Healthy Back to School Lunch & Snack Ideas As Seen on Fox Carolina News

It’s almost back to school time, and we are talking a lot about healthy lunchbox and snack ideas with our clients right now. I recently shared them with Kari Beal on Fox Carolina News. Check out what I head to share below!

Part 1 : Healthy Lunch Ideas

CLICK HERE TO WATCH NOW

Registered Dietitian & Mom Tips:

  • Meal plan for 2 lunches for your kids and alternate them. You don’t need to be coming up with 5 different lunches each week – keep it simple and save money by meal planning!
  • Build a healthy lunch box using these 4 ingredients: whole grain, protein, produce, and something fun that’s sweet or crunchy

Healthy Kids Lunch Box Ideas:

  • Whole wheat turkey and cheese wrap, dried apricots, sliced cucumbers, and chocolate covered almonds (pictured above)
  • Veggies Made Great Muffins, Greek yogurt + granola, grapes, and veggie sticks (pictured below)
  • PB&J on Whole Wheat Bread, hummus + baby carrots, cheese stick, and chocolate chips
  • Ham & Cheese Roll Ups, pretzels, pineapple, and a mini-KIND bar
  • Cheese quesadilla, black beans, avocado, tortilla chips, and strawberries
  • Egg Muffins, cheerios, blueberries, tomatoes, and a whole wheat fig bar
  • Whole Wheat Bagel with Cream Cheese, raisins, sliced bell peppers, and a piece of dark chocolate
  • Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat Bread, pistachios, kiwi, and hippea puffs

Need an easy button? Check out these prepackaged lunches.

And last but not least here are our favorite lunch box containers:

Looking for more healthy recipe ideas? Check out our Real Life Nutrition Membership!

Access 330+ Registered Dietitian authored healthy recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, smoothies, and more. Simply add the recipes to your recipe box and a grocery list will auto-populate for you! BONUS: you will also receive a meal plan every Friday, have access to a flexible meal planning nutrition course and a live group coaching call once per month. Click here use code BACKTOSCHOOL to get your first month for only $15! (Offer valid through 8/31/23)

Part 2: Healthy Back to School Snack Ideas

Click Here to Watch Now!

Registered Dietitian & Mom Tips:

  • PSA: A snack after school isn’t going to ruin your kids dinner! Offering a snack when they say their hungry will teach them to listen to their body + hunger cues and promote a healthy relationship with food.
  • For a healthy snack choose a carb for energy + protein/fat for sustainability
  • Meal plan for 2-3 snack options for the week. For little kids ask them “do you want X or Y?” and for big kids can write it down and post on the refrigerator for them to choose from.

EASY Healthy School & After School Snack Ideas:

  • Goldfish + Babybel Cheese
  • Popcorn + Jerky Stick
  • Apple + Peanut butter
  • Clementine + Cashews
  • Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
  • Veggie Sticks + Almonds
  • Greek Yogurt + Fruit
  • Granola Bar
  • Tortilla Chips + Guacamole
  • Whole Wheat Toast + Peanut Butter
  • Crackers + Jerky
  • Pita Chips + Hummus

RECIPE: No Bake Honey Nut Cheerio Bars (photo above):

Yield: 12 Bars

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, and honey and microwave for 30 seconds and stir until smooth with a fork.
  2. Fold the cheerios into the melted peanut butter mixture using a wooden spoon. 
  3. Once combined, scoop the cereal mix in a 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking pan sprayed with avocado oil. Spread into an even layer pressing down on the top to ensure everything sticks together.
  4. Cover and place the peanut butter cereal bars in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until completely set.
  5. Once set, slice into 12 bars and enjoy!

Note: You can also use almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter.

Looking for more healthy recipe ideas? Check out our Real Life Nutrition Membership!

Access 330+ Registered Dietitian authored healthy recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, smoothies, and more. Simply add the recipes to your recipe box and a grocery list will auto-populate for you! BONUS: you will also receive a meal plan every Friday, have access to a flexible meal planning nutrition course and a live group coaching call once per month. Click here use code BACKTOSCHOOL to get your first month for only $15! (Offer valid through 8/31/23)

Podcasts We Love

It can be hard to reject diet mentality when we live in a world so ingrained in diet culture. You might have stopped valuing yourself based on the number on the scale – but sometimes messages from TV/magazines/social media can be triggering.

That’s why sometimes doing a little “homework” outside of your sessions with your dietitian can help you with your progress towards your goals. We have wonderful conversations together, but we know that sometimes hearing similar conversations from outside outlets can help too when solidifying a non-diet mindset.

Ways to do this include:

There are many wonderful non-diet dietitians out there who take a very similar approach to nutrition as we do. While we don’t have our own podcast (yet … maybe one day?) here are some great ones to check out from some fellow RDs that we love.

Non-Diet Podcasts We Love

  • Find Food Freedom – “The Find Food Freedom Podcast was created to help you take simple steps towards food freedom and body respect. Diet culture has taught you to distrust your body; it’s time to dismantle that together!”
  • Behind the Binge – “Behind The Binge podcast, hosted by (Greenville, SC local!) Registered Dietitian Marissa Kai Miluk, is your resource to learn more about how to cultivate a healthful relationship with food and your body, free from binge eating.”
  • Nourishing Women Podcast – Victoria Myers (a Registered Dietitian and Greenville, SC local!) hosts the Nourishing Women Podcast – a women’s health podcast on all things intuitive eating, body image, holistic healing, wellness and so much more.
  • Body Kindness Podcast – “This is not a weight loss show. This is about redefining what it means to pursue health, where your well-being matters more than your weight. When you practice Body Kindness®, you create a more satisfying life by being good to yourself. Learn how self-compassion and acceptance help you cultivate a “caregiver” voice and quiet the “inner critic”.”
  • The Embodied & Well Mom Show – “This podcast is about changing the conversation about food, feeding, body trust and living well while mommin’ up.” Great for pregnancy + motherhood specifically related to feeding, body trust, and body image.
  • Food Psych – “Registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and journalist Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS talks with guests and answers listener questions about making peace with food, healing from disordered eating, learning body acceptance, practicing intuitive eating, escaping harmful wellness culture, and more–all from a body-positive, anti-diet perspective.”
  • Maintenance Phase – “Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.”
  • The Weight Inclusive Podcast – “Join host Heather Caplan and her registered dietitian (RD) peers as they talk shop, share their philosophies, and keep it real with you. Discussion topics include weight-inclusive nutrition and dietetics, intuitive eating, sports nutrition, career paths, and more.”

Last but not least check out some Podcasts that our CEO and founder Brittany has been featured on:

  • Beautiful You Podcast – The Consequences of being held Captive to a Diet, How to Prioritize a Well Balanced Diet in College, Benefits of Meal Planning & Building a Balanced Plate with Brittany Jones
  • The Empowered Podcast – Weight Inclusive : How to Achieve Health Goals without the Scale

Want to learn more? Contact us here.

Shifting the Focus from Weight to Health

Brittany Jones Nutrition Group is a weight inclusive practice – but what does that mean?

Simply put it means that we believe that health is not defined by your weight.

A person in a small body is not always healthier than a person in a larger body – and a larger person is not always unhealthier than a person in a smaller body. In fact evidence shows that taking a weight-focused approach in which someone puts a focus on weight loss and dieting can be harmful to ones health, often times resulting in disordered eating and/or eating disorders among other health conditions.

We appreciate that bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and weights. We work with our clients to improve their health by focusing on behaviors regardless of their weight. We provide respectful and compassionate care of people in all body type, shapes, sizes, and weights.

Our approach to a healthy lifestyle takes the focus away from weight and instead focuses on health promoting behaviors to improve health including:

  • A healthy relationship with food without restriction
  • Eating a variety of foods that provide nutrition + enjoyment
  • Being mindful and flexible while managing your chronic disease through food
  • Trusting your body to tell you when you are hungry and satisfied
  • Giving yourself permission to eat all foods
  • Eating regular meals and snacks
  • Feeling safe around all foods (i.e. being able to keep all foods in the house without a binge)
  • Moving your body in a way to celebrate it rather than punish for something you ate or control your size
  • Learning to accept your body and take good care of it – knowing that all people are of value regardless of size, shape, or weight

We believe that the weight you are when practicing these behaviors is the healthiest weight for you.

Our body size is often influenced by many factors outside of our control including genetics, income, education, social support, where you live, work, and play. NOTE this weight cannot be told to you by a health care provider or a BMI scale.

Still not sure about this approach? Below we de-bunk some common weight focused myths:

MYTH #1 Weight is the best measure of health. “Overweight” or “obese” mean unhealthy and “normal weight” means healthy.

FACT: BMI does not tell us about individual health and it doesn’t recognize that healthy bodies come in many shapes, sizes, and weights. Health can exist in diverse bodies and BMI was created to be used in groups of white males in a research setting. You are not that.

Your risk for disease depends more on your lifestyle than your body weight. Factors like genetics, income, and stress can influence disease. For example, heart disease and diabetes affect people of ALL weights. People of all sizes benefit from activities that support their health such as eating a variety of food to support disease, moving in a joyful way, and managing stress.

MYTH #2 The best way to improve health is by losing weight

FACT: Studies (and our dietitians 35+ years of cumulative experience in this field) show that restrictive diet and exercise programs poorly affect mental and physical health. Research also shows the more you diet the more you weigh.

Dieting has been associated with:

  • An increase in weight
  • Muscle loss
  • Bone loss
  • Increase in blood pressure
  • Increased risk of eating disorders
  • Body image issues/body dysmorphia

MYTH #3: “If I’m not actively trying to control my weight, I’ll gain a lot of weight and worsen my health”

FACT: People can improve their health and manage chronic disease without a focus on weight loss. In fact, people who do not focus on weight loss tend to have better mental health, lower stress, a better body image, and a better quality of life while managing their health. When we focus on health promoting behaviors our body settles at it’s healthy weight – sometimes that’s less than you are now, sometimes it’s more, and sometimes it’s the same. We need to give our body the opportunity to figure out what is healthy for you without trying to manage it through dieting and non-joyful exercise.

MYTH #4 I’ll just diet to lose the weight quick and then focus on maintaining.

FACT: More than 95% of weight loss attempts do not lead to long-term weight loss or health improvements. In fact, most people who lose weight on a diet will gain it back +5% more within two years. Because of this trend, dieting is actually a better predictor of weight gain than weight loss.

Are you:

  • Sick of losing the weight and gaining it back?
  • Sick of hearing about weight loss drugs and surgeries?
  • Do you just want to be healthy and not focus as much on the scale?

Our Registered Dietitians can help! CLICK HERE to set up a FREE 15 minute discovery call and learn more about what it would look like to work together.

Clothing Rental Services We Love

When you’re working on improving your relationship with food, body, and movement it’s important to wear clothes that you are comfortable in and fit your body now.

This enables you to focus on behaviors like fueling your body regularly, meal planning, moving in a joyful way etc and stop obsessing about the scale or losing weight. Remember – it’s the behaviors that impact your health not the number on the scale.

We recommend making a “capsule” in your closet to make the morning getting dressed process easier. Simply put the clothes that fit your body now in the front of your closet and move your other clothes to the back. This will make getting dressed less stressful and more of a positive experience! No need to throw anything out (unless you want to) just move it to the back of the closet so you’re not sifting through things that you do not feel good in right now.

If you want to expand your wardrobe with clothes that fit your body during this process – but don’t want to go out and buy a bunch of new pieces we *highly* recommend trying a clothing rental service!

Here are some of our favorites below:

Armoire

  • How it works: Rent 4 – 7 items at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like Boden, Lily Pulitizer, and BB Dakota. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $69/month+
  • Size ranges: 0 – 3X + Maternity option
  • https://www.armoire.style/ (referral link for 50% off your first month)

Gwynnie Bee

  • How it works: Rent 3 at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like Asos Curve, Jessica Simpson, and Torrid. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $49 – $199/month
  • Size ranges: 00-32
  • https://closet.gwynniebee.com/

NY & Company Closet

  • How it works: Rent 3 items at a time for 1 month all clothes are NY & Company brand. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $49/month
  • Size ranges: 0-20
  • https://www.nyandcompanycloset.com/

FTF Closet

nuuly

  • How it works: Rent 6 items at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Levi’s. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $88/month
  • Size ranges: 00-5X
  • https://www.nuuly.com/rent

LeTote

  • How it works: Rent 4 items at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like BCBG and French Connection. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $59/month
  • Size ranges: 00-18 + Maternity option
  • https://www.letote.com/

Want to learn more about improving your relationship with food and body? Click here to set up a FREE 15 minute discovery call with one of our Registered Dietitians.

5 Reasons Why You Need A Registered Dietitian On Your Eating Disorder Recovery Team

Eating disorders are complex diseases that require a multidisciplinary approach to overcome. Research shows that including physical, nutritional, psychological and psychiatric interventions, provides the best chance at a full recovery (1). A dietitian is an important part of this team and provides benefits that other disciples cannot. 

Here are 5 benefits that our clients in our eating disorder and disordered eating program get from working with a Registered Dietitian:

  1. Improved confidence in meeting your individual nutrition needs. We are here to help determine how much you should be eating and provide meal ideas so you aren’t constantly thinking about food and questioning yourself!
  2. Improved relationship with food: We help to debunk common nutrition myths and food rules and aid you in challenging these thoughts when they arrive.
  3. Medical Stability: We help to monitor your food intake, weight, vitals, and labs as well as coordinate care with your physician and therapist to ensure your safety.
  4. Support: We are there to help you through hard times and encourage you through challenges that arise with your food or body image.
  5. Prevention: We help to catch disordered eating before it turns into anything more serious and can help prevent needing higher levels of care.

What does eating disorder nutrition counseling look like?

Nutrition counseling for eating disorders involves:

  • Education on nutrients and how our body uses them
  • Your individual overall nutrition needs
  • Exercise recommendations
  • Supplement recommendations
  • Education on the harmful effects of dieting.
  • Personalized meal plans geared towards your individual needs in order to help those with eating disorders weight restore and/or heal their relationship with food

Dietitians help those with eating disorders navigate nutrition information – helping clients to learn what is true and what is false based on research. They help client’s to reframe their thoughts around food using therapeutic techniques and food exposures. They will monitor your weight and vitals throughout the process to ensure your safety. 

Our dietitians also help with accountability and support through healthie photo + feeling food logging. Clients can log their meals and feelings by taking a picture of their meal and dietitians will respond back weekly (no calorie/macro counting). This allows our dietitians to assess overall food intake, make adjustments to meal plans, and provide support in between sessions.

Lastly, dietitians stay in close contact with your treatment team and support system in order to make sure everyone is on the same page and give you the best chance at recovery. Our dietitians communicate with therapist, psychiatrists, doctors, and caregivers regularly. We even offer joint therapy/nutrition sessions and parent/caregiver sessions!

Want to learn more about how our dietitians have helped clients? Read our testimonials here

Still aren’t sure if working with a dietitian is right for you? We offer FREE 15 minute discovery calls to discuss your goals and how we can help. Sign up for a call here!

What’s the difference between a nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian specializing in eating disorders?

Education!! Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Our licensed dietitians Allison Pritchett, RD, LD and Anna Jensen, RD, LD have done extensive training in the field of dietetics and eating disorders. Their training is listed below:

Allison Pritchett, RD LD

  • Registered Dietitian with 5+ years of experience working with eating disorders, including higher levels of care
  • Licensed Dietitian in SC, NC, FL, LA, and OH
  • Clemson University – B.S. Food Science with Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration and Minor in Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude – Clemson University
  • Augusta University – ACEND accredited 1500 hour+ dietetic internship
  • Anticipated Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) 2022-2023
  • Additional trainings:
    • Food and Body Image Healers training by Marci Evans
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
  • Leadership and Awards:
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association Continuing Education Scholarship, 2022
    • Eating Recovery Center Conference Presenter, September 2022
    • Augusta District Dietetic Association Scholarship, May 2017
  • Read more about Allison here!

Anna Jensen, RD LD

  • Registered Dietitian with 2+ years of experience in clinical and eating disorder dietetics with monthly supervision
  • Clemson University – B.S. Food Science with Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration and Minor in Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude
  • BeWell Solutions – ACEND accredited 1500 hour+ dietetic internship
  • Licensed Dietitian in SC
  • Additional trainings:
    • Food and Body Image Healers training by Marci Evans
    • Motivational Interviewing
  • Leadership and Awards:
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association Young Dietitian of the Year, 2022
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association President, 2021 – 2022
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association Scholarship Recipient, 2021
  • Read more about Anna here!

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6732696/#wps20687-bib-0005

Quiz: Do you have a healthy relationship with food/body?

It can be hard to understand what is considered a healthy relationship with food and body when we’re living in a culture that celebrates diets. It becomes so engrained in us, and sometimes we don’t realize that our relationship has become an unhealthy one.

That’s why the dietitians at Brittany Jones Nutrition Group came up with this quiz! It by no means should be used as a diagnostic tool – it is simply a quick 2 minute check in that you can do yourself.

If you answer “yes” to 5 out of the 15 questions or more – it might be time to explore your relationship with food/body in a little bit more.


Take our quick 2 minute quiz to check in with yourself and your attitudes about food, nutrition, and body image here: https://forms.gle/gNguNw1p2cGPKmxZ8

TD Saturday Market Peach Panzanella Salad

I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I moved to Greenville, SC! I moved here for a job with a start up company after graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina Dietetic Internship, and never looked back.

A LOT has changed in the last decade. I met my person and married him, traveled a ton, had a baby, bought a house, and held several jobs before finally starting and growing my own business!

I was honored to be asked by the TD Saturday Market to participate in their Kitchen Series as it has always been one of my favorite activities in our city!

SC peaches are my absolute favorite, and I had so much fun combining them with ripe tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, meat, cheese, and of course delicious sourdough bread! My recipe features produce from Beachwood Farms, Hyders Farm, and Great Harvest Bread.

Check out my full TD Saturday Market experience and the recipe below!

Farmers Market Peach Panzanella Salad

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • 3 Medium Ripe Peaches, sliced
  • 2 Tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 Small Red Onion, Peeled and thinly sliced
  • 4 Cups Cucumber, sliced into half moons
  • 12oz Fresh Mozzarella, cut into small pieces
  • 4 Cups Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, 1 day old & cubed
  • 6 Slices Prosciutto, sliced

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add the peaches, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, mozzarella, cubed bread, and prosciutto. Gently toss with the dressing.
  3. Arrange the salad on a large platter and top with fresh ground pepper.
  4. Enjoy!

Mac and Cheese with Greens (Gluten Free & Vegetarian)

mac and cheese with greens

Y’all know I’m a huge fan of easy dinners that encompass everything you need to feel satisfied in one pot. This one pot family friend meal is just that – the pasta has both carb and protein, the Palmetto Gardens kale is your veggie, and then you of course have cheese for more protein and taste!

It’s a great spin on a classic dish! You can make this mac and cheese two ways: eat it right off the stove top or bake it for a more crispy crust.

You will have half a bag of Palmetto Gardens Kale leftover to make another batch of mac and cheese – or you can check out my Southwestern Kale Power Bowl here. Happy cooking!

Mac and Cheese with Greens (Gluten Free)

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

  • 12oz Chickpea or Red Lentil Pasta
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Bag of @Palmetto Garden’s Kale (~5.5 Cups)
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • Black Pepper, to taste
  • 2 Cups 2% Milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Organic Unsalted Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • Cayenne Pepper, to taste
  • 8oz Gruyere Cheese, shredded
  • 8oz Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1 Cup Gluten Free Panko Breadcrumbs (optional)

Directions:

  1. Optional: If you would like to bake your Mac and Cheese, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente, about 7-9 minutes. Strain the pasta and set aside.
  3. Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add half of the kale, garlic and black pepper. Cover and cook until it starts to wilt. Stir and add the remaining kale. Cover and cook another 3 minutes until it is all wilted (avoid over cooking as the kale can get bitter). Remove the cooked kale and place it in a large bowl, and set aside.
  4. Whisk the milk and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth. Add to the Dutch oven over medium heat along with the butter, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens about 5 minutes. Add the Grueyere and Cheddar and continue to stir until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
  5. Add the pasta to the saucepan and stir to combine. Gentle fold in the kale and serve!
  6. Baked Option: Pour into a 13×9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the mac and cheese and baked on 425 degrees F until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve.

This post was sponsored by Palmetto Gardens

kale

 

5 Reasons Dieting is Hurting Your Health

charles-deluvio-D44HIk-qsvI-unsplash

It seems like everywhere we turned in January, we were seeing information about another diet. This influx of diet spam caused everyone in our office to do a big 🤦Now, as South Carolina starts to ease COVID19 restrictions, unfortunately you can expect to see a resurgence of of diets talking about their solutions to the “COVID 15/19/30” or whatever they are calling it these days.

We pride ourselves in being anti-diet dietitians at Brittany Jones Nutrition Group. Have you ever wondered why we choose to practice this way? We speak up against trendy diets like Keto, Paleo, and Intermittent fasting because they aren’t sustainable for our clients, but also because diets are straight up harmful to our clients.

The Diet Cycle

The image above shows a typical diet cycle. Let’s walk through it using low carb diets as an example:

  • It’s Monday. You start your low carb diet, restricting delicious food items such as bread, pasta, potatoes, corn, and your personal favorite, French fries.
  • On Wednesday you start to feel really deprived. Maybe your spouse is eating French fries with their burger, but you order a salad because you are being “good.” You may also show signs of fatigue and irritability (remember, carbs are your main source of energy!)
  • On Thursday you start to really crave these foods. All you can think about is French fries.
  • On Friday the thoughts are consuming your life and eventually you give in to them. You don’t just give in a little bit. You give in A LOT. You go through the McDonalds drive through and order two supersize French fries and eat them all rapidly in one sitting.
  • Then on Friday night you feel guilty and beat yourself up for not being able to stick on your diet. You decide to start another low carb diet that is even more restrictive again next Monday. And the cycle repeats.

Sound familiar?!

What happens when we find ourselves following into this vicious cycle on a chronic basis?

Here are 5 reasons why being trapped in this diet cycle harms your overall health.

1 – Weight Cycling Increases Your Risk for Chronic Diseases

Usually when we fall into the diet cycle, we find ourselves losing weight during our restrictive diets only to later regain the weight back, and usually plus more. Then we do it all over again. This yo-yo weight pattern is called weight cycling. Research shows that weight cycling alone, regardless of your initial body size, increases your risk for cardiovascular events, osteoporosis, gallstones, hypertension, chronic inflammation, and eating disorders/disordered eating. The healthiest weight for you is when you ditch the diet mentality, break free of this cycle and learn to listen to your body’s needs when it comes to food and movement. 

2 – Dieting Harms Your Relationship with Food and Your Body

Research shows that dieting is strongly linked to a preoccupation with food and appearance, increased food cravings, and increased binge urges. At Brittany Jones Nutrition Group, we work on creating complete food freedom with our clients. Remember, all foods fit! We want you to be able to feel comfortable around all foods and get rid of the feeling that certain foods control your life. There are NO good and bad foods – and food has no moral value! Restricting foods will only lead to overeating them later. 

Diet rules also force you to ignore your natural hunger and fullness cues. They tell you that you can not eat after a certain time of day, that you have to fast in order to lose weight, and that it’s good to be hungry all day. These are all false claims that get you out of touch with your body. Our bodies are incredibly smart. They naturally crave a variety of nutrients and will tell you when they need fuel by showing signs of hunger. You do not question why you have to pee when you get the urge to pee, so why do we question our hunger?

3 – Dieting Harms Your Mental Health

Think back to when you did your last diet. How was your mental health during this time? Did you feel deprived? Did you cancel social events because there wouldn’t be something you were “allowed” to eat on your diet there? Research shows that dieting increases body dissatisfaction, reduces self-esteem, increases stress, and harms social life. Health is about SO much more than just what you eat and how often you exercise. If we neglect our mental health in order to improve our appearance, we often end up worse in the end. We are not just alive to lose weight and pay bills! There is so much more to life! Don’t miss out on the fun of life because you are concerned with appearance or eating “perfectly.”

4 – Dieting Can Cause You to Miss Out on Key Nutrients

Diets often restrict certain food groups such as fat and carbohydrates. When we restrict food groups, not only do we crave them more, but we also miss out on key nutrients! For example, carbohydrates are your main source of energy, provide fiber and B vitamins, and make your RNA and DNA. Fat is important for regulating our body temperatures and producing our hormones. All the food groups have a purpose! 

Another popular and risky diet is fasting. When we are only “allowed” to eat during certain times in the day, not only are we ignoring our natural body cues, but it is also incredibly difficult to get the nutrients and variety we need in that short period of time. 

5 – Dieting Increases Your Set Point

Do you remember learning about homeostasis in science class? Turns out our body is really good at regulating processes within our body to keep us alive. Just like it regulates our temperature, it also regulates our body size. Think of it as a thermostat for your weight. Many factors contribute into why we are the weight we are. Genetics, access to health care, access to nutritious food, environment, and movement all play a role. Where our body weight naturally falls when it is at homeostasis is called the set point. When we fall out of our set point, our body works tirelessly to do anything it can to bring it back to our set point. Our bodies do not know the difference between a diet and starvation. If we keep messing with this internal thermostat through dieting, your body views this as a famine and struggles to maintain control over your weight. During this period of starvation (dieting), your metabolism decreases and your brain releases less leptin, a hormone that triggers the feeling of being full. AKA your appetite physiologically INCREASES during a diet! After your diet fails, your body forces you to not only regain the weight back but it adds on extra weight to protect against future diets (periods of starvation). Therefore, your set point increases. In addition, people with a history of chronic dieting end up releasing less leptin overtime than they would have without the history of dieting. 

“Ok I Get it Now, but What’s the Alternative to Dieting?”

Instead of falling trap to the diet cycle, it is best to focus on finding balance. Strive for progress, not perfection! Instead of doing crazy diets that eliminate certain foods, remind yourself that all foods fit! Incorporate gentle nutrition by following the 80/20 balance and utilizing the portion plate.

Learn to listen to your body. Ask yourself: “What will nourish me and what will satisfy me?” before meals. Eat according to your natural hunger and fullness cues. Move your body in a way that feels joyful and good, rather than punishing it for what you ate.

Through rejecting diet mentality, finding food freedom, and moving joyfully, you will find the weight that is healthiest for you without sacrificing your mental health to get there.

Want to learn more? Click here to set up a FREE 15 minute discovery call with our CEO and Registered Dietitian Brittany Jones, MS, RD, LD!

-Written by Allison Walters, RD, LD

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5 Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

Store-bought salad dressings are not only expensive, they often have a long laundry list of ingredients. We’ve written 5 easy salad dressing recipes that you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen with just a few simple ingredients!

How to Store your Salad Dressings

Store your salad dressings in a small plastic or glass container. Vinaigrette dressings can be kept refrigerated for up to two weeks while dairy-based dressings can be left in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

How to Use Your Salad Dressings

Salad dressings are not limited to be used on salads alone. Sure, they can amp up your lunch salad, but they can also be used for a variety of other dishes. Try using the Green Goddess Dressing and Greek Yogurt Ranch as a dip for your chicken strips, raw vegetables or potatoes. Or, try marinating chicken in the Lemon Basil Vinaigrette, Italian Dressing, or Honey Mustard for dinner this week!

Benefits of Heart Healthy Fats

Foods containing healthy fats should not be feared. Our bodies need fats to function the way they’re supposed to! Dietary fats are essential for maintaining energy and cell growth, while also serving as a cushion for your organs, and keeps your body warm! Fats help your body absorb nutrients (like the ones in your salad!) and produce hormones. The important dietary fats we see in these recipes are avocado, avocado oil, olive oil, and avocado mayo. 

5 Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

 

Recipes by Gabby Childers, Brittany Jones Nutrition Group Intern