#141: Processed Foods, Nutrition Misinformation, and the Elitism of Wellness with Shana Spence, RD (@thenutritiontea)

The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

Shana Spence, a registered dietitian (who you might know as @thenutritiontea on social media), joins the pod to bust myths about processed foods and to discuss how family, culture, privilege, and societal influences shape our relationship with food.

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We recorded this conversation before the election, but given the outcome, we're going to see an influx of misinformation about wellness, health, and nutrition -- so this episode feels timely.

Shana shares how her initial career path and disordered eating fueled her decision to become a dietitian, and reflects on how dietetics education perpetuates diet culture, focusing on BMI and stereotypes. She talks about her perspective shift over time, the process of moving toward an anti-diet and weight-inclusive approach, and why the social determinants of health matter more than individual food choices.

Tune in to hear more about…

• The pressure of food restriction as a badge of honor

• Privilege affecting food choices

• The misleading fears about processed foods

• The oversimplification of food into good vs. bad categories.

• How family and cultural background impact dieting

• External societal pressures on our relationship with food

• Diet culture and healthism

• Dietitian education's role in perpetuating diet culture

• Stereotyping in healthcare

• Shana’s perspective shift on nutrition and dieting

• Restriction as a form of validation

• Black-and-white thinking in nutrition

• Why we don't need to "fix" people's eating habits

Shana Spence is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in New York, who considers herself an “eat anything” dietitian, and counsels on a HAES (Healthy At Every Size) and an Intuitive Eating approach. She is also the author of Live Nourished - Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame, and Reclaim Joy. Find her website here https://www.thenutritiontea.com/ and find her on instagram at @thenutritiontea.

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Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

Podcast Administrative Support by Alexis Eades

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