March nutrition thoughts & things I've been into

The March installment of: what the hell have I done this month? Stick with me while I try to remember some things I’ve been thinking or otherwise been into for the past few weeks.

GLP-1s and reemergence of body image/disordered eating challenges
I have been continuing to think a lot about the impact GLP-1s and the intense new focus on thinner bodies (celebrities, social media, normal every day life) is having on those with a history of disordered eating and eating disorders who were previously in a pretty good place. Well, more than thinking because some of my clients and patients, many of whom had developed great relationships with their bodies and food, are backsliding somewhat because this content can be so triggering. The body acceptance movement has taken a distant backseat as the thin ideal dominates once again, and this seems like just the beginning. I wonder if, no matter what happens with body positivity and acceptance, the knowledge we have on the disordered eating spectrum, etc., if it’s always going to come back to “thinner is better.” It’s a very challenging time to be a dietitian, too (to say the least!). If you are having some newfound or reemerging struggles amidst all of this, know you’re definitely not alone. This podcast and this article are helpful to check out.

Tart cherry juice
I am newly on the tart cherry juice train to help promote better sleep. For me, sleep is everything when it comes to how I feel and perform in the world, and it’s also quite challenging to actually get enough of at times. Tart cherry juice (or, tart cherries in particular) are one of the only food sources of melatonin, and can help promote the body’s natural production of melatonin. This = better sleep. I will say here that it contains a relatively small amount of melatonin, because that’s all we need in order to boost the body’s own production. Even if you’re taking a melatonin supplement, it should be a very low dose (1-3mg). Higher doses can mess with the body’s natural melatonin production and are largely not useful. Tart cherry juice is also a great source of antioxidants and can help promote muscle recovery after workouts, and something I recommend to clients often.

What I’m reading
March has been an enjoyable month of reading as I’ve checked a lot of books off my list. I already mentioned how much I loved Demon Copperhead, but Trust was also really great. However, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store takes the cake as my favorite book so far this year. Just excellent.

What I’m watching
I started The Regime with Kate Winslet, who is really great in it, and the show is the perfect amount of weird but not too weird for me. I also liked Players on Netflix as I’m a fan of cheesy rom coms. Otherwise, I’m really focused on the NCAA gymnastics conference championships and post-season. I still stand by my thoughts that LSU is the most fun team to watch, and Oklahoma is undoubtedly the most perfect.

What I’m listening to
I really related to this podcast on stress dependency (via The Blond Files podcast), and enjoyed this podcast on science-backed habits of successful people (via the Liz Moody podcast). This podcast with Elizabeth Smart was also really interesting to listen to (via the Ali on the Run podcast).

Thanks for reading!