Prioritize What Matters When You’re in Survival Mode as a Parent
Parenting while in survival mode is tiring. Prioritize what matters: protect your energy, show up authentically, and prioritize self-care.
eating disorder
When Does ‘Healthy Eating’ Become Disordered? What Parents Need to Know…
You want to know when does healthy eating become disordered? Here is what parents need to know….As a parent, you want your teen to develop a healthy relationship with food—one that supports both their physical and mental well-being. What happens when their focus on “clean eating” or “healthy choices” starts to feel extreme? Many eating disorders begin with good intentions, making them easy to overlook until they become harmful. I have seen the “clean eating” trend be disordered many times among people of various ages. While it’s great to encourage balanced eating habits, it’s also important to recognize when “healthy eating” starts to cross the line into disordered eating. Here’s what to watch for and how to support your teen. When Does Healthy Eating Become a Problem? For many teens, an interest in nutrition, fitness, or health starts innocently. They may learn about nutrition in school, see influencers promoting “clean eating,” or decide they want to eat healthier for personal reasons. For some, this focus can become rigid and obsessive, leading to an unhealthy relationship with food. Signs That “Healthy Eating” Might Be a Red Flag: 🚩 Strict Food Rules – Cutting out entire food groups without a medical reason (e.g., no carbs, no fats, no processed foods). 🚩 Guilt Around Eating – Feeling anxious, ashamed, or upset after eating certain foods. 🚩 Obsession with Ingredients – Hyper-focusing on food labels, calories, or only eating “clean” or “whole” foods. 🚩 Skipping Social Meals – Avoiding family dinners, outings, or events because of “unhealthy” food options. 🚩 Compensating for Eating – Exercising excessively, skipping meals, or fasting to “make up” for eating certain foods. 🚩 Increased Anxiety Around Food – Showing signs of distress when faced with foods that don’t fit their “rules.” 🚩 Weight Loss or Extreme Control Over Eating – Even if they don’t appear underweight, significant weight changes or extreme rigidity around food choices can indicate a deeper issue. The Difference Between Healthy Eating and Disordered Eating The key difference between healthy eating and disordered eating is flexibility. A teen with a truly balanced approach to nutrition can enjoy a variety of foods, eat intuitively, and not feel intense guilt or anxiety around their choices. Disordered eating, on the other hand, is rigid, driven by rules, and often connected to deeper emotional struggles. How to Support Your Teen’s Relationship with Food Noticing any of these warning signs? Here are some steps you can take to help: ✅ Model Balance: Show that all foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy a variety of foods yourself, including both nutritious and fun choices, without labeling them as “good” or “bad.” ✅ Encourage a Positive Food Mindset: Instead of talking about food in terms of weight, focus on energy, strength, and well-being. Avoid discussing diets, calorie counts, or weight loss. ✅ Create Open Conversations: Ask about your teen’s eating habits with curiosity, not judgment. Instead of questioning their choices. Try, “I’ve noticed you seem more focused on what you’re eating lately—how are you feeling about it?” ✅ Watch for Emotional Changes: Look for signs of anxiety, stress, or extreme routines around food, which could indicate a deeper struggle. Eating disorders often develop alongside anxiety, perfectionism, or a need for control. Trust Your Instincts and Seek Support When something feels off, trust your gut. Disordered eating can develop gradually. Early intervention makes a big difference. Whether your teen is struggling with rigid eating rules, food guilt, or body image concerns, support is available. You don’t have to navigate this alone. If you’re concerned about your teen’s relationship with food and need guidance, let’s talk. Schedule a free consultation here. CONCERNS WITH YOUR TEEN’S EATING HABITS? DOWNLOAD THIS FREE GUIDE ON HOW TO TALK TO YOUR TEEN ABOUT THEIR EATING HABITS ….WITHOUT MAKING IT WORSE
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“Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorders: Understanding the Key Differences”
What do you think people most want coaching on? When I began parent coaching, I figured I would be coaching individuals or parents most on depression, anxiety and stress. While, these are topics I frequently coach people on, lately the topics I have been sought to coach on are disordered eating or body dysmorphia. Even when a parent or individual wants coaching around another topic, disordered eating and body dysmorphia are often a part of the fabric. What’s the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders? According to the National Eating Disorders Association, nearly 30 million Americans are impacted by eating disorders, which can be life-threatening. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 28.8 million Americans will face an eating disorder at some point in their lives and 22 % of children and adolescents worldwide show signs of disordered eating. Anorexia Nervosa is the leading cause of death among diagnosable mental illnesses. Disordered eating is more prevalent than you might think. In a 2008 survey of 4,023 women aged 25 to 45, conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 65% reported engaging in disordered eating behaviors. However, these behaviors can be more difficult to recognize. If your eating habits disrupt your ability to nourish yourself consistently and adequately, they may be problematic. Signs of disordered eating can include excessive exercise, restrictive eating, or avoiding certain foods or food groups, extreme fasting or cleanses. Dieting is disordered eating. People who are always trying to lose weight and/or struggle with body image might engage in these activities more. However, disordered eating is prevalent among a huge portion of our society and due to the emphasis on health and being thin, these behaviors have become normalized. The problem is it can cause a physical, mental and emotional toll on a person and those around them and having disordered eating increases the chances of developing an eating disorder. “These behaviors aren’t random. They can be picked up from things like social media, TV, or even your peers. They’re hard to recognize because they’re created and celebrated by diet culture, which encourages thinness—even if it’s achieved in an unhealthy way, says Rachel Engelhart, RD, the clinical director at the Eating Recovery Center in Bethesda, MD. For information on parenting through mental health challenges or stress, book a free Discovery call appointment with me now with this link
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The Power of Coaching: Creating Lasting Change for Health and Parenting
The Power of Coaching: Creating Lasting Change for Health and Parenting
Research shows that people are more likely to succeed when they make changes for their own reasons, rather than following directives that often lead to resistance. Coaching empowers individuals to take charge, fostering lasting change on their terms.
Coaching is a goal-driven process designed to help individuals achieve positive outcomes in health, parenting, or personal growth. While life and career coaching are well-established, health and parent coaching are emerging specialties. As a certified health and parent coach, I use evidence-based strategies to help clients align their strengths and values with their goals, creating sustainable success.
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Body Image and Self-Care: How They Impact Mental and Physical Health
Body Image and Self-Care: How They Impact Mental and Physical Health
Your feelings about your body significantly affect how you care for it, influencing both mental and physical health. Negative body image can lead to poor self-care habits and health complications.
Body image combines how you see yourself and what you wish to look like, ranging from realistic to distorted ideals. When your body image is realistic and attainable, self-care improves, promoting overall well-being. However, dissatisfaction with appearance may push people toward unhealthy behaviors, such as excessive exercise or restrictive eating, in pursuit of unrealistic goals.
In severe cases like body dysmorphia, no amount of dieting, exercise, or surgery satisfies the desired image, often resulting in dangerous habits and conditions like eating disorders, nutrient deficiencies, osteoporosis, and heart issues. Promoting a healthy body image is key to fostering balanced mental and physical health.
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It’s about balanced eating-forget clean eating
Undernourished teenage girls need saturated fats for essential body functions like hormone regulation and menstruation, as a pediatric endocrinologist once emphasized while I worked with a client battling a severe eating disorder. This insight shifted my perspective on nutrition, underscoring the importance of balance for both those with eating disorders and individuals managing weight issues.
Over-restricting “fun foods” like quick-digesting carbs or labeling foods as “good” or “bad” can lead to under-fueling, harming both physical and mental health. Promoting balanced eating habits is essential to preventing malnutrition and supporting overall well-being at any age.