7 Cups for the Searching Soul Training Course is Problematic

Hello,

I have just completed the 7 Cups for the Searching Soul training course and as someone who has been treated for an eating disorder in all levels of care from outpatient to residential and worked very hard to relearn what "healthy" living and eating entail after being negatively influenced by diet culture and misinformation my entire life (and continue to learn!), I find Chapter 9 "Sleep, Eat, and Exercise Well" to be problematic and potentially dangerous and I do not feel that 7 Cups should be offering ANY direct eating "advice" to anyone unless it is written by a licensed dietitian (which, as someone who has worked with numerous licensed dietitians, this is clearly not) and even then it is dangerous to give ANY direct, broad eating advice because everyone's needs are very individualized.

I strongly feel that the section on eating should be re-worked or taken out completely--it promotes disordered ways of thinking and eating. I work very hard to protect my recovery and to advocate for others struggling in any way I can, thus I am not here to engage in any arguments with those who disagree with my viewpoints (which are supported by licensed and trained dietitians, therapists, and psychiatrists who have worked with me for months and months to internalize them), but simply to lay out all of the issues as I see them and hope that this sheds some light and potentially leads to an improvement. I would be happy to collaborate with whoever is in charge of this training module to edit the section on eating and/or provide better references - feel free to PM me or tag me here or reach out with additional questions sorry that I get a little heated and snarky as it goes on it just is exhausting and disappointing to have to write all of this on a site that is supposed to be accepting and AGAINST giving "advice" particularly in this case where the advice is harmful

1) Using terms like "fake foods" and "addiction" in the context of eating - This promotes shame and restriction which perpetuate harmful eating cycles, it supports the idea that food is something "bad" that should be limited and controlled and that you can become powerless to. Even processed foods offer nutritional benefits.

2) Diet industry - There is a brief mention of the ubiquitous nature of the diet industry and how it profits, but this section--even if unintentionally--echos the restricting and shaming "rules" the diet industry has set and actually reinforces them

3) Using the term "processed junk" - This is very shaming language. As I have said previously, food + shame are NOT a good combination. It is not helpful, effective, or necessary. This is also prejudiced language against those of lower incomes who cannot afford fresh/organic foods (not to mention that there is no proven advantage of organic foods versus non-organic they are simply more expensive and a marketing tactic). For some, cheap/frozen/fast food options are ESSENTIAL in allowing them and their families to remain fed. If you are implying that it's better to eat nothing than to eat processed food you are a big part of the problem in our culture. ALL foods fit into a healthy diet and yes this includes Burger King and french fries and ice cream and chocolate and Hostess Cupcakes and potato chips and I would encourage you to revisit this language and also consider the privilege you hold that allows you to shop and prepare "fresh" food at all times

4) Pairing the word perfect with the word thin - This perpetuates the idea that being a smaller size is the ideal and should be strived for. There is plenty of research and evidence that body size/weight and health do NOT necessarily have a direct correlation and I would be happy to provide references for you. The majority of providers (medical and nutritional) are now endorsing a "Health At Every Size" (HAES) approach to health and nutrition. When I was at my thinnest, and receiving compliments often and being told I look so healthy, I was severely ill and causing a lot of damage to my body. Thinness does not equate to perfection and health.

5) "Let's start with the simple how to eat" - 7 Cups should not be providing any direct eating advice - it is dangerous and misinformed. There is nothing simple about eating and there is no broad "advice" that applies to everyone - each body is unique and has individual nutrition needs and it is dangerous and a liability to suggest that whoever wrote this unscientific training section KNOWS what's best for anyone's health

6) Mentions that there is "a lot of advice and recommendations out there about food. It can feel pretty overwhelming and confusing" but then goes on to ADD to this collection of unsubstantiated "advice" - This section promotes dieting, it refers to restrictive diets as "successful," writes that the entirety of healthy eating (which is actually very nuanced and personal..) can be "boiled down" into the "simple statement" which is "eat food. not too much. mostly plants. This is what a healthy diet comes down to" First of all, the source of this quote is an author with an English degree--he is not qualified to give health/eating advice to anyone no matter how many Netflix specials he has contributed to. Secondly, what a healthy diet comes down to is a diet that is satisfying, flexible, varied, balanced, etc. Telling people they should be eating mostly plants is restrictive, false information, and shaming. The body needs variety and a BALANCE of fruits, vegetables, carbs, proteins/dairy, fats, and even desserts and it is different for anyone and suggesting that a diet be primarily vegetables is untrue and promotes restriction and diet culture.

7) "The less processed the better" - Again, this is untrue and harmful language. Referring to only FRESH fruit as "real food" is terribly shaming and unscientifically supported. Dried fruit and fruit juice DO meet fruit group needs of the body and I have countless evidence of this from licensed and trained health professionals. Additionally, dried fruit and fruit juice stay "good" much longer and can be cheaper than fresh fruit such as berries - not everyone can afford to buy loads of fresh fruit that often spoils very quickly. This ties in again to the privilege piece. 7 Cups has no right to say "fresh fruit is the best option" it is harmful and untrue. Also, "fruit loops" is actually FROOT loops since 1963 and they do not claim to have any fruit in them they are a starch and this association shouldn't even be included in a section on fruit and additionally sugar (glucose) is the body's favorite form of energy and it should not be demonized. And before anyone says anything cereal is completely fine as a breakfast or snack option too so don't get me started there either.

8) "Not too much" - As mentioned, hunger and fullness are very nuanced. It's harmful to use the phrase "too much" as it promotes fear of "overeating" and also restriction. In terms of the advice to "stop eating before your belly feels stuffed" it is fine, normal, and healthy to eat until you are full and to even eat past fullness at times. Your body knows what to do with it. It isn't going to "shut down" because you've eaten "too much" in a single sitting, if anything it will just be a longer period of time before your body burns through it and tells you it's very hungry again. Additionally, again with the language "processed fake food." There is no such thing as "fake food" unless it's a plastic children's toy or a wax apple that can't be consumed. That is the only fake food. And processed food does not "confuse" your body - a hamburger is protein, fat, starch, and vegetable and your body will process it the same way it would process grilled chicken with rice and fresh green beans. This language is contributing to the spread of false information and diet culture in addition to disordered eating and disordered thinking patterns. Sugar and processed food should NOT be called a "toxin" that is ridiculous and this simplistic description of blood sugar and intuitive eating is not at all helpful or true.

9) The "tips" - Drinking high quantities of water to limit food intake or suppress hunger is LITERALLY an eating disorder behavior. Yes your body needs water, but it also needs food (which can contain water too) and one is not a replacement for the other. The "big" study being referenced here was n=48 which is not "big" at all so perhaps these claims should not be included in the training by writers without statistical and nutritional knowledge or training. There is also such a thing as water poisoning from drinking too much water. Bariatric surgery which is also mentioned here is problematic in its own right and should not be endorsed as a weight loss or appetite suppression method.

Saying outright "do not drink anything but water" and calling caloric drinks "cancer causing" and literally saying "cut them from your diet"? Disappointing to read, untrue, and promotes restriction and disordered eating and thinking patterns.

I am almost too tired to continue to the end of the post with my comments but I will. Saying "we are less concerned about your weight and more concerned about you being healthy and getting free of the old diet/food distraction" everything in this training section is directly in conflict with that statement. The tips and information provided promote weight loss. They do not subscribe to a "health at every size" mentality. And they promote restrictive diets - "cutting out" anything is literally restriction and dieting and the suggestions here masquerade as "lifestyle changes" but they are nothing more than misinformed dieting advice.

Suggesting an "exploratory fast"?? Awful, shouldn't even have to comment on this. And whoever wrote this saying "I can explain until I'm blue in the face that processed food is toxic and causing harm to your body"? It's not true. This is fear-mongering. What are the qualifications of the person who wrote this, I am genuinely wondering?

The learning check question "what best summarizes the way you should eat" - with the correct answering being "eat food. not too much. mostly plants." - this is inaccurate and harmful for all the reasons I've already stated. 7 Cups shouldn't be telling anyone how to eat or pretending they know what's best for everyone's individualized health needs and I would argue the CORRECT answer should be "eat whatever you feel like" because restriction and playing into diet culture is harmful and based on false information and restriction can lead to overeating later on anyways or even bingeing on the foods being labeled as "bad" or off-limits if we are denying ourselves in addition to increased anxiety, depression, and poor body image and self-esteem. I selected this answer first with the false hope that it would be correct, but knowing it wouldn't be and it pained me to have to select the other answer in order to pass the course.

I have a few issues with the movement section as well, but will save those for later.

Thanks for reading, and please help me to enact some changes with Chapter 9 of this recommended training