https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

When we place fitness and health high on our lifestyle priority list, being more conscious and intentional about our food choices just comes with the territory. We’re aware of the macronutrient content and caloric value of food, and a little more in tune with how much food is necessary to nourish our body and keep it healthy.

There’s no arguing that this higher level of awareness and knowledge is a good thing, considering that overconsumption (especially of processed, chemical-laden foods) is one of the main reasons we’ve got a growing epidemic of obesity and poor health. Indeed, it’s a great thing. Mostly.

Yep. Mostly. There is a bit of a dark side to being so aware about the details. There is an invisible line that can be easy to cross without even realizing it, beyond which many well-intentioned women develop concerning health issues.

What kind of issues? The kind none of us sets out to find when we adopt what we envision to be a healthy lifestyle—low bone mineral density, poor exercise recovery, loss of their periods (known as oligo- and amenorrhea), sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and an inability to gain or retain healthy skeletal muscle tissue.

No matter how lean or fit some of us are or become, poor body image and constant comparison can drive almost anyone toward unhealthy thoughts and behaviors. Instead of appreciating the wonder and beauty of our bodies as they are right now, we think negative thoughts and criticize ourselves for not being lean enough, strong enough, muscular enough, or perfect enough.

All that unrelenting criticism can take you to a place where you’ll never be happy in your body no matter what it actually looks like. And here’s where we begin to approach that invisible line between using that awareness and knowledge to nourish your body and fuel your life, and using that same knowledge to exert control and chase after goals that become ever more unattainable. This can lead to the health problems I mentioned above.

In clinical terms, this is referred to as Cognitive Dietary Restraint (CDR), and is defined as “the conscious attempt to limit and monitor food intake to achieve or maintain a desired weight”.¹ It’s controlled by our own thoughts and beliefs, rather than by rational physiological cues like hunger or nutritional requirements.

Cognitive Dietary Restraint is highly associated with menstrual disturbances among women, which include missing a period every few months (Oligomenorrhea) or complete lack of menses for more than 6 months (Amenorrhea). ^{2, 3, 4} Along with menstrual changes, a woman can experience increased cortisol, decreased bone mineral density, increased bone fractures, and changes of the not-so-good kind in their Leptin, TSH, T3 and T4 hormones.

Some women may not have any of these symptoms, while others only experience a few, and others experience all of them. Each individual woman’s susceptibility to stress influences how the restraint of food affects her overall stress and perception of stress.

Some women are very sensitive to any kind of stress, leading to all kinds of negative outcomes. Other women can keep on keeping on, no matter how stressful the situation is.

Perhaps these differences depend on each woman’s personal support system (her family, spouse and friends), and her history of self-love and appreciation (has she always criticized her body and been critical of other’s bodies around her?). It’s hard to say.

Sadly, as a Registered Dietitian in the fitness industry, I meet many women with only the best intentions, who look fantastic and are very physically fit. Yet they absolutely detest the skin they live in. They constantly restrict their food to the point of social isolation, with the goal of looking and feeling better. Instead, they feel worse and end up in poor health and lacking vitality.

I was recently consulting with a married couple, and the woman, who was very lean and fit, wanted me to help her lose the “love handles” she had. When she lifted up her shirt to show me, what she revealed was a lean six-pack.

Understanding we’re often our own worst critics, I gently spoke about ways to develop a little more appreciation for what she has and to celebrate her fit physique and all she can do with her body. I also discussed some things she could do to lean out a bit, if she really wanted to (she was enjoying a beer and munching on some crackers while we sat and talked in the hot summer sun). But would those sacrifices even be worth it, or could she be happy with her body where she was right now?

I too have been down this path. In the name of fitness I used to weigh or measure all my food meticulously, so that I could calculate the exact calories I was putting in my body, striving to never go over 1200 calories a day. I traveled with a food scale, or with all my food pre-measured and packed. I was scared to be in a social situation for fear of eating a “forbidden food.”

I was lean, sure. I was also incredibly unhealthy and unhappy. Even when I was measured at 10% body fat on a DEXA, which is very low for a woman, I still never thought I looked good enough.

At the time, I was amenorrheic (which lasted for five years!), had elevated cortisol, low T3 hormone, high lipoprotein(a), and was always stressed out. I absolutely had to be in the gym every day for at least two hours or I would freak out. I had a very hard time sleeping, so I took sleeping pills. Like I said, I was lean, but not in a good place. I hated myself.

These days I weigh a lot more and carry more body fat. But I am happier and more balanced in my everyday life, and don’t envy extremely lean women anymore. If a woman is genetically built that way, great for her. Since I’m not, I won’t destroy myself to be something I’m not. And, I don’t encourage anyone to do that.

Having some fun at the Women’s Fitness Summit last year. Are you joining us this year?

 

 

So how can you strike a balance between eating well and staying healthy?

I’m totally on the healthy eating bandwagon, but now I educate women to eat well, within context, including foods they may have previously considered taboo. Ice cream on a hot summer day? A cold beer while camping with your family? A nice dessert to celebrate a life achievement or birthday? None of that will lead to fat gain or negative health effects overnight. All of these indulgent foods can fit within the context of overall healthy eating habits.

If you have any of the issues associated with CDR, you can turn it around by reframing the way you think about food and your body.²

Many nutritionists suggest taking an 80/20 approach—80% of your meals are wonderfully balanced with natural proteins, fats and carbohydrates, along with plenty of water-rich beverages, while the remaining 20% might be foods with more sugar or rich with fats. The key is to steer clear of the “all-or-nothing” mentality.

The bigger picture is what is most important—you are healthy, active and knowledgeable about what eating well consists of, and you practice these habits most of the time, with a little flexibility and no guilty or judgmental feelings about it.

Overall, eating a healthy diet should not make you physically and psychologically unhealthy. Yes, you can reduce your body fat, but approach it reasonably. There’s no need to run yourself into the ground in the name of a six pack. Appreciate your body today for what it has to offer: strong legs that help you run mud runs, amazing abs that allow you to work a hula hoop like a pro, and a healthy heart that pumps blood to all your muscles in all your activities, big and small, and never quits on you.

References

1. Waugh EJ, Polivy J, Ridout R, Hawker GA. A prospective investigation of the relations among cognitive dietary restraint, subclinical ovulatory disturbances, physical activity, and bone mass in healthy young women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1791-801.

• Berga SL, Marcus MD, Loucks TL, Hlastala S, Ringham R, Krohn MA. Recovery of ovarian activity in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea who were treated with cognitive behavior therapy. Fertil Steril. 2003 Oct;80(4):976-81.

• Guest NS, Barr SI. Cognitive dietary restraint is associated with stress fractures in women runners. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2005 Apr;15(2):147-59.

• Bedford JL, Prior JC, Barr SI. A prospective exploration of cognitive dietary restraint, subclinical ovulatory disturbances, cortisol, and change in bone density over two years in healthy young women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jul;95(7):3291-9.

• Michopoulos V, Mancini F, Loucks TL, Berga SL. Neuroendocrine recovery initiated by cognitive behavioral therapy in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: a randomized, controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2013 Jun;99(7):2084-91.

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

Having a bounty of asparagus each spring allows for other spending in your grocery budget during peak season. Invest just a short amount of time now to enjoy delicious asparagus for years to come.

From Apartment Therapy → How To Grow Asparagus

READ MORE »

http://chriskresser.com/

Blast from the Past

Healthy skin doesn’t require pricey moisturizers, but it does help to watch what you put in your gut. Good Magazine recently ran a story on the way your diet affects your skin health, focusing on not only the obvious – like removing junk food and alcohol and drinking enough water – but also getting healthy fats and nutrient-dense foods as well.

I was quoted in their section on the benefits of probiotic foods and supplements for boosting skin health, referring to this article I wrote back in 2012. As many of you know (if you’ve been following my work for any length of time), the gut-brain-skin axis is one I’ve written about frequently, and in my work with patients I often see men and women with problematic skin conditions that are vastly improved once gut health is attended to.

In fact, skin issues like acne, eczema, and psoriasis are often the first signs that something pathological is going on in the gut, even in the absence of digestive symptoms.

For more information about improving your skin health using good nutrition and supporting gut health, check out my eBook on the topic. In this book, you’ll learn how certain nutrients and probiotic strains have been shown to improve skin health from the inside out.

Research Report

• A new study shows that sleep can help a person overcome memory deficits caused by a concussion.
• Caffeine may help you stay cool in stressful times – but it’s not the best way to manage stress.
• Antibiotic treatment in childhood is associated with higher diabetes risk later in life.
• Higher proportions of people with non-celiac wheat sensitivity have autoimmune disease or anti-nuclear antibodies compared to people with IBS.
• Iron fortification adversely affects gut microbiome, increases pathogen abundance, and induces intestinal inflammation.
• Emerging evidence is suggesting that our gut bugs may actually regulate the physiological process of controlling blood pressure

Worth A Look

• This dad set up a CrossFit-inspired obstacle course on his property so he can keep fit while also spending time with his family.
• Most of the world only consumes four of the 30,000+ edible plants found on Earth. Read more to discover which four.
• It’s important to balance exercise with safety while on vacation.
• Only about 30 medical schools around the country teach culinary medicine.  
• Sleep is a great early warning beacon to alert us to the beginnings of Alzheimer’s.
• Practicing meditation and mindfulness can increase the amount of gray matter in your brain. 
• If you are training correctly, your fitness and performance will skyrocket faster.
• Misleading ads aimed at kids are a big piece of the obesity puzzle.
• If you must work a night shift, here is a good resource for how to survive it and stay healthy. 
• Raised cholesterol level is not a risk factor for stroke – and statins aren’t the cure-all. 
• One unexpected use for coconut oil: to stop bug bites from itching. As the weather warms up outdoors this tip will come in handy! 
• Be careful what you read about health and nutrition, it may not be as evidence-based as you think!

For the Foodies

• The Iron You: Watermelon-Lime Agua Fresca
• The Healthy Foodie: Classic Coleslaw
• The Paleo Mom: Paleo Flour Tortillas
• Plaid and Paleo: Chipotle Tacos with Pickled Onions
• Real Food With Dana: Pan-Fried Plantains with Basil Chimichurri
• Bare Root Girl: Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
• Against All Grain: Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Chopped Almonds, Apricots and Cauliflower “Couscous”
• My Heart Beets: Mattar Paneer (Dairy Free)
• The Domestic Man: Braised Country-Style BBQ Ribs
• Stupid Easy Paleo: BLT Chicken Salad
• PaleOMG: Coconut Lime Jalapeño Marinated Chicken Salad
• Primal Palate: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Beyond The Bite: AIP Honey Graham Crackers

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

Last week a new way to make vegan meringue actually kind of blew our minds: Apparently you can use the liquid left over in a can of chickpeas. It whips up into gorgeous, fluffy, egg-free meringue! Here are more ways this vegan egg substitute can be used.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

Q: I made the strawberry jam from the Canning for a New Generationcookbook. It doesn’t use pectin — just strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.

It tastes great, but unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to set properly and is still very runny. I must not have cooked it long enough.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

The toaster of my youth had two slots, along with a dial to indicate preference for light, medium, or dark results. Even the most basic toaster has come a long way since then. While still a relatively basic kitchen appliance, these items have more options and functions to choose from. And when it comes to price, toasters can range anywhere from around $25 to a couple hundred dollars. It’s a wide range for sure.

Are you in the market for a new toaster? How do you decide what to buy? We want to help!

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Standard green zucchini and yellow squash can be found almost year-round in the grocery store. But come summer, the markets are flooded with an even bigger variety of squash spanning all shapes, sizes, and shades of yellow and green.

Whether you’re trying to identify a new-to-you squash in your CSA delivery, or you’re headed out to the market, here’s a visual guide, plus what you need to know about eight common varieties of summer squash.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

This time of year there’s a quiet bounce that’s heard throughout gardens and groceries — it’s the soft thunder of zucchini rolling off vines by the dozen. Zucchini bread and zucchini noodles can only take you so far. It’s time to push your squash savvy to new heights, and we have five fresh recipes this week to help take you there.

Let’s start by going the happy route, all the way to pickles.

READ MORE »