Sweet almonds, with their milky flesh and nutritiously dense properties, B12, Niacin, and most importantly protein, apparently: protein is what fills the stomach, so you don't overeat. Just ask Yolanda Hadid, former model, Housewives of Beverly Hills TV-star, and mother to the infinitely famous supermodel, Gigi Hadid, who rang her mother when feeling weak since she'd only eaten half an almond the entire day. Her mother responded: "Have a couple of almonds and chew them really well." An offhanded and disastrously dangerous counsel to her daughter (17 years old at the time), advising her to starve her own body essentially. Vile things have a way of going viral, as did this story, running rampant all over Tok Tok to outraged parents everywhere. The term ‘Almond Mom' was ordained.

Though it's almost too unsound and berserk to be true, it is sadly very real. Overbearing almond mothers push diet culture and the alter of thinness onto their daughters in a world that is already socially conditioning us from birth to feel like thinness matters over health. (And joy, for that matter) Generations of women have been pressured toward deep dives into fad diets, and there are many: Intermittent fasting, Weight Watchers/calorie counting, Aitkens diet, Paleo diet, Ketogenic, and Low-Fat…to name only a few. These perilous practices are pushed onto daughters so young that their brains are still several years from being fully developed, giving them unrealistic and decidedly warped relationships with food and exercise. A mature brain, according to NeuroTray research, reaches completion around the age of 25.

We've likely heard some of the don't-get-fat dictums from our parents or elders:

“Nothing feels as good as skinny feels!!”

“A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.”

Let's be clear: these comments and attitudes are doing tragic and often irreversible damage to our precious children, encouraging them to develop destructive practices to meet these standards. *Julia is currently in the throes of anorexia, an eating disorder that predominantly affects young girls with perfectionistic tendencies, a drive for control, and high expectations for themselves. "Mom noticed I'd gained weight when I was around 13 and told me I would be fat and unattractive; she started micro-managing what I ate. No dessert and smaller portions. She forced me to leave the science club and bought me a local gym membership instead," Jane says quietly but clearly. It was the beginning of dysfunctional conduct around eating, hiding food or not eating, snacking secretly in the toilet, and even stealing. Her energy levels decline quickly, her memory is affected, and she cannot maintain a social life, let alone a fulfilling career. This isn't about attacking Julia's mother or any other almond mom out there; They, too, have experienced the pressures placed on women since day one and have their own challenges and stories. However, reasons are not excuses. We need to hold one another and ourselves accountable for injuries caused by fat-shaming and hyper-focus on food or over-exercise. A lesser-known eating disorder is orthorexia, which is sometimes mistaken for healthy food choices, but is far from it. Let's look at a few signs to watch for in our children and others–we must take care of all our youth. Orthorexia symptoms:

• A fixation on food quality, purely focused on vegan, raw, farm-raised, organic, biodynamic, vegetarian, etc. Cutting out entire food groups.

• Rigid eating patterns, inflexible about times, and inability to eat foods they deem 'unhealthy' at any cost.
• Anxiety and turmoil if these rules are broken.

• Weight loss.

• Distorted thinking around sickness, as though 'bad and unclean' foods will make them ill, and some food products are even considered poison.

So, how to encourage healthy attitudes and actions around food? Modelling behaviour for our kids is the first step:

• Enjoy your meals! Carbonara with parsley, pad Thai, and shakshuka!
• Never comment on your own or your children's bodies and food intake with disapproval.
• Educate them on healthy eating choices, including the pleasure of all types of products in moderation.
• Involve your kids in the cooking process. The creative activity and autonomy can cultivate a surefire way of making food exciting and inspiring.
• Take your children to farmer’s markets to bridge the human story of food production. Talk to the vendors about their passion for their goods and ideas for devouring them with delight.
• Grow fruit, vegetables, and edibles in your backyard or community garden. Watching nature sprout life is a well-documented, beneficial practice for the mind, body, and soul.

• Eat healthy meals together and share the best parts of your day. Curating positive feelings around togetherness and daily reflections helps children to associate food with social connectedness, positive bonds, and nourishment.
• Ask your children to share their feelings about their bodies, reinforce the knowledge that all body types are beautiful, and make strength and vitality the primary focus. Unconditional acceptance, the detaching of appearance from self-worth, and displaying a happy relationship with your own body are three ways to teach your kids to love their bodies.

Bone broth doesn't cut it! There is nothing like savouring a mint choc-chip ice cream on a bench with our daughters, watching nature, and cherishing our time together. Rather than focusing on the calorie count of almonds, let's sit and look at almond blossom trees in all their spectacular beauty and teach our children to love themselves and their bodies with a healthy, joyful perspective on food. And besides, bone broth is pretty bland.