Interview with a dietitian, who herself is affected by lipedema

In this interview with a dietitian, she shares her personal experience and professional advice on how to live better with lipedema.

Introduce yourself

My name isAurélie LE GROSSEC, and I have been a dietitian and nutritionist since 2008. I work with people who are struggling with their body image and weight. I help them achieve a more peaceful life through flexible eating habits that are consistent with their life goals, particularly throughmy website.

For several years now, I have been helping women with lipedema manage their diet and lifestyle.

I myself suffer from lipedema. I went through that long period of medical uncertainty during which my body was my enemy.

I have acquired solid skills in dietetics and naturopathy (the science of healthy living), which I have been applying on a daily basis for many years. I now pass on my expertise in this field to anyone who wants to learn how to live with lipedema.

The profession of dietitian

My professional goal in dealing with women affected by lipedema (99% of those affected are women, so I will refer to women in this article) can be broken down into several categories:

Implementing an appropriate diet to control inflammation and the progression of the disease
Teaching women how to manage their weight on a daily basis
Treating eating disorders(EDs)
Bringing peace of mind to everyday food choices.

Beyond nutrition, my training in naturopathy allows me to incorporate dietary changes into an overall improvement in lifestyle. Inflammation can be regulated through proper nutrition, but if lifestyle factors (sleep, physical activity, stress, digestive health, etc.) are not optimal, the desired results will not be achieved.

Weight management is essential. It is important to understand that every weight fluctuation can cause lipedema to worsen. When I help women with lipedema manage their weight, one of my main goals is to avoid the yo-yo effect in order to maintain continuous and lasting weight stability.

Finally, a large proportion of women with lipedema suffer from more or less severe eating disorders. They have years of drastic diets behind them, with varying degrees of restriction, and never satisfactory results in terms of their figure.

The relationship with food is often damaged (binge eating disorder, bulimia, orthorexia, snacking, compulsive eating, obsessive thoughts, food stress, etc.). I support these women on their journey to achieving peace with food.

In order to provide the best possible support for people with lipedema, I have created a website.

Dietary advice

To be preferred

My advice is based on the Mediterranean model. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, omega-3s mainly from animal sources, whole grains, and paying particular attention to the quantity and quality of sugars consumed.

Ultimately, what matters is having a varied diet that is synonymous with pleasure and self-respect. Our bodies are not trash cans; it is important to feed them high-quality food sources.

I also recommend cooking with as many raw (unprocessed or minimally processed) and organic products as possible. Cooking does not have to be time-consuming, require the skills of a master chef, or involve expensive shopping trips. It can be simple, inexpensive, and delicious.

A nice piece of fish with lightly sautéed vegetables and a slice of sourdough bread
No time? There are excellent, high-quality canned fatty fish products that are very convenient and affordable.
Frozen raw vegetables to add to soups, gratins, quiches, and stir-fries
Fresh seasonal fruit is the best dessert to eat: quick, healthy, and delicious.
Batch cooking for those who want to optimize their time
Buy fresh vegetables and freeze them for days when you're feeling tired...

We rediscover the taste and pleasure of simple things.

Not recommended

There is nothing forbidden with lipedema; it's all a question of quantity. White sugar is a perfect example.

Large amounts of sugar play a role in aggravating this condition (by acidifying the body and raising insulin levels, which causes inflammation). The goal is to avoid consuming large amounts of sugar every day.

However, completely eliminating sugar is not necessarily a good idea.

Not eating it can cause frustration and anxiety, which will create inflammation.
Hypercontrol often leads to a loss of control with cravings for sugary foods, overeating, loss of control over consumption, or a feeling of addiction to sugary products.
Frustration leads to inconclusive results in the long term.

It's all about moderation!

However, here are some behaviors to avoid

Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF): produced by the food industry, these products are more akin to chemistry than cooking. Made from poor-quality ingredients that have undergone numerous heat treatments and processing, they contain many additives (preservatives, flavor enhancers, texturing agents, thickeners, etc.) and processing indicators. To recognize them, look at the list of ingredients. You will either find ingredients that are unfamiliar in cooking (lecithin, glucose syrup, dextrose, lactose, etc.) or those with names such as E401 (the letter E followed by three digits).
Low-calorie diets, Dukan, Ketogenic, Weight Watchers... and so on. Beyond possible nutritional and energy deficiencies, frustration, and induced stress, in more than 95% of cases, these diets are not maintained in the long term. The result is weight gain, worsening lipoedema, and psychological and emotional distress⁽2010 ANSES study: weight loss diets, risky practices). Choosing a diet significantly increases the risk of irrevocably regaining weight, thereby worsening lipoedema in the long term.

Finally...

Lipedema causes physical and emotional suffering. I felt it was essential for people with this condition to seek outhealthcare professionals whoare familiar with the disease. This is the only way to ensure high-quality care. My patients tell me that it feels good to be understood and not judged when receiving treatment.

I am proud to be one of the few dietitians in France who is an expert in this field today.

I hope to be able to contribute, in my own small way, to the information work that still needs to be done.

In the meantime, I am working onanewprofessional projectthat I hope will improve the quality of life for people with lipedema in a lasting way.

To visit his official website, please click onwww.unedietnature.fr