Every year I get all sorts of giddy when March arrives.
Volatile, unpredictable, raw March Chicago weather notwithstanding, this month ushers in celebrations and observances of a number of things I’m fierce about:
- Women’s History Month
- National Nutrition Month
- National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day (March 1)
- Read Across America Day (March 2)
- National Grammar Day (March 4)
- National Day of Unplugging (March 6)
- International Women’s Day (March 8)
- Popcorn Lover’s Day (March 8)
- My Birthday (March 18)
- First Day of SPRING! (March 19)
- National Doctor’s Day (March 30)
And let’s not forget St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
Chicagoans mark the day by dying a large body of water a curiously odd shade of green and consuming an enormous amount of beer; also dyed a curiously odd shade of green.
So much to celebrate, so much to observe, so much to be grateful for (like all the March birthdays belonging to people I love!). Before I slide too far down the March-madness rabbit hole, let me circle back to the topic I want to address.
National Nutrition Month
First launched in 1973, the American Dietetic Association, as the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics was then known, introduced NATIONAL NUTRITION WEEK as an opportunity to promote the dietetics profession, and serve as a vehicle for sharing nutrition education messages with the public. Expanded to NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH in 1980, the practice continues, guided by a new theme developed annually.
The 2024 theme BEYOND THE TABLE is a wonderful reminder to eat as healthfully as we can, everywhere we can!
Unfortunately, it can be tough to do that while navigating good food/bad food lists, eat this/not that missives, and this will kill you/this will cure you reminders from too many online, non-credentialed “nutrition experts”.
You want to eat in a way that supports your breast health and potentially reduces your recurrence risk, you really, truly do. . .but unfortunately, thanks to all the crazy messaging about breast cancer nutrition. . .
Food confusion and anxiety reign
None of that disappears after breast cancer treatment is over, by the way.
In fact, courtesy of all you’ve been through, the flames of an unhealthy food relationship can be fanned into a raging inferno as a way to cope with the terror, anxiety, depression, uncertainty, disbelief and rage.
Maybe you feel pressure to change your diet for the better, only to end up feeling deprived and resentful with each forkful.
Perhaps you’re forced to change your diet for the worse, because (for now) treatment has altered what you can or cannot taste; and you chew guilt with each bite.
FOOD AND EMOTION? H*LL YES!
It’s easy to tangle food and emotion. Feel frustrated because you don’t know what to do. Get stuck in f*ck it thinking (see below).
- “Life is short, I’ll eat and drink whatever I want.”
- “My doctor said it doesn’t matter, I should eat whatever I want.”
- “I ate well before and STILL got breast cancer. Obviously, it doesn’t matter WHAT I eat.”
- “If I believed everything I read about food, alcohol and breast cancer, I’d never eat or drink anything.”
- “There’s no consistency in nutrition guidelines, they change every week, so who knows what’s good and what’s not.”
This month, I invite you to celebrate/observe/acknowledge National Nutrition Month by giving yourself grace to recognize how your survivorship may be triggering unusual food behavior. Seek out expert advice and guidance if you’re confused about what to eat, what to avoid and how best to nourish yourself (it’s different for EVERYONE).
The psychology of food is complex and multi-layered, even under the best of circumstances. Add your personal food beliefs, habits and behaviors, and you may find yourself walking an emotional food tightrope.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Do you find yourself battling food? Tell me about your challenges in the comments. Trust me. Whatever you’re struggling with? Someone else is, too.
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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your dietitian or doctor for guidance specific to your needs.
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