Is this Recovery or Orthorexia? with Dr. Lara Zibarras
Dr Lara Zibarras is a psychologist and food freedom coach. She helps women create a healthy and happy relationship with food, without guilt or emotional eating. She is the founder of the Health Mindset Matters program which helps women discover the science and psychology behind their eating struggles and binges. She teaches women how to tune into their bodies and rediscover how to eat for both nourishment and enjoyment - creating a mindset for sustainable health. Today, she’s answering the question: Is this healthy eating or orthorexia?
Today's episode is all about Orthorexia. Orthorexia sounds like an eating disorder because it has the fancy name (and it is) but it can be very sneaky. The idea is that Orthorexia takes “healthy” or “clean” eating to an extreme. But “healthy” or “clean” eating in wellness culture terms are actually just disordered eating. Join Lara and me as we talk about the not-so-popular view on what actually is disordered eating and how the fact that mostly everyone behaves this way makes it more dangerous.
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Show Notes
[0:01-1:46 ] Intro: Healthy eating or Orthorexia?
Introducing our guest for today.
[1:47-12:29] Dr. Lara’s Journey with Food
Dr. Lara shares her story from struggling with an eating disorder to food freedom
How images in media can be a negative influence on you and your body
How do you get sucked into the wellness culture?
Sharing her struggles with Orthorexia
Training as a health coach introduced her to intuitive eating and Health to Every Size
[12:30-17:08] What was her experience as a health coach?
She learned how to neutralize food and practiced different approaches that helped her in her recovery
When she got immersed in the wellness culture, she began eating less and less food
Talking about the Health to Every Size and Intuitive Eating
[17:09-21:11] Her Take on The Wellness Diet
Wellness Culture has become more palatable to consumers because of its good marketing strategy but that’s not necessarily a good thing
If you don’t dig below the surface of diet/wellness culture, you could get pulled in
There’s always this underlying assumption that to be healthy, you must look a certain way and be a particular shape
[21:12-27:34] How Could People Notice That There’s Something Wrong in The Wellness-Diet Culture Industry?
How the Wellness-Diet Culture is Promoting Disordered Eating
When immersed in wellness culture, you don’t see it as disordered eating because their marketing strategy is fooling you so well.
Wellness Culture is so sneaky, and it makes you feel like you’re doing the right thing for your health, but it’s the opposite
Healthy eating or orthorexia: why does society continue to normalize something disordered?
[27:35-37:33] Laura’s Tips in Starting to Work Towards Food Freedom
Labeling your food as healthy or unhealthy is harmful.
Permit yourself to enjoy all sorts of foods
Learn the difference between food rules and food preferences.
Think about food as more than just fuel; it goes beyond that.
Stop following accounts that demonize food.
[37:34-] Outro
Where to follow Dr. Lara?
Resources Mentioned:
Tweetable Quotes
“Food is not just fuel.” - Dr. Lara Zibarras
“There is a difference between food rules and food preferences.” - Dr. Lara Zibarras
More From Rachelle
Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
I believe in the power of deep work and its positive impact on your life in the long term. Learn more about how we can work together here.
You can connect with me on Instagram, through my website or email me directly clicking the links below.
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