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If food is nourishment and medicine, what happens when it\u2019s restricted, cut out, and stressed about?<\/p>\n

For the past few weeks, I have been providing education on diet and wellness culture,<\/a> food addiction<\/a>, and eating disorders.<\/a><\/p>\n

After a little break for a two-part essential oils\u2019 podcast blast<\/a>, it\u2019s now time to return to these important subjects.<\/p>\n

As a refresher, at the conclusion of my three-part series<\/a> on eating addiction, I argued that we must be very careful and tread lightly around this subject. Labeling an eating disorder or coping method as an addiction could lead to more harm than good and perpetuate co-existing mental health conditions. Therefore, practitioners should be very cautious and mindful of placing any mental health label on eating behavior and\/or judging people about food choices and body size.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, it is also important to note that, although many health influencers tout that food can be an addiction, it is still not officially classified in the DSM-V (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) under substance use disorders.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like more details and empowering education on this topic, click here<\/a> to access my final article in my series on food addiction.<\/p>\n

Now, I will be dedicating the next few spaces on my naturopathic blog<\/a> to eating disorders specifically. These are officially classified in the DSM-V.<\/p>\n

Our current \u201cwellness-focused<\/a>\u201d memes around food may unintentionally, or even blatantly, be promoting these unhealthy food practices. <\/a>We need to be mindful of this because it is dangerous.<\/p>\n

These cultural<\/a>, sociological, and psychological<\/a> contexts and belief systems around nutrition are important concepts to understand when dealing with disordered eating.<\/p>\n

Normalizing and even applauding unhealthy dietary behavior in our society is not okay.<\/p>\n

It can be deadly.<\/p>\n

Today, we are witnessing how eating rituals are judged and foods are being personified to the point where what one puts in their mouth becomes equivalent to a moral decision.<\/p>\n

We have now gone too far.<\/p>\n

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So, in my latest post<\/a>, I give some down and dirty facts to provide clarity between what is \u201cnormalized\u201d as \u201chealthy\u201d and what is truly diagnosable as an eating disorder. What may be eye-opening to many is that some dietary practices touted by health influencers may, in fact, meet criteria for an eating disorder.<\/p>\n

Please take this information to heart. You may be able to save someone\u2019s life, or your own.<\/p>\n

This is not something to brush off.<\/p>\n

Eating disorders can be fatal.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to take in part I.<\/p>\n

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