#38 - Reframing Our Food Beliefs

This week, we're talking all about a specific practice that we spend a lot of time on in Intuitive Eating - reframing our food beliefs! We've all absorbed a million beliefs about food from diet culture. We get these beliefs from specific diets, from health & wellness professionals, from fitness professionals, from the media, and from our friends & families. And a big part of our work when we start ditching diet culture is to start noticing these old narratives & replacing them with new narratives that better fit our lived experiences, the scientific facts, and our values. But sometimes it can be hard to know how to get started with building new narratives! In this episode we're talking about: a framework for finding impactful reframes for our food beliefs; why we don't recommend using scripts for reframing & why authenticity works better; and some specific examples of how to reframe some common food beliefs!   

You can stay up to date on all things Satisfaction Factor by following us on IG @satisfactionfactorpod!

Here's where to find us & all the information about how to work with us:
Sadie Simpson: www.sadiesimpson.com or IG @thesadiesimpson
Naomi Katz: www.happyshapes.co or IG @happyshapesnaomi

For this episode's transcript, visit: www.satisfactionfactorpod.com

Referenced in this episode:
Maintenance Phase - The Great Protein Fiasco
Maintenance Phase - The Trouble With Calories
Food Science Babe
Cara Harbstreet - Street Smart RD

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You can stay up to date on all things Satisfaction Factor by following us on IG @satisfactionfactorpod!

Here's where to find us:
Sadie Simpson: www.sadiesimpson.com or IG @sadiemsimpson
Naomi Katz: www.happyshapes.co or IG @happyshapesnaomi

Transcript

Naomi Katz: 0:03

Welcome to Satisfaction Factor, the podcast where we explore how ditching diet culture makes our whole lives more satisfying. Welcome back to Satisfaction Factor. I'm Naomi Katz, an Intuitive Eating, body image, and self trust coach.

Sadie Simpson: 0:25

I'm Sadie Simpson, a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and Intuitive Eating counselor. Before getting started, we just wanted to remind y'all, if you have found value in listening to the Satisfaction Factor, please do us a huge favor and give us a rating and review on Apple podcasts and/or Spotify. This is what really helps boost us up in the podcast rankings, and that is what helps us reach more people, so we can continue spreading this message far and wide.

Naomi Katz: 0:58

Yeah, plus, we just love to read your reviews, and your comments, and stuff. It makes our day.

Sadie Simpson: 1:03

It does.

Naomi Katz: 1:04

Today we are talking about something that is kind of a big part of the work that we do in Intuitive Eating. We're going to be talking about how we reframe our food beliefs- meaning we take our old scripts and narratives, and we basically rewrite them to reflect the unlearning that we're doing of our old rules and beliefs, and to reflect what we want our new beliefs to be. This is a very conscious, very ongoing practice, not like a one and done kind of thing. But it can also sometimes be really hard just to get started with it. We know that we don't necessarily believe the old thing- like whatever the old narrative is- anymore, but sometimes we're not really sure what our new narrative is going to be either, or like how to even find the new narrative. So today, we are going to basically work through the process of reframing some common food beliefs, so that we can see what that process looks like, and so that maybe you can get some ideas of where to start crafting your own new narrative.

Sadie Simpson: 2:17

Yeah, that's a hard part of doing a lot of this work is building the skills to learn how to craft our own narrative, because whenever we've learned, or been told, or believed the alternative narrative for so long, it can get kind of clouded, and it just can be really challenging to explore a new narrative or to craft a new narrative. So yeah, this will be a good conversation.

Naomi Katz: 2:45

Yeah, I think that's a part of the work that, like, we don't talk about very much- that there's this point where, like, okay, you know you don't believe the old thing, but you haven't really, like, cleared the way for the new thing yet. And so you're kind of in this gray, neutral, no man's land of, like, okay, so do I not believe anything right now? And it can be unsettling and kind of really hard to figure out.

Sadie Simpson: 3:14

Well, that's a really good point in and of itself. I feel like we have to kind of go through that gray area, no man's land, for a little while, and sort of wade through some of these mucky waters to really kind of disengage from one thing, to clear the way to figure out what it is that we want, or to find maybe something that aligns better with our values, and our beliefs, and all that sort of stuff. So yeah. Yeah, it really is.

Naomi Katz: 3:39

Kind of the whole point of Intuitive Eating is to Which leads us into a an important disclaimer, find your own internal beliefs and cues, and like to really before we get started, which is that we don't mean for these find this stuff from inside. And that can be a lot harder- where things that we're gonna say- these reframes- to be scripts like, you know, sometimes with the diets, like, okay, maybe you shifted from low fat to low carb, or something like that. It's like- you're still- like, you had something to sub in for the belief, and so you didn't have to try and tune in and figure out where it was inside of you, and, like, what you already know, and stuff like that. That is a much harder process than just having somebody say, this is the new thing. that you have to follow and like repeat for yourself. They're just ideas for jumping off points, and they're examples of how this framework that we'll talk about works. Personally, I don't believe in scripts for like anything really. I think they feel inauthentic, and they end up creating a lot more of this like cognitive dissonance for us- that, like, yucky, icky feeling. In my experience, at least- with the people that I've worked with- I think by the time most people get to this point, they more or less like intellectually know that they don't believe these things anymore, or that these things aren't true, and stuff like that. But where they're struggling is they're having a hard time internalizing that, or like finding their way to their own new belief. Personally, I don't think repeating someone else's words really helps build that bridge from the intellectual to the internal. If anything, I think that sometimes that actually can keep us stuck in that place. Because we're still not internalizing, we're just regurgitating something we've heard somebody else say.

Sadie Simpson: 5:44

Yeah, and that really goes back to what we talk about in basically every episode, is spending some time examining our own values, and our own preferences, and our lived experience, and our lifestyle, and using all of these things that are true and authentic to us to create some jumping off points, or some bullet points, or whatever, in a way that is unique to us as individuals, versus trying to copy exactly what somebody somewhere has done.

Naomi Katz: 6:20

Yeah, totally. The idea is for people to Let's do it. We're going to talk about three different ways to reframe personalize these reframes with their own words, with their own beliefs, with their own values, with their own experiences, all of that stuff, so that they feel real and authentic to us, to you, to- you know? And since we love a good framework on this show, we are going to offer you a framework of like three ways to craft powerful reframes that will feel more authentic and more like yourself when you say them, and therefore be more powerful than just throwing in a script from somebody else. Ready for the framework? things. The first is to reframe a belief with our actual lived experience. So this one is powerful because diet culture really doesn't leave room for like our actual humanity and our actual lived experience. It's like one size fits all, rules, and just- regardless of who you are, or what you've experienced, or like the truth of things in your own body, in your own life- the rule is the rule, and it's for everybody. So this is an opportunity to really reject that thought process. And so when we reframe with lived experience, the question that we ask ourselves is, what is the truth of my personal experience with this? The second way that we can reframe is with facts. So this one is powerful because diet culture is really not evidence based very often. It's- you know, it's relationship to science, and evidence, and reality is pretty loose at best. You know, this can be impactful, especially for those of us who are, you know, maybe more data driven, and science driven, and stuff like that. So the question that we ask ourself, when we reframe with facts, is what do I know about the scientific evidence for this?

Sadie Simpson: 8:25

That one speaks to me loud and clear. And I know there's a lot of folks out there listening to this- they are- like, they need the facts, they need the data, they need the evidence to support the claim. So if you are that type of person, that is a very, very helpful way to look into all this stuff.

Naomi Katz: 8:45

Yeah. Oh my God, I'm so glad you said that. Because that's kind of the other thing, is these- there's- the reason we want to offer more than one way to reframe- again, it goes back to authenticity, and like, what works for you individually- is that people relate to things in different ways. Some people are more data driven, some people are gonna be more lived experience driven, some people are going to be more values driven. I'm big on values driven. Being able to find which one of these resonates with you is going to be important. And the reality is that, depending on what the belief is, which one of these works best might be different. So like having options is just so important.

Sadie Simpson: 9:23

Yes, this is like a la carte options. You get to pick what you want, when you want it.

Naomi Katz: 9:28

Totally. And then so that brings us to the last one, which is that we reframe with values. And again, this one's really powerful because diet culture very often does not actually align with our other higher level values, our core values, and things like that. And so when we reframe with values, the question that we ask ourselves- and it's actually a few questions- is Who benefits from this belief? What privileges are present in this belief? And who might be harmed by this belief? Three kind of powerful way to reframe these beliefs. So we're gonna work through this framework for five

Sadie Simpson: 10:02

Yeah. common food beliefs. But before we do that, I guess we're going to kind of do a bonus one. I guess we'll do the bonus at the beginning. And we're going to start with one kind of overarching belief, so that we can see how each of these works. So I think the belief that we're going to start with is dieting is the best way to lose weight. Kind of a big one. Yeah, coming in strong on that first example there.

Naomi Katz: 10:34

So when we reframe this belief- dieting is the best way to lose weight- when we reframe that with lived experience that might look like, I've never lost weight in the long term from dieting. Therefore, for me, dieting doesn't cause me to lose weight long term. We ask the question- right- we ask the question of what is the truth of my personal experience with this? In my personal experience, I have never lost weight in the long term from dieting. And so there's my reframe. If we reframe with facts, again, we ask the question, what do I know about the scientific evidence for this? Well, what we know is that, for decades, research has shown that 95% of diets don't work in the long term, and two thirds of people actually gain more weight.

Sadie Simpson: 11:22

Give me those stats.

Naomi Katz: 11:23

Right?

Sadie Simpson: 11:25

I need the percentages here, people.

Naomi Katz: 11:28

Like, the science is pretty clear, so like that's- reframing this one with facts can be really helpful. And then the last one, reframe with values- again, we ask, you know, who benefits from the belief? What privileges are present? Who might be harmed? And maybe what we come up with is the thin ideal is rooted in anti-Blackness, ableism, and healthism. The pursuit of intentional weight loss and the upholding of a hierarchy of bodies doesn't fit within my value system.

Sadie Simpson: 11:55

We're done here. That pretty much covers the answer to everything else under reframing with values for the rest of this entire episode.

Naomi Katz: 12:02

Episode over. But you know, you can kind of see how each of these can be tailored to be unique to you as an individual, too, rather than relying on like an external script. Just for instance, this time let's give some alternate reframes, in case like your ex- none of those resonated with you. And maybe an alternate reframe with actual lived experience could be something like, I've lost weight with dieting, but it cost me social connections, and it caused me to obsess about food to the point of withdrawing from my life. Therefore, for me, the cost of dieting doesn't make it the best way to lose weight. Still, like, answering the same question about the truth of your own personal experience, but like maybe your experience is different from somebody else's, right?

Sadie Simpson: 12:50

Yeah.

Naomi Katz: 12:50

And we can still come to that same place of Whenever I hear you talking about this, these three dieting is actually not the best way to lose weight. Alternate different reframes, like the first thing that pops in my mind reframe with fact- dieting is one of the strongest predictors of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. Maybe in your personal experience- again, especially if you have maybe lost weight, but it's come with that- like those costs and that obsession- maybe this is a stronger evidence based scientific fact for you to relate to personally. And then an alternate reframe with values- my core values are autonomy and connection, and diets rob us of both of those things, so dieting doesn't align with my core values in my life. is this visual of a pie chart, and you've got the three different reframes- the lived experience, the facts, and the values. And I feel like- and maybe this is the data person in me- like, I want there to be an assessment tool, where we can take a little quiz and see what drives us most- is it facts, or is it values, is it lived experience- and that way, we could use that information to really like tap in to what works best for us. But anyway, that's just- like, my data brain wants this to be a thing. I love that. I am a person who loves to take quizzes. So if you come up with that, please send it to me.

Sadie Simpson: 14:23

I'll add it to my notebook.

Naomi Katz: 14:27

So as we work through these common food beliefs- these five common food beliefs that we're gonna break down- remember that there are a million variations of how you can personally reframe each of these. We're giving examples here as places you can start. And there's as many different ways to do this as there are humans in the world. So, you know, don't take this as like the only way to do this. So let's do it. Let's break them down.

Sadie Simpson: 14:54

Let's do it.

Naomi Katz: 14:56

So the one we're going to start with is protein is the best food group.

Sadie Simpson: 15:02

Oh, but isn't it though?

Naomi Katz: 15:05

Oh, well, that's an excellent question. Let's answer it in three different ways.

Sadie Simpson: 15:10

Let's do it.

Naomi Katz: 15:11

So a great starting point for this reframe is to ask ourselves, like, best for what? Right? This is a very black and white belief, and it's one that is very reinforced by diet culture, and wellness culture, and fitness culture, and all of that stuff. Side note, Maintenance Phase has a great episode called The Great Protein Fiasco.

Sadie Simpson: 15:37

Yeah. That's a good one.

Naomi Katz: 15:38

Yeah. And it's all about the origins of how we got this diet culture belief of, you know, needing to consume our body weight in protein, essentially. Check that out if you're curious about the actual science behind all of this, not to mention the politics behind all of it- because it's always actually that, right. Okay, so if we're going to reframe with lived experience, maybe what this looks like is, protein is filling and helps me feel fuller longer, but it's not as satisfying as food with fat, and it doesn't fuel me as well as carbs. So for me, all the food groups serve their own purposes, and are best for different things. Personally, I love this reframe because it opens the door for really noticing how different foods serve our bodies, instead of just relying on like outside judgments about what's good, and what's bad, and how these things should make our bodies feel. So I'm a big fan of this particular reframe for this one.

Sadie Simpson: 16:41

Yeah, I love that so much. And I think, especially with the lived experience one with the protein thing, I think it's really important for us to recognize, too, like maybe any sort of health needs- because certain health conditions that I may have, that you may not have, may require either more or less protein to kind of meet some of those daily activity levels or daily living needs. And I think that's really important because, especially in the fitness world, it's always touted- like you need one gram of protein per body weight per day, or whatever. And that is way too much of a blanket statement that does not apply to everyone in every situation and could be harmful in certain people in certain health situations, too.

Naomi Katz: 17:34

Yeah, absolutely. That's a really good point- where, I don't remember what medical condition it is, but I feel like there's a medical condition where, like, you actually have to be careful about how much protein you consume, because your body doesn't process it as well. So like, yeah, this kind of goes in both directions. Okay, so reframing with facts. Maybe how we do that here is, carbs and fats serve distinct biological purposes in the body, just like protein does. I don't think it's really necessary here, for the purpose of this episode, to really dig into like what all the biological processes are. But if we were going to reframe with facts, this is absolutely true- carbs and fats both have- are biological necessities for our bodies, and our bodies use them for things, just like we did with protein. And then reframing with values- maybe that's something like, moralizing food groups and food choices reinforces the idea that people who eat, quote unquote, better are better people. Not everyone has access to high levels of protein. Not all cultures prioritize protein. And so these kinds of hierarchies and moral judgments don't align with my values. This is some jumping off points.

Sadie Simpson: 18:49

Yeah, well, even going back to the lived experience, slash facts- like just a personal anecdote- like I have realized over the years that I just don't really like a lot of proteins. Like, I mean, I like a burger here and there, and, you know, different things. But I don't know- back in my beginning days of weightlifting, when I was like protein is the best food group- I was like a meathead, I guess, for a phase in my life- that it just did not- well, and even going back to a values alignment, from a financial standpoint, like protein- like especially animal protein- is a lot more expensive. So whenever you look at that from a financial values perspective, finding ways to tap into that may be a motivator in this sense too.

Naomi Katz: 19:36

Yeah, absolutely. And again, just like totally demonstrating the fact that there are a million different ways to reframe these things based on like your values, and your lived experiences, and stuff like that. Okay, let's move on to the second one. Carbs are unnecessary to eat during the day. You know, just right off the bat, I think this one's very similar to the protein one, and the reframe can be very similar- like almost flipped kind of.

Sadie Simpson: 20:04

Yeah.

Naomi Katz: 20:05

So lived experience could be something like, when I restrict carbs, I have less energy during the day. Therefore, for me, carbs are necessary to fuel my day to day life. For facts- again, very similar to the protein- carbs are the body's preferred source of fuel, both for our bodies and our brains. And then values- again, very similar to the protein reframe for value- unnecessary how? Carbs are a staple in many cultures, so are we saying that cultural connection is unnecessary? Carbs are often more affordable and are, you know, maybe relied on by people with financial insecurity or food insecurity, so are we saying that access to food is unnecessary? So like, again, hierarchies and moral judgments about food, and, by extension the people who eat that food- these things don't align with my values.

Sadie Simpson: 20:59

Every time you go through one of these examples, and you hit on the lived experience, I automatically think- I'm like, oh, yeah, I relate to that one most in this example. But then you go down the line to the facts, and then to the values- and like, it's funny, because I really, like, internally want to have one go to example that I relate to most, but there are definitely bits and pieces of all of these that I'm like, oh, yeah, that really resonates.

Naomi Katz: 21:27

Oh my God, I'm so glad you said that. Because there's something that I think is really important to understand about this stuff, too, is that at different times, and under different circumstances, we may relate to one or the other of these more, but we might relate to all of them in different ways. So like, I think sometimes like as an entry point- like when we're first trying to find a reframe- sometimes maybe the facts are like the easiest thing to just like reframe, when we're first starting to do it- maybe lived experience- whereas values might be something that we work up to later in our process of this. Not for everybody. You know, for some people, maybe values is like the most accessible entry point. But working through all of these reframes at different times, or under different circumstances, might end up being what we do here, like, as opposed to just picking one and sticking with it forever.

Sadie Simpson: 22:32

Yeah, I think the thing about facts and lived experience versus values is that the facts are the facts, our past lived experiences are things that happened, and we can, like, clearly visualize both the facts and the lived experience, but our values sometimes can be a little bit more abstract. So I think working up to the values for a lot of folks may be really beneficial- like working on the stuff that is very clear, not a lot of gray areas- specifically, like with the facts- is a really good entry point before kind of branching out into the more abstract, higher level things. So that's really helpful.

Naomi Katz: 23:17

Yeah, totally. And, you know, on the flip side of that, I've definitely worked with folks who have come to, like, Intuitive Eating, and body image, and like anti diet work, after having done work on another area of their lives- you know, like, maybe it's anti racism, maybe its purity culture, or maybe it's therapy in general, and stuff like that- like, where they've already done some of that work. And so, as a result, they are tuned into maybe some more of the values stuff. And as a result, they can make that transition a little bit earlier on. So it really depends also on, like, how you're coming into this work, like what other work you've done, and like where you're at in your journey on other things. So yeah.

Sadie Simpson: 24:08

Oh my gosh. Well, and even to add another layer to that, I think if we start off with this kind of anti diet journey, often that can kind of open the door for some of those other things you have already just talked about, like anti racism, purity culture, just all of these other kind of surrounding themes- that it can be carried over from tuning into your values related to food, and bodies, and weight, and that sort of thing, to kind of spill over into literally every other area in our lives. So yeah, it's all related.

Naomi Katz: 24:45

It's so related. Because it's vice versa. Third common food belief- processed foods are unhealthy. I feel like that's one that's just literally everywhere all the time. Lived experience- there have been times in my life when eating processed food was the best choice for me, given the accessibility, or the cost, or the convenience. Processed food allowed me to honor my hunger. Therefore, for me, processed foods have been helpful and a healthy choice. Recognizing some nuances in how processed food shows up in our lives. Certainly there's a way to reframe this that's also just about, maybe, we enjoy processed food, we find it delicious, and we like it. Like that can be part of our lived experience reframe too. So this is just one example. Reframing with facts- almost all foods are processed in some way, and there's nothing inherently unhealthy about processed foods. That's not a ton of detail. But the reality is, it's true. Like that is actually the fact about processed food.

Sadie Simpson: 25:52

Yeah, and just a little side note on that one- I have found a lot of value in following Food Science Babe on Instagram. I don't know if you follow her. But she is a food scientist and delivers the straight up facts about- specifically about processed foods a lot of the times- and about preservatives, and shelf life, and just all this other stuff. And that's just been an Instagram account that I have really learned a lot from.

Naomi Katz: 26:21

Yeah, totally. I've learned a lot from that account, too. I also just want to point out it's not Food Babe.

Sadie Simpson: 26:28

No.

Naomi Katz: 26:29

It's Food Science Babe. Food Science Babe is almost like the answer to Food Babe.

Sadie Simpson: 26:34

Yes. Great clarification there.

Naomi Katz: 26:39

I also- actually, kind of similarly, I have been learning a ton about our misconceptions about MSG, especially- like speaking of food processing, because that's like a big thing that comes up- from Cara Harbstreet, who's

Sadie Simpson: 26:53

Yeah.@streetsmartrd on Instagram.

Naomi Katz: 26:58

It's been so interesting to see how, one, the science isn't really there for the way we demonize MSG, but also really recognizing the racism in why we started demonizing it in the first place. Total tangent, but this is the kind of stuff where it's helpful, if you're a data driven person, if reframing with facts is helpful, then like these are some good sources for where to get those facts.

Sadie Simpson: 27:25

Especially for this process foods one.

Naomi Katz: 27:29

Mm hmm. And then if we reframe with values, this belief is rooted in classism and elitism. Not everyone has the same access to fresh food, or the time and facilities necessary for cooking meals. Demonizing processed foods stigmatizes those who may rely on it, and that doesn't align with my values. So common food belief number four- another big one- sugar is unhealthy, or poison, or toxic, and should be avoided.

Sadie Simpson: 27:58

That's a big one.

Naomi Katz: 27:59

Such a big one. Lived experience- I enjoy foods with sugar. When I restrict them, I find that I miss out on the pleasure that I get from them.

Sadie Simpson: 28:08

Yeah, that's a big one. And I feel like another common reframe we can even use here is, when I restrict them, it kind of creates this obsession for sugar, and for sweets, and things like that. So then it turns, once again, into that restrict binge cycle that we talk about also on almost every episode.

Naomi Katz: 28:29

Yeah, absolutely. That's a great one. And goes kind of along with how we can reframe with facts here, which is, studies show that sugar addiction is not real, and the behavior and feeling of addiction is actually caused by restriction. Also the health markers that we might be worried about- so like blood sugar, and diabetes, and things like that- are shown to be more impacted by genetics, by stress, and by regular movement, than whether or not people eat sugar. I think that one's helpful, because it's worth acknowledging that we might be concerned about some health aspects of sugar that we've heard about. But recognizing that this is not how we solve that health problem, factually and in an evidence based way, can be really powerful here.

Sadie Simpson: 29:20

Yes, for sure.

Naomi Katz: 29:22

And then values- basically the same as like protein, and carbs, and processed food, right? Food hierarchies and moralities don't align. Healthism doesn't align. And the denial of pleasure as a human right doesn't align with our values.

Sadie Simpson: 29:41

Yeah, I like that one.

Naomi Katz: 29:43

Okay, last one. It's also a big one, especially for those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s. Fat in food will make me fat. Lived experience- I've read restricted fats before, and it had the same result as any other restriction or diet- so no long term weight loss, perpetuating that restrict binge cycle. Also fat in food makes the food more satisfying. So for me, fat in food is pleasurable, and restricting it has no long term impact on my body size. Facts- this one's tricky because I don't want to go like down the calories in calories out path, because that's like super duper problematic. Also, definitely go listen to the Maintenance Phase episode on calories, because it's amazing and will just blow your mind, even if you think you know. Calories in calories out- super problematic- definitely treats the body like a robot, or a machine, or a- well what it really treats the body as is a closed system, which it's not. But having said that, to some extent, calories are calories, and there's no reason to believe that the calories from fat are going to have a bigger impact on your body size than the calories from other sources. And fat is a necessary macronutrient that is used by our bodies for many, many things. I can remember when I was- I want to say I was in high school, so it's weird that it took me so long to unpack this belief for myself- but I can remember, I believe in high school, learning that fat was what the body uses to create myelin, which is what protects our nerves. It's like the the tissue or whatever that actually like protects our neural pathways- our nerves, and our like nerve pathways, and stuff like that. And I can remember this so vividly because, at the time, I was thinking, like, oh, we need fat, fat's good sometimes. That's just one thing that the body uses fat for. The body uses fat for tons of things.

Sadie Simpson: 32:07

Well, another fact that some may interpret as a lived experience, but I feel like this could be tested in a lab and be proven- thinking about cheese, when you have fat free cheese versus just regular old full fat cheese, and you try to melt it on a grilled cheese sandwich, or on like a plate of nachos or something like that, the fat free cheese doesn't melt, but the full fat cheese does. And that is a fact. And that makes eating way more satisfying when your cheese actually melts when you want it to melt.

Naomi Katz: 32:43

Oh my god, that's totally true. Do you know how much of my life I spent thinking I hated melted cheddar? And it wasn't until I was fully an adult- like honestly, it was probably within the past 10 years- that I realized that what I hated was melted, low fat, reduced fat, whatever cheddar- that when you melt full fat cheddar, it's delicious.

Sadie Simpson: 33:11

Stringy, and like gooey. Yes.

Naomi Katz: 33:15

Yes. That is a strong lived experience argument for fat, for sure.

Sadie Simpson: 33:20

Slash facts.

Naomi Katz: 33:23

True. And then values- again, we come back to the origin of the thin ideal and anti fat bias that we talked about in that very first one about diets being the best way to lose weight- knowing the origins of the thin ideal, knowing the origins of anti fat bias, we can recognize that those things don't align with our values. So even if fat in food would make me fat, is fat a bad thing? And, again, we come back to this denial of pleasure because fat in foods tends to make food more satisfying and more pleasurable. And so, does denying ourselves pleasure- does the belief that pleasure is something that needs to be limited, and monitored, and all of those things- does that belief align with my values? Those are just a few examples of food beliefs. Just like there are as many different ways to reframe as there are humans in the world, there are as many food beliefs out there as there are people, I would guess. The idea in this episode was really just to give a framework for how to work through some of your own beliefs, too- like that you can kind of take this and apply it to your own beliefs too. The other thing that's worth being really, really clear about here is that this is a practice. So this is the kind of thing where, like, you have to start by identifying what your beliefs are in the first place. And then, once you identify that, you have this opportunity to try and catch that thought when it happens. But the reality is that like, especially initially, you're not gonna catch most of those things in the moment. Maybe you'll catch them later, and you'll have an opportunity to reframe it after the fact- that still counts, that's helpful, that still builds that neural pathway, you know. And the more you practice being aware of your thoughts and your feelings around food, the more you're going to be able to catch them when they do come up. But even then, like this is not all or nothing- like this is the kind of thing where- like, I know I, personally, to this day, still have to practice this sometimes

Sadie Simpson: 35:30

Same.

Naomi Katz: 35:31

Yeah.

Sadie Simpson: 35:32

Yeah, I think that's really, really helpful. And this is something that Naomi and I both do when we're working with folks in our one on one Intuitive Eating coaching programs. I assume you probably do some of this in Nourish & Bloom, your group coaching program. I know that this comes up some in my personal training sessions. Like this is the work that we do in many different areas, in different arenas. And sometimes it is helpful to have a another person or group of folks to talk about this with and to sort of tease out some of these reframes out loud with another person, instead of just like in your mind. So if you're interested in getting involved in any of our coaching programs, group programs, we'll put a link to our show notes on how you can connect with us further.

Naomi Katz: 36:21

Yes, definitely. We'll put that in the show notes. And thank you for mentioning that, Sadie. That was a- that was a good thought.

Sadie Simpson: 36:27

Yeah.

Naomi Katz: 36:28

If you enjoyed this episode, and if you have some thoughts about it, come and visit us on Instagram@satisfactionfactorpod. Tell us what food beliefs you struggle with and how you're reframing them. Comment, share, just sort of let us know how this episode resonates with you.

Sadie Simpson: 36:48

Yes, we love hearing from you.

Naomi Katz: 36:51

Okay, so, Sadie, what's satisfying for you right now?

Sadie Simpson: 36:56

I think what is satisfying for me right now is very related to this episode. And I'll tell you what it is, and then I'll sort of give you the backstory. So what's satisfying for me right now is just processed American cheese- like Kraft American cheese.

Naomi Katz: 37:15

Oh my god, this is the weirdest thing because I went and bought American cheese- I got- I bought the deli kind because I like it more- but I went and bought American cheese for the first time in I don't even know how many years last week, and I've been loving it.

Sadie Simpson: 37:31

Oh my gosh. Well, that kind of like sets up my backstory a little bit. So my kid isn't- isn't a typical five year old- recently turned five year old. Kind of selective on what foods he likes to eat. You know, has his sort of set, go to items, go to meals. So we tried to introduce some stuff pretty casually- you know, new items- new food items that maybe he'll want to explore a little bit without like trying to be too pushy about it. And one of the things that honestly drives me nuts that he is still learning to like is a grilled cheese sandwich- because I'm like- like what kid doesn't like grilled cheese. And so my thought process was, well maybe he doesn't like- you know, most- most of the time, we just have like a block of cheddar or a block of some kind of cheese. I was like maybe you don't like that kind of cheese. I'll just get some, you know, slices of Kraft American cheese, make a grilled cheese sandwich out of it. It'll be great. Of course, still learning to like it. Not a fan right now. However, since we had this package of cheese in our house, Trey and I have been eating it on like everything, and it has just been so delightful. Like I'm gonna make burgers tonight, and we're gonna have cheeseburgers with just good ol' sliced American cheese on it. And I'm so excited about it.

Naomi Katz: 38:53

Oh my god, I love that so much. I also think it's hilarious that we're both experiencing an American cheese, like, Renaissance at the same time.

Sadie Simpson: 39:03

It's been years. I could not- like I can't remember a time in my adult life where I have like purchased a pack of Kraft cheese. It's always just been adult cheese. But um, I'm a fan of childhood cheese right now.

Naomi Katz: 39:16

Yeah, truthfully, I have always loved American cheese. Again, especially that like deli white American cheese. Like, I just- it's like one of my favorite things. And so I've always loved that, and I've always known I've loved it, but I think over the years I felt like ashamed of the fact that I loved it, and so I didn't buy it. I didn't- half the time these days, you go and get a burger somewhere, and like American cheese isn't even one of the options to put on your burger. And so I just kind of got out of the habit of it. And I don't know what got into me the other day, but I went and I bought it, and oh my god, I've been so happy. And like even Ben has been enjoying it, and he's been like anti American cheese for as long as I've know him. And so yeah, love it. That's awesome.

Sadie Simpson: 40:04

That is so funny that we're both eating the cheese right now.

Naomi Katz: 40:08

Yeah, honestly, that's- that's what satisfying me right now, too. Let's just- we just have the same satisfying

Sadie Simpson: 40:17

That's amazing, and it is super relative to this thing this week. episode, and, honestly, I didn't even think of what I was going to say to this until we were in the middle of recording this, so it wasn't even pre planned until this conversation happened, so yay.

Naomi Katz: 40:32

Oh my god, I love it. That's awesome. Well that's it for us. Again if you enjoyed this, leave us a rating or review on Apple podcasts or Spotify, or come visit us on Instagram@satisfactionfactorpod.

Sadie Simpson: 40:45

We'll see you next week.