Introduction: There’s nothing quite like the thrill of crossing the finish line of a marathon. Those 42.2 kilometers can feel like living 10 different lives—each kilometer a new chapter filled with highs and lows. As you stand at the start line, a mixture of nerves, excitement, and confidence surges through you, accompanied by immense pride…
Introduction: Riley is an 18-year-old woman who just started her university journey. Riley is super excited about this new chapter in her life, but she also feels a lot of pressure to do things a certain way. She thinks her outfits “should” fit her and that she “should” be at a high fitness level for…
Introduction: I’m sure you’ve already heard of New Year’s Resolutions – maybe you’ve even had one or a few yourself! If that’s the case, what went into deciding what your resolution would be? Was it based on guilt? Was it something you felt pressured to do by the people around you? How long were you…
Did you know? Sööma has a YouTube channel and has prepared several videos to help you understand and explore various concepts related to food and eating disorders. One of these videos discusses a trauma-informed analogy for eating disorders and eating disorder recovery, which offers a different perspective than the usual one. Keep on reading…
Did you know? Sööma has a YouTube channel and has prepared several videos to help you understand and explore various concepts related to food and eating disorders. One of these videos explores the Hunger portion of the Hunger/Fullness card, to help you understand what the different thoughts, sensations and signs are at different levels…
Seetha has been feeling anxious lately. She has been working tirelessly to get into medical school. With late nights, early rises, staying in to study, applying to different schools, volunteering at the hospital, and everything in between, Seetha is also exhausted. On this one Saturday morning, when she couldn’t study any longer, she decided to…
Introduction Growing up is not an easy time for children nor parents. Children are faced with changes in personality, emotions and behaviors, as well as constant physical changes as their bodies develop and mature; this makes them particularly vulnerable to preoccupations with body shape and weight. Those living in larger bodies might find it particularly…
Have you ever heard of “orthorexia”? It’s a term to describe a type of disordered eating pattern. While not an official eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM V), it describes a tendency to move towards “healthful“ and “clean“ foods, often leading to an extreme fear of consuming “unhealthy“ foods. What is…
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, also known as PCOS, comes from the presence of small cysts on the ovaries (although not everyone with the condition has cysts on their ovaries). PCOS is not well-understood and can be misdiagnosed in many instances. This is one of the most common hormonal disorders occurring in people assigned female at birth…
In the public eye, trauma is often viewed as a major event that poses an immediate sense of danger. In reality, trauma is a very complex experience that can occur on multiple timeframes, in a variety of forms, and of varying degrees. Traumas can be both physical and/or psychological. These include chronic traumas, which are…
Introduction Intuitive eating isn’t just about eating whatever you want, whenever you want. Intuitive eating is also about using nutritional principles as a guide and not as rules. This is called Gentle Nutrition. Gentle nutrition is the 10th and last principle of intuitive eating: « Honor your health with gentle nutrition ». It means that…
Oftentimes, you’ll hear the words ‘dieting’ and ‘healthy eating’ being used interchangeably. This can be confusing, especially when anti-diet dietitians are consulting people on how to ‘eat healthy’. We each build a relationship with food from the day we’re born, and many things can affect that relationship as we grow up. As parents or caregivers,…
A few months have already passed since the famous New Year’s resolutions have been put into action. Many people are committed to taking care of their health and for most, this means going on a diet and watching their weight. This is understandable; everything around us sends us the message that being thin is better…
Introduction to yoga Have you ever seen people practice yoga and wondered what it’s all about? What are they doing and what’s the purpose? In recent times, yoga has gained in popularity among several populations, including those in eating disorder (ED) recovery. In fact, yoga has been integrated in residential programs for ED recovery, which…
What is the role of the dietitian in treating gender-diverse youth? The core role of the dietitian when treating gender-diverse youth is to provide nutrition interventions in conjunction with the management of gender-related needs. Treating gender-diverse adolescents differs from treating cisgender adolescents because disordered eating behaviors in gender-diverse adolescents may stem from a desire to…
Individuals with eating disorders are not all the same and each individual has a unique lived experience. Transgender and non-binary people are at increased risk of developing eating disorders. This is a two-part blog series that focuses on gender-affirming care. Part one will discuss why gender-diverse people are at increased risk for the development of…
What is Family-Based Treatment? Family-based treatment (FBT) is a therapeutic approach that was developed in the 1980s for management of anorexia nervosa [1]. In FBT, the therapist has an agnostic view where no time is spent analyzing why the eating disorder developed. In this approach, food is seen as “medicine” and the therapy prioritizes full…
Social media is very present in our everyday lives, and many spend hours mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or Facebook and posting on their accounts. Social media has many advantages, such as connecting and interacting with friends and family and getting updates on other people’s lives, but have you ever thought about the downsides of social…
After taking some time to reflect on your relationship with exercise, you might be ready to take steps to rewrite the narrative of how and why you move your body. Let’s continue with a story we encounter often in our clinic. For anonymity purposes, we’ll continue to name the client Anika. Anika recognized…
Can someone who practices regular exercise be struggling with their relationship with movement? Based on the messages of diet culture, exercising can be promoted as something we “should” be doing in order to attain a specific, yet unrealistic body aesthetic, or as a way to compensate for eating “bad” foods. How does this message impact…
Introduction Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2023 is scheduled for February 27th to March 5th. EDAW is an annual initiative by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) aimed at raising awareness about eating disorders and offering support and encouragement to individuals and families impacted by these conditions. Below, we’ve compiled a list of useful resources that…
Now that we have a good understanding of what intuitive eating is, we can better distinguish what it should not look like. This will help you be critical of diets or health professionals offering restrictive plans and hiding behind the idea of Intuitive Eating. NOT a diet nor food rules Diet culture has mastered…
Sick of dieting? You might not be the only one. Gaining rapidly in popularity, many people have turned to intuitive eating (IE) after recognizing the toxicity of diet culture. Yet, navigating a new approach to eating can be challenging and disorienting. Additionally, some diets may hide behind the title Intuitive Eating, but may actually just…
Atkins, Keto, Dukan. Low carb diets have sprung up many times over the years under different names and different styles. While they might look different from the outside – they all promise weight loss, better health and a better life, through limiting carbs. Yet, what are the actual physical and hormonal effects of cutting out…
Pop quiz: How does someone lose weight? Most people would say it’s a simple formula – exercise, dieting and a good dose of discipline. So, how come most weight loss efforts fail? Diet culture would have you believe that people lack motivation, discipline or the “right” program. But, most dieters become frustrated when their dieting…
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), oftentimes characterized as “extreme picky eating,” is an eating disorder impacting thousands of individuals, particularly children. There are three main types of ARFID: Lack of interest: people with this type of ARFID have a genuine lack of interest in eating and food. They also get full quickly. Sensory Avoidance: people…
Have you ever met someone who lost their period and thought they were lucky? Or have you ever lost your period and were happy because you thought you wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle anymore? Think again. Getting your period is a sign that your body is functioning if you’re biologically female. Even if…
Sööma offers virtual nutrition counseling to adults and adolescents throughout the United States, with a majority of our clientele residing in Washington DC and Virginia. Our dietitians are trained in Family Based Treatment (FBT) and have assisted a number of families in helping their child recover from an eating disorder. Today, we’d like to present…
When we think of Valentine’s Day, we think of flowers, chocolate, couples and most of all, love! Although we are typically thinking of our love for another person, Valentine’s Day can also be a good moment to reflect on the love we have for ourselves. Body acceptance can be a difficult topic to navigate because…
To begin, let’s quickly review what ACT means… ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It is an evidence-based model that helps us understand and explore the experiences that have shaped us into who we are today. It allows us to identify our values and help direct our time, energy and resources toward goals that…
The holiday season is known as a time where family and friends gather, exchange gifts, drink and feast. While many people may anticipate this time of year, others may not want to participate because of the stress and anxiety that it brings. With a season so heavily focused on big meals, cookies, cakes, and more,…
When you hear the words eating disorder, what do you think of? Does the image of someone who is extremely thin and frail come to mind? Or, do you associate it with eating behaviours? Chances are you thought of the former, and that’s okay. A common misconception in relation to eating disorders is that they are…
Stress refers to a situation that threatens or is perceived to threaten someone’s wellbeing and their coping strategies. We have all experienced some level of stress in our lives. Whether it be related to school, work, sports or relationships, the way we respond can have a huge impact on our wellbeing. Believe it or not,…
Food can be a pleasure for some while it can be a painful experience for others. The latter most likely translates into eating problems that are known as eating disorders. Eating disorders are not caused by one factor, per se. Eating disorders are typically a mix of many risk factors, including: ‘’genetic vulnerability/family history, body…
How to pushback against diet culture: Now that we understand the power of the diet industry, the pressure of diet culture, but also the negative effects it can have on you, here are some ways that you can contribute to pushing back against diet culture, when situations around you seem to encourage it. If diet…
Pride month has been celebrated in June for decades. It was established to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in 1969, to raise awareness about issues the LGBTQ2+ community still faces and to amplify their voices. One issue that is rampant among people from the LGBTQ2+ community that is not often talked about is eating disorders. The…
In Part 1 of this blog series, we discuss the insidious nature of diet culture that falsely glorifies losing weight at all costs. We explored several ways that diet culture seeps into our mindset and how very early on in our childhood, we are told that being fat is bad. We learn that messaging early…
For some, pain lends itself to intense emotional and physical discomfort and subsequent unhealthy behaviors. The purpose of this blog is to help clarify what are, and what are not, myths or common misconceptions surrounding “eating disorders”. The following are just a few examples of what I hear from parents, friends, kids, clients, athletes, etc. …
2020…a year that we will likely remember for a very long time to come. I’m certain no one anticipated the challenges, the grief, the lessons and the experiences that 2020 offered us. While I recognize that my 2020 was filled with similar themes to others, 2020 also represents the year that a vision, a…
The holiday season is said to be the “best time of the year”. It is a season meant to be filled with joy, happiness, and celebration followed by traditions that often revolve around food. However, the large emphasis placed on the food can also amplify any personal struggles with disordered thoughts and behaviours. Attending a…
Thanks to diet culture and all the ways it glorifies thinness, dieting can feel like unlocking new levels in life. The chase to achieve thinness can be exhilarating, especially when rewarded by praise. The privilege offered to thin people leads to the belief that one must pursue thinness in order to feel truly liberated…
Before you start reading, take a wild guess at how many decisions you think you make about food. Think about the first hour of your day when you wake up- do you think about what to eat? Whether to eat at all? Should you have a coffee or a tea? With milk? Iced or hot?…
Food. It is one of the few things that absolutely everybody has in common. For some, it is simply nourishment. For many, it is a source of pleasure. For me, it is also a strategic avenue to become a stronger athlete. The Background I am a runner. I am 28 years old, and my current…
In the midst of uncertainty, emotions are prominent and avoiding them feels challenging. Some choose to respond by “shoulding“ and suggesting that we take this “down time“ to become healthy, fit, lose weight and live our best lives. I’m not part of this camp. You can’t run away from emotions because you’re a human and…
Through my teens and twenties I had very limited conceptions of what health was, and I thought being slim and fit was the feminine ideal that all women should strive for in their lives. Mainstream media and social beauty standards just reinforced my internalized beliefs, which over the years did serious damage to…
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