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Diet Culture And Women

Diet Culture And Women Jamii North Run Tri Bike

I’m about to do one of my most important lectures…Nutrition, specifically diet culture, for women. I’ve been working on my presentation for a month now and am nearing completion. Whew, so glad the holidays didn’t keep me sidetracked for too long. Though to be honest, I did enjoy lots of food, had a few adult beverages, and indulged in many desserts. I even skipped a couple workouts. And you know what??? I’m totally okay with that. Why? Because I know I can get back into my regular routine again in a few days and after about a week will be right back on track again. My hope is that if you found yourself doing the same thing, that you are giving yourself grace too.

In my final review of the nutrition presentation, I noticed a few key points that kept popping up, and felt it’s necessary to share these key points with you. These might seem simple, inflammatory or even impossible. Read them, let it sink in, think on it, and really feel into them.

You Are More Than Your Physical Appearance

Let’s stop believing what diet culture and the media says women “should” look like, and focus on what makes us happy and healthy. Looking good and actually being healthy rarely go together. The media has been flooded with awful ideals of what ALL women should look like, and it is an unhealthy nearly unattainable feat. How about we ignore that, and in doing so cause a huge stress and load to be released. These stresses get in our way and don’t allow us to fully do what makes you feel good and what feeds your soul. Be you and be original. Be the one that defies what social media, aka the patriarchy says you should look like.

Don’t believe anything that comes out of the research unless it specifically says the research was done only with women, or specifically for women.

When research is done it’s mostly (until now) only done on young college age men. They might have had a few women in the study, but they always threw out the results from the women because they were not aligning with the results from the men. Yeah, that’s because we are different, and as such should be researched separately. Not just told well it works for men, therefore it should work for you. We see where that’s got us so far. Due to our fluctuating monthly hormones, our needs are much different from men when it comes to nutrition and timing of nutrition, and also how we do our exercise. So look for the research done with women in mind, and start your journey there.


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You Absolutely Do Need To Eat MORE 

Contrary to what you are being told by the media or social influencers, you NEED carbohydrates. Those people are NOT scientists. They do not know what works for all of you. Honestly, everyone of you will need different inputs. But there is one thing that is true, you need to eat more. Stop cutting out carbs, your body needs them. Carbs are the primary fuel for your brain and body, and without them you will be in a deficit.

When women’s bodies are in a deficit they store everything they eat, mainly as fat, and then break down their own body’s muscle mass for energy. So by only eating 1200 calories a day, you are breaking down what little muscle mass you have, increasing your fat mass, and potentially hindering your bone density and all other health metrics. This is not a very productive way to do nutrition, and in the end your health will suffer. You’ll end up feeling tired, exhausted, depressed or rage, and your cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels will be all in the dangerous zones.

To wrap it up. Not all research is done on women, look for the ones that are. Do eat more carbohydrates and in general more calories. And do NOT look at yourself in the mirror as a gauge to determine how worthy you are. You are more than that. Diet culture for women in our society doesn’t have to be your guiding light. Let your own light shine through.

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Coach Jamii North Author for Run Tri Bike

As a lifelong athlete and sports medicine specialist, I've dedicated my career to helping women stay active and injury-free through proper coaching and strength training. My journey from collegiate sports to triathlon success, even while navigating perimenopause, has fueled my passion for empowering women to achieve their best performance at any stage of life. Now, I’m committed to guiding others in the endurance community to reach their full potential, no matter the challenges they face.