It’s a new year, which for many of us, represents new beginnings! It’s a natural time to reflect on the past, make resolutions for self-improvement and think about how we are going to make the year ahead better than the last.  Most of us spend this time focusing on our physical fitness, career achievements, travel goals, etc.  However, the most important area to address is our mental health.  Setting mental health goals isn’t just about feeling “better”—it’s about creating a sustainable foundation for long-term well-being, happiness, and balance.

The impact our food choices have on our physical body is a common topic of conversation, but what about how our nutrition impacts our mental health? Due to a society immersed in diet culture and the fast paced stressful lives many people live, many individuals lack important micro- and macronutrients in their diet that play a significant role in the proper functioning of our nervous system and gastrointestinal system. We are fighting a battle against our health and wellbeing, instead of working with it. We can learn to engage in nutrition as a form of self care- a way to enhance our quality of life through supporting our mental health.

We have reached that time of year when the weather gets cooler, the leaves change colors, and it gets darker a lot sooner each evening. While this can be a great time of year with apple picking, costume parties, and pumpkin spice everything, it is also a good reminder to pay attention to your mental and emotional health.

Let’s squash the myth that the “perfect” parent exists. Instead, we can operate off the premise that parents are doing the best they can, with what they have, which may look different depending on the day. Lauren Oster, MA, LCPC, PMH-C writes how perinatal mental health impacts the journey of parenthood and how to meet it with compassion.

“Sleep hygiene” refers to a set of skills used to improve the quantity and quality of one’s sleep. Here’s a few tips to get you and your family regulated for the school year...

If you or someone you love has been struggling with an eating disorder, you have questioned “Why did this develop?”. Kendra DeFrank, MA, LCPC helps shed some light on why these deadly disorders develop and how truly complex they are.

It’s fair to say it’s almost second nature to have body judgments, either good or bad, in a culture that teaches women our main value and worthiness comes from the composition of our body.  Given this, it makes sense we give compliments to others about their bodies and feel validated when we receive them as well.  It seems innocent to celebrate one’s weight loss because we have been taught for so long that weight loss is a good thing.  However, we never really know what’s going on underneath the body changes.  Although the compliments may be in good nature, it can cause damage on the receiving end.

The summer season can be challenging to navigate for those who are in eating disorder recovery or are healing a negative relationship with their body. The pressure of diet culture is exacerbated as we take advantage of the sun and warm weather. Summer activities and celebrations can increase food and body anxieties, so learning to cope with summer eating disorder triggers is important to keep you aligned with your recovery.

Living in our digital era can be challenging both as an adolescent and a parent.  It can be difficult to know how to encourage our children to develop a healthy relationship with social media.  Fostering a "tech positive" household can vastly improve parent-child relationships and overall mental health in relation to social media use. Check out this blog for tips and recommendations on how to best promote a healthy relationship with technology.

Feeding ourselves and our families can be hard. However, a few basic guidelines can make a powerful impact on the development of our children’s eating habits and relationship with food. As a parent you have the power to promote healthy habits that can lead to a better mental, physical and emotional relationship with food for yourselves and your children!

Teenage years can be challenging; mentally, physically, and emotionally.  As parents, you may find it difficult to connect with your teen during this time. With so many changes occurring at this stage of development, it’s vital to connect with your teen to help them grow in their emotional well-being. These tips may help you connect with your teen on a deeper level and develop a new appreciation for them. Although teenage years can be challenging for the teenager and the parent, it can also be filled with fun and enjoyable experiences that will create a bond for the years to come.

As a Registered Dietitian, I am always learning new information from my clients. Unfortunately when it comes to nutrition information, much of this information is exaggerated, skewed, or totally inaccurate.  It is no secret that misinformation surrounding nutrition has been being spread for a very long time, but with social media information is being spread at high speed all over the world. The misrepresentation of nutrition information and the strong presence of fad dieting information on social media can seriously damage an individual’s relationship with food and body. It can damage self esteem and body image. It often promotes being “thinner” as a pathway to gaining love, acceptance, & respect.  Striving to become “healthy” can become very “unhealthy” and much of the information presented on social media, promotes external induced changes versus internal changes. Sustainable changes require us to explore why we eat, how we eat, and who we are as an eater. 

Having a busy schedule is not bad in and of itself, but it can be when it starts taking away our ability to rest and be present. Life happens in the now and we can miss out on the important moments if we are too focused on the past, the future, or if we are juggling too many tasks. Here are some thoughts on being here now.

It can be easy to be tough on yourself during any season of life and people tend to hold themselves to unattainable standards more than they realize. Self-compassion is a helpful alternative to the inner harsh critic. When we practice showing ourselves kindness, empathy, and forgiveness while accepting our perceived imperfections, we can move towards healthy thriving.

We are all prone to an occasional irrational thought. For some of us, these happen more consistently, so much so, that they become our automatic way of thinking. One way to combat this type of thinking is to first acknowledge when we are even experiencing it.

As the holiday season is approaching, remember that all foods can fit into a healthy diet. Teaching your children that certain foods are something that they should limit or fear, will not help them regulate it better. It is important to learn how to help your child form a healthy and positive relationship with all foods, including sweets and foods that contain sugar. Learning to help them listen to their body, specifically in regards to their sugar intake, can make a huge impact on their ability to properly nourish their bodies.

There is something extremely unique and special about the relationship a client and a therapist have.  However special that might be, it can also be a scary, daunting first step to take when you choose to go to therapy for the first time.  Not only are you opening up about experiences that have caused you great suffering, you’re also sharing it with a total stranger at first!  I recognize this and will validate…. It’s weird!  So, let’s humanize this experience by talking about some things that therapists wish our clients knew.

Many people categorize their emotions as either “good” or “bad.” Typically, emotions such as anger, jealously, sadness, or frustration are considered “bad,” while emotions such as happiness, joy, love, or excitement are considered “good.” However, there are no “good” or “bad” emotions. Learning how to view your emotions as teachers can make a huge impact on your life.

Appropriate Mental health diagnoses and treatment can be quite the struggle for some individuals, especially with the presence of stigma and misconceptions. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most misunderstood which can lead to hopelessness, fear and anxiety. To fight that, lets debunk myths vs. facts in regard to BPD!

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a new diagnosis in the DSM-5 and for the eating disorder community. While prevalence in the general pediatric population is not known, rates of ARFID are between 5% and 14% in pediatric inpatient eating disorder programs and up to 22.5% in a pediatric eating disorder day treatment program.1 What’s more, the few studies that have examined ARFID in adults suggest that it may be just as common as the better-known eating disorders.2 ARFID is largely unseen and has been misunderstood for years and, still, there is little research and understanding of the condition. What’s more, because of the myriad of “unknowns” of this condition, health care practitioners may find it increasingly challenging to work collaboratively in order to appropriately treat the disorder.