Shows
Optimal Health Daily - Fitness and NutritionHow to Live a Non-Diet Life in a Diet Culture by Crystal Karges on Mental Wellbeing & Nutrition AdviceDiscover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com.Episode 2705:Crystal Karges empowers readers to break free from diet culture by embracing a non-diet life. She offers practical steps such as a digital detox from harmful diet messages, reframing negative self-talk, and learning to trust and nourish the body. Karges encourages a shift away from restrictive diets, advocating for a more compassionate and self-accepting approach to food and body image.Read along with the original article(s) here...
2024-09-1711 min
Optimal Health Daily - Fitness and NutritionOvercoming an Unhealthy Relationship With Food by Crystal Karges on Diet Culture & Holistic WellbeingDiscover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com.Episode 2529:Crystal Karges delves into the often-misunderstood realm of diet culture, shining a light on how striving for health can paradoxically lead down a path of disordered eating. Her insightful narrative reveals the detrimental effects of equating health with dietary restrictions and excessive exercise, advocating for a holistic view of well-being that encompasses mental, physical, and social health. Karges' powerful message encourages a shift away from destructive habits toward a more...
2024-04-1611 min
Lift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameStrategies for Confronting Post-Holiday Food Guilt and Body ShameAre your post-holiday struggles with food and body image leaving you feeling lost and guilty? I’m Crystal, your host and intuitive eating dietitian, and today I'll be sharing my personal journey, along with practical tips to help you lift the shame. I'll be your guide as we navigate these struggles, highlight the power of self-compassion, and understand the importance of prioritizing self-care. We'll also chat about the benefits of seeking support and connection to effectively manage food guilt and body shame. Ready to break free from the cycle of binging and restricting, especially during the holiday sea...
2023-11-2729 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameTeaching Kids to Trust Their Own Food Intuition During Family CelebrationsAs the holiday season rolls around, we're embraced by the warmth of family gatherings, yet often find ourselves confronting the frosty undercurrent of diet culture. In today's heartfelt episode of Lift the Shame, I, Crystal your intuitive eating dietitian, share my personal experiences and insights into arming our precious children against the ingrained food traditions and body image remarks that can sour our festive spirit. With a focus on creating a secure relationship built on trust and open communication, I offer a nurturing guide for parents to help their little ones affirm their food choices and body autonomy—because wh...
2023-11-2026 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameSurviving and Thriving: Parenting Through Festive Seasons and Family TraumaEver wondered how to navigate the difficult terrain of parenting during the festive season while breaking free from the chains of family trauma and shame? This heartening episode of Lift the Shame is your guiding compass. Equipped with insights from a recent parenting conference and personal experiences, we tackle the high-pressure responsibilities that come with holidays and the compulsion to overcompensate. We stress on the necessity of self-care and the courage to keep your mental health at the forefront. Remember, the ultimate goal is to create a secure bonding with your children and build a nurturing environment. T...
2023-11-1322 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameThe Case For Allowing Your Kids to Eat Sweets With Food DyesNavigating the murky waters of food dyes and their potential impact on children's behavior can be overwhelming. It's a topic that has puzzled scientists and parents alike, stirring up a sea of mixed research and inconclusive results. As a mother of neurodivergent children, I've walked this path, wrestling with research studies, and trying to make sense of it all. I've been sharing my personal journey and learnings about food dyes, guiding you on how to critically analyze these studies, and helping you draw your own conclusions.In the midst of these perplexing questions, I emphasize the importance...
2023-11-0629 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameYou May Be Triggered By Your Child Eating Sweets: Here Are Some Reasons WhyAs mothers, we're not just feeding our children; we're helping them build a lifelong relationship with food, their bodies, and their self-image. This journey becomes particularly challenging during candy-centered holidays like Halloween. In this episode, we delve into the tools, strategies, and proactive understanding needed to navigate these sugar-coated occasions. We'll start by focusing on understanding our children's individual needs, temperaments, and personalities to foster a positive rapport with food and their bodies.As a parent, do you find certain situations triggering? We've been there too, and we believe that the key to mindful parenting lies in...
2023-10-3034 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameYour Kids May Overeat Their Candy: Here's Why You Should Let ThemAre you ready to revolutionize the way your household perceives and interacts with candy? If so, our comprehensive discussion on understanding and navigating the world of sweets with your children is a must-listen. By breaking away from the societal stigmas surrounding sweets, we elucidate the significance of nurturing a healthy relationship with food, particularly candy. Rather than demonizing these treats, we highlight the importance of teaching our children to self-regulate their intake.As we venture through our own experiences with food, we shed light on how these can shape our approach to introducing sweets to our children...
2023-10-2228 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameHere's Why You Should Ditch the Switch Witch and Let Your Kids Keep Their CandyEver wonder why we're so quick to snatch that Halloween candy from our kids? What if, instead of demonizing sweets, we use them as a tool for teaching self-regulation and a healthy relationship with food? This is the intriguing conversation we unpack in today's episode, challenging the tradition of the SwitchWitch and the potential negative implications it may pose.We expose the potential pitfalls of the Switch Witch tradition, such as fostering distrust and negative associations with food in our children. The language and strategies we use around candy consumption can significantly affect our children's perception of...
2023-10-1529 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameBreaking Down Sugar Myths: A Healthier Approach to Children and SweetsAre you feeling spooked by the avalanche of Halloween treats your child is about to encounter? As a dietitian and a mom, I understand your apprehensions. However, it's time to unmask the myths and fears around sweets. This week, we're starting a mini-series that's going to help parents like you build a healthy, guilt-free relationship between your child and sweets. We'll start by examining the fears around sugar and why it's crucial not to create a hierarchy of food. We'll also delve into the science behind sugar metabolism and the harmful pressures you may be under about your kids...
2023-10-0933 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameDoes Your Child Really Need to Learn About Health to Be Healthy?What if diet culture in schools is more impactful than we think? That's what we'll be exploring today, holding up a magnifying glass to the subtle influences our children encounter and discussing how we, as parents, can support them in navigating these murky waters. We'll be examining the systemic issue of curriculum standards at a state and nationwide level, and asking the tough questions about the necessity of health or nutrition lessons.We're not just challenging the status quo but also talking solutions. We'll be weighing in on the power of food education, a subject distinct from...
2023-10-0129 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameNavigating the Hidden Dangers of Diet Culture in Schools: A Parent's Guide [Part 2]Are your children being influenced by diet culture without you even knowing? We're peeling back the layers on how diet culture sneaks into classrooms, curriculum, standardized tests, and sports teams. As parents, it's impossible to shield our children entirely from these harmful messages. Instead, we need to arm them with the ability to challenge these narratives with sound critical thinking. We'll talk about the importance of maintaining a calm presence and best practices to handle unsettling situations related to diet culture at school.Understand that your child's behaviors often communicate their emotional state. We'll explore how to...
2023-09-2534 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameDiet Culture: Its Unseen Effects in Schools and How Children Can Rise Above It [Part 1]Hey mama, ever felt disheartened seeing your child encounter diet culture outside of your safe home environment? Well, it's time to arm them with critical thinking skills to navigate this tricky landscape. We're about to set out on an exploration of diet culture in schools, understanding its layers, and sharing our thoughts on how to lift this shame together.When was the last time you thought about the Presidential Fitness Test? Many of us might remember it as a harmless school ritual, but could it be a subtle harbinger of diet culture? This episode exposes the damaging...
2023-09-1935 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameNavigating School Lunches with Your Picky Eater: A Survival GuideOverwhelmed with the daunting task of packing your child's school lunch? Fear not, we're here to take on this challenge together. Equipped with tried-and-true techniques from my own experience and work with clients, this episode is a goldmine of practical advice to help you navigate the school year with a picky eater.First, we share a simple and fool-proof approach to assembling school lunches that are nutritious and enjoyable. We emphasize the three Ps - packaged items, protein and produce. Let's ditch any pressure or guilt associated with feeding our children and instead, focus on creating a...
2023-09-1036 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameHere's Why You're Triggered By Your Child's Picky Eating (and What You Can Do About It)Ever felt like you're standing on the battleground every mealtime, with your picky eater child on the opposing side? You might be surprised to uncover that the roots of picky eating can be traced back to our own childhood experiences and narratives. This episode uncovers the deeper issues that influence our reactions to picky eating, urging us to look at our own food traumas and how they affect our attitudes towards our child's eating habits. It's a riveting journey into understanding why picky eating can be so triggering for us as parents, how it impacts our family dynamics, and...
2023-09-0343 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body Shame5 Mistakes I Made With My Picky Eater and How You Can Avoid ThemCelebrating a year of the Lift the Shame podcast, I, Crystal, am thrilled to take another lap around the sun with you as we tackle one of parenting's most intriguing dilemmas - picky eating. Have you ever felt like you're running in circles when it comes to feeding your little one? Trust me, you're not alone. Drawing from my personal journey in feeding my two selective eaters, we'll discuss various aspects of picky eating, from its emotional tug of war to its potential triggers. Who would've thought that making meals fun could amplify feeding difficulties? A recent s...
2023-08-2735 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameCan Your Picky Eater Really Eat Intuitively? [Debunking Picky Eating Myths Part 2]Hey Mama, ever been steeped in shame and guilt over your child's picky eating habits? Take heart; you're not alone on this journey. I'm Crystal, your intuitive eating dietitian and mom of five, here to help unshackle you from the burden of those misconceptions. My experience with my own picky eaters has given me insights I'm eager to share. Let's start debunking those myths together, shall we? You're not spoiling your child by allowing them to enjoy their safe foods. Instead, you're creating a stress-free mealtime environment that helps your child bridge the gap between accepted foods and new...
2023-08-2136 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameDebunking Myths and Managing Guilt Around Your Child's Picky Eating [Part 1]Welcome back, mamas, to another episode where we challenge the myths of diet culture and the standards imposed on our children. As a mama of five and an intuitive eating dietitian, I've seen first-hand the impact of these standards, especially with two of my own kiddos who are selective eaters. We're going to debunk some common misconceptions about picky eating that often lead to stress and guilt. It's time we redefine the narrative around our children's eating habits. We start off by breaking down the myths that can make meal times more of a struggle than they n...
2023-08-1326 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameWhen You Want to Unconditionally Accept Your Child but Can't: Here's Why You're StuckEver been swallowed by the raging waves of shame when it comes to your child's body and eating habits? You're not alone, mama. Join me, Crystal, as we tackle this pervasive issue head-on, creating a safe haven of acceptance and unconditional love for our little ones. This empowering episode focuses on the immense weight of shame many mothers carry, especially those healing their own relationship with food and their bodies.We delve into the tumultuous journey of our children's body transformations, particularly during the fragile stages of pre-adolescence and puberty. No subject is off-limits, as we scrutinize...
2023-08-0632 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameYour Child Refused to Eat Dinner, and Now They're Asking For a Snack?Ever grappled with your child's constant hunger pangs right after meals? Fear not, for this episode is designed to help you navigate those mealtime challenges and put your worries to rest. Together, we'll demystify why your child might be feeling hungry soon after a meal, helping you understand their needs better. We'll also delve into recognizing your triggers and finding ways to ensure your child knows that food is never off-limits. You're not alone in this - I'm right here with you, and we're going to tackle this together!This episode doesn't stop at troubleshooting; it digs...
2023-07-3028 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameYou're Giving Your Kids Sweets But They're Still Obsessed With Sugar? Here are 3 Reasons WhyWho says you can't have your cake and eat it too? As your trusted family dietitian, I'm here to debunk the myth that sweets and a healthy relationship with food can't coexist for your children. In this enlightening conversation, we delve into the critical reasons behind children's obsession with sweets and its impact on their behavior and concentration. We shed light on the difference between simple enjoyment and the unhealthy fixation with sweets, while guiding you on how to spot the signs early on.If you feel as though you've been taking steps to normalize sweets in...
2023-07-2328 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body Shame"Mom, I hate my body!": How to Help Your Child Through Body ShameWhat would it mean to you to finally break free from the generational legacy of body shaming and diet culture in your family? This is the thought-provoking question we're tackling today as we discuss the complex issue of supporting our children in building a better body image. During our conversation, we'll be answering a question from one of our listeners about their 11-year-old daughter who is currently struggling with negative body image.Our role as parents is not to prevent our children from feeling discomfort or disliking their bodies—these feelings are natural and part of the hu...
2023-07-1526 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameBreaking the Cycle: Raising Body-Positive Children in a Body-Shaming WorldHey mama, ever wondered how we can break the cycle of body shaming and build a positive body image for our little ones? We're tackling this pressing issue head-on today, discussing the alarming trends of body dissatisfaction amongst kids and the urgent need to change this narrative. We're arming ourselves with the tools needed to foster a home environment that encourages children to love their bodies and feel safe in their skin. Don't miss out as we share practical tips and powerful strategies to help you raise confident, body-positive children.Ever noticed how our words and actions...
2023-07-0927 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameFor the Mama Struggling With Body Image This Summer (A Personal Share)The summertime months can often be a tough season for body image. You might desire to show up more fully and present for your children but may find it challenging to do so when you're holding shame around your own body. Motherhood brings intense changes around our bodies, which can trigger old body image wounds right to the surface. Tune in to today's short episode to listen to Crystal share some encouragement from her personal body image journey in motherhood. Know that whatever season you might be in, you're not alone! Show Links:[Bl...
2023-07-0215 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameWhen Feeding Kids Sucks: You're Not Imagining It - Here's Why it Can Be So HardKids didn't come with a feeding manual. And yet, in our present day diet culture, you may feel overwhelmed with all the things you think you should be doing to raise a healthy, competent child. Feeding kids isn't transactional though. It's not about checking boxes off a list and ensuring you've done everything "right". It's about nurturing the relationship that's growing between you and your child. Chronic stress in the feeding dynamics between you and your child can make it challenging to build trust and connection, which are essential to raising intuitive eaters and breaking generational cycles of diet...
2023-06-2539 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body Shame5 Positive Signs Your Child Has a Healthy Relationship With SweetsYou're on a mission to raise an intuitive eater and end generational legacies of food guilt and body shame. But when it comes to sweets, what does this actually look like? You might wonder if your efforts to normalize sugar in your home are paying off or if you're really helping your child learn how to self-regulate sweets. In today's episode, we'll walk through 5 positive characteristics a child may exhibit who has a good relationship with sweets. We'll also discuss some signs you might observe in a child who is obsessive with sugar or preoccupied with eating sweets.
2023-06-1732 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameSchool's Out For Summer: How to Deal With All the Food Requests?If your kiddos are home for summer break, you might find this adds to the stress around food. With increased costs of groceries coupled with more frequent requests for food all day long, you might feel unsure as how to best navigate feeding your children outside the structure their school schedule provided. If you're feeling unnerved by your child's more frequent requests for food now that they're home for summer break, be sure to tune in to today's episode for tips to help you through this. You can respond to your child's food requests in a way that doesn't...
2023-06-1134 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameWhy Food Scripts Aren't Enough for Raising an Intuitive EaterScripts are popular in the world of parenting. As you learn how to raise an intuitive eater, you might find yourself relying on scripts to help you figure out how to talk to your kids about food and their bodies. But sometimes, scripts can become a crutch and prevent us from doing the deeper work that is needed to break those generational legacies of food guilt and body shame. Tune in to this episode to learn more about the role scripts can play as you parent your children and why these shouldn't be your only solution to building up...
2023-06-0332 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameHow to Talk to Kids About Food (Without a Side Serve of Diet Culture)Using polarizing language about food with kids has the potential to create hierarchies around food in their minds. While we want to avoid any diet culture rhetoric or food terminology that can become external eating rules, this doesn't mean you can't have any conversations around food with your child. It's possible to have neutral food conversations that preserve their intuitive eating abilities and nurture a positive relationship with their bodies. Tune in to today's episode where we'll discuss 5 tips for navigating food conversations with your child without a side serve of diet culture. Show Links: [Free Gui...
2023-05-2829 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameHow to Help Your Child's Health Without Harming Their Relationship With FoodDiet culture purports that our kids need lectures about nutrition in order to eat in a "healthy" way. In reality, we see that leveraging health information in effort to steer how our kids eat can create hierarchies around food in their minds. This can form external rules about eating that separates our children from their intuitive eating abilities. The good news is that kids don't need nutrition information in order to eat in a manner that best supports their overall health. Letting go of binary language to describe food (such as healthy vs. unhealthy, good vs. bad), can help y...
2023-05-2138 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameStop Calling Food Healthy if You Want Your Kids to Have a Good Relationship With FoodSo you want your child to have a good relationship with food, but you may find that when it comes to how you talk about food, old habits die hard. While you might buy in to the whole raising an intuitive eater thing, it may be harder to trust the process - especially when your kiddo never seems to willingly choose to eat veggies and has a high affinity for sweets. Out of your own uncertainty, you might find yourself leveraging nutrition facts or categorizing food in effort to get your kids to make a "healthier" choice. Whether talking...
2023-05-1441 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameDoes Dessert With Dinner Make a Difference? [FAQs on Kids & Sweets - Part 4]Does it make a difference if you serve dessert alongside dinner and let your kids eat in whatever order, amount, and what they want? How should you navigate situations where you feel your child has had enough sweets for the day but they're asking for more? Is telling your child, "That's not on the menu today" a hidden agenda or controlling feeding tactic? And how should you handle birthday parties when there are a variety of options of sweets for your child to choose from? These are the questions we're covering today in Part 4 of our series on your...
2023-04-0834 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameAre Sweets Causing a Sugar High In Your Child? [FAQs on Kids & Sweets - Part 3]Have you ever wondered if eating sweets will cause a sugar high in your child? Or are you worried about sugar being a cause of hyperactivity in your kids? Sugar is highly demonized by diet culture and is often made to be the culprit for many negative effects or undesirable behaviors you might observe in your kids. These ideas around sweets can influence fear-based tactics in feeding kids, which may unconsciously cause you to restrict your child from having sweets. Scarcity around sweets can cause a host of complications in a child's relationship with food. But if you're worried...
2023-04-0232 min
Nourished & Free: The PodcastRaising Kids to Have a Good Relationship with Food (with Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC)For women who are working on their relationships with food, it's natural to ask the question "how do I help my kids not have the same problems I did?". We're diving into all things intuitive eating for kids in this episode with special guest, Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC.Topics Covered 👇[0:09] Who is Crystal Karges?[1:37] Crystal's story of struggling with an ED and being triggered in motherhood[4:33] What to do when becoming pregnant triggers your ED[10:13] Feeding your own kids with a history of an ED[15:24] But if I let my kids eat whatever the...
2023-03-2837 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameIs Your Child Binge Eating Sweets? [FAQs on Kids & Sweets - Part 2]You've taken steps to normalize sweets in your home, but what if your child seems to binge eat sweets whenever they're available? Or what if your child's appetite for sweets seems insatiable? If you're concerned about your child's erratic eating behaviors around sweets, this show is for you. Listen is as we discuss some of the more common reasons that influence binge eating behaviors, especially around sweets, as well as cover practical steps you can take to help minimize binge eating in children. Show Links: [Podcast Episode]: "Why Re-parenting Yourself Around Food and Your Body Matters fo...
2023-03-2556 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body ShameAnswering your FAQ's on Kids and Sweets - Part 1So you're ready to start normalizing sweets in your home to support your children in learning how to self-regulate all foods. But maybe you're feeling stuck on some practical things when it comes to kids and sugar. Such as, how can you provide more frequent access to sweets without compromising your child's dental health? Will more frequent access to sweets cause cavities in kids? What age should you start introducing sweets, and is it harmful if you offer your child sweets before age 2? What if you're offering your children sweets but they still seem obsessive about them? We're covering...
2023-03-1136 minLift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body Shame5 Important Ways to Decrease Your Child's Risk of Having an Eating DisorderIf you've struggled with an eating disorder or have had a difficult relationship with food and your body, you likely want to do everything possible to prevent your child from facing these same challenges. Eating disorders are complex conditions that are influenced by a multitude of layered factors. While you may not be able to prevent your child from developing an eating disorder entirely, there are many things within your realm of control you can focus on to help minimize your child's risk of having this condition. Tune in to today's episode as we walk through 5 key areas to...
2023-03-0443 min