The answer to this is so boring that it’s easy to scroll past- because it DEPENDS! 

We need to get past the rigid belief that sugar is bad for weight and bad for health without context or nuance. Sugar itself is essential to our survival, would we call our need for oxygen addicting or inflammatory even though it ages us all the same as sugar?

Sugar substitutes are products that offer sweetness while providing little to none of energy (aka calories). They are chemically different from naturally occurring sugar present in foods.

Added sugars are any naturally derived sugars or syrups put into foods, distinct from the sugar that the food naturally possesses. This means any sugar added in food processing, in food preparation or at the table would be considered added sugar. 

Added sugars can include refined sugars, brown sugars, maple syrup, molasses, honey, and corn syrup. 

Refined sugar is sugar extracted from natural sources often like sugarcanes, sugar beets, or corn that has been stripped of fiber and other nutrients to only contain mostly sucrose. The common name for sucrose is table sugar. Molecularly, sucrose is called a simple sugar meaning it only has one chemical bond the body has to break before it becomes glucose that the body can use. This makes refined sugar a very quick source of energy. 

Sugar has been the big, bad wolf of nutrition for decades now. In fact, as the years go by, we’ve only doubled down on the message that sugar, especially added sugar, is dangerous for health and bad for you, period. Thus, the emergence of sugar substitutes and “natural sugars” began to sweep the markets. So what are the differences between them all? Are all sugars created equal? Let’s get into it.

Holidays are a time for celebration and we are also aware of the struggles it brings. Food is undoubtedly a major centerpiece for many different holidays.

What does eating good-tasting food mean to you? I’ve learned many stories from clients of what it means when they eat delicious food.

Intuitive eating (IE) is a process intended to heal our relationship with food. Its first principles are to practice unconditional permission with eating, to challenge food policing, to foster mindfulness with enjoyment of food.

Binge eating can often be confused with lack of self-control when in fact, it is just a way your body is trying to communicate its discomfort with deprivation with you.

If you think about it, there are so many stages in our lives that we won’t achieve unless our bodies shift in some ways - from infancy to teenager, to a fully grown adult, and to old age.

This client noticed when they changed their group of friends, it became easier to challenge the ED.

ED recovery takes time, but it is certainly not wasted time. Because it’s a journey through hardship to gain a better understanding of ourselves.

Your ED would also have not allowed you to have many other things, like eating out spontaneously with friends and family, enjoying holiday dinners guilt-free, going on vacation without worrying about calories, a regular period, healthy hair and nails etc. 

When someone has recovered or entered remission from their ED, I hardly ever hear anyone say things like I hate my body more than ever before but I’ve had to just give into recovery so I stay alive.

The pressure and discomfort on our joints could be attributed to the weight, sure. And why must this automatically mean weight loss is the only essential step in getting what we desire? 

Many of my clients in lower weight also complain of having joint pain, back pain, chronic fatigue, and they can barely catch their breath going up the stairs. 

I mean…the answer is yes and no- depending on context. But the common denominator is that we simply have limited control. Our bodies are designed to survive in our environment which means we can lose or gain weight in ways that ensures our survival.

We’ve been sold the message that our body can be easily manipulated for a long while now, that if it’s not this or that weight or size, it must be our fault. Certainly if I follow the same eating patterns and exercise routines as the thin-bodied person on social media, surely I should be able to achieve the same?

Folks come to see me at varying stages of readiness for recovery. Some are still quite committed to keeping their ED as a way to survive and cope. Others may have grown tired of the cost of ED and moving towards taking actions exploring recovery. Many of course have witnessed the benefits of renourishment and are keeping strides in actively challenging their ED. 

This sounds like another obvious realization, but we’d all be surprised at the journey it would take for someone to arrive at this conclusion. Because at the end of the day we are driven by our own relationship with ourselves.

Let’s take a moment to examine this person’s experience with their medical team. Putting ourselves in their shoes, what would this comment evoke emotionally for you if you heard this from your care team?