As mamas, we start early trying to teach our children about the importance of proper nutrition from the first time we offer rice cereal. Monarch Nutrition & Wellness owner Caroline Sullivan started her business with that idea in mind. She is passionate about teaching people how to live a balanced, active life while enjoying a healthy relationship with food.
You’ve probably noticed the beautiful new ad at right with the Monarch butterfly logo. We’re pleased to welcome this unique sponsor to Motherlode.
Caroline graciously answered our questions below about eating disorders, red flags, how to avoid diet problems and more:
Monarch Nutrition & Wellness specializes in eating disorders. Why is this such an important area to focus on today? In the United States, statistics show that currently there are approximately between 5 and 10 million women who suffer from eating disorders, or are at the borderline of developing one. The huge gap (5 million) shows that many cases that go unreported or undiagnosed. Many prefer not to seek treatment as they mistakenly believe that they do not have a problem.
The untrue perception is that young women are thought to be most susceptible. In reality, people of all ages and from any kind of background can generally be affected. It is also estimated that over one million boys and men suffer from some form of eating disorder although many experts believe that this statistic may actually be far higher because many males with eating disorders are misdiagnosed and told instead that they are exhausted or depressed.
Recent studies find that about half of all American elementary age school children would like to be thinner, considering themselves overweight and expressing dissatisfaction with their current appearance. To me, this indicates that children are learning to “dislike” their bodies at a very young age. Negative body image and negative self-esteem can prompt a child to try to control their weight, which can easily turn into an eating disorder. It is important to focus on it because we need to be able to identify unhealthy behaviors in our children and understand how dangerous eating disorders can become.
What are some tips you can give parents to help us encourage healthy relationships with food and help our children avoid eating disorders? An important thing for parents to understand is that children look to them to model eating behaviors. Girls in particular look to their mothers and often use them as an example in creating their own relationships with food. Dieting behaviors can be passed on very easily to children. It is important for parents to model not only good eating habits, but a healthy body image. Teaching children that a healthy body image comes from more than just how you look. Communication and expressing feelings is also very important. We all hear that eating disorders are not just about the food – that is because the eating disorder behaviors are usually a coping mechanism to help individual deal with something else troubling their lives. Creating an environment in which children can share their feelings and feel safe communicating is also helpful.
Are parents naïve to think that their child would never experience these types of problems? In past generations, eating disorders were virtually non-existent in young children, but unfortunately that is clearly no longer the case. I hesitate to call anyone “naïve” because different cultures deal with sensitive issues in different ways and you can even see that in how families in our own culture deal with problems differently from one another. That said, in this day and age I think all parents should be aware of the risk factors and the signs of eating disorders. Ignorance is no longer an excuse. Merely by reading this, a parent is now alerted to the problem and is more well-suited (and hopefully more willing) to deal with their child’s potential issues.
What are some red flags that parents can look for? Excessive preoccupation with food and weight is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder. Opting out of social gatherings involving food is also very common. Some other common behaviors would be: unique or odd behaviors and habits involving food (many times those with eating disorders develop a “ritual” for how and when they eat), skipping meals frequently, eating large amounts of food very quickly, visiting the bathroom frequently after eating, eliminating food groups. Some physical signs would be: extreme weight loss in a short amount of time, refusing to maintain a healthy weight, intolerance to cold, and tooth decay. While these are only some of the red flags, a helpful website where parents can learn more is: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
How can assess if your child’s (or your) love for food is unhealthy? Examining whether you and your child have a healthy relationship with food begins with listening to your body’s signals for hunger and fullness, responding appropriately to them, and teaching your child to do the same. It is important to eat a healthy balanced diet while not labeling foods as “good” and “bad” (just like there are no “right” or “wrong” keys on a piano – every key can be correct or incorrect depending on when and how it is played). It is important to also think about whether you or your child uses food as a way to deal with certain emotions like stress, sadness, or anxiety.
You also specialize in helping athletes enhance their performance through proper diet. Why is this one of your passions? I am an athlete and sports have always been a passion of mine. I think the power of food is incredible and I love to learn how food can help a body perform at its best. I enjoy helping athletes learn about how their body works and how food directly affects their sport performance and what a drastic benefit (or detriment) food can have. The bottom line is that nutrition directly affects all of the training that goes into a sport. If athletes do not follow up their training with proper nutrition, much of their hard work goes to waste. Because of the pressure to perform, athletes are often at a risk for developing eating disorders and, unfortunately, the two subjects often go hand in hand. Helping someone be better at something they love is an incredibly rewarding feeling, just as is helping someone overcome a difficult obstacle and develop a good relationship with food and sometimes I get a chance to do both at the same time.
Your logo is beautiful. Why did you choose the Monarch butterfly for your logo? I have to give all the credit to my sister-in-law for making the beautiful logo! When I decided to open an eating disorder center, I wanted it to represent renewal and be a breath of fresh air to the individuals who were seeking treatment. My husband suggested a monarch butterfly because it is a great symbol of renewal and strength. Monarch butterflies make an incredible journey each year, sometimes migrating thousands of miles, which seems impossible for such a frail-looking thing. I also think that transition from a caterpillar to a butterfly is a good metaphor for how one feels when overcoming an eating disorder and the Monarch is a great reminder of how sometimes strength and determination can come from surprising places.
What is the most frequently asked question at Monarch? What exactly is nutrition therapy? It is easier to answer that question by first telling you what it is not: Nutrition therapy is not just me giving someone meal plan and saying, “Do this and you’ll feel better.” Instead, it investigates the individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors surrounding food. In nutrition therapy, we learn how to change these behaviors into healthier ones that will help in the recovery process. We also learn about what effects different types of food have on your body and how to maintain a healthy relationship with that food…and of course a very important component of nutrition therapy is learning to do what is medically best for your body: Maintaining a healthy weight range and body composition and stopping and harmful behaviors.
How long have you lived in Northwest Arkansas? I have lived in NWA in the past for 5 years total, but just moved back to Fayetteville again in January of this year after living in Dallas, Texas.
What prompted you to settle here and start your own business? When my husband and I decided to move back to Fayetteville, I was working at a premier outpatient facility for eating disorders in Dallas. I had learned so much from this job and saw the positive affect it was having on so many people’s lives. I knew that I wanted to continue in this line of work, but noticed that there were very few options for eating disorder treatment in Northwest Arkansas, especially for nutrition therapy. I knew that there was a need for treatment and I wanted to be able to provide that with the same care and quality that someone could receive in a larger city.
How did you become interested in being a dietitian? I started cooking at a very young age! I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t cooking. I knew growing up that I wanted to work with food in some way. I started running competitively in middle school and with my prior interest in food, became interested in food and running. I read anything I could get my hands on and became very interested in nutrition. I hadn’t heard of a dietitian before until my mom suggested I look into the profession in high school. When I learned what dietitians did, I thought that it would be a great fit for me. Like many, I suspect, I watch the Food Channel and have dreams of having my own restaurant one day, but aside from that, this is all I have ever wanted to do as far back as I can remember.
What is your favorite type of exercise? My favorite types of exercise are running and yoga. They are both very relaxing to me and leave me feeling energized.
What’s your best advice to clients in general? There is this proverb, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” You don’t have to diet and count calories for the rest of your life to stay healthy and maintain your weight. It is possible to achieve a healthy relationship with food – everyone deserves to be happy, and no matter what the severity of or the length of your struggles with food, you CAN overcome them. Often it only takes the courage to take the first step.
Monarch Nutrition and Wellness was started by Caroline Sullivan, MS, RD, CSSD, LD. Caroline is a Registered Dietitian with experience in nutrition counseling for eating disorders, diabetes, weight management, and sports nutrition. Caroline draws her experience from several outpatient settings including an intensive eating disorder treatment center. She holds a BS in Clinical Dietetics from the University of Oklahoma and an MS in Food Science from the University of Arkansas. Her experience also includes research at universities in Belgium, France, and Hungary. A certified specialist in sports dietetics, Caroline has served as team dietitian to several collegiate sports teams. She has served as dietitian for a Division I NCAA Ranked Top 20 women’s cross country team and a Division I NCAA Ranked Top 10 women’s tennis team. She has also counseled individually for basketball, tennis, football, track, and ultra-endurance marathons.
