Website

I've tried my hand at creating a website to increase my platform should any of my ideas become something people want to learn more about. There is a link to this blog and information about my program that is still being fleshed out as I write my book. I am nearly done with chapter three, and I really like where it is going and what I've been able to express. The writing course has really helped me with this.

I'm hoping I can learn how to make a "subscribe" button and generate weekly emails when the time is right. Visit my web page and send me feedback about it!

www.wisefoodmind.com

Orthorexia

My friend made me aware of a new eating disorder that has come up in the past year, and of course I had to find out more, especially because I feared this was my problem not too long ago. People trying to get too healthy or too pure in eating, whether you care about the size or your waist or not, have turned healthful eating into an obsession, called Orthorexia Nervosa. National Eating Disorders describes the phenomena as follows:

Those who have an “unhealthy obsession” with otherwise healthy eating may be suffering from “orthorexia nervosa,” a term which literally means “fixation on righteous eating.”  Orthorexia starts out as an innocent attempt to eat more healthfully, but orthorexics become fixated on food quality and purity.  They become consumed with what and how much to eat, and how to deal with “slip-ups.”  An iron-clad will is needed to maintain this rigid eating style.  Every day is a chance to eat right, be “good,” rise above others in dietary prowess, and self-punish if temptation wins (usually through stricter eating, fasts and exercise).  Self-esteem becomes wrapped up in the purity of orthorexics’ diet and they sometimes feel superior to others, especially in regard to food intake.
Eventually food choices become so restrictive, in both variety and calories, that health suffers – an ironic twist for a person so completely dedicated to healthy eating.  Eventually, the obsession with healthy eating can crowd out other activities and interests, impair relationships, and become physically dangerous.
Following a healthy diet does not mean you are orthorexic, and nothing is wrong with eating healthfully.  Unless, however, 1) it is taking up an inordinate amount of time and attention in your life; 2) deviating from that diet is met with guilt and self-loathing; and/or 3) it is used to avoid life issues and leaves you separate and alone.
What Is The Treatment for Orthorexia?
Society pushes healthy eating and thinness, so it is easy for many to not realize how problematic this behavior can become.  Even more difficult is that the person doing the healthy eating can hide behind the thought that they are simply eating well (and that others are not).  Further complicating treatment is the fact that motivation behind orthorexia is multi-faceted.  First, the orthorexic must admit there is a problem, then identify what caused the obsession.  She or he  must also become more flexible and less dogmatic about eating.   Working through underlying emotional issues will make the transition to normal eating easier.

Recovery
Recovered orthorexics will still eat healthfully, but there will be a different understanding of what healthy eating is.  They will realize that food will not make them a better person and that basing their self-esteem on the quality of their diet is irrational.  Their identity will shift from “the person who eats health food” to a broader definition of who they are – a person who loves, who works, who is fun.  They will find that while food is important, it is one small aspect of life, and that often other things  are more important!
Orthorexia nervosa is not currently recognized as a clinical diagnosis in the DSM-5, but many people struggle with symptoms associated with this term.