Summary: Thanks for joining us for episode 54 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “My question is about being a role model for kids. I’m 21 and eat mostly Paleo. I used to struggle with body image issues and mildly restrictive eating in my teens, but I’ve overcome this and now I have a healthy relationship to food and my body. I have my fair share of treats, enjoy dining with others, and love my curvier female figure. I spend lots of time with my cousins, 10 and 12 year old girls. I’m wondering how to best be a balanced and good example when it comes to food and appearance. We have a lot of big family dinners. Most of them eat a lot of cakes and ice creams, etc. and sometimes I feel like the odd one since I choose different things, and I feel very responsible to be a good influence. What do you think about special diets and being a role model for kids?” How we approach and talk about food has a large impact on how we and those around us view food. Specifically, the way children and teens think about and choose foods is largely impacted by the adults in their lives and their relationship to food. In a culture that is fixated on weight as being the important factor in food choice, it’s almost ingrained in our psyche that a diet is a means to improve body image. This makes taking the spotlight off of appearance difficult when talking to others about our food choices based on a desire for health and just wanting to feel good. How can we be positive role models to the younger generation concerning food choices and a healthy body image regardless of weight? Listen today as we discuss ways to talk about food and demonstrate positive choices to promote confidence in having a healthy relationship with food. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: How your actions influence and educate the younger generation on how they think about their body and food choices Why it’s importatnt for you to understand the real reasons why you eat a certain way How to effectively communicate the reasons why you make certain food choices Why the way you talk about food in front of children should be the way you talk about food in general How to have confidence in your decisions about food choices regardless of how people are going to react How to respond to negative comments or questions regarding your food choices The importance of focusing on the positive aspects of choosing healthy food versus the negative consequences of choosing not so healthy foods The importance of offering young girls genuine compliments in building their self-confidence Links Discussed: WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT Kelsey: Hi everyone. Welcome to episode 54 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Kelsey Marksteiner and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Laura: Hey guys. Kelsey: So how are you doing, Laura? Laura: I’m good. I feel like the last couple weeks of my life have been a little crazy, but good crazy. Kelsey: Good. Laura: So just trying to keep everything balanced and focused on some big changes that I have coming with my business, and also still trying to balance that with socialization and relationships. I feel like that’s the story of my life is trying to run a successful business while not losing the important relationships in my life. So just cutting out time in my schedule to talk to people, and to spend time with my friends, and to not work too hard. It can be really tempting to overload my schedule. Kelsey: Right. Laura: So being more clear about my boundaries with working with clients, and taking on projects, and doing things for other people. It’s been an effort in learning to say no, essentially.
