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Tag: bddrecovery

Dating and Recovery – Your Go-To Guide

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Eating Disorder Recovery.

Dating can be tough. Dating in recovery from an eating disorder?

That can certainly add some layers of difficulty. Where to begin, right?!

We’ve compiled a list of perspectives to help you sort it all out.

 

Yes, Dating in Recovery is Possible. Here’s What You Need to Know.

Dating During Eating Disorder Recovery

The Secret Life of Dating With an Eating Disorder

The Challenges of Navigating Dating in Eating Disorder Recovery

 

Happy Dating! (…if and when you want to, of course!)

It’s okay if…

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Self Care.

The emotions and thoughts you are experiencing right now….let them flow. Let them just be here for a moment while you read on.

In light of the current COVID-19 crisis, none of us have the answer for when life will return to normal and all of us are grieving the Spring time we thought we would have. It’s okay if you’re feeling angry, exhausted, trapped, relieved or rested. Any of it fits.

It’s also okay if….

  • You miss your friends and family…or you don’t.
  • You want to eat more…or you don’t.
  • You feel like you might jump out of your skin…or you don’t.
  • You need to sleep more…or you don’t.
  • You enjoy working from home….or you don’t….or you can’t.
  • You have a productive day…or you don’t.
  • You get dressed…or you don’t.
  • You feel grateful…or you don’t.

There is no right way to feel, act, or “be” right now. Your responsibility is to be true to yourself and your physical, mental, and emotional needs during this time. These needs might not look like your parents’, roommates’, friends’, etc. and that is okay!

Sometimes, it is difficult to meet our needs all on our own. Nutritious Thoughts is here to support you in whatever way possible. As we experience this crisis together, we want you to know that we provide the following services and hope to lighten the load of stress you may be carrying.

  • Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for  chronic illness
  • Menu/Meal planning for individuals and families
  • Grocery list creation
  • Support around the following:
    • Easy meal preparation
    • Feeding your child during difficult times
    • Discussing food insecurity, budgeting, etc.
    • Body image concerns during a time of isolation
    • Emotional eating & loss of appetite concerns
    • Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating

Stay well, friends.

We stand with you and whatever you’re feeling right now.

Let us know how we can help you meet the needs of yourself and your family!

 

 

Resourcing Yourself

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

What does it mean to “be in your body”?

For many of us in recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating, this question is one that we shy away from. Being in our bodies? Nah, not for us. However, being in our bodies (embodiment) may be a tool to help strengthen and expand recovery.

So, let’s ask again. What does it mean to be embodied?

Being embodied means to have the ability to listen. When we can attune to the messages our bodies are sending us, we then have the opportunity to meet our needs accordingly and to be in and with ourselves.

Becoming embodied is a process that can take a lifetime, as we are discouraged from listening to our bodies from a very young age. How do we begin this process? See the tools below that can be used to exercise the “listening muscle” and enhance our ability to sense our bodies and how they fit in the world around us.

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Tool

  • This grounding technique helps us to orient to the world around us, which is the first step to being able to orient to the world within us (an embodied state).  Practice utilizing this tool linked above.

Body scanning

  • Body scanning is a type of meditation that invites us to notice sensations within our bodies. Practice body scanning to your comfort level using the video linked above.

Begin your journey to exploring embodiment by practicing the 5-4-3-2-1 and body scanning tools above. What do you notice about your thoughts, feelings, and sensations? What do you notice about your comfort level with yourself?

 

Stay tuned for more information about embodiment in recovery in our April blog post!

 

 

SURVIVING VALENTINE’S DAY DURING EARLY RECOVERY

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

This Valentine’s Day, we share a post via New Method Wellness. These words are truly a worthwhile read!

With love,

Nutritious Thoughts

“It’s a little annoying when stores start putting up Valentine’s Day decorations before it’s even January. Well, February is here already, and now the countdown has begun toward that lovely – or dreaded – Hallmark holiday. Relationship experts and addiction professionals warn about love during the first year of recovery, but when “love is in the air” and all around you, it’s hard to block it out of your mind, especially around this time of year! As you scroll through your Facebook feeds and Instagram pics, you can’t help but wonder, how would a little love hurt anyone?
WHAT’S BETTER THAN LOVE AFTER RECOVERY?
If you are in recovery, your best bet is to make sobriety the top priority on your list rather than finding love. That can be pretty hard to do when every store you walk into is full of reminders that you are single, but rest assured, you won’t regret sticking to the discipline of sobriety for the following reasons:
• Focusing on your sobriety will, in the long run, lead to healthier relationships overall, not just in the romantic domain, but also in all aspects of life
• You increase your chances of success at any endeavor if you stick with the treatment plan that you and your substance abuse counselor developed together
• You reduce your chances of relapsing by avoiding romantic distractions
• You avoid the pitfall of unhealthy relationships. If you get involved with someone during your early stages of recovery, you get addicted to the “high” of falling in love rather than falling in love with the person
• You get to exercise responsibility by not entangling others in an emotional rollercoaster while you sort out your own emotions and discover who you are.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO INSTEAD OF FINDING A NEW RELATIONSHIP?
Do what makes you happy. Fill your schedule with activities that excite you. Here are some ideas you might want to try:
• Sign up for a dance class. Tired of salsa? Try swing dancing and bring a friend with you who will be supportive of your recovery.
• Get into photography and soak in the beauty around you. Form a new habit by creating an album of memories and people you never want to forget. Appreciate beauty in all its forms wherever you go.
• Go horseback riding. Aside from letting you bond with your favorite animal, horseback riding offers you nontraditional benefits of a physical workout. It helps strengthen your muscles and improve your cardiovascular health.
• Like water? Try water sports like surfing and paddle boarding. Not only are they great for physical exercise but they’re also excellent ways to enhance your mood and reduce anxiety.
DO NOT ISOLATE YOURSELF ON VALENTINE’S DAY
It’s a well-known fact that those who have a history of addiction tend to isolate themselves, irrespective of the type of addiction they have. Case studies have shown that social isolation largely contributes to higher rates of drug use, and the maladaptive patterns developed during substance abuse negatively affect one’s existing relationships.

Reach out to a loved one. Reach out to your recovery community. Stay connected this Valentine’s Day!

Repost: Some “What Ifs” For Dealing With Fatphobia In The New Year

Written by Kendra Gaffney on . Posted in Body Image, Eating Disorder Recovery.

This blog post was written by Ragen Chastain of Dances with Fat.

“The truth is that fatphobia should never happen, and we should never have to deal with it. If and when we do, we might have to take into account how much energy we have to fight, how much power the person engaged in bigotry has over us, or other factors – including and especially for people who are part of more than one marginalized community. So these what-ifs aren’t about deciding what we will do every time, but rather thinking about the possibilities

What if we didn’t put up with body shaming?

What if we interrupted body shaming whenever we heard it – not just about our own bodies, but about any body? You could say something like “My new year’s resolution is to stop participating in negative body talk.” (If this is happening before the new year, just add “and I’m starting early!”)

What if we didn’t allow a running commentary on our body/food choices/weight/etc.

People can think whatever they want about my body, but they can’t say it out loud if they want me to stick around. One of my favorite phrases for this is “I’m going to stop you there.” You can just leave it at that and change the subject, or you can add something like “I’m not interested in people’s opinions about my body/food/weight/etc. let’s talk about something else.”

What if we didn’t buy into the thinner=better/healthier/prettier paradigm

This is a place where I think all of us can probably use some self-work. Our culture is utterly saturated with this myth and it can create fatphobia that is directed at others and/or internalized. (Often we can identify areas for work by our “buts” and our “as long as’s” for example, if we think “it’s ok to be fat but…she shouldn’t be wearing that” or “it’s ok to be fat as long as you’re healthy”) Bodies come in lots of sizes for lots of reasons and thinner bodies are not inherently better in any way, and adding healthism to fatphobia does not improve the situation.

What if we loudly defended our bodies, fixed a plate, then flipped a table and walked out?

This may not be your style and that’s completely ok. But know that it’s ok to defend your body (maybe like you would defend someone you love.) We each get to choose what we are going to allow and sometimes those choices are out of your hands, but it’s worth brainstorming the solutions that are the most “out there” including table-flipping, and leaving (with a plate, of course!)

If we want to dismantle fatphobia we need to keep asking ‘what if…’.”

Seasonal Self Care

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Articles, Self Care.

Autumn is transitional.  The light reflects a bit differently on the trees at dusk, some schedules speed up while others slow down, and we prepare for the holiday season ahead.  Seasonal shifts can be a challenging time to maintain self care. In fact, for many of us, the ways in which we care for ourselves shift with the season.  Nights are longer, temperatures drop, the air becomes filled with family-focused activities, and so on.  Do you struggle with maintaining self care regimens as summer transitions to fall?  Read on for some key points to taking the seasonal shift head on and taking the pressure off of yourself when it comes to self care!

Sometimes Simple Works Best

Self care doesn’t have to be “all or nothing”.  Setting realistic expectations for yourself during more chaotic times is essential to prevent self care from feeling like a chore.  Simple self care this season might look like going to bed 30 minutes earlier, just like daylight does!  It could also be remembering to turn the crock pot on before leaving the house.  These things can (and should) matter just as much as carving out time on a sunny morning to run or booking that weekend getaway. 

Set and Keep Boundaries

Repeat after us, “You do not have to accept every invite you receive.”  Autumn is filled with fun activities and gatherings of all kinds!  While this time of year typically has something for everyone, this doesn’t mean that you have to do all the somethings at the expense of your own peace. If going to that bonfire on Friday night feels like too much, trust your gut…it’s probably too much…AND, you are empowered to say “no” to attending!

Look After Your Body

Yay, fall!  Not so “yay”  is cold and flu season.  Practice taking care of your physical body this season.  Get that flu shot, put lotion on that dry skin, stay hydrated.

Mind Your Mental Health

It’s SAD (seasonal affective disorder) season. If you feel you struggle more with your mental health this time of year, ramping up your mental health care game might need to be in the cards for you. “What more could I do?”, you ask? Here are some ideas:

  • Reach out for support – friends, family, clinicians
  • Begin a daily mindfulness practice – journaling, breathing, coloring, etc.
  • Self help – don’t knock the self help section of the book store…it’s a goldmine.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful fall season! Happy October!

 

Back to School!

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

We are a few weeks into the 2019-2020 school year.  With returning to school comes a set of new stressors, deadlines, and social activities.  How do we maintain recovery when taking on the role of “student”?  Eating Disorder Hope recently released an article on this topic exactly, and we couldn’t have written it any better ourselves.  Therefore, we’ve provided the article for you here in this blog post!  Keep reading for some top-notch tips on staying recovery-forward in the midst of transitioning back to school.

 

Best Practices for Returning to School

Here are the best practices for returning to school in eating disorder recovery:

Make time for recovery. Even with a busier schedule, it’s important to prioritize recovery. This includes continuing to attend appointments with your treatment team at a frequency that will continue to support your recovery. This also includes keeping your long-term health and wellness in mind in spite of the stressors that come with school.

Identify your triggers. Before returning to school, identify what may trigger disordered eating thoughts and behaviors. Triggers may be things like overhearing classmates talk about their bodies, eating with others in the lunchroom, or the amount of math homework you’ll be facing.

Have a go-to list of coping skills and self-care plans that will help you manage these triggers. This will help reduce any risk of relapse.

Develop a healthy daily structure. Finding a daily structure means finding balance. It’s having a routine that provides regular sleep and regular meals.

It’s a schedule that includes social activities that make it difficult to isolate, as well as things like making time for academic efforts to prevent school work from “building up.”

Self-care is an important part of the daily structure — as part of the best practices for returning to school, be sure to build in time each day to take care of yourself and manage daily stressors.

Get support. Know that when things get difficult, you don’t have to figure it out all on your own. Call in your support system — whether it be parents, friends, teachers, the school counselor, or a formal support group — for support around whatever is troubling you.

Many students in recovery need support around academic workload, time management, stress management, meal prep, and/or mealtime support.

Consult with your treatment team. Work closely with your treatment team to address any triggers or challenges that may arise. If you have any concerns, be sure to share them with your treatment team, as they will be able to support you and offer up individualized recommendations.

If you begin to feel like things are getting on top of you, like you’re not coping as well, or returning to old disordered eating thoughts or behaviors, it’s important that you reach out to your treatment team as soon as possible.

Special consideration for student-athletes. Work closely with your coach.

For students in recovery who are returning to athletics along with school, it’s important that your coach understands how to support you in your recovery.

Coaches should be aware of any recommendations being made by your treatment team and be willing to support you in following those recommendations.

This is important for both your short-term and long-term health and wellbeing.

About the Author:

Chelsea Fielder-JenksChelsea Fielder-Jenks is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Austin, Texas. Chelsea works with individuals, families, and groups primarily from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) framework.

She has extensive experience working with adolescents, families, and adults who struggle with eating, substance use, and various co-occurring mental health disorders. You can learn more about Chelsea and her private practice at ThriveCounselingAustin.com.

Is Laughter Really The Best Medicine?

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Articles, Self Care.

This past month, the Nutritious Thoughts team participated in Laughter Yoga.  Yep, you read that correctly!  Never having heard of this form of self-care, we were greatly intrigued and wanted to learn more about the potential benefits of this practice.  Happiness Coach Jennifer Parr (make sure to check out her services here!) gave us an incredible introduction to Laughter Yoga and how giggling can promote overall well-being!

Laughter Life Hack – written by Jennifer Parr

Laughing for just 15 minutes can literally save your life. 1 in 2 Americans struggle to stay happy and the majority of us are seeking solutions to escape the overwhelming stress so many of us face on a daily basis that can be felt in the form of anxiety, irritability, fatigue, digestive problems, and headaches.

One of the fastest and most immediate ways to reduce stress and rewire neural pathways in the brain to get immediate and noticeable change is laughter. Laughter is now recognized as a legitimate, scientifically validated form of preventative medicine.

Physiologically, stress and laughter are complete opposites. If you are laughing, it is physically impossible to also experience stress in that moment. When you experience stress, it negatively effects the functioning and health of your body including an increased heartbeat, rise in blood pressure, and constriction of blood vessels. However, when laughing, your heartbeat slows, blood pressure naturally decreases, and blood vessels are no longer constricted.

The health benefits of laughter are endless.

Laughter Benefits:

Decreases Stress Hormones.
Counteracts Symptoms of Depression.
Relaxes Muscles, and Simulates Circulation.
Improves Memory, Creativity and Problem Solving Skills.
Increases Energy Levels.
Strengthens Immune System.
Improves Digestive System.
Elevates Self Esteem.
Reduce or Prevent Symptoms of Allergies, Asthma, Arthritis, and Cancer.
Quiets the Mind.
Better Sleep.
Release of Feel Good Endorphins.
Emotional Balance and Joy.
Improves Overall Health.l

How can you get MORE laughter in your life? You are 30 times more likely to laugh in the company of others (vs. laughing on your own). One of the most fun and effective ways to guarantee regular laughter while in the company of a supportive community is to take a Laughter Yoga class. It is necessary to laugh for at least 15 minutes to receive the full health benefits of laughter. Laughter Yoga will guarantee that you get at least 15 minutes of Laughter (and in most cases much more) so you can experience immediate and noticeable health benefits.

WHAT IS LAUGHTER YOGA?

Laughter yoga combines yogic breathing techniques, guided laughter exercises and a unique form of meditation. No mat or yoga experience is needed or required.

Class Includes:

·       Light Stretching

·       Yogic Breathing Techniques.

·       Laughter Exercises and Movement.

·       Low impact cardiovascular workout for any fitness level.

·       Laughter Meditation.

What To Expect In A Laughter Yoga Session?

Play and joy are basic human needs, even for adults, and necessary for living a happy and balanced life. This class supports participants in meeting such essential needs and can bring lasting joy when practiced regularly through a variety of guided group and partner exercises. Learn how to laugh without having to rely on humor, jokes or comedy!

What Will You Experience After Laughter Yoga?

Immediately following a laughter yoga session, you will understand the value of laughter as a form of low impact cardiovascular exercise. Many participants have reported decreased anxiety, stress, tension, and worry immediately after the first class as well as increased energy and relaxation.

You will learn how to change your mood within minutes through the exercises. Practicing regularly will help create a more positive attitude and positive coping mechanisms for difficult life situations. Participants will also learn techniques for releasing built up negative emotions. Many participants also report that they feel more connected and comfortable with other participants in class and it can often help in forming friendships.

If you are interested in experiencing a Laughter Yoga class, we will be offering regular classes at Nutritious Thoughts led by Jennifer Parr. Her website is www.jennparr.com.

“Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.” – Lord Byron