“Have you checked the serving size on that food yet?”
“That candy bar has so much sugar and fat in it!”
“Refined carbohydrates are bad for you!”
Do any of these messages sound familiar to you? This food voice, the Nutrition Informant, seems helpful. This is the voice in your head that reminds you of the diet culture messages you’ve ingested over the years, “all in the name of health.” This is often the wellness voice, or the voice of the health and wellness industry that tries to tell you that you should eat a certain way because “you are trying to be healthy.” It is a tricky voice. It doesn’t feel wrong or dangerous, but it is a façade.
So… How does it hurt? The Nutrition Informant is a close friend of the Food Police, quietly encouraging you to pay attention to outside sources to tell you what, when and how much to eat.
But, unlike the Food Police, the Nutrition Informant can transition to a helpful voice as you become an Intuitive Eater. The difference is subtle, but oh so important. I’ll talk more about the Nutrition Ally in a later blog post, but for now – I want you to notice the Nutrition Informant in your life.
I still hear it All.The.Time.
It is a hard voice to tune out completely. I hear it in the voice of well-meaning friends and relatives. I see it in articles in magazines. It seems so helpful. The intention seems pure. But I have to remind myself almost daily, that the purpose of the Nutrition Informant is just to keep me tied to Diet Culture.
End of story.
Where do you see it in your life?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brooke Spendlove
I’m a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and the owner and creator of Spendlove Coaching.
My own wellness journey led me to getting my Master’s Degree in Health and Wellness Coaching from Creighton University – Go Blujays!
I help my clients discover that they are the experts of themselves. Using the tools learned inside my program and during coaching sessions, clients learn how to shift their mindset, taking back the power they have lost to dieting and diet culture
Recent Comments