Do I have a sugar addiction? with Marci Evans, RD
I know I say this every week but I’m really excited for this episode. Marci Evans has become a household name in the world of intuitive eating and healing from disordered eating I feel like we struck gold with this one, y’all!
If you’ve ever dieted or researched anything diet related because it’s been difficult to “control yourself” around sweets I’m sure you can relate to the question: “Do I have a sugar addiction?” We hear so much about food addiction and even the OA (Overeaters Anonymous) model of recovery pretty much promotes the idea. How many times have you said, I can’t be around that food (i.e. ice cream, cake, cookies, chips, etc.) because when I start, I don’t stop. I can’t stop!
I think the worst part of this way of thinking is the shame and guilt that it perpetuates. If you did, by accident/on purpose/couldn’t control yourself and eat the food and then didn’t stop when you wanted to, chances are you felt ashamed and guilty. And you felt physically gross. (More on what to do on this episode.)
Well, Marci has some new information that may be helpful to you. She talks about ways you can expand your thinking to include new ideas and help you work toward a healthier relationship with the foods you feel addicted to. I love how Marci is so careful to not shame. She lets all of us know that if you feel the way you do, no one is here to tell you that isn’t true. She shares how our history with dieting and restriction may actually have a lot more to do with our feeling out of control around certain foods than we may have realized. And she shares how you can begin to heal from the chaotic cycle of trying to not eat the sweets and eating them while feeling absolutely terrible about yourself and physically.
A bit about Marci: Marci identifies as a Food and Body Imager Healer® practicing from a Health At Every Size® and anti-oppression lens. She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor and certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. In addition to her group private practice, Marci launched an online eating disorders training platform for clinicians in 2015 and co-directs a specialized eating disorder internship at Simmons University. In 2018 she received the Professional Integrity Award from The Behavioral Health Dietetics Practice Group of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has spoken locally and nationally at numerous conferences and media outlets. She regularly communicates on social media so be sure to connect with her @marciRD as well as on her blog at www.marciRD.com/blog.
Listen to the Episode Now
Show Notes
[0:01-05:54] Introductions
Introducing our guest speaker
[05:55-29:34] What is Sugar Addiction and How Does It Differ From Other Food Addiction? Do I Have a Sugar Addiction?
Marci elaborates on her role as a registered dietitian and how she uses her scientific knowledge
Redefining addiction and how it affects every aspect of the human anatomy
How science cannot necessarily pinpoint what a sugar addiction is
What are the proponents of the food addiction model?
The neuro-responses of rodents who have undergone restrictive or intermittent access to sugar in comparison to rodents who have unlimited access to it
The psychological impact of labeling food as “bad” or “good.”
[29:35-38:45] Fake Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
Digestive concerns that arise from misuse of artificial sweeteners
Sugar recommendations – what could this mean?
[38:46- 53:00] Marci’s Advice for Those Who Feel that They’re Suffering From Food Addiction
Do I have a sugar addiction?
The importance of validating one’s emotions, feelings, and experiences to navigate through the concern.
How a person’s medical history can help Marci’s personalized approach.
The value of curiosity in understanding food behaviors and other factors that encourage particular actions.
Marci elaborates on what it’s like working with her and an example of her approach to a hypothetical concern
[53:01-54:39] Outro
Where to find Marci?
Resources:
Tweetable Quotes
"The process is not necessarily linear. It can get quite messy. It can go on all sorts of direction.” – Marci Evans, RD
“Know what your vulnerabilities are.” – Marci Evans, RD
“The answer is different everyone.” – Rachelle Heinemann, LMHC
More From Rachelle
Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
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