E28. Deconstructing the Deception of Diet Culture with Dietitian Rachael Hartley

The Air We Breathe: Finding Well-Being That Works for You

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Today on the podcast, I am joined by Rachael Hartley, a private practice dietitian and the author of my most recommended nutrition book, Gentle Nutrition. Rachael works closely with people to develop a healthier relationship with food and those in eating disorder recovery.

In this episode, we will discuss:

• How diet culture has begun to adopt the language of anti-diet culture as a way to hide in plain sight and how to spot a diet.
• The cycle that comes with trying to build a healthier relationship with food.
• The grief that comes along with acceptance.
• Social media’s impact on people, especially the younger generations.

Rachael also shared some physical and mental shifts to lessen the impact of diet culture.

Physical shifts:

• Learn how to spot and navigate diet culture, especially on social media, and reduce the content you consume.
• Identify things you could do if you were comfortable in your body today.

Mental shifts:

• Notice when negative self-talk or body checking occurs.
• Recognize how they view and talk about others.

Bio:

I’m Rachael, a dietitian and nutrition therapist who joined the field because she really loves food. As a certified intuitive eating counselor, I am fiercely passionate about helping others ditch the diet rules and rediscover the joy of eating. My goal is to help my clients and readers nurture a healthier relationship with food, and improve their wellbeing with eating habits rooted in nourishment instead of restriction and deprivation.

Like most dietitians, I used to think nutrition was all about “eating less” and “eating right.” I believed what I was taught about weight and health being one and the same. Those beliefs led me down a path where food and eating became stressful and complicated. As I started working with clients, I quickly realized my approach wasn’t helping. I saw how the focus on weight and rigid diet rules turned something that should be a simple, nourishing act of self care, into an anxiety-filled chore.

Resources:

Rachel’s Blog Post- Are You Lowkey Dieting?

Christy Harrison- https://christyharrison.com/

Biggest Loser Study

अध्यायों

1. Diet Industry Co-Opts Anti-Diet Culture (00:00:00)

2. Harms of Weight Loss Programs (00:10:12)

3. Body Acceptance, Navigating Diet Culture (00:16:27)

4. Impact of Photo Manipulation on Nutrition (00:33:10)

5. Boston Dogs and Intuitive Eating on Instagram (00:42:44)