February 1-7, 2026 is Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
- Kaitlin Deschiffart
- 14 minutes ago
- 4 min read
"Health" used to feel simpler. But somewhere along the way, it became something to perfect, control, and constantly question. If you're exhausted by the noise around food, exercise, and wellness--you're not alone.
If you're here, you might be wrestling with questions about your own relationship with food, exercise, or health, or you may be concerned about someone you care about. You're not alone. Many people across the Fraser Valley are navigating confusing, emotionally charged relationships with health, and aren't sure where to begin.
The Confusing Reality of "Health" in 2026
These days, getting a straight answer about what "health" truly means feels impossible.
What's considered healthy one day is "toxic" the next.
The exercise routine you love is suddenly blamed for burnout or hormonal issues.
"Healthy" is increasingly portrayed as something only accessible to certain body types, incomes, and lifestyles.
With constantly shifting goal posts, many of us feel lost--not only about what health looks like, but about what we want our own health to feel like.
What feels good in your body?
What feels satisfying, sustainable, and supportive of your wellbeing?
Most of us rarely get the space to ask those questions.
The Exhaustion of Modern Food Noise
Trying to keep up with every new diet trend, fitness craze, or "wellness" aesthetic can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from ourselves. Online, it seems like everyone else has it figured out, while we actually feel more confused than ever.
Where Food Noise Comes From
Food noise comes at us from every direction: social media (hello, TikTok "experts"),
family commentary at holiday dinners, and our own internal critic that never quiets down.
Depending on how we grew up around food and movement, we may see them as things to control rather than things meant to nourish and support us.
When Coping Turns into a Cycle
1) For many people, disordered eating patterns begin as coping strategies long before they become sources of distress.
2) Restricting, tracking, or over-exercising can create a sense of control when life feels uncertain.
3) Eating or exercising to soothe big feelings can offer brief moments of relief.
The Shift from Support to Control
These patterns often develop quietly, and may even be praised by others. But over time, they can start taking up more space in your life than you ever intended. Instead of helping you cope, they begin controlling you.
Why It's So Hard to Untangle
These habits often weave themselves into your identity, self-worth, and sense of safety.
What starts as wanting to "be healthy" can become a set of rigid rules that cause fear, shame, and guilt when broken.
Many people don't realize they're struggling until these rules start limiting their life, making it harder to eat with others, enjoy movement, or trust their body's cues. This is not a personal failure. It's a human response to overwhelm, trauma, and mixed messages about health.
What Is Disordered Eating?
Disordered eating is highly individualized. It can include patterns that overlap with diagnoses such as:
anorexia or atypical anorexia
bulimia nervosa
binge eating disorder
and other diagnoses, or others that don't come with a diagnosis but create cycles in our life that are tough to disrupt (e.g., orthorexia)
But the experience isn't just about the behaviour—it's also the relentless internal noise and the belief that health requires following strict, unforgiving rules.
The Internal Experience
Many people describe:
constantly calculating what they ate, will eat, or "should eat"
feeling "justified" in eating only after exercising
anxiety about eating out or checking menus obsessively beforehand
noticing that food is getting in the way of things they truly want to do
feeling out of control with food
difficulty knowing when they're hungry or full
An Attuned, Body-Wisdom Approach
Disordered eating disconnects us from ourselves. An attuned, body-wisdom approach helps rebuild that connection.
Instead of micromanaging your body, this approach encourages:
compassion over criticism
curiosity over judgment
respecting the body you have today, not the one you think you "should" have
Rebuilding trust with your body is not linear. It takes time, safety, and support--but it is absolutely possible.
Practical Guidance— Small Steps You Can Take Today
Talk to someone you trust
Chances are you're not the only one feeling confused, overwhelmed, or exhausted by today's health messaging.
Set gentle boundaries
Limit exposure to social media or conversations that fuel comparison, shame, or the inner critic.
Tune into your body
Pause throughout the day and ask: "How am I actually feeling right now?"
Notice tension, stress, hunger cues, or emotional shifts. Your body has information, often more than the algorithms do.
Use grounding and regulation tools
These can include:
sensory tools
going outside
connecting with a friend
gentle movement
activities that help your nervous system settle
These practices help you reconnect with yourself, others, and the world around you.
Try This: The 3-Breath Body Check
Take three slow breaths. On each exhale, notice one thing: first, where you feel tension; second, what emotion is present; third, what your body might need right now (rest, movement, food, connection). No fixing required--just noticing.
You don't have to navigate this alone. If your relationship with food, exercise, or your body is taking up more space than you want it to, therapy can help you rebuild trust with yourself at a pace that feels right for you.
About the Author:
Kat Deschiffart, MACP, RCC, CCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at Eterna Counselling & Wellness in Abbotsford, BC, specializing in chronic illness, eating disorders, body image, and the complex relationship many people have with food, exercise, and wellness culture. She works with adults—particularly women navigating conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders, and fertility challenges—as well as individuals in eating disorder recovery or struggling with disordered eating patterns.
With her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and specialized training in Emotionally-Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy, and Narrative Therapy, Kat offers an approach rooted in body wisdom, nervous system regulation, and compassionate reconnection.
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