After my mother died, I went down to my all time flyweight of 115 pounds. At 5’10”, I knew I was way too thin. For my whole life I had been in the fashionable size 6/8 mode. I could always eat what I wanted in unlimited quantities, from cake to pasta. I never had to give it a second thought.
As time passed and I started to adjust to the world without my mother at my side, my appetite slowly came back. I got up to 120 pounds. A weekly carrot loaf from the farmer’s market and daily snacks of Brie cheese and pita chip pushed me to 130. Then all of a sudden, every time I went for my gynecological well visit, the scale revealed I had gained a few pounds. Was it the ice cream I was sharing with my teenage son every night, or the follow up bowl of popcorn?
I joined a gym and became more toned, but my weight remained the same. It even went up. (I rationalized that it was my new muscles.) Now I was regularly leaving the size 8 jeans in the dressing room, and walking out with the roomier 10.
I was at a crossroads. I needed to understand what was going on. I decided to consult a nutritionist.
I looked for someone in my health care network, and after doing some comparison-shopping, found a woman (my preference) who seemed to offer a holistic approach. Watching video clips from her website got me revved up. I made an appointment to get a handle on what was going on with my body.
Lisa Cohn’s office was compact, and well stocked with health and wellness literature. I introduced myself with a few humorous quips, outlining how my hips had morphed from Audrey Hepburn status to a much fuller Sophia Loren model.
She started the session with an explanation of what a nutritionist or registered dietician does (She is both.). Cohn explained that her goal was to make my life better using nutrition science and healthy living choices, based on research and behavioral science. She would advise me on how to shop for, cook, and eat better foods. Her three key phrases were “health promotion, why we eat what we eat, and food is chemistry.” I discussed my medical history, and she ruled out a need to consult with my primary physician. A recitation of my stress factors and schedule pointed to some definitive lifestyle adjustments in my future.
Cohn’s primary model for conveying how eating is related to our health was the “body as a machine with food as fuel” metaphor. It made excellent sense and was so simple, that I used it to explain to my son why he needed to eat breakfast in the morning.
Each person’s body and mind are unique and must fulfill specific demands. The ballet dancer must eat to prevent physical failure, whereas the accountant must take nourishment to sustain concentration. Artificial stimulants, such as coffee and sugary fare, may get the motor running but they are not a source of good energy. In fact, they deplete the “nutritional bank.”
After parsing my eating, sleep, and work habits, we moved on to my emotional life. I was sent home with a questionnaire on my favorite foods, and instructions to keep a log of what I had eaten for a full week. I grabbed some of the folders from the American Cancer Society outlining tips on good eating. I proceeded to diligently track everything that went into my mouth.
When I returned seven days later, Cohn gave me some back-story on women and nutrition. She described how what worked for a woman in her twenties wasn’t going to cut it as she progressed to her thirties and forties, when she had more responsibilities and stress. That was prime time for improper eating to take a toll – on both the body and the skin. The forties are key to watching weight fluctuations, especially as hormonal changes began to kick in. Cohn told me that she had worked with women on concerns including reducing anxiety around eating, “stress eating,” bloating, and fertility concerns. Nutritionists are often called upon to work with bulimics and anorexics – the latter who come in complaining of stomach pains.
Cohn is a firm believer in the mind-body connection. In fact, she refers to herself as a “body shrink.” Using her Masters in Nutrition Education, along with her Masters in Medical Science, she teases out psychological issues to help clarify goals and concerns.
One of the primary points that I came to understand was an awareness of food intake. I proudly spoke about how I consumed healthy snacks, like nuts and raisins. “How much do you eat?” Cohn asked me. Unstacking a group of nested measuring cups, she pointed to one that seemed to resemble a thimble. “This is two ounces,” she stated. “Are you eating more than this?” That’s when I knew I was in trouble.
Working with Cohn, I was able to examine some of my patterns and beliefs around food, and then take steps to tackle change. When I started to think about eating as a way to “stabilize and bank my resources,” for both the short term and the long term, I made a concerted effort to create time to eat something every couple of hours.
I contacted Cohn to tell her I was doing an article about my experience for National Nutrition Month, and asked her to share some suggestions on what people should look for in a nutritionist. She gave me the following points to consider after a first visit:
· Are they nutrition knowledgeable? Can they help you understand how to cook, shop, and eat out properly?
· Have they accessed what are the most important goals for you?
· Do you trust them? Do you feel comfortable with them?
· Are they giving you workable advice? Are their nutrition strategies built on science?
· Are they setting realistic goals for you? Have they explained the path to getting results and solving your problems?
· Do you look forward to seeing them again? Do you feel that you can establish a relationship with them?
· Does the person feel like both an advisor and a cheerleader?
Cohn suggested EatRight.org as a resource. It is the home of The American Dietetic Association, which is “the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals…committed to improving the nation's health.” In addition to extensive information, it has a search function to find a registered dietician.”
The concept of food as “an opportunity to control” was cited by Cohn. She said, “Once we’re off the breast or the bottle, we make our own choices.” Often, women suppress their emotions and feel like they can’t communicate. This can translate into dietary angst. Going back to the mind-body connection she referred to the phrase “gut feeling,” which emanates from an intuitive feeling that has lodged in your digestive system. It’s a basic, self-protective animal instinct.
The digestive system, Cohn related, is a gateway to what the body absorbs. Learning more about its functioning helped me to understand why I needed to add probiotics to my diet. It allows the lining of the digestive system to absorb nutrients and keeps the intestines healthy, adding absorption and fending off unwelcome bacteria. The one I take is a mixed probiotics (not just acidophilus), and contains blueberry powder – particularly nourishing and soothing for the digestive tract.
Frequently going back to the imagery of a car during our sessions, Cohn would repeat emphatically, “Would you expect your automobile to run smoothly if there were no gas in the tank? If you used the worst fuel on the market to make it run? What if you stepped on the gas to get immediate acceleration, only to break moments later?”
Six months from our first meeting, I am totally conscious of how I eat – especially when I do something less than ideal. I attribute the fact that I only got sick once this winter to the Olive Leaf Complex that Cohn recommended. I am more mindful about why I may be reaching for that extra handful of nuts, or why the turkey burger and frappacino feel like a reward after my three-hour laundry run.
I figured this all out through my work with a nutritionist. On top of that, I lost ten pounds.