Learn How a Functional Nutritionist Can Help Your Eating Disorder
Too many men and women spend life weighed down by unscientific ideas about eating disorders and anxiety. It seems like everyone is telling us different things about what food should be and what it stands for. Let’s start here: food does not define you.
I’m here to tell you that eating disorders are complex and can arise from genetic and nutritional factors. Does that mean that changing your diet can lead to better mental health? Yes! And I’m not talking about “a diet” – restricting calories, cutting sugar, and making you feel bad about yourself. I’m talking about functional nutrition.
With functional nutrition, we address the biological triggers behind your eating disorder. From copper overload to methylation issues, we leave no stone unturned. Let’s work together. Schedule a free consultation today.
General Overview
As a functional nutritionist specializing in eating disorders, it’s crucial to shed light on the complexities of these conditions. Eating disorders extend beyond stereotypes, encompassing a spectrum of behaviors that impact physical and mental health.
Surprising facts about eating disorders include their prevalence across diverse demographics, affecting individuals of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. It’s not solely about body image; underlying psychological, genetic, and environmental factors contribute significantly. Additionally, the impact of disordered eating on overall health goes beyond weight concerns, affecting organs, hormones, and nutrient absorption.
Functional nutrition can play a vital role in the comprehensive treatment of eating disorders, addressing nutritional imbalances, supporting mental health, and promoting long-term healing. A holistic approach, considering the intricate connections between food, mind, and body, is essential for effective intervention and recovery.
Symptoms of Eating Disorders
Anorexia, binge-eating disorder (BED), bulimia, and other eating disorders have distinct symptoms and behaviors, but there are general symptoms that I observe in the people I work with.
Eating disorders can be identified through various physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Common signs include noticeable weight changes, irregular menstrual cycles, and preoccupation with food or body weight.
Behavioral indicators may include secretive eating habits or excessive exercise, while emotional symptoms range from fear of gaining weight to feelings of guilt and shame. Cognitive signs involve rigid thinking about food and body image, often accompanied by difficulty concentrating.
Recognizing these symptoms is essential for early intervention, and a holistic approach, including functional nutrition, can play a pivotal role in supporting individuals on their journey to recovery.
Causes
The causes of eating disorders are complex and multifaceted, involving a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Genetic predispositions may contribute, as individuals with a family history of eating disorders may be more vulnerable.
Psychological factors, such as low self-esteem, perfectionism, and body dissatisfaction, play a significant role, often fueled by societal pressures and cultural ideals. Trauma or stressful life events can also trigger the onset of eating disorders. Imbalances in neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin, may impact mood and appetite regulation.
Furthermore, societal influences, including media portrayal of body image and societal expectations, can contribute to the development of unhealthy eating patterns.
A comprehensive understanding of these factors is essential in addressing the root causes of eating disorders, and functional nutrition can offer a holistic approach to support individuals on their path to recovery by addressing nutritional imbalances and promoting overall well-being.
How to Overcome an Eating Disorder
We live in a world with a lot of misconceptions about eating disorders. What’s the cure for eating disorders? Can you cure eating disorders naturally? Nutrient deficiencies are NOT caused by the eating disorder, especially in the case of anorexia and bulimia.
The truth is that there are very strong genetic, epigenetic, and societal factors that play a role in the development of anorexia, bulimia, and other forms of disordered eating, such as binge eating disorder (BED).
I personally struggled with non-purging bulimia where I would binge then fast and excessively exercise, which took me over 25 years to figure out the underlying causes, which in my case was copper overload and undermethylation. Eating disorders are often a result of inherited nutrient deficiencies (trauma and abuse play a role here too) which can be overcome. To reiterate, the disorder does not cause the problem, but malnutrition that results from the disorder will exacerbate the underlying cause and create more imbalances, which can become fatal.
For example, anorexia is usually caused by severe zinc deficiency and undermethylation. This is all that is needed to spark the flame. Combine that inside condition with the outside condition of culture’s perspective on beauty while subsisting on very little food, and it becomes gas and matches.
Many nutrient deficiencies manifest as symptoms long before the eating disorder even takes flame. A loss of appetite, intestinal pain, constipation, chest pain, high anxiety, depression, and issues with sleeping could all be indicators that a fire is brewing.
For myself, and thousands of others, what was happening is that as the imbalanced diet continued, nutrient levels reached dangerous lows, and then symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder turned from spark to flame.
Looking for how to get help with eating disorders? Reach out and schedule a consultation today.
Eating Disorders Articles
Eating Disorders Underlying Causes: Nutrient Deficiencies, Environment and Epigenetics
Methylation Diet Tips: Eating Right for Your Biotype
Juice Cleanse: Healthy or Inflammatory?
Eating Disorders Podcast Episodes
EP 31: Why Anti-Diet Culture is Harmful with Mindy Gorman-Plutzer, FNLP
EP 21: Disordered Eating Recovery with Mindy Gorman-Plutzer
EP 20: Biochemical Imbalances that Cause Eating Disorders with Dr. Judith Bowman
“Sami has taught me feed myself, not starve myself. To not be obsessed with the number on the scale or the amount of calories I have consumed. To be honest, I haven’t even looked at calories since I started working with Sami. Now when I read a nutrition label, my eyes go straight to the ingredients. Do I know what these things are? Are they good for me? Will they give me energy? Will they make my body function at its best? If the answer is yes, I eat it. Simple as that.”
KATIE ROOF