What are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are a serious, yet treatable mental illness that affect the lives of many. At least 30 million people in the U.S. alone are currently suffering from an eating disorder. This illness knows no race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation and often manifests as a way to manage life stressors, emotions, and burdens. Eating disorders can create long-term consequences, including physical bodily damage. They can also negatively affect relationships and the ability to be productive at school or work. Amy works with clients to help them develop their own nutrition strategies, and to offer guidance and support toward their emotional healing and growth.

Types of eating disorders

• Bulimia Nervosa

• Anorexia Nervosa

• Binge Eating Disorder

• ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

• OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder)

  • “Atypical” Anorexia

  • Night Eating Syndrome

  • Purging Disorder

What is disordered eating?

Disordered eating can present itself in a variety of ways. It can be seen in preoccupation with fad diets, extreme clean eating behaviors, and in the elimination of entire food groups without clinical recommendation.  At its core, disordered eating is rarely about food or weight; those struggling often develop disordered eating patterns in a subconscious attempt to mange their emotions in overwhelming circumstances. This can lead to an intense fear of eating and/or food groups,  nutritional deficiencies, and interference with activities of daily living and interpersonal relationships. By developing a long-term, nutritionally therapeutic relationship with her clients, Amy seeks to assist in normalizing food and the process of eating, where hope is realized and fear is minimized. 

Types of disordered eating

• Chronic dieting and weight cycling

• Chronic laxative use

• Body Image Dysmorphia

• Clean eating hyper-vigilance (Orthorexia)

• Rumination Disorder

• Chewing & Spitting

• Pica

Feeding children 

Parents and caregivers often approach feeding children as a struggle, and something to be "fixed" or "managed". In reality, children of all ages inherently possess most of the cues required to feed themselves in a way that meets their nutritional requirements and encourages their natural curiosity, but only when parents do their part and allow the child to do theirs. Amy has spent 17 years working with parents to help them feed their children in emotionally and behaviorally healthy ways, effectively mitigating mealtime meltdowns, food challenges, and "short-order cooking", and ultimately establishing a healthy, long-term relationship between the child and eating, into adolescence and adulthood.

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome?

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is an immune condition prevalent in 20-25% of clients who suffer from eating disorders. In response to certain environmental stimuli, including stress and food, MCAS can manifest in symptoms across most organ symptoms and can be confused with other conditions like IBS and mood disorders. It is important to know the signs of MCAS to effectively treat both it and the eating disorder simultaneously to improve treatment outcomes and reduce client suffering. To learn more about MCAS, click here.

Other Conditions Treated*

Genereal Gastrointestinal Issues:
Acid Reflux/GERD
Bloating
Constipation
Distension
Diarrhea
Flatulence
Gastritis
Unintentional Weight Loss/Gain
Abdomino-phrentic Dyssynergia (APD)
Celiac Disease
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis
Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
Ehler’s-Danlos Syndromes (EDS & h-EDS)
Food Allergies, Sensitivities, & Intolerances
Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome
Gastroesophagael Reflux Disease (GERD)
Gastroparesis
Histamine Intolerance
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, low-FODMAP Diet
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Chron’s Disease
Colitis
Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)
Pancreatic Insuffiency
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMAS)
PANS/PANDAS
Pre/Post-Bariatric Surgery Management
Pre/Post-GLP1 Agonist Medication Management
Elimination Diets
General Nutrition:
Meal Planning/Recipes/Grocery Shopping
Malnutrition & Deficiencies
Plant-based Diets: Vegetarian & Vegan
Prenatal/Perinatal Nutrition
Sports Nutrition
Cholesterol Management
Bone Health: Osteroporosis/Osteopenia
Cardiovascular Health
Blood Pressure Management
Diabetes Care
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

What is Normal Eating?

Written by Ellyn Satter, MS, RDN in 1983

Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.
It is being able to choose food you enjoy and eat it and truly get enough of it.
Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food.
Normal eating is giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad, bored, or just because it feels good.
Normal eating is three meals a day, or four or five, or it can be choosing to munch along the way.
It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful.
Normal eating is overeating at times and feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. And it can be undereating at times and wishing you had more.
Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for any “mistakes” in eating.
Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.
In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to [and capacity to obtain] food, and to your feelings.

Challenges feeding children

• Refusal to eat at mealtimes and snacktimes

• Mono-diet, eating the same foods over and over

• Eating in secret or hiding food for later

• Perceived as underweight or overweight

Potential MCAS Symptoms*

• Abdominal pain, bloating/gassiness, diarrhea, constipation, vomitting

• Fibromyalgia-like joint pain

• Skin rashes, hives, itchiness, sensitivity to artificial ingredients and dyes

• Neurologic conditions including mood changes, anxiety, fatigue, OCD-like thoughts and behaviors

  *This is not a comprehensive list

*As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, Amy offers evaluation, nutritional management, and treatment recommendation for a wide variety of gastrointestinal conditions. Under her scope of practice, she cannot order labs, write medication prescriptions, or make official diagnoses. She does however work in close collaboration with the rest of the medical treatment team to provide her clinical recommendations and guidance, where appropriate.