by Libby

Everyday Eats {September 2023}

Hello everyone!

Welcome to September! I am somewhat relieved to be in the almost-fall season, with the slightly cooler temps and the more energizing-to-me activities this time of year (more opportunities for hiking in better weather/without bugs, college football, various fall plans, etc.). We also just got back from our yearly end-of-summer trip, this time heading to Holland for a night and then three nights of backcountry camping in the Nordhouse Dunes on Lake Michigan.

The weather, for the most part, could not have been better! Highlights of the trip included extended time outside, three beautiful sunsets, stunning beach views throughout the day, extended time without technology, and a wonderful stay at a bed and breakfast that we would definitely go back to in the future!

How was your Labor Day weekend? Thankfully Michigan football is also off to a good start!

As we round out summer and head into fall, I have a wide variety of delicious eats to share today. Hopefully you feel inspired to try some new and/or return to some favorite flavor & food combinations in the week or two ahead!

Some favorite eats from the past few weeks!

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by Libby

Improving Your Relationship with Food, Exercise & Body Image While in College

It’s hard to believe that over 10 years ago I headed off to Ann Arbor to begin my freshman year at the University of Michigan!

I’m sure like many people, reflecting back on it, college was for me a mix of fun/positive times and (many!) hard/stressful times.

Thankfully, I was mostly fully recovered from my eating disorder which had started/mostly been a thing in high school. I was doing well mentally and emotionally in regard to food, but was still working on some physical healing (hormones, GI, etc.).

I say “thankfully” because I know from my experience in college (via observing others, talking to friends, etc.) and from talking to clients/students still in college, how hard it can be to grow in having a healthy relationship with food, exercise, and body image during these pivotal years.

It seems to me that most people tend to experience more disorder and dysfunction on these fronts throughout college. There can be so much pressure to exercise a certain a way (queue the endless elliptical usage at the gym…), look a certain way, and eat certain foods and quantities deemed “healthy” or intended to lead to the “ideal body size.”

Given the pressures and challenges of the typical college environment, it can take some intentionality to grow positively in your relationship with food (and exercise + body image) during this time. Note: this intentionality is also true of “regular” life beyond or before college!!

As we (as a culture/society) enter the back-to-school season, I wanted to provide some thoughts and reflections on ways you might consider going about improving your relationship with food/exercise/body image during the school year in particular.

Hopefully you will find the following thoughts especially helpful/relevant if you are a college student, and, for everyone else, also helpful for everyday living in our diet/body size-obsessed culture!

Thoughts on Improving Your Relationship with Food, Exercise, & Body Image While in College (or beyond for that matter!): 

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by Libby

Healthy Food Boundaries vs. Unhealthy Restriction

Something I am passionate about when it comes to food is the idea of increasing permission with food. Working on “permission with food” is almost always a big part of disordered eating recovery.

Giving yourself greater permission with food might look like…

  • Allowing yourself foods that you like but typically avoid because they are “less healthy” (and doing so without guilt or “compensatory measures” like restricting the next day)
  • Growing in flexibility with how you approach food, such as enjoying a dessert at a time of day you might not normally eat dessert
  • In general, starting to heal any food rules you might consciously or subconsciously be using to navigate food decisions in a fear or anxiety-based way

Many of us may know from experience that restricting food intake and/or NOT giving yourself permission with food is a surefire way to experience chaos and obsession with food. You can read more on this idea and the cycle of restriction in this blog post. Chaos/obsession with food might look like binge eating, compulsively eating, and/or obsessively thinking about food (whether or not you “act” on those obsessions by eating).

If you are growing in healing your relationship with food and your body, maybe you have started to experience some of the benefits (nutritionally and mentally/emotionally) of giving yourself greater permission with food. HOWEVER, you may also be at a place in your journey of wondering when/if it is “okay” to say no to a food without doing this from a place of restriction…(the place/mentality you are working so hard to leave!).

When making a food choice, is there a healthy/life-giving way to say no to a certain food without it coming from a dieting/restricting mentality?

In other words, what is the difference between setting what I call a “healthy food boundary” versus engaging in unhealthy, disordered eating-type restriction?

Let’s begin to explore this idea in the rest of this post! As always, I’d love to hear any thoughts that you have (feel free to leave them in the comments or message me personally).

To get us thinking, let’s consider an example evening dessert scenario.

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {August 2023}

Hello & Happy Wednesday!

We were out of town visiting family in Iowa last week. It was nice to have a break from our normal routines!

We enjoyed the scenery, going on walks, time with family, the Iowa corn 🙂 , and the chance to just relax more without having to think about the regular to-dos/stressors of life.

And, of course, some delicious eats! (some of which will be featured below!)

As we continue on into August, I’m hoping to take advantage of all the amazing fresh produce in-season for the next month. Hello fresh peaches, tomatoes, and corn!

What are you hoping to make before summer is over? I’m dreaming up a burrata salad w/ fresh tomatoes, a chicken dishes w/ fresh peaches, & quite possibly some fruit crisp!

Plenty of delicious seasonal summer eats from the past month!

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by Libby

Benefits of Eating Regularly (3 Meals, ~3 Snacks)

Hello friends! How is your week going so far?

I am feeling good this week overall after an energizing weekend at my grandparents’ house enjoying time on the lake. It was pretty much a perfect summer weekend as far as sunshine + weather goes! We waterskied, went on a few boat rides, and experienced a devastating loss to my grandpa in our family card game! 🙂

Today I wanted to do a post on some key reasons why eating regularly is beneficial – both from a nutrition and a relationship with food standpoint.

By “eating regularly,” I’m talking 3 meals and around 3 snacks per day, every 3 hours or so. Some people may prefer/need more like 2 or 4+ snacks, and some people eat a little more often or go a little longer in between meals, depending on hunger cues/personal preferences/schedules each day. BUT, I find these rules of thumb for regular eating rhythms to work well for pretty much everyone. (Since they are based on human biology & psychology!)

You can check out how I might incorporate 3 meals/3 snacks in my everyday eating here.

Oftentimes, a client will come to me eating only 2-3 meals per day and no snacks. Snacks might be viewed as “bad,” and the thought of eating more regularly may at first seem anxiety-inducing or counterproductive. However, it’s common that the client is experiencing a range of symptoms that can be vastly improved upon with regular eating rhythms. Symptoms may include bloating, constipation/diarrhea, obsession/preoccupation with food, binge eating, chaotic eating, difficulty noticing or listening to hunger/fullness cues, lack of hunger cues, slowed metabolism, imbalanced hormones, feeling addicted to food, and more!

Once we begin to understand more what is going on and start to make gentle shifts towards more regular/balanced eating, these concerns start to improve.

Let’s explore some of the main reasons why I recommend eating regularly! (3 meals and ~3 snacks)

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by Libby

Libby’s Favorite Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are a hearty and satisfying make-ahead breakfast, perfect for busy mornings or for simplifying your everyday morning routine! Made with oats, chia seeds, and your choice of milk + yogurt, this overnight oats recipe can be customized based on whatever flavor combinations and toppings you prefer. 

Today I’m sharing the simple recipe that I use daily for my favorite overnight oats!

In my opinion, overnight oats are the perfect summer breakfast because they…

–> Taste amazing topped w/ the juiciest seasonal summer fruit.
–> Are nice and creamy and cold.
–> Provide a great boost of energy + nutrition to start the day.
–> Are made in advance, making getting breakfast together in the morning a breeze.
–> Need only a few simple ingredients to make!

Better yet, the flavor/topping combinations are endless!

This quick + easy recipe has been my go-to warmer weather breakfast for years. Now I even have Alec on board! 🙂

I prefer to enjoy my overnight oats post-run or walk. Topped with plenty of peanut butter (obviously!) and – to wash it all down – a refreshing glass of iced coffee with almond or chocolate cashew milk mixed in. But you do you!

Keep reading for your new favorite summer breakfast recipe!

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by Libby

10 Thoughts About Anorexia Recovery {From Personal Experience}

Happy Wednesday!

Today I’m sharing some thoughts on my experience recovering from anorexia (the most intense part of my recovery took place when I was in high school).

While this was an extremely difficult time in my life that I would never want to repeat, I am also thankful for it because of all the personal growth and healing that has resulted from it! While painful at times, beginning recovery has been the gift that has kept giving.

I hope you find the following thoughts and reflections both helpful and encouraging if you are currently recovering from anorexia, or if you are thinking about starting recovery.

If you are recovering from a different eating disorder (or any degree of disordered eating), I think you will also find this post encouraging!

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {July 2023}

Hi everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful 4th / possible long weekend! I have been off work the past few days and have been enjoying the extra time with a mix of relaxing / getting random other things done.

In full disclosure I completely wrote and scheduled this post in advance / before my time off so I can’t comment too much on how the weekend went at the time of writing! 🙂  Will be back to my regular work week tomorrow (Thursday).

Whether you are enjoying some extra vacation time this week or have more of a typical week, I hope this July Eats Roundup post inspires you to seek out satisfying, tasty eating experiences all throughout the week!

Some recent meals + snacks from the past couple of weeks! 

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by Libby

Some Thoughts on What to Do After a Binge (or Overeating in General)

Experiencing the aftermath of a binge eating episode is typically incredibly uncomfortable both from a physical and emotional/psychological standpoint. Not only are you likely working through feelings of guilt, disgust, and possible shame/embarrassment, but you also have the physical sensations of over-fullness and bloating to tolerate. NOT FUN.

In this post, I want to provide some tips on what to do if you find yourself in this scenario. This could be post-binge OR after any sort of uncomfortable degree of overeating.

To review, an actual binge eating episode is defined as eating (within a 2-hr window) significantly more than most people would eat under similar circumstances. It is also accompanied by feeling out-of-control.

Even if you don’t struggle with “technical binge eating,” regularly experiencing chaotic eating and/or regularly reaching the point of unpleasant fullness is also quite distressing. You may feel a sense of shame, wondering why do I find eating so hard when others seem totally fine??

You are not a uniquely flawed human being if this is something you are wrestling with. There are legitimate physical and emotional/psychological reasons why you may experience your eating spiraling out-of-control at times.

Next time you find yourself feeling overly full or struggling with the aftermath of a binge, I hope you find the following ideas useful!

(Note: a lot of the following ideas/thoughts can be applied to other eating disorder behaviors, including restriction and purging).

Thoughts on What to Do After a Binge (or Overeating in General): 

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by Libby

Intuitive Eating Behind the Scenes {Typical Day}

Hi everyone! Today I wanted to post a new type of post sharing some “behind the scenes” as far as what thoughts/considerations might go into a typical day of my daily eats. This is NOT meant to be a comparison or a “you should eat like me” type of post —  HECK NO. More meant to encourage you as far as what it might look like to have a normal relationship with food!

Everyone’s nutrition needs and food preferences are different. In my work with clients, I consider myself to be the nutrition professional and the client to be the expert on herself/her goals/what she likes/what might work best for her. Not everyone’s eating looks the same, so no cookie cutter approaches here! I am all about helping others work towards an intuitive eating way of eating where you grow in listening to your body’s inner signals, considering your thoughts/feelings about food, and trusting your overall intuition, as we are born knowing how to intuitively eat. I hope these types of posts help you grow in your own journey of peace with food and joyful nourishment of your body!

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