Fall is a big season for sports, but with the excitement of competition can also come pressure around food, exercise, body size, and performance. In this blog, we explore the Athlete’s Plate, under fueling, and why athletes can be at increased risk for disordered eating and eating disorders. We’ll look at warning signs, how under fueling can affect athletic performance and overall health, and how athletes can support their bodies with enough food, rest, and recovery without turning nutrition into another set of strict rules.

If you’re on social media, you likely saw something about “Oreogate” recently. If you aren’t on social media, or missed this debate, the long story short is: a mom asked other moms not to send Oreos, chocolate, or candy in their children’s lunches, after her daughter came home upset at seeing her friends eating Oreos, a food restricted in this girl’s house. As eating disorder dietitians who work with both children and adults, we had some thoughts on this whole controversy. If you’ve been around our blog for a while, you can probably guess how we feel, but let’s dive into why we feel that way, and what we recommend for parents when feeding their kids.

This week was Weight Stigma Awareness Week, an initiative between Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, co-founder of Within Health and Chevese Turner, founder of the Body Equity Alliance. As eating disorder dietitians, we are so grateful for this event, as weight stigma’s roots lie in racism, shame, and discrimination. Weight stigma is often the catalyst for eating disorders, as people believe their body size or shape is the problem, or providers focus so much on weight that a person engages in disordered behaviors in order to get necessary medical care.

Eating healthy and choosing the best quality food available is a good thing, right? At first, our answer as a group of registered dietitians may surprise you – Not always. Orthorexia is an eating disorder where a person has a hyperfixation on extreme “healthy” or “clean” eating, to the point of causing mental and/or physical distress. It can be hard to identify, since it often looks like someone being careful about what they eat or choosing to focus on their health. However, the food restrictions can increase so much that people are omitting certain foods, and even food groups from their diet, which can have the same physical effects on the body as Anorexia Nervosa. 

Calories are everywhere. They’re listed on menus, displayed on food packaging, built into fitness watches, and tracked through apps on our phones. It can feel almost impossible to eat without knowing how many calories are in something.

As eating disorder dietitians, we see how easily calorie counting can take over someone's thoughts about food. Read on for why calorie tracking can hurt your relationship with food.

It’s hard to believe summer is over and back to school is here already! Transitions are especially difficult for someone in eating disorder recovery. As we prepare to transition from summer schedules and slower days into the schedule of school, fall sports, and after school activities, we have 4 tips to help you with the back to school transition, whether you’re a teacher, a student, or a parent of someone with an eating disorder.

Florida’s Second Chance Act mandates that all high school students who are playing an FHSAA sport must have at least one EKG screening completed and kept on file. If a student has an abnormal EKG result, they are prohibited from participating until they receive written medical clearance from a doctor. Florida is the first state to mandate EKG screenings for high school student-athletes. While all high school athletes are required to complete a sports physical prior to participation, the majority of heart conditions can be missed by the standard sports physical.

Peptides are one of the biggest wellness trends right now, but what are they really, and are the claims backed by science? In this blog, our registered dietitians explain what peptides are, how they differ from GLP-1 medications, and why they're being promoted for weight loss, muscle growth, and anti-aging. We also discuss the potential impact peptides may have on eating disorder recovery, body image, and your relationship with food, helping you separate evidence from social media hype.

The return of ultra-thin beauty standards and viral trends like SkinnyTok are changing the way many people view their bodies, often fueling comparison, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder thoughts. This blog explores how celebrity weight loss conversations and social media algorithms can negatively affect mental health and how to protect your well-being by creating healthier boundaries with the content you consume.

Even though it’s still summer, back to school for college is right around the corner. Whether you’re going away to college for the first time, returning from summer break, or you’re a parent sending your kid to college, for students with an eating disorder, it can feel especially overwhelming. Read on for 5 ways to keep up with your eating disorder recovery while in college.

High protein products are everywhere, from protein coffee and matcha to protein water and snacks, making it seem like every food needs extra protein to be considered healthy. While protein is an important part of a balanced diet, the growing obsession with maximizing protein intake may be creating unnecessary food anxiety, especially for those struggling with disordered eating or eating disorders.

Disordered eating versus eating disorders - in so many ways, they are very similar, but there are also some key differences. Today, we’re digging deeper into the differences between disordered eating and eating disorders, how an eating disorder is diagnosed, and what the differences in care are. Read on for more.

Binge Eating Disorder, or BED for short, is more than binge eating or overeating. BED was first classified as an eating disorder in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition) in 2013, but it is by no means a new eating disorder. In fact, it is the most common eating disorder, despite it being lesser known. Binge eating disorder is not a lack of willpower or a phase, and like any other eating disorder, it can impact people of any age, race, or gender. 

Many people assume eating disorders are easy to recognize, but disordered eating often develops quietly and can hide behind behaviors that are praised by society. A latent eating disorder may look like clean eating, dedication to fitness, or simply being "health conscious," while underneath the surface food anxiety, guilt, restriction, and body image concerns continue to grow.

As we wrap up Men’s Health Week and prepare to celebrate the fathers in our lives, we wanted to take a minute to explore the topic of eating disorders in men. Eating disorders in boys and men currently make up about a third of those diagnosed. Let’s learn more about eating disorders in men.

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1, which is a hormone that is produced naturally in the gut after eating. It helps to regulate blood sugar through the stimulation of insulin production, and also slows digestion. What has emerged and become so popular as of late are GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drugs that helps to control insulin and blood glucose levels, and also promotes a feeling of satiety, mimicking the body’s natural process. 

Choosing the right eating disorder treatment center can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down what to look for when evaluating treatment programs, including specialized eating disorder care, levels of support, treatment philosophies, insurance considerations, and individualized approaches to recovery. Finding the right fit can make a significant difference in long-term healing and recovery outcomes.

Comments like “You look so healthy” or “Have you lost weight?” may seem harmless, but they can be surprisingly difficult to hear during eating disorder recovery. In this blog, we share why body comments can be triggering and offer practical ways to respond that help protect your recovery and support a healthier relationship with your body.

Last week, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) got a new name- Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). At Namaste Nourished, we see many clients with PCOS, and love helping women impacted by PCOS find relief from their symptoms. We’re digging into the name change for this condition that impacts more than 170 million women worldwide. 

Eating foods that you enjoy in an appealing environment allows for greater satisfaction, where you discover both physical and emotional satiety. Increasing satisfaction helps to develop a stronger relationship with food. You might be able to exist without satisfaction in your food, but it won’t be what you really need or want, and eventually, you’ll crave more. Here are a few ideas.