It’s been the year of changes for us all and I’m sure all of us have been impacted one way or another by the year that is 2020. Those changes might have included something related to our eating routines, habits or food choices – and maybe that caught you off guard a little and you’re still trying to navigate those changes. Trust me when I say, you’re not the only one – throughout my entire year of working with clients, everyone has expressed this concern. Some days I have to deal with those changes myself too, as an RD – we’re still in a pandemic after all. 

 

And with the holidays coming up, all of us are bound to see some changes in the next few weeks too, so consider this your pep-talk to get your mindset right. Not only right now in this moment but moving forward every day! I’ve had this chat with clients on navigating food comparisons on social media / the internet before so I thought I would be extra generous and give you some insights on some of the reminders I give them. 

 

Not to sound too cliche here but one of the most powerful relationships you will have is with yourself – and that includes your relationship to food. Our perspective changes the way we react to EVERYTHING around us and this includes our mindset around food. I’m sure we’ve all been “influenced” in one way or another on social media by at least one thing and it’s easy to fall into a comparison trap even if you have the best intentions as you scroll throughout the day. 

 

Photo Credit: @andytherd

 

This is particularly problematic when it comes to individuals sharing their “What I Eat in a Day” posts and sharing their journey with a particular lifestyle, i.e keto or low carb or whatever people decide on choosing these days. Now I don’t know what their individual nutrition goals so maybe this is working for them – that’s great! My goal is to always give you a clear picture into what works for you. But if they’re not giving you context into why they’re doing it or sharing the full picture behind their nutrition choices, something that might have started with good intentions could turn into more harmful rather than helpful information. 

 

We can’t make assumptions on other people’s choices so I’m choosing to think that they have good intentions in mind – maybe they’re sharing information with a goal of inspiring someone else with food recipes, or sharing in hopes that it might help relate to someone else (so this is in NO way shaming them). However, this is ALSO your gentle reminder that we’re talking about health here – not what soap to buy next at Sephora, but health. Nutrition is individualized based on several lifestyle factors and your choices will probably be different from someone else’s. And that’s okay. 

 

So if you catch yourself wondering why Sally or Cindy (names I literally just made up here) looks like they’re eating only bacon, Jeni’s ice cream pints, and asparagus all day and nothing else (again no judgement here – we love a good pint of Jeni’s!) , just remind yourself that their goals = not your goals. And you’re watching 5% of someone else’s  daily highlight.

 

 

Let’s think about your goals vs. someone else’s goal – most likely they will look different. And between all the factors that affect our goals: sleep, stress, job environment + demands, genetics, height, weight, pre-existing conditions, food allergies, our needs couldn’t be MORE different. But just to put it all into context even if you had the same height + weight as someone else your needs will likely look a whole lot different than the person you’re comparing yourself to.  

 

And I don’t know who needs to hear this but….what you see people eat on the internet is probably only accounting for 5, maybe 10% of their day – if even. 

I’d like to think people have good intentions in mind, but sometimes things on the internet can be misinterpreted so it might help for us all to start with being smart consumers – we have the responsibility as a consumer of social media too. You have the choice to CHOOSE how to use social media responsibly. And that includes how you allow or don’t allow your mindset to be completely consumed by it. So the next time you find yourself spiraling down a comparison trap, remind yourself that you have your own goals and this is just a moment in someone else’s day / highlight reel. 

 

“Wellness” is what we make of it – again, while looking at food trends on Instagram might be fun here and there, remember they’re just the cherry on top – covering your basics first like getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, taking up a way to workout in a way that feels good to you, and finding ways to manage your stress / anxiety are foundational pillars.  True “wellness” is found in recognizing that your choices are flexible to what you need that day. How do your choices for today impact or fulfill you in the long run? Is it covering your physiological and emotional needs? Food for thought. 

 

Photo Credit: @thewellful

 

 

 

The path to living a life in food freedom won’t be linear but the destination is a life where you can feel good about your choices, knowing that you’ve made the best one for you each particular moment. Our needs changes with seasons of life. Some days it will look like craving a very vegetable dense bowl with lean proteins and some days it’s craving your grandmother’s famous cheesecake. Both sound delicious for different moments in life and nourish you in different ways. 

 

 

1. Remember if something you read sounds conflicting with what you know about your own body, you can totally question it. 
2. If fear is present in a message (i.e. eating *insert food group here* will do *something fearful here* to you!), be cautious and ask yourself what their intention or motivation might be. 
3. Fact check something or refer to a trusted physician if possible. Totally okay to have questions about what people are trying to say. 
4. Ask yourself: does this person have the proper background and credentials on what they’re speaking on? Are they speaking within their scope? Just because it “worked for them” doesn’t make it credible. 
5. And remember…social media only shows us select things and moments. Be an empowered consumer of nutrition and health information is on you! 

So all in this to say…..context. Remember it as you scroll through the ‘gram this season! Again, this isn’t written with the intentional to call people out but just reminders to approach everything with our individual responsibilities first (whether you’re producing or consuming content). If you’re struggling with this and need a dietitian to walk you through this, send me an email at may@nutritionhappens.com – I’m always here to help!