Most of us know the basics of good nutrition. Health information is more widely available than ever before. Yet people still struggle to meet their health and fitness goals. “I think I know what to eat … why can’t I do it?” is a familiar refrain.
Well, it isn’t just you. Yes, health information is ubiquitous but, depending on your source, it can also be contradictory and unreliable. And while the basics do work, they are often at odds with our lifestyle and environment. So we slip back into old habits and plan to get back to it later. That feeling that it was a lack of willpower? This is the gaslighting of diet-culture at its peak.
This cycle was exactly what pushed me to study nutrition in the first place. I felt like it was impossible to separate reliable science from fads and tricks without an actual education in the topic!
The fact is sorting out your nutrition is worthwhile. The quality of your diet fuels your daily life but it also affects your disease risk, longevity, and mental health. But it doesn’t need to be so damn hard to tell fact from fiction. That is part of what I aim to do with this newsletter. I strongly believe that good science should be more accessible.
But what about applying it to your own life? As a certified nutritionist and Intuitive Eating counselor, I believe that our intuition is a powerful ally. But, our intuition can become disconnected (or even distorted) by our environment, persistent dieting, emotional eating, stress, illness and other factors. Much of the work in Intuitive Eating is in rebuilding trust with your own body. This is complemented by nutrition and lifestyle patterns that are evidence-based and reliable.
A major flaw in so many diet protocols is that they further disconnect us from our intuition. Does your body really feel better with severe restictions to a few food types? Or saving up for your weekly “cheat day”? Authentic health requires both a healthy diet and a healthy relationship to your body. In isolation, neither one will really flourish.
Help from a good nutritionist can make a massive difference in this integration. Here are some of the ways that working with a nutritionist can help:
You have a team: Accountability can be a powerful motivator. A nutritionist shouldn’t be the food police, but a partner working to create a tailored approach that works for you.
A tailored approach: There is no one-size-fits-all diet. Once we understand the basics, there is a lot of room to explore how they fit together for you as an individual. Personalized nutrition advice can help to achieve your goals while also navigating health conditions, food allergies, your environment and self-image.
Your values matter as well. Maybe you have ethical reasons to avoid meat and want to know how to make sure you’re still getting a balanced diet. Or maybe you’ll never give up meat but one of your kid has. The fact is that with some understanding, all foods can fit into a healthy diet.
Identify barriers: Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it is easy. If you have tried to make dietary changes, but you slip back into old patterns, it can be helpful to work with someone to break that cycle. This might mean exploring underlying mindset or external barriers. A nutrition coach can introduce possibilities and habit shifts that you might not have crossed your mind.
Life changes: Women going through peri-menopause or menopause might experience all sorts of changes around appetite, energy, and well-being. Many women feel like what was working for them before just stops working and they don’t know what to do. These abrupt changes can also arise around injuries, health concerns, or even picking up new sports. There are nutrition and lifestyle adjustments to support all sorts of life changes.
You are in charge: Help is available along a spectrum from a few sessions to review your diet and make adjustments to longer-term support for more complex issues and habit change. My goal is to help you build confidence in your own knowledge, skills, and confidence so you are empowered to take control of your relationship with food.
Please reach out if you want to talk more about how personalized nutrition coaching might help you. And kindly share with anyone you think might benefit from my newsletter.