Learn How to self muscle test. One of the most valuable skills you can learn.

Don't. Don't talk to her about her body at all, except when you are teaching her how it functions and how to care for it. Fight the urge to comment if her weight changes. Say nothing if she gets smaller. Say nothing if she gets bigger. Even if you think she looks incredible, keep that thought to yourself. Instead, try words that reflect strength, well-being, or joy. You might say, “You look really healthy.”Or, “You seem strong lately.”Or, “I can see how happy you are. You have such a glow.” Better yet, notice things that have nothing to do with appearance at all. Praise her curiosity, her courage, her kindness, or her effort. Be mindful of how you talk about other women, too. Do not make comments about their bodies, positive or negative. Let your daughter grow up without hearing women evaluated by how they look. Teach her to be gentle with others and just as gentle with herself. Never criticize your own body in front of her. Do not complain about what you hate or announce the latest diet you are trying. Eat nourishing food. Cook meals that support health. But do not label foods as good or bad or talk about cutting things out. When food becomes moralized, shame follows, and shame never leads to confidence or peace. Encourage her to move because it feels good. Suggest running when stress builds. Invite her to hike because being high above the world can quiet the mind. Let her try activities that challenge her, even scare her a little. Fear can be a teacher. Support her involvement in sports she truly loves. Athletics can build leadership, resilience, and self-trust. Help her understand that collaboration and teamwork matter at every stage of life. Never force her into a sport that does not light her up. Show her that women are capable. Lift heavy things. Fix what needs fixing. Let her see independence modeled, not announced. Teach her how to prepare vegetables and how to make a rich, indulgent dessert. Let her know nourishment and pleasure can coexist. Share family recipes. Share your love of nature. Share traditions that make her feel rooted.

For decades, nutrition and mental health have been treated as separate conversations. Food was framed around weight, heart disease, and blood sugar. Mental health focused on therapy, neurotransmitters, and medication. Each discipline operated largely on its own. That separation is beginning to dissolve. As the 2026 Dietary Guidelines approach, a clear shift is emerging in how nutrition policy understands mental and emotional well-being. The science has been building for years, and it now points to a simple truth: what we eat shapes how we think, feel, regulate stress, and recover emotionally. This is not a wellness trend. It is a long overdue systems correction. From Calories to Capacity Earlier dietary guidelines emphasized calories, macronutrients, and disease prevention. While those elements still matter, they overlook a question many people are asking today. Why are anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional dysregulation increasing despite greater access to food, supplements, and medical care? Research suggests the answer lies in regulation. A nervous system cannot function optimally without adequate biological support. The 2026 guidelines are expected to reflect growing evidence related to the gut brain axis, micronutrient sufficiency, blood sugar stability, inflammation, and dietary patterns that influence mood and cognitive resilience. Nutrition is no longer viewed only as fuel. It is information. The Gut Brain Connection Comes Into Focus One of the most significant changes anticipated in the upcoming guidelines is a stronger emphasis on gut health and its role in mental well-being. The gut plays a central role in neurotransmitter signaling, immune regulation, and stress response. Diets high in ultra processed foods are increasingly associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety. In contrast, whole food dietary patterns rich in fiber, healthy fats, and micronutrients are linked to improved mood and cognitive function. This does not mean food replaces therapy or medication. It means those interventions work more effectively when the body is supported.

It’s Information the Body Has Been Holding. Modern medicine is extraordinary. It saves lives. It stabilizes crises. It gives us tools we absolutely need. But it is not the full conversation. As pharmaceuticals get bigger and symptom management becomes the default, approaches that work with the body’s internal intelligence often get dismissed as “alternative,” “unproven,” or “a little out there.” That story is starting to crack. More people are realizing something important: understanding your diagnosis does not always resolve your symptoms. Insight helps, but integration is what actually shifts the system. A growing number of adults are seeking holistic and integrative approaches not because they are anti-science, but because they are data-driven about their own lived experience. They are tired of partial results. They want regulation, not just explanation. This is where energy healing enters the conversation, not as magic, but as a diagnostic language the body already speaks. So What Is Energy Healing, Really? Energy healing is not about incense, chanting, or positive vibes alone. At its core, it is about listening to feedback from the body’s regulatory systems, especially the nervous system and subconscious mind, to identify stress patterns that thinking alone cannot access. Your body stores information. Emotional experiences, unresolved stress, trauma responses, nutritional deficiencies, and belief patterns all leave physiological fingerprints. Energy-based methods aim to locate where coherence has been disrupted and restore regulation at the level where the disruption occurred. This is not spiritual bypassing. It is systems biology meeting emotional literacy. When practiced responsibly and with structure, energy healing helps identify what is interfering with the body’s ability to self-regulate and then confirms when a correction has actually landed. No guesswork. No endless talking in circles. Still, there are plenty of misconceptions. Let’s clear some of them up.