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How accurate are nutrition information panels?

How accurate are nutrition information panels?

October 2, 2018

Diet-culture loves numbers – we’re sold the idea that we can achieve tight and calculated control over food and our bodies through counting, tracking, weighing and measuring.

5 ways to shut down diet-talk in the office

5 ways to shut down diet-talk in the office

August 15, 2018

Office diet-talk can be relentless, triggering and difficult to avoid. If 8 hours of carb, keto and cleanse commentary is making you want to ride your wheelie chair down the fire escape, here’s a few ideas for you: Excuse yourself and walk away. After a few smoke-bomb moments they’ll start to get the picture you’re … Read More

When Intuitive Eating Becomes Another Diet..

When Intuitive Eating Becomes Another Diet..

July 23, 2018

Being surrounded by a diet-obsessed culture full of rights and wrongs, dos and don’ts, can make it hard to adjust to a totally new concept in which there is no “right way”. When developing the skills of an intuitive eater, one can become stuck in thinking that they can only eat when they are hungry, … Read More

Show up, do the work, trust in the process

Show up, do the work, trust in the process

July 12, 2018

I’ve recently returned to running after abandoning it for some time, with the goal of completing a marathon at the end of the year. During tonight’s run, I got to a point along the course where I would normally fatigue and slow down before stopping..

Quitting is sometimes the best option

Quitting is sometimes the best option

July 7, 2018

During a conversation with a client this week, it dawned on me how unhelpful mantras such as “failure is not an option” and “don’t quit now” can be as I listened to a client who lamented “I am never able to stick to anything”. She talked about walking away from jobs, never finishing books she … Read More

Why chocolate is NOT a “bad food” – Dietitian secret revealed

Why chocolate is NOT a “bad food” – Dietitian secret revealed

March 29, 2018

That’s right, you read the title correctly. CFIH Dietitians are here to let you in on (yet another) secret. Chocolate is NOT a “bad food.” A big problem in today’s society is the ‘all or nothing’ approach to food. This leads people to labelling themselves as “bad” if they eat what they have learnt is … Read More

The fitness trend that’s actually bad for you

The fitness trend that’s actually bad for you

February 16, 2018

Stop following people on social media who make you feel insecure, fat or ugly. It’s probably a very long list. In this age of filters and fakery, there are too many perfect people with perfect lives. Even Selena Gomez, said to be the most followed Instagrammer on the planet with 133 million followers, says “I … Read More

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We are in awe of our clients. We are in awe of the people who show up, every day, despite what it is they've been through, or are still going through. It takes courage and resilience to reclaim your story. We are privileged, every day, to bear witness to the incredible strength of all of the people we are so fortunate enough to work with. To sit with you, and hold space for your story, is truly a privilege. . . #centreforintegrativehealth #cfih #feminism #fatpositive #socialjustice #eatingdisorderrecovery #healthateverysize #haes #fatactivism #intersectionality
Every now and then I find a sneaky weight loss ad creeps into my social media feeds. I've curated my socials so I don't see any ads from major companies, however, given the nature of the work that we do, I think social media picks up on the fact that body image is something that is spoken about often. And so it randomly likes to surprise me with a sneaky weight loss ad. . . I thought I'd sealed off my socials with an airtight 'no body shaming, weight loss or diet ads allowed' kind of seal, but alas, the algorithm outsmarted me. . . And so the process of reporting and blocking all these bullshit ads continues. Don't get me wrong, there's a deep sense of satisfaction that I get from reporting these ads as 'false or misleading' however, there's also a sense of sadness and anger that washes over me too at the fact that our social media feeds are being inundated with these ads that WE DID NOT ASK FOR. Diet culture is predatory, there's no doubt about it. . . Pushing back, by blocking and reporting, is one way that we can make a difference. It may not seem like much, but as a collective of folks who are taking a stand, we can slowly but surely ensure that our social media feeds, for the most part, are free from this utter nonsense, making room for more animal photos or dreamy holiday destinations. . . Take back your feed!!!! . . #centreforintegrativehealth #cfih #feminism #fatpositive #socialjustice #eatingdisorderrecovery #healthateverysize #haes #fatactivism #intersectionality
Put your hand up if you’ve ever reacted to a situation, a feeling, an urge, a thought, (anything really) in a way that felt really impulsive, mindless and completely disconnected? Yep, me too! . . When we are in situations where we feel overwhelmed, it’s natural for us to want to react in a way that lessens the emotional response that’s simmering within us. In saying that, sometimes we’re not even connected to those underlying emotional states. . . One thing I’ve learned over the years is the importance of giving myself space for consideration. I love this term, because it encapsulates so much - in essence, it’s about giving yourself time to tune in, to connect, to be IN your body, to be mindful, and then, in turn, RESPOND to situations in a way that feels authentic, connected and (often) vulnerable. Mindful awareness allows us the space between. . . When we respond, rather than react, we are coming from a place of connection. It allows us to honour our needs, honour our emotions, honour our experience. It allows us to stand in our power; it allows us to be brave & to stand up for what we value. It allows us to stay true to ourselves. . . What are the differences between reactions and responses for you? How does this show up in your life? . . #centreforintegrativehealth #cfih #feminism #fatpositive #socialjustice #eatingdisorderrecovery #healthateverysize #haes #fatactivism #intersectionality
CFIH psychologist, Ash Olive, spent last Friday at the Body Image & Related Disorders conference at Swinburne University, Melbourne. Along with catching up with our interstate colleagues from Mind Body Well, Ash soaked up all the latest research and tools in treating body-image concerns. We look forward to sharing her new-found knowledge with you all in the new year. Watch this space!!
The holidays are fast approaching and often times our support systems are also on a break; meaning that we can sometimes feel as though we don’t have the tools and the supports of a treatment team. . . I invite you all to think about what strengths you can draw upon this holiday period? The tools that you have in your toolbox, and the ways of being able to navigate potential stressful situations are all going to be useful here. . . You have the strength within you. You may not have unleashed its full potential yet, but it’s there. Your creativity, adaptability, flexibility, compassion, ability to communicate your needs - these are all strengths you can draw upon. . . What’s your biggest strength? Feel free to share with us below. . . #centreforintegrativehealth #cfih #feminism #fatpositive #socialjustice #eatingdisorderrecovery #healthateverysize #haes #fatactivism #intersectionality
Sleep has a massive impact on our physical health and emotional well-being. Getting quality sleep and enough of it is something many of us find difficult or don’t prioritise. In Matthew Walker’s book ‘Why We Sleep’ he gives the following tips to improve our quality of sleep: 1) Get regular: go to bed and get out of bed at the same time each day 2) Reduce evening exposure to artificial light (screens and lights) 3) Reduce your body temperature. Have a warm bath before retiring to a cool bedroom. You can check out his TED talk here: https://youtu.be/5MuIMqhT8DM I’ve also thrown in freshly-washed sheets, some lavender incense, relaxing music, and a journaling session to this evening’s wind-down routine. What do you do to ensure you get a good night’s sleep?
Irrespective of what you THINK, your feelings will be there regardless. So, you might as well welcome them. They might even hold some important clues if you can sit with them and non-judgementally listen to them long enough to hear what they have to say.
A gentle reminder as we move further into the holiday season. For any number of reasons, the holiday period can be stressful, overwhelming, lonely, sad, anxiety provoking and sometimes scary for a lot of folks. You don’t have to have it all together. You’re allowed to find things hard. Do what you need to do to get through. . . #centreforintegrativehealth #cfih #feminism #fatpositive #socialjustice #eatingdisorderrecovery #healthateverysize #haes #fatactivism #intersectionality
The CFIH team is thrilled to have had two abstracts accepted for the ANZAED/AED International Conference for Eating Disorders next year!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 The team will deliver a scientific oral presentation as well as a clinical skills in-conference workshop. The oral (led by Kate Lane) titled “To weigh or not to weigh”, will introduce a decision-making matrix to inform individualised approaches to patient weighing in the treatment of eating disorders. The workshop (led by Kate Gough) titled, “But what if I AM fat?” will introduce participants to adaptions to body-image manuals for the treatment of eating disorders in bigger bodies. Along with sharing their clinical expertise, the team also endeavours to draw upon and incorporate teachings from the perspective of those with a lived experiences of receiving treatment for an eating disorder in a bigger body. Congratulations to Kate L, Kate G, and team. We trust that both conference activities will be important contributions to the field. #ICED2020 Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders Academy for Eating Disorders Kiera Buchanan Nicole McDermid Kate Lane Dietitian Kate Pollard Dietitian
This is your friendly mid week reminder that you are worthy. Your inner critic may try to convince you otherwise, so let me repeat those words for you. YOU. ARE. WORTHY. . . I think we all often need to be reminded of our worth. Sometimes it's so easy to forget that we are inherently worthy. Our worth is found within us. We have always been, and always will be, worthy. Nothing will change that. . . #centreforintegrativehealth #cfih #feminism #fatpositive #socialjustice #eatingdisorderrecovery #healthateverysize #haes #fatactivism #intersectionality