😁 But I think that what our society considers normal eating (both the mentality and the food itself) is every bit as unhealthy as the pronouncements of paleo and resistant starch gurus.
Yeah probably! I try to just focus on wholefoods most of the time and ignore everything.
You're ahead of me. 😆
Enjoyed many things in this piece: your description of being allergic to trends. the reminder of dial-up internet (that sound is seared into my brain!). panacea as a word choice. and your evolution of not listening to the noise and being kinder to yourself.
Thank you Istiaq 🙏
so, so well said! we need to call these people out for giving out harmful 'advice', we need let go of the good/bad dichotomy of food!!
Amen!
I so relate as do many of my clients. I'm an anti-dieter myself after years of repetitive dieting. Still working on figuring it all out, and trying to listen to my body, but no more dieting for me! Thanks for sharing your journey.
Thank you for reading! There are definitely many of us who've been on a similar journey. If only we didn't start dieting in the first place!
This is just exquisitely written, and so unwank, friend.
Meaning no offense to anyone, I discovered this principle you outline in my religious life. I was submerged in a fundamentalist way of reading the christian texts before I could think, and only emerged from it in my early fifties (embarrassed). In subsequent years, when offered a chance to discuss, I have noted that nothing prevents virtue like the promise of reward for virtue, and nothing guarantees low behaviors like the promise of punishment for same.
Thank you Alan! Love the word "unwanky" 😆
https://substack.com/profile/293420365-federico-soto-del-alba/note/c-91163367
Reminds me of that Yazoo song from 1982
I'm not familiar with it! Is it about bananas? 🤔☺️