Orthorexia: When Eating Healthy is Unhealthy: Sarah Crissinger RN

Seattle is the fourth healthiest city in the United States and Seattleites are the second healthiest eaters according to a recent survey by Sperling’s Best Places (2013). You can’t go far without seeing a cross fit gym, yoga studio or a high end grocery store. The Paleo Diet, “eating clean”, and The Raw Foods Diet are commonplace in the Seattle culture and have undoubtedly helped some ward off early disease, increase health, vitality, and quality of life.  For some, what starts as eating healthier can become an all consuming obsession. The paradox is eating healthy can be unhealthy.

Orthorexia is an unofficial diagnosis that was named by Steven Bratman MD, who discovered the disorder after recognizing his own unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.Orthorexia is derived from Greek meaning right/proper appetite (Bratman, 2013). Obsession with being healthy and pure is what differentiates Orthorexia from other eating disorders. Like other eating disorders Orthorexics often have a need for control, and make food/way of eating a source of identity and validation. Perfectionism and black and white thinking often keep Orthorexics obsessed with following a diet strictly or they can struggle with accepting themselves.

 Orthorexia embodies traits of Anorexia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as foods allowed in the diet are reduced to a point where unhealthy weight loss and malnutrition ensue.Some attributes of Orthorexia can be; extremely limiting the types of foods eaten, such as any food with the possibility of having pesticides, GMO’s, being non-organic or specific ingredients and entire food groups (Nelson, Zerasky, 2011). Dr. Steven Bratman describes how some Orthorexics limit food intake to a dangerously low and even fatal level of nutritional variety by only allowing themselves to eat a couple types of food items (2013). Additional components of the disorder are obsessive compulsiveness regarding food preparation such as excessive washing of foods and not being able to eat out or eat food prepared by others, and spending excessive time thinking about healthy food (Nelson, Zerasky, 2011).

Healthy diets, such as the ones mentioned earlier, in and of themselves are not necessarilydisordered but can cross the border into Orthorexia when; 1) Fixation on food becomes allconsuming. 2) Personal relationships and other areas of life suffer due to rigidity to the diet often resulting in isolation. 3) Immense guilt, anxiety, mood swings and self loathing persist when the diet is not followed. 

The tricky thing about eating disorders including Orthorexia is the denial of having one.Especially due to the food restriction in Orthorexia often stemming from a medical condition, food sensitivity, allergy, or wanting better health. If you feel like you follow a very strict diet tobe healthy and other’s have shared concerns or you have noticed that the obsession in healthy eating is taking away from important areas of your life, Ramey Nutrition is here to support you.Ramey Nutrition offers individualized care that begins with an individual session with one of our Dietitians. We work with many therapists specializing in eating disorders in the Seattle area that we can refer you to in order to address deeper underlying emotional issues. Ramey Nutrition offers you a full recovery that results in a restored relationship with food, ownership over your health, and freedom to begin living your life fully again.

References:

Bratman, S.(2013) Orthorexia. Retrieved on 09/04/10 from: www.orthorexia.com

Nelson, J., Zerask, K.(2011) Orthorexia: When eating healthy goes awry. The Mayo Clinic.Retrieved on 09/04/2013

from:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/orthorexia/MY00768

California Shines, Ohio aches in battle for healthiest city (2013). Sperling’s Best Places. Retrieved on September

12, 2013 from: http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/healthy.aspx

B is for Boring

I need a hobby. I have decided that I'm unusually boring these days. Sitting in my bed feeling sorry for myself makes me feel icky, like I'm wasting space. I feel like I was more of a human when I was active in my eating disorder. I need to figure out how to get that person back ... sans eating disorder, of course.
I had this project once, that I worked on every night when I didn't sleep. Instead of laying lame in my bed staring at the ceiling I sat on my floor, spread out all my art supplies, turned on my music and went to town. It was meditative for me, calming. A way to express what I was feeling without having to speak. I had it for at least 10 years and then one day I just stopped. I don't even know where it is. Tonight I'm going to start my project over. I'm going to start being more interesting in my life.
Kidney update: Barf, I don't even want to talk about it.
What I don't miss about my eating disorder this far in my recovery today: Not sure. I'm kind of a Negative Nancy today so I'm drawing a blank on the positives.
What I'm not going to miss about my eating disorder when I'm recovered: Obviously the boring me. I need more substance, so I'm going to create it. And Ensures, I'm still sick of Ensures.

Guest Article: The Link Between Stress and Diabetes

The Link Between Stress and Diabetes

Stress can have an adverse affect on blood sugar levels, andthis can complicate diabetes management. When you’re under stress, you hunkerdown into “fight or flight” mode, designed to prepare you for and protect youagainst short-term dangers.

Your body releases glucose into your bloodstream from stored reserves in yourliver, muscles and adipose tissues. Additionally, your body releases hormoneslike epinephrine and adrenaline, which is your body’s way of preparing itself incase it needs to run away from a physical threat. Both hormones increase yourblood glucose levels.

Most of the threats confronting us in the modern world are psychologicallyinduced. You may be stuck in a traffic jam or become involved in an irritatinginteraction with a coworker at your job. In neither case is the flight or fightreaction adaptive to your needs. But the body doesn’t really distinguishbetween psychological and physical threats.

For many people, stress can be a chronic state of affairs. People end upworrying about situations that they have no control over. This can greatlyexacerbate diabetes symptoms. Managing stress is an essential component ofmanaging diabetes.

The Diabetic’s Guide To Managing Stress

The goal of diabetes treatment is to bring blood glucose levels toacceptable levels. The goal of long-term diabetes management, on the other hand, is to stabilize fluctuationsin those blood glucose levels.

People with diabetes often have a mixed reaction to stress. In individuals withtype 1 diabetes, stress is as likely to drive glucose levels down as it is toelevate glucose levels. In individuals with type 2 diabetes, however, stressalmost always elevates blood sugar levels.

People who are not affected by diabetes have compensatory mechanisms that keepblood sugar within safe limits. This isn’t true for diabetics, however. Stresscan easily precipitate a dangerous blood sugar shift.

You may have little control over external sources of stress, but you do havecontrol over your reaction to that stress. Increasingly, diabetes treatmentcenters, such as Seattle-based Ramey Nutrition, are teaching diabetics basic relaxationtechniques that can help them modulate their reaction to stress. Thesetechniques include

• Yoga: Yoga not only helps you relax, it can also help you lose weight. Thereis also some evidence that yoga can improve the functioning of the pancreas.The pancreas is the organ that produces insulin.

• Meditation: At least one clinical study has linked mediation with lower bloodsugars in type 2 diabetics.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy helps individuals replace maladaptive behaviors with problem-solving behaviors.CBT can help diabetics pinpoint why their blood sugars are unusually high, andtake active steps to reduce incidents of re-occurrence.

It’s also important to learn to recognize stress triggers, say diabetesexperts. Physicians recommend assigning stress levels numbers between one andten, and writing your stress level down every time you check your blood sugarlevel. Once you start doing this, you’ll know with some accuracy how stressaffects your blood sugars. 

-by Alex Kerwin

Patient Interview: Recovered from Anorexia and What it Means

Recovered at Ramey Nutrition! Alice inspires patients to keep recovering with each step no matter how small!

Restorative Yoga at Ramey Nutrition Starts May 24!

Ramey Nutrition is back with Restorative Yoga we call Gentle Yoga!

Restorative Yoga focuses on relaxing the body in restful postures and helps to trigger the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) to bring the body back into equilibrium. This specific yoga technique has been noted by countless studies to aid in the management and healing of trauma, stress/anxiety, depression, and disordered eating behaviors. Additionally, we strongly believe in its benefits for a variety of stress-sensitive diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
This is a one-hour class taught by Sarah Akthar, concentrating on both Restorative and Vinyasa Yoga techniques. It is a meditative experience, providing the body an opportunity to renew and heal. It is designed for all levels, body-types and physical capabilities.

Gentle Yoga promotes body awareness and acceptance by inviting each student to really be present with them-self for an hour and feel where their bodies need care, emotionally or physically. With a vast experience teaching yoga, Sarah is an expert at individualizing gentle movement.

Vinyasa Yoga is focused on the alignment of movement and breath, and aids in the functionality of the circulatory system. This style allows for a lot of variety, but will almost certainly include Sun Salutations.

When: 6:30pm-7:30pm, beginning May 24th

Where: Ramey Nutrition.4241-B 11th Ave. NE.Seattle, WA 98105. (206) 909-8022 www.rameynutrition.com

Cost: $10/person

Sign up now! Yoga mats, water, props, and blankets provided.