We're All Addicted to Health and Nutrition
SEASON 1 EPISODE 7
with Victoria Davis
In this episode of Neighbourhood Nutritionist, I had a fantastic chat with Victoria, an expert in coaching other health and fitness coaches, as well as helping businesses and corporations.
In my conversation with Victoria, we talked about:
How Victoria went from a Tourettes diagnosis to a health and nutrition coach
The explosion of the health industry and resulting health addictions
Self control and discipline
Nutritional habits and our self identity
And much more!
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If you want to connect with Victoria, you can find her on:
Instagram: @aviditysisters
Facebook: coachvictoriapatricia
Facebook Group: Avidity Wellness Consulting & Events
Website: www.aviditysisters.com | www.victoriapdavis.com
Why Victoria Got Into Nutrition
Personally, um, it really honestly started when I was seven, when I had a Tourettes Syndrome diagnosis, that was basically how this journey began is because, you know, about 25 or so years ago, when that was when that happened. I couldn't you know, there wasn't a whole lot of information out there. And so we went on a strict I went on a strict diet, my dad decided to put me on a strict diet. And with that, um, nutrition was the thing that really helped pretty much eliminate the majority of the tics and symptoms. And so from there, it was like a light bulb experience. And I ended up taking ownership of my diet. And then as I got older, my personal lifestyle, and then realising, doing doing research along those lines, and figuring out what the symptoms were, or CO occurring conditions with Tourette's, and I found, you know, anxiety, depression, executive functioning disorder, all this stuff that was really just sad and negative, to be honest, but food intolerances, you know, food allergies, skin conditions, it was just crazy to see how because that Tourette's is basically brain inflammation, gut inflammation connected to that. And so just years of trying to understand my body and figuring this stuff out, but me realising as I got older, that I didn't really have the same tics that people in my, in the Tourette Syndrome Community did, I people didn't even know that I had it, really. So that's where it started. And then fast forward. I've always been obsessed with baked goods, but I couldn't eat any of the things because of those ingredients. Were my triggers, right? So when I found out that sugar was a big trigger as a kid, I was thinking how in the world am I going to have baked goods. So in college, actually, I ended up getting a onsite position as first I was just decorating, but then I started getting into the baking side of, of things at a famous bakery called Baby Cakes in New York City. And I learned the art of really how to bake alternatively. And so those two things kind of drove me into the passion of okay, I can help people in multiple ways with this. I would love to, you know, tell people that they don't have to let these types of conditions really hold them back. And so I ended up even after college, study music, went and got additional training, coaching certifications and just put myself in positions and got the education that supported this and then I started health coaching and ended up having over 5000 individual coaching sessions. And that kind of led to me knowing pretty much how to run a business from that seeing the ins and outs, what works with people, what doesn't. And that's kind of the condensed version of that.
Victoria’s Experience with her Tourettes Diagnosis
did an online interview series A year and a half or two years ago on unnatural and alternative approaches to Tourette syndrome. And it's still few and far between that you're going to find one alternative remedies and to the belief that it can be either, you know, it can be controlled, or healed, or reversed or whatever. So when I was first diagnosed, the neurologist just basically said, it's a lifelong condition, the tics will come and go, and they say, the technical medical term as wax and wane, we can put her on some medication. And, you know, as a seven year old, I didn't know what was going on. And my father refused, you know, because all the side effects were terrible, like, not not good. They have lasting damaging effects, especially the ones from the 90s. Um, and so he just did a tonne of research into potential alternatives, you know, and so he picked up, there's actually a woman who's still around who I actually got to interview, which was really crazy, but she helped me on that journey. Her name is Sheila Rogers, Tamara. And she does, she runs this organisation called latitudes. And they talk about how there's this connection to it's not just genetic, it's not, you know, incurable, there's healing that can be done. It might take some time. But if you stick with it, you know, it's, it's figuring out what your triggers are, and where the imbalances are, and where's the inflammation, and really tackling diet and lifestyle? And so that's what we did. But yeah, there was no, no support, really, people just people don't even know what it is really still today. It's still kind of one of those conditions where you think, don't you just say things off the cuff and either yell or cuss? Like, seriously, that's what everybody thinks.
What is Fuelling the World’s Health Addiction?
Personally, I think it just has to do with the fact that everything's within, we can grab information in seconds. I think that you know, the forget, I read a paper on this a while ago, but how we're so interconnected that the information, it's not just being overly connected, it's that information travels like that. So I actually think that that's why is because we were able to I mean, think about it, you know it if we didn't have the ability, for example, like you and I to do this right now. And we didn't have the mass produced even health foods. Food production didn't really take off until you know, the mid 1950s. Not this the way that it has, you know, now and so, really, what I would say is, I think it's, it's positive, but it's also negative because think about the fact that we would eat locally. and seasonally because that's just how life was we didn't really know any other way. But now I think it's just blown up because there's just so much so many options.
Transitioning Away from Veganism
I was vegan for 10 years, right. And I really honestly thought that that was the best way. And I'm still a huge advocate for eating plants. You know, we all need vegetables because of the vitamins and minerals like, that should be obvious, but it's just not. But I it became so much of who I was, I found significance and identity and value in it, that I think that the addictions happen because of the fear of what will happen if you publicly change things, whether on a mass scale or on a minor scale, or you feel like a failure. And so all those those lies come into play. Right. So I think that that's kind of the scariest thing is that addictions happen because of if you just said they, it sounds scary. And I honestly it is, but I think that when we look at addictions, we think bulimia, anorexia, you know, binge eating. And then and then now the two are excessive exercise and excessive obsession with health, which is orthorexia. But I still think that there's so much that goes unsaid, because I mean, the health industry is, I think the last statistic that I found from this past few years 4.6, something like that billion dollars per year. That's crazy. And that just shows how obsessed we are with finding solutions, you know.
What is True Discipline in Eating?
Yeah, it's funny, it's almost like, here's what I think because food is necessary for survival. And because there's such an emotional connection to it, it is so hard for people to change that because, you know, they feel like, I mean, myself included, we feel like if we have to change when we eat or how we eat or what we eat, it feels pain, it can be painful. And I think that that's what's really scary about it is because there's like two sides of it, right? It's you punish yourself by control and restriction, but to everybody else that looks like discipline. But true discipline is the ability to find flexibility in what you're eating and your food choices. And, and not attaching, you know, the label of this as my particular diet or letting other people put you into a box. I think that that's the danger of what's happened in our culture in our society is that, you know, people want to know, what diet do you follow? Or what how do you I self identify when it comes to what your food choices are. And self identification with food is actually super dangerous. Because it's really like you said, it's good and bad is its relative. I mean, it's again, I'll take myself, let's let's use my example. Being vegan for 10 years, I really thought it was the best solution. But my blood work kept saying it wasn't. And I was chronically fatigued. And I thought it was because I was a marathoner. I was an endurance athlete. So I stopped doing that. It's still I, maybe my body composition changed, but I still had the same symptoms. So I realised that even if I could have held on to that belief, and that could have ended, that could have put me in the hospital. Because because my body was not absorbing the nutrients. And I know people might say, Well, how do you prepare your food? And did you supplement? Yes, I did. You know, I did all the things. It's my job. It's my living. So I have to educate people on it, of course, I'm going to know. But I think it just got to be too much. And then I realised, I'm only staying in this subset of food choice, because I'm too afraid of what other people are going to say, or I don't know. I'm finding my self worth in this and if with without being vegan, who am I? And that's not good. But that's, I really believe what's going on under the surface for so many of us, like, you know, someone's like, well, I'm Italian, we always eat pasta and red meat.
Our Need for People to Validate our Health Habits
Let me give you the analogy and see if the analogy explains what I'm trying to say. So when you say you have people that food that shame and guilt, you know, you for eating unhealthy, but then you also have the people who question and point out and judge when you are eating healthy, or oh my gosh, I got that all the time. You're vegan? Where do you get your protein? And by me verbalising I'm vegan, it was an open door for shooting, you know, ammo at me. I just got used to it, it would make jokes. Well, but okay. Really, though, so many studies do show that veganism can help with so many chronic conditions. What would you do if you had a couple that was in a really healthy relationship? You wouldn't have somebody over here saying like you guys love each other too much. Yeah, it's just, it just doesn't compute, you know, people would look at that, and maybe be jealous, you know, and maybe pick it apart. But you're never gonna look at couples who truly honestly are chasing after, you know, good, healthy, quality relationship that takes time. And it's evident by the fruit, right? It's evident by how they take care of each other and love each other in public. When you eat right, it's obviously it's going to be evident by your mood, and maybe how you look in your skin. But you're judged for that. Whereas it's just so funny. I think that that that one example kind of gives me this whole epiphany of wow, this is really how messed up the health food industry is.
The Death (Food) Pyramid
Two things from that is I always call the food pyramid that's put out, especially in the states by the government. I call it the, I call it the death pyramid. Because it just it's like, Where in the world they get, you need x number of grains and these types of grains per day. And it's all every every label is based on a 2000 calorie diet. That doesn't, that doesn't even make sense. And people don't, we're not. Honestly, if the government's in charge of that, then education from infancy should include nutrition and understanding, because it's not, but you have to pay somebody to explain it to you, that just doesn't make any sense. Because then it's all this misinformation and the government guideline, and even what's what this is what makes me so bad. And I have to be careful, but not on platforms like this. But, um, because of the certifications that I have, depending on where I coach, it's limited in terms of what I'm allowed to recommend. Right? Really? Okay. Yeah. So the United States is really tricky with that. So I'm not a registered dietitian, because I didn't want to do clinicals. I didn't want to sit in a hospital and I didn't want to work with sick people or people in a medical environment, and preach what the government teaches. I was just like, No, there's alternative ways. And so until the integrative stuff came out that I start studying that, or I'll refer out or partner with people. But I think that again, that's another issue is that what's healthy is defined incorrectly. But the people who are allowed to speak and give advice are doing it in a way that's detrimental. Like most most dieticians, unless they're alternative will tell you, especially for example, you mentioned this with diabetes, they're going to look at a typical food pyramid. And still say you can have carbohydrates just just in a smaller, you can have starchy veggies, but just less versus saying, why don't we go more towards the fat and protein? You know what I mean? It's just it's dangerous.
Key Takeaways
Here are Victoria’s three actionable steps for you:
Have a health and wellness vision.
If you don't have a health and wellness vision, get one because without that, you will always be pulled along by the next guru who says that they know best, even if science backs it. But I'm telling you that if you don't have peace about it, and if you have questions, and there's confusion about it, don't jump in, right. So so the first component is really getting a wellness vision for yourself, defining clearly what that looks like then in that space, defining nailing out your priorities.Do your own research.
Just because somebody has an incredible, impactful story of transformation, with testimonies and things like that does not mean that it's right for you. So I highly recommend doing research and by by the best way that you can do that for your own body is to get some blood work done, I always suggest that I always ask, you know, check and see you know what your inflammation looks like if there's leaky gut, because that's pretty common in our culture. Now, see, if you have food intolerances and sensitivities, and then see what nutrients you are missing in your symptoms or system, but not necessarily missing just what your levels are. From there, just figuring out even just the nutrients and what you're intolerant to think a whole lot, you know, just getting going to maybe someone who's alternative getting some blood work done and just seeing from there, you know, have somebody help you interpret and then start making food choices. If that's too complicated, which I get, it can be for some people.Figure out your relationship with food.
If you have a negative relationship with food, I would suggest that you sit down and kind of like your vision, write out what you want your relationship with food to look like. And once you kind of know what that is, then you can kind of start to fill in the missing gaps because again, no diet or food choice will help you get there unless you actually know how you and food work together.
The One Food That Takes You To Your Happy Place
I love that question. So what I love that honestly, for me, it's changed over the years. But um, I don't know why her man i think and i i think it would have to be cookie dough. And I think it would have to be homemade cookie dough. Because as a little girl I can see it I have really good memory of things when I was a kid and my dad raised me So Friday nights we would get not homemade cookie dough but we would get cookie dough and stick it in like a coffee mug with a little handle and put milk on top of that and that was my treat and for some reason as I've grown older and started to make my own desserts, and even alternative ones I love that I look forward to that and so that just takes me back like big time.
