Seed Oils, Ultra-Processed Foods, Menopause and More…

It’s been a while since I’ve shared some of the content I’ve been consuming when it comes to food and body peace. Following is a handful of recent podcast episodes and articles I found illuminating and helpful. Perhaps you will, too.

Ultra-Processed Foods and Seed Oils
Ultra-processed foods and seed oils have been talked about more than ever in recent months. On these Maintenance Phase podcast episodes, hosts Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes do a deep dive into the research and claims and explore the complexities and nuances of both.

>Ultra-Processed Foods 

>Seed Oils

For another take on ultra-processed foods, check out these older but still very relevant Burnt Toast podcast episodes: The Problem Isn’t Flaming Hot Cheetos Part 1 and Part 2.

Perimenopause and Menopause
We’re hearing a lot more about perimenopause and menopause these days, which is a good thing! Unfortunately, much of the content is steeped in diet culture, fatphobia and body shame—and is filled with misinformation, fearmongering and scams. 

On the Burnt Toast podcast, Dr. Mara Gordon speaks with host Virginia Sole-Smith about her weight-inclusive approach to healthcare and answers listener questions about this major life change.

Dr. Mara Won’t Sell You a Weighted Vest (Part 1)

“The Dismissal of Symptoms is Straight-Up Misogyny.” (Part 2)

Serena Williams and GLP-1s
There’s been a lot of buzz and big feelings about Serena Williams’ use of a GLP-1 drug to lose weight. I love what body liberation advocate Chrissy King has to say about it.

If you want to gain a greater understanding of the research on GLP-1s, I highly recommend checking out Ragen Chastain’s Substack newsletter, Weight and Healthcare.

I Have a Love-Hate Relationship with Food. How About You?

How would you describe your relationship with food?

When I ask people this question, one of the most frequent answers I get is “I have a love-hate relationship with food.”

Some other common responses include:

• Bad

• Complicated

• Obsessive

• Unhealthy

• Stressful

• Guilt-ridden

• Difficult

• Controlling

• All-or-nothing

• Out of control

• Compulsive

• Anxiety-filled

• Secretive

• Negative

• Judgmental

• Fearful

• Punitive

Do any of these descriptors resonate with you?

See It Differently Now
Many years ago, when I was restricting my eating in an effort to lose weight and “eat clean," I probably would have described my relationship with food as good, healthy, disciplined.  

As I was so entrenched in diet and wellness cultures, I couldn’t see how disordered my eating had become. I thought I was being good, doing the right thing. 

This belief was often reinforced by many of the people around me, who often praised my eating. I don’t blame them. We live in a culture that normalizes and celebrates disordered eating. 

Ironically, I also considered myself to be a passionate foodie even though I rarely ate anything that wasn't on my diet-approved list. Instead, I took a lot of joy in watching others consume the foods I was excited about.

Looking back now, I would describe my relationship with food as all-consuming, hypervigilant, calculated, rigid, black-and-white, moralistic, fraught, tense, isolating and utterly exhausting. 

I feel sad and regretful when I reflect on that time, and also incredibly grateful I got out of such a dysfunctional relationship.

Of course, some aspects of it were pleasurable, at least for brief moments until I reached the point of uncomfortable fullness (overeating is a natural response to food deprivation), and before my inner Food Police started shouting at me (“You ate so bad! You need to make up for it!”).

What Do You Want?
In addition to asking folks how they would describe their relationship with food, I also like to ask what type of relationship they would like to have.

Easy, guilt-free, peaceful, positive, pleasurable and neutral are just a few of the words that come to mind.

"I just want food to be food" is a common refrain.

When you reflect on this question, what comes up for you? 

And what’s standing in between where you are now and where you would like to be?

Is It Ok to Eat Sweet Potatoes? When Food Stresses You Out

Many years ago, when I was deeply entrenched in wellness culture, I was listening to an episode of a popular podcast that was all about optimizing your health.

The host and his guest were taking calls from listeners. I’ll never forget one listener who called in to ask if sweet potatoes were allowed on the particular “lifestyle diet” she was following. 

I was struck by the distraught tone of her voice and how stressed she was about whether or not it was okay to eat a sweet potato. 

Of course, there was a part of me that related to her struggle. 

While I never restricted sweet potatoes, I certainly restricted many other foods I considered “bad."

Like her, I often felt confused about what I should or shouldn’t be eating and feared breaking a food rule as doing so felt catastrophic. I identified with her desire to eat perfectly and her need to be in control of every morsel she consumed.

And, I understood all too well the overwhelming, relentless stress and anxiety that comes along with all of this. 

I Felt Sad, Too
However, there was also a part of me that felt sad—sad for her and sad about the entire situation. 

I remember thinking there was something not quite right about being so stressed out about eating a particular food—and something not quite right about three adults discussing the pros and cons of her eating it.

It was distressing to consider how much time and energy we were all wasting on our quest to be perfect, healthy eaters when there were so many more important, meaningful and fulfilling things to focus on. 

Was this really the best use of our lives? 

And, if what we were doing in the “name of health” was causing us so much emotional stress, was it really healthy?

Started to Question
It was moments like these that caused me to start questioning wellness culture, which is mostly diet culture in disguise, and my participation in it.

I was beginning to see the many ways it can trigger disordered eating with all its fearmongering, good and bad foods, eat this, not that lists, and gazillion other often conflicting and harmful messages, all largely driven by anti-fat bias.

I started to examine my own food rules and fears, including investigating where they came from, the evidence behind them, and if they truly supported my wellbeing. 

I discovered that none of them were warranted.

They disconnected me from my body, caused a lot of needless suffering and stress, and stopped me from having an intuitive, satisfying and peaceful relationship with food.

Of course, if I had a health condition that necessitated avoiding a specific food, like Celiac disease or a shellfish allergy, trepidation about consuming gluten, shrimp, etc. would be an understandable, rational fear. 

I hope the sweet-potato lady eventually overcame her unnecessary food fears, ditched her stressful rules and found her way to food freedom. And, I hope you do, too.