[Photo by Andres Urena on Unsplash] Whether you're recovering from an eating disorder or are simply working on tuning in to hunger and fullness, counting calories is a major hindrance to eating intuitively. While calorie counting is praised and encouraged in our society, it forces eating decisions to be made based on external cues and robs us of mental energy and true food freedom. However, many people who want to stop counting calories feel unable to "just stop." They delete

If you're like many people who have heard of intuitive eating, you don't feel comfortable with all 10 of the intuitive eating principles. Maybe you want food freedom, but are afraid of the cost it will take to get there. On the surface, the idea of focusing on developing healthy behaviors rather than focusing on weight sounds great to a lot of people. But, when the concept of honoring hunger comes up, people say, "I'm hungry all the time. If I honor my hunger, I'll gain weigh

Ever felt like The Hunger Games was a title better suited for your family mealtimes than for the popular book series? Try as we might, mealtimes with kids can feel more like war zones than peaceful dining experiences. We use our smartest sleuthing tactics to sneak veggies into the foods they least expect (meatloaf, anyone?). We negotiate deals with our children, promising ice cream if they eat just "one more bite" of that dreaded baby carrot. We plead, persuade, and pressure.

"It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle." Sound familiar? Nowadays, more and more diets are being disguised as "lifestyles", but still promote the same ineffective practices. While frustrating, it makes sense. People are fed up with diets, and advertisers know it. Most of us are aware that 8-day cleanses and 30-day workout challenges won't solve our problems with food and body image. While we're certainly in favor of lifestyle change to promote sustainable, long-term health (that'

If carbohydrates were people, they'd be the the most misunderstood, underappreciated guys on the block. Instead, they're just the most misunderstood, underappreciated macro-nutrient...and they have been ever since South Beach became much more than a vacation destination. Food personification aside, it's understandable if you're confused about carbohydrates. Of all the food groups, this is the one people seem to have the most questions about these days. And rightly so. Media d

[Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash] For many people, meal planning feels like a dreaded burden they have to suffer through each week. And yet, many people would also say that meals feel less chaotic and more consistent if they have some sort of plan in place. A lot of times, when I talk with people about how diets don't work and how to eat more intuitively, they think that means that any form of meal planning is now off the table. Quite the opposite! While highly rig

Today we're talking about how to tell if your symptoms are normal or something you might want to look into further. Symptoms, whether mild or severe, are really just our body's way of trying to communicate with us about what it is experiencing. Think of it like the signal on your smoke alarm, trying to get our attention and make us aware of a potential problem. Mild symptoms could be something like feeling really tired today as a result of not getting much sleep last night. T

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash If you had to describe your relationship with food, what would you say? Maybe something jumps immediately to mind, or maybe you've never considered your relationship to food before. When you think about food, do you experience feelings of guilt, fear, or shame? Do you think of food in terms of punishment or reward? Does each food you see automatically earn a label of "good" or "bad"? If you had to guess, what percent of your day do you spend thi

While most people are familiar with the characteristics of "classic" eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, other disordered eating patterns tend to fly under the radar. Perhaps you have wondered if you struggle with disordered eating, but have ruled out the possibility because your weight is in the "normal" or "overweight" BMI category. Or, maybe you feel constantly stressed about food, but have received positive feedback from friends, family members,

"Mommy, am I fat?" These heart-wrenching words are enough to make any parent cringe. Regardless of your child's age, gender, or weight, they are undoubtedly being exposed to the pervasive societal messages that thinness equals beauty and beauty equals value. In line with you at the grocery store, they see the magazine covers plastered with super model images. Watching television after school, they'll see commercials filled with unrealistically toned and sculpted men and women

Photo by Christian Erfurt on Unsplash Do you ever get to 3:00p and think you're going to face plant on your desk because you just can't keep your eyes open any longer? There are a lot of things that can leave you feeling less than energetic but your eating habits might be one of them. Here are some of the ways eating habits affect energy levels. 1. Not eating enough carbs. Carbs may be portrayed as enemy #1 everywhere you look these days but, in reality, they're your body's m

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash If you've ever set foot in a doctor's office or read a news article, you're probably familiar with BMI. Maybe you've even been told that your BMI classifies you as "unhealthy." But, have you ever stopped to wonder what BMI is or where it came from or how it could tell you whether or not you're healthy? BMI, or body mass index, was created in the early 1800s by a mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. There are a few issues right fr

Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash Last week, I started busting some common nutrition myths and couldn't fit it all in one post, so I'm back this week with part two. If you haven't read part one, be sure to check it out! We talked about how you don't automatically gain weight if you eat after 8:00p, that carbohydrates aren't your enemy, and that you can shop in all parts of the grocery store (not just the perimeter). Today, I'll be covering three more myths that I run into pretty

Photo by Scott Warman on Unsplash If you've headed over to Google or asked around lately for nutrition advice, my guess is that you've at some point found yourself wondering who to trust because everything you hear seems to be conflicting. I don't doubt that most people providing nutrition advice want to be helpful. But, without in depth formal training on the science of nutrition and how the body works, I find that many people end up providing recommendations that aren't qui

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash Holidays can be overwhelming for a variety of reasons and food is often one of those reasons. Altered eating schedules, foods that you don't encounter every day, food gifts, and numerous parties all contribute to most people feeling chaotic around food at this time of year. When you've been working to improve your relationship with food, this time of year can give you hope for being able to enjoy food and friends without guilt. However, t

You've decided you want to improve your health. It seems natural to look first at food and exercise, so you jump on the internet. Being healthier involves losing weight, right? And weight loss requires dieting and exercise, so that's where you start your search. There is no shortage of "miracle" diets floating around the internet and you choose one. Whatever it is, it probably doesn't allow certain foods, so you clean out your kitchen and head to the store to restock for your

Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash "Avoid carbs! Carbs are great! Avoid sugar! Don't eat meat! Eat lots of meat! Fat is bad! Fat is best! Only eat organic! Skip butter! Add butter to your coffee! Switch butter to coconut oil! Gluten is bad! Choose only whole wheat products!" Man. No wonder people are confused when it comes to nutrition! What was supposed to add 10 years to your life yesterday is now the root of all evil. How are you supposed to know what to eat or, more importan

"Why won't they eat vegetables? Are they getting enough nutrients? Are they growing at the appropriate rate? Why don't they ever seem interested in eating at meals? Why are they always asking for food? Should I give them food every time they ask for it? Will I ever be able to make just one meal that everyone will eat? Is it okay to let them have dessert?" If you've ever been involved in feeding kids, maybe some of these questions sound familiar. Meal time shouldn't feel like

"I should exercise more, but I just hate it!" This is feedback we regularly hear from clients when the topic of exercise comes up. Oftentimes, our clients who despise exercise have every reason to do so! Their experience with exercise has involved militant movement, from sweaty pushups and lap-running to monotonous elliptical sessions. Ready to enjoy exercise again? Read on for some tips on how to incorporate intuitive movement in your life: Pinpoint The Problem Have you ever

A food scientist friend of mine was once asked by a popcorn company to develop a sugar-free caramel popcorn recipe. After presenting them with the product formula, they contacted him again saying, "Will you make it fat-free, too?" Indignantly, he replied, "You already have that product. It's called cardboard!" He has a point, doesn't he! Our culture is obsessed with consuming foods that are free of "fattening" ingredients such as carbs, refined sugars, or fat. From cabbage so