Joy is a Nutrient with Sports Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner
Feb 22, 2024
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Explore the concept of joy as a vital nutrient in nutrition and athletic performance, alongside strategies for cultivating body gratitude, combating poor body image, and incorporating play into daily life. Learn how to access genuine joy, embrace positive nutrition, listen to body signals, and adopt a scientific approach to health monitoring. Dive into a holistic approach to well-being, focusing on self-kindness, rejection of negative self-talk, and making food choices for personal desires. Discover insights on joy, gratitude, and shifting mindset towards overall health and happiness.
Joy is a nutrient that impacts nutrition and athletic performance positively.
Positive nutrition involves adding nourishing foods and habits rather than focusing on restriction.
Shifting perspective on weight from numerical value to health and happiness indicators is vital for well-being.
Deep dives
Importance of Slowing Down and Being Present
Slowing down and being present in the moment can significantly impact one's relationship with food. By paying attention to the emotions, circumstances, and habits surrounding food consumption, individuals can better understand their eating patterns. This approach encourages mindfulness and helps in distinguishing between emotional and true physical hunger cues.
Positive Nutrition and Habit Tracking
The concept of positive nutrition focuses on adding nourishing foods and habits rather than simply subtracting from one's diet. Habit tracking is recommended as a more effective way to monitor progress and improve overall health without fixating on numbers on a scale. By tracking various aspects like energy levels, moods, and performance markers, individuals can gain a holistic view of their well-being.
Reframing Weight Perception as Health and Happiness
Shifting the perspective on weight from a numerical value to an indicator of health and happiness is crucial for overall well-being. Relying solely on a scale for self-evaluation is discouraged, while encouraging individuals to track other markers of health like strength, energy levels, and emotional well-being. Emphasizing the importance of feeling strong, happy, and healthy rather than fixating on numerical data can lead to a more balanced and positive approach to self-care.
Managing Emotional Attachments to Scale Numbers
Addressing emotional attachments to scale numbers is a key aspect of promoting a healthy relationship with body image and self-worth. Focusing on behaviors and habits that contribute to overall well-being, such as strength training, positive emotional outlook, and healthy eating patterns, is advocated over fixating on the scale. By tracking other measures of health and well-being, individuals can shift their focus from external validation to internal feelings of strength, happiness, and vitality.
Mindset Shift and Body Gratitude
Making a mindset shift towards holistic health is highlighted in the podcast, emphasizing the importance of focusing on overall well-being rather than just weight loss. The episode discusses the benefits reported by clients who feel more energetic, have improved sleep, better workout performance, and reduced food obsession. It touches on the concept of body gratitude, reframing negative self-talk, and embracing kindness towards oneself, stressing the significance of making a conscious decision to stop criticizing one's body.
Food Decision Making and Joyful Practices
The podcast delves into the importance of joyful and balanced food decision making. It suggests asking oneself what foods are desired, regardless of health or weight concerns, to enhance the enjoyment of meals. Encouraging a focus on nutritious yet satisfying choices, the episode emphasizes finding a balance that nurtures both the body and soul. Additionally, it underlines the ownership of food choices, advocating for planning ahead, consuming meals mindfully, and moving past guilt or negative self-criticism for a healthier relationship with food.
Welcome to episode 84 of the Eat for Endurance podcast, featuring fellow sports dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner (RDN, CSSD).
Dawn is all about “positive nutrition” and the idea that “joy is a nutrient,” which really captured my attention, as I send similar messaging to my clients. I encourage them to fuel themselves fully so they can feel good, perform well, and just as importantly, have FUN. Because no one is having fun when they’re tired, underfed, injured, sick, burnt out, or not supporting and appreciating their body in other ways.
If you're rolling your eyes and wondering, what on earth does joy have to do with nutrition, health, and athletic performance?! Listen to this episode and learn. Dawn’s own struggles motivated her to develop skills to access more joy, and she realized through this process just how impactful joy can be as a success strategy when applied to all parts of her life, including nutrition and lifestyle behaviors. We also discuss how to cultivate body gratitude, combat poor body image, achieve one’s “best” weight, incorporate more play and simplicity into the everyday, what to do when joy feels out of reach, and SO much more.
To be clear, we're not saying that every moment is joyful and fun - of course not! I have little kids and live a real life with plenty of tough moments, and I’ve had my fair share of crappy workouts and races. We're also not telling you to put on a fake smile. But we can all slow down enough that we catch and appreciate geniune moments of joy, while also being kinder to our bodies and fueling ourselves in a way that supports health and feels good.
This is one of my favorite episodes, and I hope you love it as much as I do.
Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations