Nutrition Counseling
Are you curious what to expect from nutrition counseling?
Keep reading to find out more!
And feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
Session Information
Nutrition Assessment
In your first session also known as your Nutrition Assessment, we go through many details about your nutrition history and current needs including:
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your typical schedule including food intake & movement
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what food and movement has been like for you historically
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how you feel about your relationship with food and movement
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how you feel in your body including your body image
​We will also explore your goals and how I can best support you in reaching them.
Nutrition Follow Up
Follow up appointment structure, including frequency and content, varies significantly based on individual needs.
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Sessions generally begin with a review of goals set in the previous session including what worked and what didn't. I believe goals are experiments, there is no failing!
If a goal is unmet, we explore together what may have gotten in the way, then decide to try a different approach and/or alter the goal to be a better fit.
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Sessions can also include nutrition and physiology education, myth busting/fact-checking, therapeutic meal support, skills practice including guided meditation and more.
Additional Information
The Journey
It takes time to cultivate the relationship with food, body and movement we envision for ourselves. Unlike some more rigid nutrition approaches that tell you what to do, my approach is to help you figure out what actually works for you and your life.
Because of the impact confusing nutrition and body messages have on us, our work together will involve a significant amount of:
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unpacking current beliefs
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examining where they came from and if they are helpful
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learning more about balanced, sustainable nutrition, movement and body image approaches
Individualized Approach
I believe in empowering you to be your own expert regarding the food and movement that feels best to you! Because we are all so unique, it truly doesn't make sense there would be just one way we are all supposed to eat and move. I can help you learn to tune in to your own body's cues and apply gentle nutrition knowledge to figure out what works best for your body and lifestyle.
Becoming more attuned to your body's needs is truly an investment in your future!
Why operate from a HAES® & Intuitive Eating informed lens?
Why Intuitive Eating?
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Intuitive eating is a "self-care eating framework" that attempts to integrate "instinct, emotion and rational thought" as our eating guides. It was developed by two dietitians (Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch) in 1995. While I do believe the principles of intuitive eating can be very helpful, I also believe it can be unhelpful to replace one set of rules around how we eat with another, which is what the 10 principles of intuitive eating can sometimes feel like. It is for this reason I believe we can take what works and leave what doesn't on our ultimate journey to food freedom and autonomy.
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Why HAES®?
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HAES® or Health at Every Size is a framework and set of principles providing an alternative to the typical weight-centered medical approach.
The five principles are as follows:
1) Weight Inclusivity - accept & respect diversity of body shapes & sizes
2) Health Enhancement - support health policies that improve & equalize access to information & services; focus on human well-being
3) Eating for Wellbeing - "promote flexible, individualized eating based on hunger, satiety, nutritional needs, and pleasure, rather than any externally regulated eating plan focused on weight control"
4) Respectful Care - "...work to end weight discrimination, weight stigma, and weight bias. [operate from an] understanding that socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and other identities impact weight stigma, and support environments that address these inequities"
5) Life Enhancing Movement - "support physical activities that allow people of all sizes, abilities, and interests to engage in enjoyable movement, to the degree that they choose"
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The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) has many resources available on their website asdah.org including more information about these principles. Additionally, while I do strongly believe in these principles and the intention behind them, it is important to acknowledge the HAES® movement has not done the best job of centering marginalized voices who most need and deserve to be heard. It is for this reason I identify as a HAES® informed rather than HAES® aligned clinician.
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