#141: Processed Foods, Nutrition Misinformation, and the Elitism of Wellness with Shana Spence

Nov 11

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.

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 explains her perspective shift over time, and the process of moving toward an anti-diet, weight-inclusive approach (rather than trying to “fix” people’s eating habits).

👉 Listen to the full episode right here!

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

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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Group program:

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