WEBVTT - Building a better relationship with food with Marika Day 🍽 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:05.680 So I've been doing a little social experiment this week. 0:00:06.960 --> 0:00:09.560 In conversations that I've been having with people. It might 0:00:09.600 --> 0:00:11.880 be my work colleagues in the office during the week, 0:00:12.000 --> 0:00:15.760 or close friends and family, or just making small talk 0:00:15.840 --> 0:00:18.800 with members at the gym, or whatever it is. I've 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:26.920 been taking note just for this week of how often 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:31.800 those conversations revolve around food. I haven't actually done the math, 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:35.199 but I would say it's been about seventy percent of 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:38.000 the conversations. If you speak to that person for long enough, 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:42.160 you know, four or five minutes, you end up talking 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:43.879 about food. It might have been the restaurant that they 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:45.839 tried on the weekend. It might be the lunch they're 0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:47.599 looking forward to having with a friend. It might be 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:50.400 the challenges they're having with a fussy eatter, who's their child. Whatever, 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:55.600 It doesn't really matter, but it is undeniable that for 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:59.280 so many of us, food is an absolutely integral part 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:01.760 of our lives. Our lives almost revolve around it. 0:01:01.840 --> 0:01:01.920 Now. 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:05.080 I'm married to a very passionate Macedonian woman who loves 0:01:05.080 --> 0:01:08.720 her food like no one I've really met before, and 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:11.360 I love that she does, because she celebrates food and 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.560 she has such a healthy relationship with her whole family 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.959 do It's almost like the association with happy and family 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:21.560 and food all go together for Snares. So that then 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:26.200 made me think about how important a positive relationship with 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:28.520 food is. But the flip side to that is, and 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.640 this is where many people also struggle, that if you 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:34.480 don't have a positive relationship with food, if it is 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:38.760 a trigger for you for negative feelings and negative emotions 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:42.840 or negative behaviors, how much you're missing out on and 0:01:42.880 --> 0:01:47.039 how much that must be impacting your happiness and your 0:01:47.160 --> 0:01:52.160 enjoyment around socializing and friendships and your overall health. So 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:54.480 rather than me talk about this subject matter, I have 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:59.200 a wonderful nutritionist who's an expert in relationships with food 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:02.000 coming on wood Life to join us today, and then 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:05.200 we're going to unpack this little question around plateaus. 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:07.520 I feel like I'm starting to plateau in both my 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:10.880 weight and fitness. How do I know if I'm plateauing 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:13.560 and need to shake up my routine or is this 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:15.960 just my body and it isn't changing as much anymore 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:18.639 because this is just how it's supposed to be naturally. 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:21.600 This is the wood Life. I'm Sam Wood. Thanks for 0:02:21.680 --> 0:02:44.440 joining us. Let's get into it. Our guest today on 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:49.120 the Wood Life is a dietitian and nutritionist. Got into 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:54.720 nutrition because she was continually frustrated by how it was 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:56.920 being taught and how it was being positioned, and she 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:00.480 wanted to be taught differently, and of course something that 0:03:00.520 --> 0:03:02.880 we love here in the Wood Life. Make it simple. 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.680 Marika Day, Welcome and thank you so much for joining us. 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:08.720 Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:09.160 to be here. 0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:11.880 So I've followed you for a while. I love your stuff, 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:15.280 most importantly your philosophy around things. I think you've got 0:03:15.320 --> 0:03:19.960 a really balanced approach. I know you got into this 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:23.720 space because of the frustrations that you're experiencing within the industry. 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:25.160 Can you kind of shed a bit of light into 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:28.080 how you got into it and what those specific frustrations were. 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:31.040 Yeah, sure, so I think the thing to begin with it, 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:33.160 I got into nutrition because I didn't know what else 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:33.639 to do. 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:36.040 With my career in life, join the club. 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.840 I was diagnosed with Celiac disease and just found it interesting. 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:42.600 I guess that you know the way that you eat 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:44.760 can affect your health and well being so much so 0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:48.480 that was how I initially got into nutrition. But then 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:51.920 once I actually had done my study and had become 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:56.080 a qualified dietitian and nutritionist and started working in private 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:59.440 practice seeing clients one on one. One of the things 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:03.240 that really killed me is that so many women in 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:06.440 particular were coming to me saying that they'd spent so 0:04:06.560 --> 0:04:09.320 much of their energy, so much of their life focusing 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:13.320 on dieting, and that they really still hadn't had the 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:16.880 opportunity to enjoy life because they had hated their body 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:19.520 their entire life. And on the flip side, I was 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:21.760 getting these young girls coming in saying, well, I want 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:24.440 to look like this social media influencer. Can you give 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:27.280 me a diet to look like her? And so I 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:29.320 was just seeing the spectrum of like from the beginning 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:32.320 to the end of this lifespan of dieting for women, 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:34.680 and I was like, there's got to be another way. 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:36.080 I'm not buying into this. 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:40.120 So what did you do about it? Let's go straight there. 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:43.800 What do you think the I guess the shake up 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:47.080 process or the redirection process needs to be for these people. 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.120 Yeah, so I think for most of them, it is 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:54.039 moving away from focusing on your shape, your size, and 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:57.240 your weight and moving towards focusing on your health, your wellbeing, 0:04:57.560 --> 0:05:01.680 whether that be physically healthy, mentally healthy, nutritionally healthy. There's 0:05:01.680 --> 0:05:03.880 so many different markets of health that we can look 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:07.440 at and having that emphasis on that total well being, 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:10.080 not just doing what we can at all costs to 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:13.680 look a certain way, and in the process also rebuilding 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:17.440 people's relationship with food, because after years of dieting, a 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:20.040 lot of people do get this really black or white 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:22.360 thinking when it comes to food, like I can't have that, 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.280 I can only eat that, and so just repairing that 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:26.240 relationship there. 0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:29.000 So let's talk about that because I think we talk 0:05:29.040 --> 0:05:32.560 on this show a lot about relationships. Relationship with yourself 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:36.839 often is something that comes up, but relationship with food. 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:39.119 I mean people people think, what are you talking about? 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:41.240 You know, I'm dating a banana, you know, What's what 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:45.000 the hell's going on? What's this relationship with food? Are 0:05:45.040 --> 0:05:48.760 you talking purely about my relationship with food? Is food 0:05:48.839 --> 0:05:51.640 is the enemy? Or I need to restrict or remove 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:56.159 or replace rather than embrace and actually have a positive 0:05:56.200 --> 0:05:58.400 relationship with food and look at all the positives that 0:05:58.440 --> 0:05:59.320 food brings to us. 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:02.240 Yeahsolute, I think that's one aspect of it. So thinking 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:06.200 about what nutrition and what food does provide for us, 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:10.159 so from everything from like pleasure to joy to the 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:13.360 nutrients that it gives us, but also thinking about all 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:16.320 of the different contexts in which we consume food. So 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:19.280 for example, particularly you know, actually I was going to 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:22.240 particularly here in Australia, I think many cultures they use 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:25.400 food as a way to celebrate, as a way to connect, 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.799 as a way to you know, like you someone's birthday, 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.840 you usually have them over for dinner and drinks and whatnot. 0:06:31.839 --> 0:06:34.880 So there is a really social and cultural sort of 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:37.640 thing around food that I think also plays into your 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:41.120 relationship with food. And again this is something that I 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:43.560 think a lot of people don't really think about when 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.320 it comes to their health and well being, is how 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:49.760 our social connections and our environment influence our health and 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:54.400 well being. And considering that in our relationship with food 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:57.919 means that we can actually engage socially in life whilst 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:00.480 still being healthy. So it's not just about you know, 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:03.520 declining the offers to go out to friends places for 0:07:03.560 --> 0:07:05.840 dinners and whatnot because you're trying to be healthy. It's 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:08.960 actually accepting and embracing that that can actually be part 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:10.240 of your health and well being. 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.560 It's so true. And I've seen that in the in 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:15.080 the fitness industry, in the gym industry for so long. 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:18.559 You know, people are so all or nothing that they're 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:22.640 you know, they're in and they're really in, and that 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:25.160 means they an't socialize with a single person for six 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:27.640 months while they become a complete hermit, while they're trying 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:30.440 to get a six pack, and they're they're loving what 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:32.680 they're at that particular point in time, what they're seeing 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:35.160 in the mirror, but deep down they're miserable and lonely, 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:39.720 or they're the other way. And to say to someone, 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:41.080 is this how you want to live for the rest 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:44.320 of your life? Is this really what you think is 0:07:44.480 --> 0:07:49.000 what sustainable, enjoyable you know health looks like. Of course 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:51.720 they don't when when you bring it up like that, 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:55.280 but it is a real problem. So when someone comes 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:57.200 to you, and I totally understand there's a myriad of 0:07:57.200 --> 0:08:00.520 different reasons that someone may have a less an ideal 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:05.720 relationship with food, what advice, What steps do you take 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:10.640 someone through to begin to improve that relationship with food. 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:12.560 Yeah, So I think one of the first things that 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:14.880 I get people to focus on is actually making sure 0:08:14.920 --> 0:08:18.040 that they're eating enough food. Women in particular have been 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:21.679 trained our entire lives to reduce calories, reduce calories, reduce 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:24.840 calories at all costs, And one thing I find is 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:27.880 that people try and do that far too much, and 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:31.360 they end up under eating and therefore then binging or 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:35.600 you know, eating later in the evening because they're so hungry. 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:37.760 So one of the first steps I find to helping 0:08:37.760 --> 0:08:40.280 people improve their relationship with food and you know, stop 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:43.640 binge eating and stop that emotional eating that feels really 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:46.320 hard to control, is to make sure that you know, 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:48.439 you're having a breakfast, lunch, and dinner that are actually 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:52.800 adequate in terms of calories and have balanced nutrition in there. 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:55.880 So there's fats, there's proteins, as carbs, they're not restricting 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.120 those primary main meals that are actually going to provide 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.800 them with the fuel that they need to be able 0:09:01.840 --> 0:09:03.360 to make good decisions. 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:06.440 So, just on the marika, what is your take on 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:07.440 counting calories? 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:11.400 Yeah, so I don't have strong opinions on it. I 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:13.840 would say that it works really well for some people. 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:18.520 For my audience and the people in my community, it's 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:21.719 quite triggering and quite damaging and leads them into a 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:25.120 quite restrictive mindset, but I'm well aware that it does 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:26.800 it's helpful for some people. 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:28.920 I tend to share your opinion. To be honest, I 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:33.120 think it'd being a good education process for some people 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:39.440 because we don't quite understand the calorie a value that 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:44.120 particular foods have or don't have. But when you're thinking 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.760 of food as a number rather than the nutritional value 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:49.600 that it's bringing, then that's not where you want to be. 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.760 Yeah, definitely. So one of the other strategies that I 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:55.120 have with this is coming at it from more a 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:58.199 psychological perspective, and I think this is really important when 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:00.600 our food and our psychology and the way that we 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.880 eat are so entwined, particularly when it comes to a 0:10:03.880 --> 0:10:06.760 bad relationship with food. So one of the things that 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:09.880 I always encourage people to do is to think about 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:14.000 your coping strategies and what are your sources of joy 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:16.920 and pleasure in your life. Because for some people who 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:20.439 are incredibly time poor, who've got four kids running around, 0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:24.079 don't have time for anything else, food is their. 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:26.240 Chocolate is the. 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:27.080 Source of joy. 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:30.600 I know, I too, sneezees kitkats away from here right now? 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:33.800 How do it? That might be a relationship venda right there. 0:10:34.040 --> 0:10:36.200 It's okay to, like you said, it's okay to use 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:40.000 a KitKat as a source of joy, but it becomes 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.560 a problem when it's your only source of joy. So 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:46.320 when you have got no other coping strategies for stress, 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:49.680 or you've got no other coping strategies for certain emotions 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:52.120 that you might feel, turning to food all of the 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:56.280 time as your automatic coping mechanism can impede your relationship 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:59.240 with food, and it can, I guess, lead to you 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:02.920 not living in the alignment with your values. So that's 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:05.880 sort of the way that I approach nutrition is when 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:09.360 you feel like it's overstepping the boundary where you're not 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:12.319 living a life in alignment with your values, then it's 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:15.080 probably time to start to identify. Okay, what are some 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.839 other coping strategies that I could use here? Or where 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.880 else can I go to for joy? If chocolate is 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:23.000 the only thing that I get joy out of, how 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:25.360 can I find joy in other areas of my life? 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:29.600 I love that I see it often with you know, 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:33.160 the relationship with food and then the relationship with exercise. 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:34.679 You know, I'm always sort of saying it X So 0:11:34.720 --> 0:11:36.640 I shouldn't be a punishment. You know, it should be 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:39.720 a celebration of what your body can do, not you know, 0:11:39.800 --> 0:11:42.800 sending yourself out for ten kilometer runs because you're feeling 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:46.440 so guilty about you know, how you've not treated your 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:48.319 body the right way, and you know there's got to 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.000 be a balance there. There's very similar sort of psychology 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:53.880 around I think the thinking around that with exercises as 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:54.679 there is with eating. 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:57.400 Yeah, definitely. I think we've been taught that it needs 0:11:57.440 --> 0:11:59.560 to be a punishment and that if we're not hating it, 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:02.839 that it's not working, whereas it's the complete opposite. Like 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:05.040 if you find exercise and movement that you enjoy and 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:07.320 that you love, that's far better for you in terms 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:10.080 of your health and wellbeing and your consistency and ability 0:12:10.080 --> 0:12:12.000 to stick to that that it is if you hate it. 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:13.120 And the same goes for diet. 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:16.160 Yeah. I mean, even in the simplest term, I exercise 0:12:16.240 --> 0:12:18.320 in the morning is a proactive way to have a 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:22.400 good day. I don't exercise at night to punish myself 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:26.240 because I feel like I've overeaten, or you haven't moved enough, 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:28.679 or whatever it might or whatever it might be, it's 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:31.920 definitely a proactive approach. All right, So you've spoken it, 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:33.839 You've mentioned a couple of times. I've just sort of 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.599 picked up on it. You've sort of said coping mechanisms. 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:40.920 You say that food is often one of these ways 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:43.800 that we one of these go to. Is what other? 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:47.680 In a more general term or in more general terms, Amrika, 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.040 do you advise people to do or is it just 0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:53.160 such a personal choice based on the individual. 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:55.600 Yeah, it is a really personal choice. And I mean 0:12:55.600 --> 0:12:58.720 there's so many things that you could do that bring 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:02.240 you pleasure and enjoy or help relief stress or help 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:04.559 you know when you're feeling down. I like to get 0:13:04.559 --> 0:13:07.079 people to think about like hobbies. What sort of hobbies 0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:09.319 are you engaging in? And this is a really surprising 0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:11.880 one because most people who are above the age of 0:13:11.880 --> 0:13:16.480 about twenty five don't have any hobbies, are particularly females. 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:20.400 You know, it's funny you play sport or you have 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:23.600 sort of hobbies around your school friends, and then I 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:25.880 don't know, you lose your way a little bit. I 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:27.679 wanted to ask you. I just wanted to change check 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:32.080 a little bit because you, like me, social media is 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:33.880 a big part of your life because it's a big 0:13:33.920 --> 0:13:38.080 part of your job and the way you connect to people, 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:40.559 the way you can create content, the way you can 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:44.959 absorb content. I write articles for few different publications, and 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:48.120 one of the publications asked me yesterday to write an 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:51.480 article about all these food videos that are popping up 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:54.560 on TikTok and did I think they are actually helping 0:13:54.600 --> 0:14:00.160 people eat better or perhaps confusing people more? And I 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:02.959 thought was, well, look, I think a TikTok video, if 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:05.120 it encourages to get back in the kitchen and cook 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:08.680 more and have fun and try new recipes and cook 0:14:08.720 --> 0:14:12.800 for your kids, can be a great thing. But you've 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.959 also got to think, well, where's this recipe coming from, 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:18.520 and what's the credibility of this person that's posting this 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.160 and has it been designed to show me that it's 0:14:21.200 --> 0:14:23.600 healthy or is it purely a treat and it's for fun? 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:27.600 You know, it really is our We need that responsibility 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:32.360 for ourselves to how we excuse the pun consume all 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.760 of this information. But I was just wondering, what's your take, 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:39.440 and TikTok's just one example, it's probably the most current example. 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:41.120 I think it's who you follow. I don't think it 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:44.280 actually matters the platform, because I've definitely seen a lot 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:48.440 of damaging stuff on Pinterest as well. Ads that come 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:51.960 up there are a very shame driven around weight and 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:55.680 shape and size and detoxes and everything. So I don't 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:59.840 necessarily think it's the platform itself that creates the problem. 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:03.040 It's the people that you are engaging with on the platform. 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.120 And I think this is where there probably is the 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:09.040 difference between the platforms, because, like you said, with Pinterest, 0:15:09.080 --> 0:15:10.920 you kind of have to search for what you're looking for, 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:14.040 whereas TikTok, you watch one video and then all of 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:17.040 a sudden you're in an algorithm feed that will produce 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:20.320 ten more of them, so you don't get to really choose. 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:22.240 And I guess the danger with that is if you 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:26.880 somehow land upon a video that is really unhealthy, whether 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:30.520 it be promoting disordered eating, or you know, is being 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.680 really shameful about weight, shape and size, or is just 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:38.720 providing really incorrect information about health and nutrition, then if 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:41.200 you watch that video, you're going to be continued to 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:44.440 be shown videos that are similar to that. So that's 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:46.600 where I guess TikTok, I think you need to be 0:15:46.680 --> 0:15:49.240 really careful of what you're watching on there. And if 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:52.360 something that comes up that doesn't really align with again 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:55.240 your values and how you see health and how you 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:58.160 see nutrition, then get past as quick as you can. 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:01.360 The thing I worry I couldn't agree with you more 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:03.920 in principle. But the thing I worry about is a 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:07.040 TikTok audience I'm sure is more likely a younger audience. 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:10.640 And I mean if I asked my sixteen year old 0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:14.480 seventeen year old EV, if I said to her, when Ev, 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:18.400 you're scrolling through TikTok, just be aware of is the 0:16:18.440 --> 0:16:22.200 information that you're consuming aligned with your values? I would 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:25.200 get the visi roll of all freaking times. She'd alone 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:28.960 go away, like what you want about? So, but your 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:31.600 advice is really sound, But that's really hard advice for 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:34.880 a seventeen year old to get context around or take 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:38.040 on board. So, in more general terms, what is your 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:43.080 advice to people on using social media for building community 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:46.240 and absorbing recipes and improving their relationship with food rather 0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:47.080 than the alternative? 0:16:47.920 --> 0:16:49.600 Yeah? So, I think there's sort of two parts to 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:52.640 social media when it comes to how we can improve it, 0:16:53.000 --> 0:16:56.040 and one is our personal responsibility. Like you mentioned earlier 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:59.320 to I guess curate our own feed and to select 0:16:59.320 --> 0:17:01.600 the people who are following and make sure that we 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:06.359 are following people who are expressing a like a healthy 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:09.800 relationship with food, or who aren't body shaming, or who 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.000 aren't even driving you into a place of comparison. So 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:14.960 I always say to people that you know, there might 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:17.000 be people out there who mean really well, Like someone 0:17:17.080 --> 0:17:19.439 might follow me and you know I am all about 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:22.000 health and balance and well being, yet when they watch 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:24.720 my stuff they get really triggered by it. Unfollow me 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:27.520 if that's the case, Like, unfollow the people who are 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:31.320 triggering that comparison within you, and create your own feed 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:34.199 that feels really good for you, so that when you 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:38.080 go on that platform and you spend five ten minutes, 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:41.040 hours whatever it ends up being, that you actually feel 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:44.960 good when you come off it. The other side of that, 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:48.040 I think there is a responsibility from companies as well 0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:51.560 to take responsibility, like if you are in their health 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:54.720 and nutrition or wellbeing space, is to sort of promote 0:17:54.760 --> 0:17:59.000 a healthy message around nutrition and health rather than driving 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:03.160 like a weight loss approach in terms of sacrifice everything 0:18:03.200 --> 0:18:05.000 in order to look a certain way. I think that 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:08.119 we do really need some more accountability when it comes 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:09.520 to that sort of thing as well. 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:12.600 I'm glad you said that. I mean, through twenty eight 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:14.639 and through my own channels, I do promote products. So 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:16.280 I'm happy to you know somehow this is not going 0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:18.639 on SAND promotes products. I do, absolutely I do, but 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:23.040 I would promote maybe five percent of the products that 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:25.840 come across my desk. It's and you know, if it's 0:18:25.880 --> 0:18:28.240 a food product, it goes to our nutrition team, it 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:31.560 gets the tick of approval, and ninety five percent of 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:35.160 the time it doesn't. And yeah, I share a lot 0:18:35.160 --> 0:18:38.280 of your beliefs around social media. I mean the fact 0:18:38.280 --> 0:18:40.760 that you're even comfortable saying if I am triggering you, 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:44.359 not that is my intention to unfollow me. It's a 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:48.240 really good point because you know, we can't control everybody's 0:18:48.320 --> 0:18:51.320 reaction to everything that we put out there. Sometimes you 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:55.119 could be putting a great educational workout out there, but 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:57.400 you're in your activewear and someone might be saying, oh, 0:18:57.480 --> 0:18:59.639 I want to be just like Marica or whatever it is, 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:02.720 and it may not have the positive impact that you're 0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:06.600 trying for it to have on everybody that watches it. Definitely, 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:10.200 I just wanted to finish with one final question for you. Marika, 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:12.240 because this has been really interesting, and I know you 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.480 don't do a lot of this these days, but you're 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:19.840 sitting there, You're in your clinical position or your consultation position, 0:19:19.960 --> 0:19:23.680 and someone's coming in to see you for professional help. 0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.800 So people perhaps don't have to get the professional help. 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:32.520 What is some of the best advice in absolutely any 0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:36.040 facet of nutrition that you think people should hear that 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:38.520 is going to help them before they get to perhaps 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:40.800 that stage where they feel like they need that professional 0:19:40.840 --> 0:19:41.520 one on one help. 0:19:41.720 --> 0:19:44.399 I don't think that there is anything that someone needs 0:19:44.440 --> 0:19:47.560 to know before reaching professional help. So if somebody is 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:50.040 out there thinking, oh I might need professional help, you 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:52.280 don't need to know anything before reaching out for support. 0:19:52.359 --> 0:19:55.119 So please reach out for support from your networks and 0:19:55.680 --> 0:19:58.639 a doctor and everything if you need to. What I 0:19:58.680 --> 0:20:01.840 would say to people in general so that they can 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:04.119 sort of try the best to prevent getting to that 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:07.560 point is I think that we should all know that 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:10.439 the way that we look doesn't define our worth, and 0:20:10.720 --> 0:20:13.199 that we can choose to focus on our health and 0:20:13.240 --> 0:20:15.720 well being and you know, living a really healthy and 0:20:15.800 --> 0:20:19.520 balanced life without having to focus so intensely on our 0:20:19.640 --> 0:20:22.959 shape and our weight, and in doing so we are 0:20:23.080 --> 0:20:25.720 likely to find more confidence, we are actually likely to 0:20:25.760 --> 0:20:28.639 be more healthy and actually get more satisfaction and enjoy 0:20:28.640 --> 0:20:29.560 from life as well. 0:20:30.240 --> 0:20:34.439 That is absolutely beautifully said, a great way to finish, Marika. 0:20:34.520 --> 0:20:36.760 Thank you so much for joining us, and hopefully we 0:20:36.800 --> 0:20:42.960 can speak again soon. Thank you so much, Sam, what 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:46.160 a great little chat with Marika day. He has a 0:20:46.320 --> 0:20:51.840 very very well rounded, thoughtful approach to everything I think 0:20:51.880 --> 0:20:54.480 that she does, and someone that I've followed for long time, 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:57.080 as I said, and we'll continue to follow for a 0:20:57.119 --> 0:21:00.359