Today on the podcast:
In this episode, Brian speaks with Isabella Robinson, a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr), certified Intuitive eating counsellor and qualified Nutritional Therapist (BANT, CNHC) with a special interest in disordered eating, food anxieties, body image and nutrition for mental health.
Listen is as Isabella dives deep into managing disordered eating, the problem with diet culture, and handling food addiction.
Today’s episode is sponsored by
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Episode outline
- 04:38 Isabella’s journey as a nutritionist
- 09:12 A common misconception around sugar
- 13:27 Where misconceptions come from
- 17:22 Eliminating “diet mentality”
- 23:26 Helping a client who claims to have a certain food “addiction” (i.e. chocolate)
- 27:08 Isabella’s thoughts on intuitive eating and common myths around it
- 37:51 Confusing hunger with other emotions or physical sensations
- 44:03 Factors that lead to eating disorders
- 51:49 What Isabella is most excited about right now
Key points
- Beware of headlines. The food industry profits off of misinformation and misconceptions that many people today have around nutrition. It helps greatly to double-check certain modern beliefs about food: Are all calories created equal? Is a potato basically just sugar? If you have specific health or fitness goals, it’s best to consult with a nutritionist.
- Beware of diet mentality. A lot of people may not be on a labelled diet, but they do adopt the mindset of a dieter. It’s important to be aware of the psychology behind certain beliefs or punishments that rule your interactions with food. For instance, having “a little extra” because you ate a slice of cake and “ruined” the day is one of the biggest sabotagers in one’s path to live a consistently healthier lifestyle. Having “addictions” to certain foods like chocolate warrant a closer look as well: Perhaps you’re just placing chocolate on a pedestal because you’ve put it on the “forbidden list”? The common thread between all of these thoughts is a tendency to blame ourselves as helpless when it comes to eating healthier, which does nothing more than lead us down a vicious cycle of making the wrong choices and subsequently punishing ourselves for it.
- The key to intuitive eating is aiming toward authentic well-being. This holistic approach to food requires you to take what your body is communicating to you in real-time and blend that with objective, scientific principles on nutrition, instead of simply looking for a one-size-fits-all diet.
Powerful Quotes by Isa
- “Diet mentality” is not being on a labelled diet but being in the mind of a dieter.
- Intuitive eating is a self-care framework toward eating. It’s this dynamic interplay of thought, emotion, and instinct.
- Diet culture is like water to a fish. It’s literally all around us and we can’t see it.
- Authentic well-being is about taking what we know to be true as objective, scientific information, and blending that with what our body is communicating and what feels good in our bodies, lives, and circumstances.
- Food is, by default, an emotional experience. What’s worse than using food as a coping mechanism are the punishments that you inflict on yourself whenever you make the wrong food choices.
- I’m looking at the fairy lights, not the lightbulbs.
Guest info
Isa Robinson
Nutritionist
I’m Isa (pronounced Iz-a, not like the cash Isa). I’m a Registered Associate Nutritionist (Anutr) and qualified Nutritional Therapist (BANT, CNHC) with a special interest in disordered eating, food anxieties, body image and nutrition for mental health. I am passionate about helping clients rediscover confidence and trust in nourishing their bodies, so they can make room for what really matters.