Welcome to the Embody Health London blog. Find our latest evidence-based, practical and approachable blog posts here. All your favourite recipes, tricks & tips and news from your favourite dancing dietitians!
Moving from resolutions to intentions As 2023 creeps in, so do the standard messages of “new year, new me”. Everyone seems committed to setting resolutions
Moving from resolutions to intentions As 2023 creeps in, so do the standard messages of “new year, new me”. Everyone seems committed to setting resolutions
What to eat with PCOS Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, more commonly known as PCOS, is a condition affecting between 4-20% of women of reproductive age
If you’re relatively new to the world of intuitive eating and don’t know where to get started, Embody Health London is the place to be.
Body ideals change but your worth never does Throughout history, the ‘ideal body shape’ for women has been constantly and abruptly changing, with new
The history of diets What is diet culture? To understand the origins of diet culture, it’s important to first establish what is actually meant
What is binge eating? Contrary to what you might think, binge eating is not the same thing as overeating. Binge eating consists of episodes
Feel more in control around food What is secret eating? As you may have already guessed, secret eating is a form of disordered eating
Feeling out of control? Do you feel like you are thinking about food non-stop? Are you constantly distracted by fantasies of which snack you might
Nutrition as one of the keys to a good night sleep We all know that sleep is crucial, not only for our physical health
How to undo the damages of dieting What is metabolism? Metabolism refers to the collection of complex chemical reactions that occur in our bodies
Intuitive eating: Getting started Intuitive eating is a relatively new term that you may have heard floating around on the internet, or maybe someone
Emotional eating is normal and okay until it interferes with your quality of life Emotional eating is a common ‘problem’ that affects millions of
Top tips on how to cope with unexplained weight gain Weight gain can happen for a variety of different reasons – some of them
Eating disorder recovery using the All-In Method Whilst exploring different styles of recovery, you may have come across ‘all in’ recovery. It may sound
Nutrition rehabilitation in eating disorder recovery Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that affect millions of people around the globe. In fact, it
Body dissatisfaction and building body image resilience One in five adults feel shame, and one third feel low because of their body image in 20194.
How to stop emotional eating and what to do instead We’ve all seen movies showing post-breakup ice cream cravings to deal with heartbreak –
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 Between October 2020 to February 2021, 7.2% of adults reported often or always feeling lonely1 with the government and
How fear is getting in the way of your recovery In recent articles, we unpacked some of the key 3 signs you are ready
What to expect during recovery There is no one-size-fits all approach to recovery, just as there is no singular experience of an eating disorder.
Instagram and negative body image Is there a relationship between negative body image and Instagram use? Over the years, social media usage has taken off
What leads to disordered eating and how to spot it Eating disorders are a key concern in the modern world, with an estimated 1.25
When emotional eating becomes your main way to cope Do you find yourself eating more than you intended to when you’re feeling emotional? If
Eating disorder recovery: To fast or not to fast? Throughout the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast as a reminder of the human duty to help
Menopause Weight Gain: Is It Inevitable? Menopause is a natural part of aging, and typically occurs between the ages of 45 to 55. However,
So you binged… now what? Post-binge strategies When living with an eating disorder or whilst in recovery from one, binge eating can be something that may
Dietitians are a vital part of your eating disorder care team Dieting is not the sole feature of eating disorders, but it is indeed
Negative body image and building body image resilience Body shaming has become a significant issue around the globe, potentially attributable to social media influencers and
How to get started with intuitive eating and understanding Health at Every Size Dieting can be harmful to our health, both physically and mentally.
Dining out in restaurants whilst in recovery Eating out can be a big fear for those living with an eating disorder (ED). Something considered to
How diet culture affect physical & mental health It is almost considered ‘normal’ when you hear a friend say they want to lose weight,
The Weight Loss App scandal and how it is NOT intuitive In the last few years, the app ‘Noom’ has taken the nutrition world
Why embodiment work needs to be included in eating disorder recovery Before you start reading this article, pause for a second. Take a deep
We had the privilege to interview one of our past THRIVE participants – Anastasiia who shares her journey to full recovery with us. In today’s
Eating disorder recovery is no easy road – be prepared for bumps, twists, and turns along the way. There may be days where you feel
Your holiday survival guide when going through recovery The holiday season can be SO overwhelming. From the packed social schedule, to reconnecting with people
Three reasons why recovery is beyond merely physical Weight restoration can be a crucial indicator of recovery on one’s healing journey from an eating
Three limiting beliefs your eating disorder has you believe Recovery is hard enough as it is, not to mention when we hold unhelpful limiting beliefs
Yoga as an embodiment practice There is a growing interest in the benefits of practicing yoga for those struggling with an eating disorder. You
We all know by now how sneaky diet culture is. But had you considered just how much you’ve been living according to its arbitrary rules?
How energy balance is oversimplified and what to consider instead. The ‘calories in, calories out’ model suggests that the number of calories consumed must
Feeling as if food dominates your life is common, but it doesn’t have to be! Many of our clients report feeling out of control around food and often associate this with a lack of self-restraint…
As soon as you wake in the morning, you tense up… you place both feet on the ground, take a breath and sigh in apathy just hoping the number you see this time might just be enough… feel like enough… but to no avail, is it really ever?
If you’re reading this, you likely are aware of diet culture and how it creates unrealistic expectations around what to eat and how to look and present ourselves to the world.
As the name suggests, secret eating is a disordered eating behaviour that involves eating at times, in locations or in ways where you won’t be seen, with the intention of hiding what or how much you’re eating from other people…
The fundamental concept of self-compassion could be described as treating ourselves the way we would treat a loved one.
If you’re reading this, you probably have some vague idea of diets and diet culture by now. You may very well have been on a diet at some point, perhaps long ago or even last week.
Social media can also be a fantastic way to educate, advocate, and express our thoughts to the outer world. If your following needs a revamp of positive, uplifting content – look no further!
Although our internal views may be challenged, it can be another hurdle to vocalise this, speak up against diet culture, and navigate talk in the workplace, home, and social events.
Practical tips to improve your relationship with your body and food Body compassion plays a significant role within the intuitive eating framework, and working on
How to move away from the shackles of diet culture by challenging your food rules If you’ve ever felt guilty or anxious around food
The topic of gut health continues to spark interest with each day as research increasingly unveils more about the relationship between our gut and brain.
What you need to know as you embark on your recovery journey If you’re in recovery from an eating disorder, we want to start
If your child has been diagnosed with an eating disorder, you’re probably feeling a whole lot of emotions. In this article, we want to help you understand what you need to know to give your child the support they need to recover.
Four reasons why your body weight is overrated Weight has been considered to be a key indicator of health for as long as we
It’s normal for motivation to ebb and flow during eating disorder recovery. As clinicians, we expect it and factor it in to our treatment plan. And it makes sense – recovery is an exhausting process!
Since you are reading this, you may probably be aware of why diets don’t work. but how do we approach and respond to diet talk at home, in the office or out with friends?
The science behind seed cycling and regulating your hormones Seed cycling has sparked interest online over recent years as a way to potentially optimise
Recognising and challenging your eating disorder thoughts At the beginning of the recovery process, many of our clients worry about who they’ll be without
Still care about what you look like? You will probably not be surprised to hear that “body neutrality” is a huge buzzword in anti-diet spaces
Inspiration and tips to get you started with a ‘food and mood’ journal Starting a food and mood journal can be a critical initial step
The truth about body diversity in eating disorders When you imagine someone with an eating disorder, you might visualise an emaciated young white woman.
Why Embody Health London dietitians practice from a non-diet approach When people find out that we are dietitians who don’t recommend diets, the response we
Why you need to stop calorie counting and get your life back Nutritional information, including calorific quantities, are indicated on almost all of the
The relationship between our eating habits and our gut health is incredibly strong. This is particularly noticeable for many of our clients in the early stages of recovery from an eating disorder.
For decades, BMI has been used by health professionals and researchers to indicate the health and future health risks of individuals. However, in recent years, the criticisms for this practice have grown as the usefulness of BMI is called into question.
Incorporating self-affirmations can play a significant role in our personal journey to recovery from an eating disorder or a challenging relationship with food. Well-timed and consistent affirmations have been shown to improve health, relationship and educational outcomes, with long-term benefits…
Body image is such a big topic in the health space, and we know it is impacted by so many factors, including age, size, mood and even clothing. (1) Clothing has been around for around 100,000 years (2), initially serving more practical purposes …clothing today is more focused on aesthetics…
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 and we are so excited that this year’s theme is nature! Research shows that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing…
When you’re attempting to heal your relationship with food and your body, overcoming those deeply ingrained negative beliefs stemming from diet culture is often one of the biggest obstacles standing between you and food freedom… you’re not alone!
‘Feeling your fullness’ is one of the ten intuitive eating principles. This article will explore what this part of the intuitive eating approach really covers and how we can strengthen our interoceptive awareness. This will help us to recognise bodily cues to eat and live more mindfully.
As with many chronic conditions, the information about what you should eat with hypothyroidism is often confusing and conflicting. So let’s clear a few things up!
The critical analysis of food labels is a practice that is often recommended by well-meaning health professionals in an attempt to promote a healthier lifestyle. But what happens when label reading becomes a source of guilt, anxiety, and strict food rules?
…remember that your purpose in this life is not to eat as little as possible or to be as thin as possible. You are meant for so much more, and you need to eat if you’re going to achieve it.
Recovery from an eating disorder is rarely linear. Instead, it’s more likely that your readiness to change will ebb and flow throughout your journey – and that’s okay! The purpose of this article is to help you to understand the process of change and to support you towards getting ready to recover.
…remember that you don’t have to cook a cohesive restaurant-style meal if it just doesn’t feel realistic to you! Putting together a plate that consists of a handful of walnuts, a few cubes of cheese, a slice or two of bread and a piece of fruit, for example, will get the job done! …
While we can’t guarantee you that changing your diet will yield a positive pregnancy test on your next cycle (we wish we could!), this article will talk you through the dietary changes that are backed up by research to support optimal fertility.
The notion that “exercise is good for you – do more!” has been hammered into our heads from a young age, but to what end? You may think the more the better, but not when it comes at the expense of your period and ultimately your health.
Working towards embodiment can help you to rediscover your hunger, as research suggests that as you become more embodied, you will also become more in touch with your internal cues. Learn how in this blog!
To break it down, hypothalamic refers to the part of the brain responsible for regulating reproduction, known as the hypothalamus; amenorrhea means the absence of menstruation. So hypothalamic amenorrhea is the loss of the menstrual cycle due to a disruption to the hypothalamus.
Bariatric surgery is the most successful method of weight loss that currently exists, and its ability to improve some chronic conditions is widely praised. However, the procedure may not be the miracle cure that you’ve been led to believe it is!
In the space of the time it takes from plate to palette, we can come to internalize these comments and equivocate the portions on our plate with the proportions of our body.
Something as simple, innate, and natural as eating becomes complicated by the burden of socially conditioned expectations.
This week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week here in the UK, and this year’s focus is on Binge Eating Disorder. https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/edaw As part of Embody Health London’s contribution to this important cause, this article shares five of our top tips to help you to stop binge eating – for good!
We frequently separate ourselves from our bodies and treat them like something that needs to be punished for betraying us by not fulfilling our own or society’s beauty ideal, as opposed to cultivating a greater sense of bodily connection and focusing on our lived experience over looks… this blog highlights how to do just that.
Eating disorders are incredibly isolating illnesses – as a result, social support is fundamental to recovery.1 However, worrying about what to say (or what NOT to say) to a friend or family member with an eating disorder can feel really overwhelming.
Organic foods are often promoted as the superior option by wellness and “clean-eating” gurus, yet are those pesticide, hormone, and antibiotic free foods truly “healthier” or simply a fast-track to shopping-induced stress and a direct route to eating into your overdraft and food budget?
Many health professionals blame the symptoms and increased health risks associated with menopause on the increase in fat around the abdomen. While there is some evidence to support this theory, there is also a whole host of reasons why…
Googling “can you mistake thirst for hunger” brings up numerous articles advocating that hunger is often just dehydration in disguise. In a world where we have become accustomed to, if not normalised, ways in which we can suppress hunger…
The stereotypical eating disorder sufferer depicted by the media is a young, white, underweight girl. This over-generalisation is incredibly problematic in so many ways, one of which being the suggestion that eating disorders only affect women.
Diet culture can be understood as a system of socially conditioned and constructed beliefs that thinness is synonymous with health and associated with a sense of moral virtue.
There is a vast amount of fatphobic and confusing dietary advice out there regarding the management of PCOS. So we’re here to tell you that you do NOT need to lose weight or go on a restrictive diet in order to manage your symptoms.
Most children grow out of this neophobic phase after a few years if given the right support to develop a healthy relationship with food. Believe it or not, it may take 10 or more exposures to a new food for them to start to like it!
Weight restoration is one of the most physically and psychologically uncomfortable aspects of eating disorder recovery.
Calorie counting…may result in the opposite of the expected outcome due to the mental and physical response to intense and measured restriction – bingeing.
You’re probably well-versed in the benefits of movement – namely improved physical and mental wellbeing. However, many of us have a relationship with exercise that’s far from healthy.
…should we really build our sense of self-worth, self-value, and self-esteem on the destruction of ourselves or the decimation of another’s appearance, characteristics or attributes?
If you’ve been berating yourself over your lack of willpower, it’s time to take a deep breath and release the guilt and blame. In this blog we explain set point theory and why diets fail you.
Often when we want to change something within our lives, within ourselves, about ourselves we’re given to wait for some sort of temporal milestone – that is, we wait for Mondays, for foreign holidays, for big birthdays, for Weddings…for New Years.
Christmas is often referred to as “the most wonderful time of the year” but it can also be the most stressful time of the year if you’re struggling with your relationship with food and your body.
With 50% of children aged 8 to 13 years old wanting to lose weight, it’s difficult to know how to protect our most vulnerable and allow them to arrive in adulthood unscathed by diet culture.1
Results from longitudinal studies illustrate that daily self-weighing is correlated to anxiety, depression, body image dissatisfaction/ disorders and deteriorations in self-esteem and self-worth…
“Orthorexia” as a descriptive or diagnostic term was first devised by a holistic practitioner Steven Bratman in the 1990s to describe an eating pattern characterised by an intense fixation on “healthy eating” to the…
Self-love is incredibly empowering and aspirational, but it is also a radical concept for many people. When your body image is far from perfect, the idea of loving your body can seem unachievable or even laughable…
…even if you do not have a diagnosed eating disorder, if eating is causing you to feel shame, guilt, fear or anxiety, you are worthy of seeking support and amending your relationship with food.
A majority of research posits that eating disorders have multiple, and often interconnected, causes or risk factors – primarily falling under the branches of being biological, psychological, and sociocultural…
Changes in serotonin levels can contribute to many eating disorder characteristics, including perfectionism, lack of impulse control and issues with mood regulation. Different eating disorder behaviours seem to affect serotonin levels in different ways…
Omega-3 fatty acids are vital components of cell membranes, neurotransmitters and other necessary cellular substrates and structures…insufficiency can contribute to exacerbating mental health issues…
When you think about conditions that commonly co-occur, eating disorders and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may not be the first ones that come to mind. But they’re more interconnected than you might think!
The weight of diet-culture weighs heavier on our shoulders than any barbel ever could.
It causes us to sink lower than any squat and leaves us more (internally) contorted than any yoga pose…
The idea of combining a therapeutic diet, such a low FODMAP diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), might seem incompatible with Intuitive Eating. But the two are actually more aligned than you might think!
There is a distinct difference between following a medically supervised, potentially life enhancing, ketogenic diet for therapeutic reasons versus using it as a tool to drop pounds by eating mounds of fats…
The idea of food being addictive has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years in both wellness and research circles, likely as a result of the so-called “obesity epidemic”.
Body acceptance and self-love are by no means vanity or narcissism, but the ability to express love for your body/ appearance – even if you are not fully satisfied or comfortable with all aspects of your appearance.
“Halloween” and “candy” are almost synonymous, and this can be a confusing time for you as a parent to know how to handle the sugar overload that’s heading towards your kids like a high-speed freight train.
Intermittent fasting is a HUGE buzz word in the health and wellness industry right now. Celebrities are doing it, social media influencers are recommending it and many of our clients are enquiring about it – but what does the research say?
Our own and other’s selfies may ultimately come to be a source of self-destruction as we pinch, poke, and prod parts of ourselves to better fit into a highly filtered mould.
We want our children to know that being healthy is about more than how many mouthfuls of peas they eat each day.
…emotional dysregulation can result in disordered or disturbed eating patterns as a means of self-management, self-soothing and a distraction from uncomfortable feelings and emotions…
Eating for satisfaction is a key element of Intuitive Eating that prioritises pleasure, mindfulness and an awareness of the five senses. It involves choosing foods you enjoy eating and…
Like modern day Goldilocks, we women are liable to be caught in appraising ourselves as being physically too much or too little, yet unlike Goldilocks we seldom find ourselves or our appearance to be just right.
The idea that we can cleanse our bodies to help it function better is a nice thought – it’s great to want to take care of ourselves! But when it comes to detoxifying your body, your body already has it under control.
Yes, you now know the calorific value of a sweet potato and the amounts of macronutrients it contains off by heart, but you no longer know that it feels like to honour your hunger, feel your fullness, or engage in intuitive eating.
Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seems to keep your hunger at bay for long?
Consider this, how often do you see a man looking thrilled to be eating a ‘low-fat, no sugar, no flavour’ (no life, no joy, no fun) yoghurt? How often do we you see women eat more energy-dense foods like pizzas or burgers?
It is an indisputable fact that all people deserve access to safe and effective health care – it’s a basic human right! However, current research and anecdotal evidence show that…
Where does the truth lie, in this chaos of claims and counterclaims? Does veganism cause eating disorders, or do eating disorders trigger the transition to veganism? Do plant-based diets help or hinder recovery? Can…
At Embody Health London we make it a point to bring up this topic as we believe it is key in building a safe and trusting relationship with our clients.
I am not sure about you but this scorching hot weather has been making me reach for cold and refreshing foods over these last few weeks. Any occasion to skip out on turning on the stove or oven, I’ll take it!
The UK government recently released their strategy to urge its citizens to lose weight in order to “help adults and children live healthier lives”. As you are most likely well aware by now, the headlines are flooded with…
I often hear in clinic clients try to avoid snacks because they fear that they are ‘unnecessary calories’ and will result in weight gain. They sometimes also say snacks are unhealthy and ‘shouldn’t be needed’. Thank you diet culture.
…feeling fullness is an intricate process that is orchestrated beautifully by the human body (oh, how we love to marvel at the human body!). Once you begin to better…
One of my favourite activities to do is deconstruct foods to demonstrate how their building blocks actually makes them healthy choices. And that there is no ONE way of having a food type.
Served up with a side of bread makes it a wholesome and fulfilling meal that keeps you and the family satisfied. The best part? The very little clean up afterwards!
Make no mistake, caring for someone with an eating disorder comes with many challenges… You are all warriors, believe me.
Fresh, zesty, nutritious and fulfilling – everything you would want in a lunch on a hot summer day, no?
Trust is something that we learn. It’s earned. So in this same way, when we seek to foster a positive body image we are looking to re-build the relationship we have with oneself. That is, with small acts of kindness.
This quiche is one of our favourites! It can easily be an empty-the-fridge recipe as you can swap with any veg or cheese of your choice!
Have you ever caught yourself thinking “why can Karen just eat everything she wants and still be so slim?!” If you’re like most women trapped in diet culture, the odds are the answer is yes.
Gooey, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious almond cookies coming your way! … a go-to on a Saturday morning when you get some alone time in the kitchen whilst you sip on a hot cuppa.
As two dieticians, we often get met with confusion and puzzled faces regarding what we do and how it is we got here. Countless times we have been directly messaged…
This recipe is so simple and makes for a great addition to any picnic (seeing as we are spending more time at the park these days).
Yoga has taught me that mistakes are human. If I miss a practice, wobble out of a balance or struggle to find a new pose, it’s not a call to walk out of the studio and never roll out my mat again.
Being half Venezuelan, I can only vouch for these delicious patties as the ESSENCE of food culture in Venezuela. Made of ground maize dough and a touch of olive oil and salt, these patties can be stuffed with just about anything you can dream of!
Imagine if asparagus, spinach, chocolate and biscuits were equals… I can hear you singing “what a wonderful world it would be”.
Well my friends, I have wonderful news indeed… THEY ARE.
Are you mind-full or mindful? Hmmm…. So often we find ourselves saying “how quickly did the time go?!” or rushing through the day ticking off our to-do list without even noticing how quickly…
What we did behind closed doors was different from other dietitians in the field. We counselled. We got results.
We were able to get into the nitty gritty of how our clients thought, what led them to think that way and…
There is SO much information available on the world wide web and being able to differ sense from BS is now more challenging than ever! Does celery juice cure cancer? Are bananas evil? Should I try keto? …
Biology doesn’t want you to be hungry. Nuh huh. When your body is hungry, it fears it’s survival is being threatened as it is unable to tell the difference between dieting and famine. This means that…
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed.
Especially when we haven’t experienced something like this before (or at least not in 102 years). Our aim is to provide you with as much guidance and support during this challenging time.
Imagine a world where you could eat when you wanted, what you wanted and still be healthy.
Imagine if you could be THAT person who ate the entire pizza and didn’t suffer from dreadful guilt afterwards.
Do you agonise over the food you eat? Do you feel crippled with self-doubt at the thought of not trying to lose weight? Does it feel constant? The idea of not dieting can be very scary. When we talk about this with…
Have you ever wondered why you feel so delicious after a yoga session? Why do people tell us to take a deep breath when we are feeling overwhelmed or out of focus? Or, why is it that Hollywood shows us people…
“I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is 14 days”, said every female. Ever. There perhaps is no more popular topic than dieting and weight loss when it comes to topics for discussion in the nutrition world.
Have you ever experienced hunger sensations right after a meal? Do you ever feel out of control around certain foods and have no idea why?
You may be surprised to know there are seven different types of…
Embody Health London champions food freedom, positive body image, mental health and emotional wellbeing through a uniquely blended scientific and holistic approach. The EHL team specialises in treating chronic dieting and eating disorders by coaching clients to build confidence and reduce anxiety around their eating habits and food choices. Thanks for visiting the our Blog page!
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