Read to me!
✨Are you tired of getting unsolicited diet advice for your TBI problems??✨
‘Tis the season…
…of diet culture 🤦🏻♀️
Have you seen it? Heard it?
It seems to come earlier and earlier every year…
Already promotions of what diet to do in January, how to lose the “holiday weight,” how to be “good” in December with food, how to feel bad about your body more, and the promise of excitement & feeling good with shiny “new” food restrictions this new year…
Barf.
If you’ve been following me at all, you know I don’t promote any one specific diet.
There is a time and place for therapeutic diets and guided elimination where re-introduction of foods is key to the overall plan…
But that is generally not what’s offered or crammed down our throats this time of year.
With a TBI, I sometimes felt like I was drowning in overwhelm, overstimulation, symptoms, anxiety, unable to take a break from it, and unable to take a deep breath…
I would get frustrated when people would say something like “you should try…[insert popular wellness thing here]”
I get that it was all good intentions. These people were trying to help.
However they were just as affected by wellness culture as any of us. Offering up products or treatments instead of the listening ear, the hug, or just the very practical help I desperately needed like picking up my groceries.
I was drowning and they were telling me to take swimming lessons… What I needed was a life preserver.
I see the same problem over social media, in support groups, and even with other healthcare providers who, although they don’t specialize in nutrition, think they are helping by giving restrictive diet advice.
In our TBI community there is trauma that needs to be healed.
I see TBI survivors whose brains and bodies don’t feel safe to meal plan, cook, or eat. And dieting would reinforce for them that all this is dangerous.
So this holiday season & new year, can we offer that listening ear, hug, or practical help?
Can we give out more life preservers?
What would that life preserver be for you?
I do have something a gift for you that might help…
Last year I was interviewed by TBI survivor and advocate, Erica Renee Walker!
I hadn’t uploaded the video until now 🙂
The Pressures of Holiday Eating Post TBI
In it we talk about:
– What healing with nutrition post TBI can be like
– What is “healthy eating?”
– How holidays and eating with others can be challenging post TBI
– How restriction can backfire
– What do we do with emotional eating?
– Cycles of dieting and effects on the brain & body
– Tips to feel good with food around the holidays!
You can check out more of Erica’s interviews on her Youtube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgDYjxwPn9mzMH85FmUIkg
Today is my last day of work before I shut down my computer, put on my email vacation settings, and take some much needed rest! In fact, last year I wrote in my agenda when I would need to stop working and take holidays…
Knowing that I always feel compelled to do more, I even wrote next to this week:
“YES, you do need this time to shut off so the holidays aren’t overwhelming”
It’s nice to know that past Krystal was looking out for me 
Wherever you are this holiday season, whether you celebrate the holidays or not, whether you are able to do all the things you want to do or choose to hold back, pace, and take care of yourself…
I wish you the absolute best in love and healing ❤️
Best in brain health,