If you struggle with IBS, before cutting out or eliminating foods (especially ones you love!) read this blog post to learn non-diet approaches that can help manage your symptoms. In part 1 of my series on Intuitive Eating and IBS, I introduced what IBS is, some of the possible causes/factors that contribute to IBS symptoms, and how intuitive eating and a non-diet approach, especially when combined with medical nutrition therapy, can help support IBS management. I also broadly discussed commonly recommended therapeutic diets for IBS, and some of the potential pros/cons of elimination diets. Gi ..read more

Google what to eat for IBS and you’ll find most of the recommendations are all about eliminating certain foods or elimination diets. But these common recommendations for IBS can sometimes make things worse and not better, especially if you struggle with disordered eating. This post on intuitive eating and IBS shares how non-diet approaches can help manage your symptoms. In the non-diet dietitian space, we often joke that you can’t specialize in disordered eating without also specializing in IBS, and visa versa. Most people with disordered eating also suffer from gastrointestinal issues, and m ..read more

The way we discuss health in our culture centers food and fitness. While how we feed and move our body certainly has an impact on health and wellbeing, but that’s just a small piece of the puzzle. This blog post shares ideas for taking a holistic approach to health with seven tips for improving health outside of diet and exercise. One of my favorite parts of researching and writing Gentle Nutrition was the chapter I wrote on redefining health. I had long held a pretty nuanced view on health, never defining it on binary metrics and especially not as a number on the scale. As a provider, it has ..read more

In intuitive eating, you hear a lot about hunger. But did you know there are more ways to experience hunger than just physical hunger? This post explores the four types of hunger in intuitive eating - physical, emotional, taste and practical - and how to respond to each. Us non-diet dietitians talk a lot about hunger in intuitive eating. There’s a reason honor your hunger is the second principle of intuitive eating - it’s incredibly important! As I remind my clients, honoring your hunger and fueling your body appropriately creates space for you to engage with the other principles of intuitive ..read more

Because dieting is so normalized in our culture, sometimes it can be hard to know if your struggles with food are enough to need treatment for disordered eating or an eating disorder. This blog post shares 5 signs that you are sick enough for treatment. As we kick off the new year and the “new year, new year” discourse that comes with it, I’m reminded just how disordered our cultural relationship with food is. Thankfully, most people in my life know that I’m not the person to talk dieting and weight loss with. However, that makes it a bit of a shock to the system when lots of friends, family ..read more

Bored of the usual bland chicken breast for dinner? Try this easy and elegant recipe for pesto and sun-dried tomato chicken roulades, made with only four ingredients! It’s surprisingly simple to make. What's a more ubiquitous “healthy” weeknight dinner than chicken breasts? Sure, it’s easy to prepare, budget friendly and family friendly. Too bad it's usually bland and totally boring. When I ask new clients about prior attempts at changing their eating habits, they often reply that they tried to eat healthy, but found it boring. When I dig deeper, it's because they went on what I una ..read more

Set point weight theory is a helpful concept for understanding weight science, the fluctuations you experience in weight, “healthy weight,” and why diets don’t work. This blog post explains what set point weight range is and answers commonly asked questions about it. Thanks to more awareness around body diversity and the high failure rate of dieting, many people I talk to recognize the many problems with BMI. They know that their “healthy weight” according to the BMI scale isn’t actually healthy for them. Still, thanks to a medical culture that equates weight and health, they feel anxious tha ..read more

With all the fearmongering about overeating, it’s easy to minimize the risk of not eating enough. Food is our body’s source of fuel, and undereating is dangerous. This blog post details 10 symptoms of undereating to help make sure you’re eating enough. Given the fatphobic society we live in, there’s a ton of fear about overeating. Sometimes people do struggle with consistently eating significantly more than their body needs, which by the way has much more to do with things like backlash to restriction, trauma, food access, stress, and depression than it does about willpower. Because there is ..read more

These granola scones are tender with a bit of crunch! Perfect for breakfast or as a sweet snack. They’re super hearty and satisfying! These granola scones are my latest breakfast obsession! I’m not much of a baker. As someone who tends to glance over recipe instructions and not really get too wrapped up in the details or precise measuring, cooking is more my speed. There’s a lot more room for mistakes with rule-breakers like me! But these granola scones are really easy to make, and are perfect when you want a breakfast that’s a little bit sweet, but not to the level of a glazed donut or syrup ..read more

Food freedom is liberating, but you're still surrounded by diet culture. Diet talk can strain your relationships, and your own sanity as you try to maintain a healthy relationship with food. This post shares two of my favorite strategies for helping my clients deal with unwanted diet talk. Finding food freedom is a pretty magical thing. I’ve heard people describe it feeling like a sigh of relief. Although the process of making peace with food is often scary and exhausting and looks very much like a wavy line that gradually trends upwards, rather than the straight upwards progression that we e ..read more