nutrition
Understanding Nutrition & Its Role in Health
Nutrition is more than just eating the right foods—it’s about fueling your body for energy, mental clarity, and overall well-being.
Many people associate nutrition with weight management, but it also plays a vital role in digestion, immunity, and brain function. A well-balanced diet includes:
- Macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) for energy and muscle function.
- Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for immune support and cellular repair.
- Hydration to support digestion and metabolism.
The Truth About Diet Culture
Diet culture promotes the idea that being thin equals being healthy, often leading to restrictive eating and harmful habits.
Society glorifies weight loss, pushing trends like intermittent fasting, juice cleanses, and low-carb diets as the “right” way to eat. While some of these methods may offer short-term results, they often ignore individual needs and can contribute to disordered eating.
Common diet culture messages include:
- Labeling foods as "good" or "bad."
- Associating self-worth with body size.
- Promoting rapid weight loss over sustainable health.
Building a Positive Relationship with Food
If food feels stressful or overwhelming, it may be time to reassess your approach. Here are steps to create a healthier relationship with food:
Remember, nutrition should be empowering, not restrictive. Your body deserves nourishment, and eating well is about feeling your best—not fitting an unrealistic standard.
Check in with your intention
In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the change from eating healthy out of love for your body to eating healthy to look good is a shift from natural responses to behaviors that are shaped by rewards or consequences.
It’s important not to focus only on outside rewards and forget about healthy habits that care for your body and protect your mental health over time.