Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
10 hours agoEducation to Improve the Planet's Health, and Our Own
Nature enhances human health, but environmental degradation now negatively impacts well-being, necessitating education reform for Planetary Health.
The UK medical landscape has moved dramatically in the last twelve months, showing a clear move away from fad diets and toward regulated, injectable treatments. This shift is not staying local; it's already visible across London clinics and private healthcare providers, where demand has accelerated sharply over the past year.
Research increasingly demonstrates that healthy nutrition improves mental health, and an entirely new subspecialty has formed to support this. Nutritional psychiatry is expanding rapidly, with research growing 15-fold from 2000 to 2024, reflecting the increasing acceptance of diet's role in mental health.
I grew up in a Mexican household where food was our love language - but there was also stigma and very little guidance around diabetes. When my aunt, and later my mom, were diagnosed, it took time to understand what healthy eating could look like for them. That's why this partnership means so much to me. Our culture and our food are not the problem - they're part of the solution.
Our Cooking Club is a fun way to celebrate the Love & Lemons community of readers. The concept is super simple-each month, I choose a recipe. You make it, and you leave a comment on the recipe's blog post. At the end of the month, I randomly select one winner to receive a prize. I love the sense of community that comes from so many people cooking one recipe each month.
Diet culture norms have led to a multibillion-dollar industry promoting diets that each come with their own set of rules, with each claiming it's the only way to be healthy or lose weight. When access to nutrition information is at an all-time high online, people are often left digging through conflicting information when trying to figure out what to eat or what a healthy diet look likes.
We are in the midst of a high protein craze. Every week I get dozens of protein-packed pitches to my inbox, and I'm sure you've seen the protein bars plastered all over subway cars, protein-ified menu items at fast-casual chains like Starbucks and Sweetgreen, and protein versions of classic products (protein pasta, protein crackers, protein...yogurt?) lining practically every aisle at the grocery store.
I can't help but think of this time a year ago when I was looking forward to a party we'd planned. I didn't know it was the last one we'd host for so long. When I look back at what I cherish and miss the most about what we did during pre-pandemic life, gatherings small and large are high on the list.