Trauma + Food

It’s that time of year that can be so hard. Weeks sandwiched between two very socially active holidays where most traditions are around the table and food. 


I just did a talk recently with Healing Housing around trauma and food. Food can be traumatic and not all of us completely understand why. Putting some nuance pants on around the holidays could be the key in connecting with and supporting those loved ones around us. 


There are so many different lens to view around the holidays and want to offer some of those lens today by talking about some of the things we discussed in this talk with Healing Housing. If you have not gotten the chance, look them up HERE. It is such an amazing organization with such an amazing mission. Something we fully support over here. 


See below some hot topics from our overall talk:


  1. Diet Culture

    1. What is it? Simply put: the misinformation on bodies and food and how it/we “should be” 

    2. How is it harmful? Lots of statistics out there on the heightened effects of internalizing diet culture with those with past history of anxiety, PTSD, and addiction

      1. It can then transform into disordered eating or an eating disorder 

  2. Bridging Food + Trauma by learning about mental health and nutrition needs

    1. Here we reviewed a lot of education around the connection between the brain and the gut. 

    2. Did you know that the brain and gut are connected? Read more about that HERE 

    3. Also 95% of our serotonin (feel good hormone) is made in the gut! We have to feed it to produce our good feels

  3. Intuitive Eating

    1. Listening to our own body is key for success here.

    2. Sometimes it can be easy to make comments about others and their food choices or their bodies. This is when the nuance pants go on and recognizing that intuitive eating plays a role in each person’s body in its own way. Everyone has a story!

    3. Read more about intuitive eating HERE

  4. How to support those we love

    1. Be kind. 

    2. Respect others.

    3. Rephrase the lingo around food and bodies - there are so many other ways to ask how someone is aside from their body size or what they are consuming.


We love our clients and providers big and are so grateful for each and every one of you! 



As always, there is no right or wrong here. Just simple education. A big thing we focus on at Worley Nutrition Group is educating and empowering. There is so much misinformation out there and we see it all the time in our office. Education is power and hope you continue to take this in to account as you fuel your body!


Jamison WorleyComment