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In this article, we are pleased to welcome a guest writer—Amzu Parpia. Amzu is a Registered Dietitian specialising in Mental Health, a member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA), and also registered with BUPA. She writes about our relationship with food and introduces the concept of Mindful Eating. She also highlights useful information if you are seeking a qualified Dietitian who specialises in Mental Health.
Food Morality
Have you ever wondered “Why do I eat what I do?”
Sometimes life experiences and the media, which is flooded with conflicting advice, can cause us to lose our natural connection with our body. Diet culture has a crucial influence on our food values, beliefs and behaviours as well as our body image and can have important consequences for physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Our relationship with food can easily become a victim of marketing, including public health messages which are over-generalised and can have a tendency to ‘moralize’ food.
This is when we start assigning guilt to some foods and then other foods have a health halo. The health halo effect is labelling foods as ‘good’, even when there is little or no evidence to support this claim. For example “all-natural” may mean a food is free of artificial colours and flavours, but this doesn’t necessarily mean a food is nutritionally dense or has health benefits. However, we then tend to overconsume these foods, believing them to be "good."
This can form a fear-based mindset around food, which can trigger overeating, binge eating, or food restrictions.
By moralizing food in this way, we pressurise ourselves to have the “perfect” way of eating which is linked to stress, feelings of failure, inflicting guilt and shame. It also promotes ‘all and nothing’ thinking which is unhelpful.
Perhaps this might sound familiar - “I have been bad all day with my food choices so what is the point now? Let me just eat what I want!” Food restriction can then lead to craving for avoided foods and over-eating, as part of a vicious cycle.
Unless you have an intolerance or medical reason for avoiding certain foods, it’s not helpful to label food as “good” or “bad.”
Mindful Eating
Mindful eating and Intuitive Eating can help improve our relationship with foods in different ways.
Mindful eating is an approach to food that focuses on being present and fully engaged with your food, noticing the colours, smells, textures, flavours, and even the sounds of your food. It is about enjoying and appreciating food. Eating mindfully may also help regulate appetite, aid digestion and make eating an enjoyable and pleasurable experience. Although some people may find that eating more mindfully leads to weight-loss, doing so with the expectation or intention to lose weight can be counterproductive.
You can read more about mindful eating on British Dietetic Association website Mindful Eating - British Dietetic Association (BDA).
A specialised dietitian can support you to practice mindful eating to foster a health-promoting environment to help how we think and feel about food and our bodies.
What is a registered dietitian?
A registered Dietitian can support you navigate through these internal and external messages relating to food. A dietitian doesn’t offer psychiatric diagnoses like eating disorders. Rather, a dietitian offers a nutritional assessment and develops a realistic nutrition care plan taking into account the following:
psychotropic medication side effects and nutrient interactions
risk of co-existing physical health conditions, and relevant biochemical measures (including lipids, glucose, Liver Function Tests, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D)
behavioural, motivational, social, and financial challenges
concurrent addictions and substance use, disability, or cognitive impairment
eating behaviours
A dietitian can offer education and support in relation to cooking abilities, label reading, food budgeting, meal planning, and using visual aids such as portion sizes.
Training and registration
To qualify as a dietitian, we are required to undertake an approved programme at a university. All dietetic programmes are approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and may also apply for accreditation by The British Dietetic Association (BDA).
Successful completion of university courses provides eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC. It is a legal requirement that anyone who wishes to practise using the title dietitian is on the HCPC register.
Specialising in Mental health
To specialise in mental health, a dietitian has to continue professional and personal development in mental health through work experience in the specialist team and training like trauma skills, self-harm, suicide prevention, behaviour change techniques, cognitive behaviour techniques for dietitians and many more.
The 2021 Scottish Government’s national review of eating disorder services recommended: “comprehensive training plan will be developed which will aim to equip the entire healthcare workforce which might see people with eating disorders and their families.” The recommended training is accredited by the Eating Disorders Education and Training Scotland (EEATS) and training for health professionals by BEAT charity.
How do you know the person you are seeing is qualified?
Check on the HCPC register and look for specialist training and experience that the dietitian has exhibited in their background information. You only need the name and profession to check register. Check the Register and find a registered health and care professional: (hcpc-uk.org).
Amzu Parpia, is a Registered Dietitian and member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA), registered with the HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council), has an MSc in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, and is an Accredited Practitioner in Eating Disorders. You can read more about her professional experience here: Amzu Parpia Amzu Parpia - British Dietetic Association (BDA)
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