I’m just back from presenting a plenary on Social Media at the Dietitians New Zealand conference. And one of my key messages was that you will never appreciate the true sense of community on social media until you experience it yourself. Cate Sangster is one person I feel close to and care about. We met on twitter. We are yet to meet in real life. But I knew that her book co-written with US RD Lori Lieberman would be definitely something worth sharing. And what better time than right now, during the Butterfly Foundation’s Body Image Awareness Week.
About our expert:
Camilla Ferraro is a Scoop Nutrition intern and a dietitian-to-be currently in her 2nd year of nutrition and dietetics at Latrobe University. She’s well into her social media journey with her own blog Inspired Nutrition and is passionate about many things including cooking and eating whole, simple and nutritious foods; experimenting with new foods and flavours; and constantly drinking tea.
Eating disorder recovery is not simple after a long arduous inner battle. Food has become a subject fraught with fear and every mouthful scrutinised. So after years of an unhealthy relationship with food, choosing what to eat while on the road to recovery is just not that SIMPLE.
That’s where FOOD TO EAT comes in- a recipe book for those recovering from an eating disorder. What am I talking about?! I know it sounds a little crazy or foreign, almost an oxymoron (as authors Lori and Cate describe) but it’s exactly that- a recipe book containing easy simple meal ideas to assist those recovering from an eating disorder to broach food with a healthier attitude and eat normally again, because recovery is definitely possible!
So who are the authors and what inspired them to create such a book?
Lori Lieberman is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and blogger with over 26 years experience working with individuals with eating disorders in private practice. In addition to her professional experience Lori tells of her past negative relationship with food as a frequent dieter, and periods of disordered eating in her teens. Her co-author Cate Sangster, however, is all too familiar with eating disorders.
Cate, a mum to three girls, has battled with an eating disorder for over 20 years and has only recently taken the leap to recovery. The decision to embark on the journey to recovery was one she made with the support of her family, encouragement from Lori, and other health professionals (in addition to the online support she has received upon sharing her story). Cate brings an authenticity to this book that only someone who has experienced an eating disorder could bring. According to Cate, the intention for the book was simple, and “I sincerely hope that Food to Eat allows you to do just that – eat. Food is our medicine. We cannot function without it. Without proper sustenance we are lucky if we can just continue to exist, because we certainly cannot live.”
And how did they meet? On social media of course. And then in person for the first time at the 2012 International Conference on Eating Disorders in Austin, Texas.
Is it just recipes?
The book is not just a sequence of recipes- but instead a selection of carefully decided meal ideas and accompanying explanations for why each is a good option, a ‘safe’ option. The pair address all the right questions in detail…those niggling thoughts that float around in the heads of those embarking on the road to recovery. ‘When is it okay to eat?’ ‘What’s safe to eat?’ In addition to dispelling the food and nutrition myths ‘Won’t fat’s make me fat?’ ‘Aren’t carbs bad?”
So let’s move to the actual recipes, which are by no means only suitable for individuals living with eating disorders. This is nourishing, nutritious food! Recipes are categorised according to time required for prep from ‘Eat now’ to “Eat soon’ to ‘Eat later’ options. A few of my favourites from the book include Chicken Cacciatore, Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes (mmm!), and Thai Lime Beef Salad.
Tell me more?
If you’re interested in buying the book or learning more then head to the Food 2 Eat book website where you can purchase the book as a paper-back or ebook. The book has also received rave reviews from the Academy of Eating Disorders who concluded that for clinicians, the book complements the implementation of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders.
Editor’s comment:
Thank Camilla for being our reporter yet again. You’ve done a great job on this review.
Body Image Awareness Week, from the 1st – 8th September, is a week where the Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders encourage all people to acknowledge the importance of developing positive body image, embrace a strong sense of self and get rid of negative self talk. Eating disorders and poor body image are huge problems for both males and females across Australia and this week is about lifting the lid off these issues. In collaboration with headspace, Reach Out and Kids Helpline, they have developed important information to guide in the right direction for real support and care throughout Body Image Awareness Week and beyond. Click HERE to download the information pack. They also encourage the use of the National Mindframe Guidelines for reporting on Eating Disorders in social media. The hashtag for the week is #positivebodyimage.
