It’s common to have experiences with food that can feel chaotic and/or emotionally driven. People throw around the phrase “emotional eating” and as a dietitian, I regularly work with people who are concerned about their experiences with emotional eating. But what does it actually mean? What should people do if they’ve identified emotional eating patterns in their lives? Let’s start with a definition: the American Psychological Association defines emotions as “Emotions are conscious mental reactions (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feelings usually directed toward a s ..read more

At one point or another, most of us will struggle with trying to decide what we want to eat. For many, this is a question you come across from time to time throughout your life that you are able to work through and then it doesn’t come up again for a while. Yet for some, it is an issue encountered every day, multiple times each day. There are many reasons why it may be difficult to determine what you want to eat. Whether it is related to illness or injury, an eating disorder, depression, getting over hungry, or even food moralization that comes from years of dieting, trying to decide what you ..read more

The other day I listened to Ezra Klein's podcast: Our Brains Weren't Designed for this Type of Food and while the information in this episode was mostly thorough and informational, there were some real missing points. As a dietitian who works every single day with people wanting to honor their health, learn to eat well and in alignment with their body's needs, and understands the profound risks of dieting and restriction, I have a lot to say in reaction to this conversation. I have a lot of respect for Ezra Klein and really enjoy his podcast and work. I just wish that the discussion was more ..read more

If you have read the book Intuitive Eating, you know the last principle is to use gentle nutrition. Sometimes, when people get to this chapter of the book, they think “Ok, here is where the diet comes in. I knew this was a bait and switch situation.” This feeling may be even more heightened for those learning about eating intuitively from social media because it is so much more difficult to convey in one short sentence or post all of the nuance involved in truly paying attention to what your body is telling you. While I don’t think I can convey all of that nuance in a blog post, hopefully I c ..read more

This time of year can bring all kinds of emotions. It's the MOST time of the year. The most sights, smells, tastes, family struggles, expectations, nostalgia, grief, happiness...all of it! And with all those emotions, it's common for people to reflect on patterns they observe in themselves around food. Maybe you've noticed an uptick of reaching for something sweet when you've had an emotional day? Maybe you've witnessed yourself numbing stress or some other unpleasant feeling with food (or for some, the restriction of food can also be how they may numb the emotion). Some people may even recog ..read more

Whether you are someone who is constantly on the go and struggling to fit everything in, you have a newly diagnosed food allergy, or you feel overwhelmed by all of the choices at the grocery store, you are not alone if you find grocery shopping to be a challenging experience. Simplifying grocery shopping is something that pretty regularly comes up with the clients I work with. Thankfully, several strategies can be used to really make things easier. Here are some tips and tricks that can make things easier at the store. Make a Staples List This is your list of all of the foods you need to have ..read more

I was talking with a client* the other day about times she has noticed she eats more than feels good in her body. As we explored what was going on for her, we tried to see if there were any common threads for her in those times. She discovered that she consistently eats past her full-point when she really likes something she is eating and believes she might not have access to that food again for a long time. She related this to an animalistic instinct. In her words, “An animal on the African Savannah may have very few opportunities to get the food it needs, and because of this, it may eat mor ..read more

Let’s be honest, being a parent can be tough, and there is no instruction manual included! There are so, so many things that parents have to make decisions about that can really make such a difference in how our kids grow and learn to navigate the world around them. While every family is unique and every kid within every family is different, there are a few things that parents can try that can help take some of the guesswork out of feeding littles. Tip #1 Keep the long game in mind As parents, we want our kids to grow up to be the best possible versions of themselves. When we think of this as ..read more

As a dietitian working with people to develop positive relationships with food, many clients will ask me if meal planning and intuitive eating are mutually exclusive. This question is something I spend a lot of time exploring. Diet culture tells us we should be looking outward to determine what, when, and how much we should be eating. So it can be confusing for people new to intuitive eating to think about how to approach food and meals on a practical level. The nuance of listening to your body might feel a lot more difficult to navigate, especially in the beginning. Once you start tuning int ..read more

Gut health is such a hot topic right now - and for good reason. Our ability to digest food in a way that doesn’t cause discomfort can make a big difference in overall quality of life. A functional and happy gut is also very important to overall health, which is something science is still just revealing to us. With this in mind, I have many clients who come to me wondering if they should take this or that supplement or new fancy drink or if there might be other ways they can promote a happier gut. Generally, my recommendations are to stick to the basics to see if we can improve things with jus ..read more