How Naturopathic Doctors Can Fuel Disordered Eating

When it comes to using nutrition in medicine, there is a lot of information out there about how it can support our health and help us feel better. But that isn't always the case. There are times when using nutrition as medicine can actually increase the strain on our nervous system and fuel disordered eating patterns in those who are susceptible.

The Influence of Naturopathic Doctors

Naturopathic Doctors are primary care practitioners who are trained in alternative, natural, and typically lower-risk forms of medicine. Some of the modalities we use include nutrition and dietary counselling, supplementation, acupuncture, botanical medicine, bioidentical hormones, IV therapy, and much more.

These tools can be incredibly supportive in creating a foundation that can help us feel good and optimize our health in our day-to-day life. However, there is also the potential for them to cause harm, especially in terms of our nutrition.

The Good & Bad

One of the most detrimental things that healthcare practitioners can do is to look at food as "good" and "bad." This dichotomy changes food from a source of fuel for our bodies into something negative that we are doing during the day.

When we look at things as inherently good and bad, we create a system that condemns us for engaging with things that are considered “bad.” This translates inherently into our relationship with food - when we categorize food as good or bad, we put ourselves into boxes showing that we are good or bad depending on which foods we engage with. This can actually perpetuate feelings of shame, guilt, and anxiety around food and fuel disordered eating patterns.

Yes, there are foods that can support us in different ways. There are ways to eat to support our health more than others. There are things that each of us can do with the food that we are eating to help our body be nourished and feel good.

BUT if we are not able to do that all of the time, it doesn’t mean that we are doing something “bad” or “wrong.” When we create this idea, we actually set the stage for the perpetuation or creation of an eating disorder.

Understanding Disordered Eating

Disordered eating is at the basic level an experience or interaction with food that causes us emotional and mental distress. When food is labeled as good or bad, it has the potential to do just that. Suddenly, food becomes something more than nutrition; it becomes a way to create judgment on others and on ourselves. When we live in this state, it can actually result in nervous system distress as well as a full-blown eating disorder.

It is integral that Naturopathic Doctors and other healthcare practitioners focus on how food can support and nourish us as a whole, including decreasing our stress, creating a healthy relationship with food, not placing judgment, and using food as a support, not a cause of distress.

A Final Word

If you are ever feeling overwhelmed or judged by what a healthcare practitioner is telling you about food, never hesitate to reach out for clarification! At our clinic we pride ourselves in taking a non-restrictive, non-judgmental, and positive approach to nutrition. We will go through how food impacts all parts of our being, including our nervous system, hormone health, digestive system, and body as a whole, so you can truly understand how ALL foods can be supportive to us.

Please know there is so much Naturopathic Medicine and Doctors can offer to help you feel better - including not only nutritional support but other modalities as well! If you would like to learn more about how Naturopathic Medicine can help support Disordered Eating, you can book a consultation with me!