To Screen or Not to Screen…

To Screen or Not to Screen…

In our past blogs we have voiced our clinical opinions regarding the need for increased screening for disordered eating. Who should be screening? Primary providers such as pediatricians, therapists and dietitians come to mind. In the news this past week it was reported that there is no clear evidence at this time to recommend specific guidelines for or against screening for eating disorders (HealthDay, 2022).

5 Ways that Having Celiac can Change your Relationship to Food

5 Ways that Having Celiac can Change your Relationship to Food

A celiac diagnosis can turn your world upside down and totally change your relationship with food. Whether you were diagnosed as a child or later in life, it can take a toll on the way you interact with food. Feelings of scarcity, hypervigilance, and even greif are normal - but this doesn’t mean you can't have a healthy and enjoyable relationship with food!

New Study Shows Eating Disorder and Bullying Connection Across Demographic Groups

New Study Shows Eating Disorder and Bullying Connection Across Demographic Groups

Often, as eating disorder specialists we get asked WHY eating disorders surface. Parents, providers and those dealing with eating issues wonder what factors contribute to disordered eating. The answer remains complex. Eating disorders involve many different layers and variables. Genetics, trauma and life transitions have been studied and reported as contributors to disordered eating. An article just this week out of healthday.com, highlighted another factor to consider, especially in younger people dealing with disordered eating. Bullying.

Eating Disorders & Stress; What’s the Connection?

Eating Disorders & Stress; What’s the Connection?

A new study was recently published addressing stress and eating disorders. This study was unique in that it had the controlled variables of a residential setting. Both clients and clinicians perceive on some level that binge eating symptoms often come as a result of stress. This study highlights the contrary. These “hot off the press” findings came out last month in the Journal of Neuroscience

Has COVID messed with your relationship with food?

Has COVID messed with your relationship with food?

Has being diagnosed with COVID messed with your relationship with food? You aren’t alone. Many people who have suffered from COVID experience smell and taste changes. Parosmia (a distortion of smell) and anosmia (a diminished sense of smell) can cause previously enjoyable aromas, like a warm cup of coffee or fresh flowers, to become unpleasant, intolerable, and even disappear altogether.

ARFID - More Info on the New ED In Town

ARFID - More Info on the New ED In Town

As a practice dedicated to eating disorders, it’s common for clients, families and colleagues to assume we treat the more known disorders of Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, and OSFED. Although Integrated Eating does work with clients with these diagnoses, more and more we are referred clients reporting ARFID symptoms. New to the term? Join the club.

Eating Fat makes you Fat

Eating Fat makes you Fat

The macronutrient, Fat, has a bad reputation in diet culture and especially in the eating disorder world. It doesn’t help that society’s views on body image further create a PR nightmare for the macronutrient. The common misnomer that eating fat will make you fat is understandable as the name itself, gives off that impression. In addition, scientifically there is some logic behind that myth:

Eating Disorders In Children: New Guidelines for the New Year

Eating Disorders In Children: New Guidelines for the New Year

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has officially released a new clinical report on guidance in identifying and managing eating disorders in both childrens and adolescents. Published in Pediatrics, these guidelines are a positive step in helping frontline providers in identifying and referring younger patients with the disorder early on.

Myth: When it comes to weight loss: The faster, the better...

Myth: When it comes to weight loss: The faster, the better...

Weight and weight loss can be tricky subjects, especially when it comes to eating disorder treatment and recovery. At times, our patients have inquired about needing a “jump start” to weight loss. For some, the idea of “jump starting” can symbolize a beginning of something dramatic and different. When it comes to weight, this usually involves a drastic change that can include some degree of restriction, cutting calories, limiting food groups, or meals all together.

Recipes for Recovery 11: Stomach Soothing Soup

Recipes for Recovery 11: Stomach Soothing Soup

ED recovery is tough! Not only mentally, but also on our physical bodies. Gastro-intestinal upset is incredibly common in eating disorder recovery because our bodies are re-learning how to properly tolerate and digest foods. This often results in bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation. And as abnormal as it ​feels​ it is normal in parts of the treatment and recovery journey!

Myth: Change Can Happen Overnight (Or At The Stroke Of Midnight)

Myth: Change Can Happen Overnight (Or At The Stroke Of Midnight)

“New Year, New Me”. The start of a new year usually brings sayings such as this- especially as we eagerly await 2021 to begin. This unassuming quote brings significant pressure to change who we are overnight. We envision that at the stroke of midnight, all our habits that we endeavor to change - will change. We’ll take up that streaming yoga class, start a juice cleanse, or give up sugar. Not only do internal forces drive that desire, but external pressures are abundant via social media, news articles, and influencers touting all the things one should do on January 1st.

Cooking for One

Cooking for One

Cooking for one is an important skill, especially in the year of 2020. As we have made adjustments to our lives due to the pandemic, many of us have spent more time alone at home than ever...and more time in our kitchens feeding ourselves. If you live alone or have different food preferences than those you live with, it can be challenging to navigate making food for only yourself.