Can you be a nutritionist while recovering from an eating disorder?

Or should I ask a different question. Is it true that you cannot help others until you help yourself? And is it even the same?

Managing your own health, body AND mind has to be a lifelong process. It’s a never-ending story, a journey. And each journey has its challenges.  

Everybody faces challenges. Even nutritionists.

A lot of people (myself included) got into nutrition BECAUSE OF the disordered eating. And there is nothing wrong with that.

It allows us to use our own unique experience to  provide empathy people need. It is rare to find professionals who are truly passionate about their job. This relation to the issue is what makes us honest and our contribution extraordinary. 

You can’t learn everything just by watching others. Without being in your clients shoes it might be difficult to get a full picture. That is why psychotherapists need therapy themselves. 

It helps a lot to have that special experience as you can empathise with the people you’re working with. 

However, it’s important to be aware of your own issues. There’re will be certain topics that may trigger you. Simply put, you have to know how to manage it well enough to not get in the way of helping others. 

It’s natural to understand people with similar issues, people like us. So, if you feel like nutrition is something for you, and you are ready to overcome obstacles, go for it!

Nutrition is not black and white...

Nutrition is not about trying to find the most nutrient-dense food. It simply doesn’t exist. Nutrition is about your healthy relationship with food. This means anything can be part of your meal plan, as long as you enjoy it. And stop labeling food as “harmful” or “healthy”, it ruins the satisfaction of eating.

At some point, I decided to replace bread with rice cakes. I even tried to persuade myself it tasted okay… But it wasn’t the rice cakes that was the problem, it was me. I struggled to admit that it wasn’t the right food for me. If everyone says it’s healthy, then it has to be healthy? Right?

No one is the same. Everyone’s lifestyle is different. Therefore, there is no food that is right for everyone. And it leads to another conclusion. There’s only one person who knows for sure whether food is “good” or “bad”, and that person is you.

Too hot to cook

If you are experiencing a heatwave, I doubt you are baking a chicken in the oven right now. Some meals, like pumpkin soup or beef and potato stew don’t feel right, no matter how much we enjoy these foods. It is not just because we serve them hot, no. Some foods require too much effort to digest. On a hot day, our body already has to work very hard to keep cool. Temperature regulation takes a lot of energy leaving us completely drained. That is why “difficult to digest” foods like sausages, soda, pickles may only lead to more exhaustion than before.

The question is… how to deal with it? I definitely do not recommend skipping meals. One option is to try food from countries with hot climate like Thailand, Indonesia or Mexico. Unlike most of the European countries or Northern America, their recipes were already developed in a way to minimise the amount of energy our body spends on digestion.

Not a fan of experiments? Go for meals with minimum ingredients. Try to avoid meat, mushrooms and beans as they are harder to digest. For me, the best combination is dairy + fruits/vegetables (But you always should look for your own best food ideas!).