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Bulimia Nervosa: The Signs, Symptoms, & Impact

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Education.

Bulimia Nervosa

According to the National Eating Disorder Association…

Bulimia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.

Symptoms

  • Frequent episodes of consuming very large amount of food followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting.
  • A feeling of being out of control during the binge-eating episodes.
  • Self-esteem overly related to body image.

The chance for recovery increases the earlier bulimia nervosa is detected. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs of bulimia nervosa.

Warning Signs of Bulimia Nervosa

  • Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time or finding wrappers and containers indicating the consumption of large amounts of food.
  • Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics.
  • Excessive, rigid exercise regimen–despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the compulsive need to “burn off” calories taken in.
  • Unusual swelling of the cheeks or jaw area.
  • Calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self-induced vomiting.
  • Discoloration or staining of the teeth.
  • Creation of lifestyle schedules or rituals to make time for binge-and-purge sessions.
  • Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.
  • In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns.
  • Continued exercise despite injury; overuse injuries.

Health Consequences of Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa can be extremely harmful to the body.  The recurrent binge-and-purge cycles can damage the entire digestive system and purging behaviors can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body that affect the heart and other major organ functions.  Some of the health consequences of bulimia nervosa include:

  • Electrolyte imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death.  Electrolyte imbalance is caused by dehydration and loss of potassium and sodium from the body as a result of purging behaviors.
  • Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting.
  • Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released during frequent vomiting.
  • Chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation as a result of laxative abuse.
  • Gastric rupture is an uncommon but possible side effect of binge eating.

About Bulimia Nervosa

  • Bulimia nervosa affects 1-2% of adolescent and young adult women.
  • Approximately 80% of bulimia nervosa patients are female.
  • People struggling with bulimia nervosa usually appear to be of average body weight.
  • Many people struggling with bulimia nervosa recognize that their behaviors are unusual and perhaps dangerous to their health.
  • Bulimia nervosa is frequently associated with symptoms of depression and changes in social adjustment.
  • Risk of death from suicide or medical complications is markedly increased for eating disorders

Anorexia Nervosa: The Signs, Symptoms, & Impact

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Education.

Anorexia Nervosa

According to the National Eating Disorder Association…

Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

Symptoms

  • Inadequate food intake leading to a weight that is clearly too low.
  • Intense fear of weight gain, obsession with weight and persistent behavior to prevent weight gain.
  • Self-esteem overly related to body image.
  • Inability to appreciate the severity of the situation.
  • Binge-Eating/Purging Type involves binge eating and/or purging behaviors during the last three months.
  • Restricting Type does not involve binge eating or purging.

Eating disorders experts have found that prompt intensive treatment significantly improves the chances of recovery.  Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa.

Warning Signs

  • Dramatic weight loss.
  • Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting.
  • Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates, etc.).
  • Frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss.
  • Anxiety about gaining weight or being “fat.”
  • Denial of hunger.
  • Development of food rituals (e.g. eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate).
  • Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.
  • Excessive, rigid exercise regimen–despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to “burn off” calories taken in.
  • Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.
  • In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns.

Health Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa involves self-starvation.; The body is denied the essential nutrients it needs to function normally, so it is forced to slow down all its processes to conserve energy. This “slowing down” can have serious medical consequences:

  • Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which mean that the heart muscle is changing.  The risk for heart failure rises as heart rate and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.
  • Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones.
  • Muscle loss and weakness.
  • Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.
  • Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.
  • Dry hair and skin, hair loss is common.
  • Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.

About Anorexia Nervosa

  • Approximately 90-95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls and women.
  • Between 0.5–1% of American women suffer from anorexia nervosa.
  • Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women.
  • Between 5-20% of individuals struggling with anorexia nervosa will die.  The probabilities of death increases within that range depending on the length of the condition.
  • Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition.
  • Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early to mid-adolescence.

Resolutions…or Revolution?

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

…And welcome to “resolution” season.  As we turn the page to a new chapter – 2019 – it is likely we will all have some exposure to the concept of changing something (or things) about oneself “for the better”.

Traditionally, resolution setting tends to revolve around our bodies and our behavior.  Commercials for diet and weight loss programs become more pervasive, the local gym puts up a shiny new billboard offering $20 off membership, we are encouraged to pick apart the pieces of ourselves that we find unsatisfactory, and we ride off into the sunset on the new trendy wellness bandwagon.

While there is nothing wrong with desiring change and embracing a collective opportunity to kick-start it all, we invite you to challenge the typical narrative this time of year and consider the idea of a revolution rather than a resolution.  What would it be like to look at goal setting from a place that wasn’t appearance-focused?  What other aspects of life are there to look at when considering working on oneself?  What if the resolution was that you are enough…let’s repeat that…You. Are. Enough. as you are without making a single change whatsoever?

We chose a few of our favorite perspective-shifting articles and blog posts to share with you this month that are centered around self-acceptance, body respect, and revolutionizing what it means to resolve to take better care of ourselves.  Enjoy!

Julie Dillon’s two-part take on why it makes sense to want to lose weight…and how to navigate these feelings from a place of self-respect:

it’s not body love or acceptance that’s first, it’s respect.

weight loss is a seductive fantasy…here’s why.

Ragen Chastain’s (Dances With Fat) notes on sustainable personal goal setting:

Non-Diet New Year’s Resolutions

Eating Disorder Therapy LA’s suggestions for alternatives to typical resolutions:

Don’t Diet! 10 Alternative New Year’s Resolutions

 

 

Don’t Give It All Away

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care.

Hello, Everyone!

This month we are breaking up the holiday chatter (but also…Happy Holidays!) to share with you all a candid, quite raw rendition of one’s experience of navigating relationships in recovery and traversing the journey of healing from co-dependency.  We love this timeless reminder that no matter what type of relationships we are fostering at the moment, we must always hold space for ourselves, nurture ourselves, and remain present with ourselves.

This piece was gifted by an Anonymous Recovery Warrior.

To my sister-

There will be someone that promises you the life you’ve always imagined having.  Constant, unwavering assurances of safety, security, and happiness will dance from their lips, forming the most entrancing, tempting ballet.  They will do it all right, and I mean everything.  From flowers, love notes, and elegant dinners to warm embraces and kisses as soft as the clouds.  These are all beautiful things to treasure, but love, don’t give it all away.

There will be someone that snatches your attention so violently and abruptly that they send you spinning into a whirlpool of your own thoughts.  For a while you’ll think you’re drowning in that perfect something.  You’ll immerse yourself in their cool, refreshing pool in an attempt to cleanse yourself, but please promise to stay where your feet can touch the bottom.  The deep end is colder, darker than you’d expect it to be- every time.   Darling, try to keep that beautiful head above the water.  Don’t give it all away.

There will be someone that you love to hate.  They will be your flame, you will be their gasoline.  You will pour your body over them like hot, melted wax just begging for a shape to take.  You will sugar yourself until they deem you the sweetest candy they have ever tasted.  You’ll surrender to the fire.  Passion is part of the game, but sissy, don’t give it all away.

There will be someone that changes your life.  You’ll think, speak, act, and do things differently than ever before.  You’ll set this new you into motion with a force so strong you’ll convince everyone you’ve had a revelation.  Your mind will shift, your attitudes will be altered, your dispositions will transform. Old habits will die, new ones will be born.  Perspective is powerful and changes are good, but look before you leap, baby.  Don’t give it all away.

There will be someone that makes themselves your project.  They will latch on, and you will mother their insecurities.  You’ll stroke their fragile ego.  You will find yourself cleaning up the foul waste of their childlike outbursts, uncontrolled and unpredictable.  You’ll wipe the floor of their mess and your tears of exhaustion, sanitize with affection, and you’ll wait for the next explosion.  You’ll hope that these nightmarish times will pass and that like the flu, it will get worse before it gets better.  My sister, I am here to tell you that there will always be another explosion, always another mess that will keep you on your knees.  Don’t give it all away.

There will be someone you love.  You’ll know it when you know it.  Your head will turn to them, and you’ll meet each other on an even playing field.  You’ll overlook things that are slightly inconvenient to preserve the pleasure of being a pair.  You’ll share yourself with them and they will reciprocate.  You’ll want them feverishly and vehemently.  You’ll experience compromise.  You’ll sacrifice genuinely but my god- don’t ever give it all away.

You see, there will always be someone.  There will always be high highs and low lows but whatever you do, don’t give it all away.  Don’t give all of yourself.  Don’t drain yourself dry.  Don’t burn yourself until the wick disappears.  Not ever.  If you ever take a piece of my advice, please let it be this one.  Leave some of you for you, no matter what.

Holiday Survival Guide: ED Recovery

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care.

Here we are again. It’s holiday time.

Regardless of what, when, where, or how you celebrate, the hustle and bustle of the season has the potential to be overwhelming and sometimes, downright scary. So how do we navigate nourishment of our bodies and our minds in the midst of the chaos?

Check out these ideas below:

  • Make a plan. Seriously. Do it. Even if you don’t think you need to. 
    • Events involving food will likely be unavoidable over the next few months. Food is a normal part of human connection and gathering and for those in recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating, this fact may feel quite anxiety-provoking. To say it simply, this is not the time to “wing it” or “see what will happen” or “talk about it later”. Taking the time to discuss these events, the food, and the fears around it all may be the ticket to maintaining recovery efforts.
  • Give support, get support.
    • Stay in touch with your support systems, people! It is very easy to skip your usual weekly support group or neglect to call back an accountability partner when we are feeling inundated with the many pressures of the holidays (family, travel, food, celebration, obligations, and the list goes on…). The heart of the matter is that because of these very pressures, you may need more support now than you’re able to realize…and we are thinking that may also ring true for the accountability partner from which you missed a call!
  • Make space for emotion. 
    • Everyone’s relationship to this season is different, yet we are all more stressed than usual in one way or another. Recognizing the nuances of your needs and waving ‘hello’ to whatever emotions or feelings you may be experiencing is a great first step to being able to cultivate a holiday-specific self-care regimen. See our August Blog Post on more ideas for gentle self-care during high-stress times!
  • Cope effectively. 

Do you have any tried and true methods for surviving the holiday season? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

Registered Dietitians and Nutritionists: Similarities and Differences

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Education.

Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Nutritionists have a similar professional passion – to help guide others in living their best lives through individualized and balanced eating patterns, movement routines, and overall self-care. However, there are stark differences in the education, training, and legal certification processes between Registered Dietitians and Nutritionists that are important to recognize when choosing the nutrition professional that is best suited to meet your needs.

Education and Training
All RDs must complete a formal education program resulting in a minimum of a 4-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. These degree programs include extensive coursework in the following areas:

  • Biology and Microbiology
  • Organic chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • Foodservice systems management
  • Food and nutrition sciences
  • Computer science and Business
  • Sociology and Psychology
  • Economics

Dietitians have also participated in a rigorous practical internship (minimum of 1,200 hours of hands-on experience) and are qualified to provide medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, metabolic disorders, and many other disease states. Nutritionists may have certificates and/or degrees in nutrition-related fields but are not required to complete the same formal education programs as RDs and cannot legally or ethically provide medical nutrition therapy.

Legal Certification
To become a registered dietitian, one must pass a comprehensive national exam and will likely need to acquire a license to practice in their individual locations. These certifications are upheld through renewal processes and by completing ongoing continuing education requirements. Non-licensed Nutritionists do not have to uphold national or state credentials and do not have to complete continuing education activities. “Nutritionist” is not a regulated title, so anyone can call themselves one regardless of their educational background, work experience, or services offered.

When embarking on your journey to balanced nutrition, ensure that you are choosing the nutrition professional that has the qualifications, experience, and ability to meet your individual needs and to help guide you in reaching your health and wellness goals!

Five Reasons Diet Culture is So Enticing

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Body Image, Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care. 2 Comments on Five Reasons Diet Culture is So Enticing

Diet culture is pervasive. The messages we internalize are often received inadvertently and yet, they sometimes gain immense power that can shift our mindset and behavior related to how we treat our bodies. How does this happen? Jamie Marchetti, Registered Dietitian and Author of the Wonderfully Well blog sheds some light on the ways diet culture can easily capture our attention and arrest us in our journey toward intuitive nourishment and insightful self care.

It’s okay to not get the massage.

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care. 1 Comment on It’s okay to not get the massage.

Self care. Self care. Self care.

While reserving space and time to care for ourselves in a chaotic, pressurized world is essential, the concept of “self care” has also become idealized and even exploited in recent years. Certain forms of self care (ex. “spa days”, exercise, etc.) have been pedestalized in mainstream media, which narrows the vision of self care considerably and reduces accessibility and inclusiveness for, well…the majority of people.

There are many reasons why people may avoid caring for themselves, and we believe that feeling pressure to create a luxurious experience for oneself every time we engage in self care only adds to the mix. The purpose of this post is to let you know that it is perfectly alright to choose boring, less “shiny” forms of self care when they meet your needs more efficiently and that it is important to pay attention to what those needs actually are in the first place.

“But I have no clue what I need!”

We hear you – totally and completely.

Start here:

Taking a moment to consider how you are feeling can help you choose self care activities that will be most appropriate for bringing you back to a more balanced place. We know, we know, getting in touch with feelings is everyone’s faaavorite activity (haha, not), but doing so can tell us more about what we are truly needing.

Below are a few examples of how to tie it all together!

Example 1:

Feeling/affect: Bored, isolated, lonely

Potential need: Connection

Possible self care activities: Reach out to a friend or support person, engage with recovery-positive social media, try a group movement class, etc.

Example 2:

Feeling/affect:  Overwhelmed, over-extended, “burnt out”

Potential need: Rest

Possible self care activities: Rest (nap, go to bed early, sleep in), massage or spa treatment, cancel plans, etc.

Example 3:

Feeling/affect: Anxious, restless, unsettled

Potential need: Calm, comfort

Possible self care activities: Guided meditation, grounding/breathing technique, nature walk, etc.

For more self-care inspiration, check out the link below about “boring self care” and one of our favorite Instagram profiles: @makedaisychains 

‘Boring Self-Care’ Drawings Celebrate Everyday Mental Health Victories

*Disclaimer* Choose what feels right to you. These suggestions are in no way absolute and are not meant to replace your current self care regimen, only to enhance your mindfulness around it. You don’t have to fit any mold ever, and we want you to choose self care activities that help you feel like your best self, no matter how trendy, luxurious, involved, simple, or boring they are or are not.

 

 

 

 

 

How To Look After Your Mental Health Whilst Travelling

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care.

Ahhhh, summer-time: the season of beach weekends, family vacations, trips, and travel.  This time of the year can be a whirlwind of fun and adventure, but let’s get real – it can also be extremely stressful and challenging for recovery.

How can we take recovery on vacation with us?  How do we maintain the efforts necessary to stay stable and safe without compromising enjoyment and spontaneity?

Check out this post from Moods, Meds, and Meals, a mental health and lifestyle blog, on how to care for yourself and still enjoy the summer (or any season, really) of fun around you.

Sharing the Love

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Body Image, Eating Disorder Recovery, Self Care, Uncategorized.

This month’s post pays homage to some of our most favorite blogs.  We at Nutritious Thoughts are showing appreciation, sending shout-outs, and sharing the LOVE with some stellar platforms that are recovery-positive and rooted in joyful living.

Favorite #1: Dances With Fat

Writer Ragen Chastain (she also identifies as many other incredible things – seriously check her out!) is REAL. We love this blog for the relatable content, post consistency (new reads monthly – yay!), and conversational spark in her writing.

Some common themes in this blog include: Health At Every Size (HAES), weight neutrality, size diversity, ditching diet culture, and lots of other awesomeness!

Click here to visit Dances With Fat

Favorite #2: Julie Duffy Dillon 

We love her blog, yes, but really just everything about this wonderful human is worth getting to know.  Julie is a nutrition therapist and eating disorder specialist that is passionate about helping others find peace with food, movement, and their bodies.  

Some common themes in this blog include: Eating Disorder & disordered eating recovery, PCOS, body image, mindful and intuitive eating, and lots of other awesomeness!

Click here to visit Julie’s blog

Favorite #3: Iris Cullinan

Perspective. That’s what we love about this blog. Iris is a Intuitive Career and Business Coach in Asheville, NC (Hey, neighbor!) and is a recovery advocate. Her vision is extraordinary, and her writing embodies elements of the recovery experience like no other.  

Some common themes in this blog include: self-care, motivation, mindfulness, life changes and transformation, and lots of other awesomeness! 

Click here to visit Iris’s blog

Happy reading, everyone!