That’s right, we are talking about exercise. Or maybe a better term for you might be movement. Whatever you use to talk about moving your body in a purposeful way...That is what this blog is about. A common theme I am hearing from my clients right now is some added stress around movement given the current state of the world. Maybe your gym is closed, or you don’t feel comfortable going back. Maybe you’ve been feeling pressure to be extra to be productive and “make the most of quarantine”, so you are suffering through some lame at-home workouts. Maybe you have stopped any movement and the idea ..read more

Okay I know everybody is used to looking at brown bananas and deciding to make them into delicious banana bread. But have you tried doing the same thing with a lemon that’s begging to be used?? This lemon bread is a cross between bread and cake. And it tastes like summer! I’m really not into the recipe blogs with a novel before the recipe so here it is: Lemon Bread Kelsey McCullough | 8/7/2020 prep time: 10 minutes cook time: ~50 minutes total time: 60 minutes Ingredients: 2 Cups Flour (I used whole wheat, white is a-okay) 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 cup sugar 1 stick softened but ..read more

Emotional eating, or eating in response to uncomfortable feelings such as stress, has been a hot topic in response to recent events. COVID-19 has turned our routines upside down. We are social distancing, working from home, trying to stay well, and wondering when things will get back to normal. We are stressed out.  The thing is, it is OKAY to turn to food for comfort. Let’s break this down further. Food is in fact comforting. It’s not just sustenance, it is memories, pleasure, distraction, expressive, and soothing. Emotional eating is a coping mechanism that has been villainized by diet ..read more

“are folks “disciplined dieters” or disordered eaters? Are they “watching their figure” or do they have body dysmorphia? Are they a “health nut” or suffering from orthorexia?” A relationship with food (and/or exercise) doesn’t go from peaceful to disordered overnight. Oftentimes the signs are there without being noticed, thanks to diet culture. According to the CDC, as of 2016, 56.4% of women were attempting to lose weight within the past year. According to the book Body Image, between 40-60% of elementary school-aged girls are concerned about their weight. When it is so normalized to be dissa ..read more

This guide was inspired by the work of Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch from their Intuitive Eating Workbook as well as The Mr. Roe’s Method via TiffanyRoe.com  When we start to let go of the shoulds like “I should get a salad instead of a sandwich, like Mary did”, “I should skip my latte today because I ate too much yesterday”, “I shouldn’t go to the party- since there will be junk food” you might find yourself having no idea what you want to eat. Those pesky diet-culture-influenced thoughts really can mess with listening to our internal cu ..read more

You asked and I listened! Here is a list of resources for all things Intuitive Eating, Health At Every Size (HAES), and body acceptance. This list includes who to check out on Instagram, book suggestions, podcasts, and where to find up-to-date research. This is in no way, shape, or form an exhaustive list, there are tons of other great resources out there! I wanted this to only include my favorites with just a short description of each to keep it from being overwhelming! I would love to keep this list going- if there is someone or something that you think I missed, please let me know!  &n ..read more

Have you ever heard of Semmelweis? No, it’s not the flour you use to make pasta. Semmelweis was the first doctor who proposed that hand-washing between delivering babies and dissecting cadavers could save lives. Seems like a no-brainer today, but at the time his fellow health professionals laughed him out of the medical profession. Doctors could not possibly be the cause of the high death rates for women delivering children! Semmelweis’s story is tragic. He never knew how influential his work would eventually become. He began drinking heavily, suffered from depression, and other mental illness ..read more

I recently posted on my Instagram story about how I, someone who enjoys exercise, hadn’t done a real “workout” in months. That message seemed to resonate with many people, so I want to talk about it more today. Movement routines can come and go; just like taste preferences. Think about it have you ever been alllll about a particular food for a while, then suddenly have zero interest in it? (Side note: One winter I went crazy with French onion soup and I had to take about a 3 year break until that sounded tasty again.) When we listen to and trust our bodies, they can tell us what we need. That ..read more

The pressure is on. Between ads on TV, coworker breakroom chats, and your social media feed everybody is talking diets right about now.   This is the diet industries Superbowl! “New Year- New Me!” It is a fabulous time to sell meal plans, diet books, detox products, gym memberships, or anything that insinuates that you would be better if you lost weight. The diet industry feeds on any holiday food guilt you may be feeling, to make a sale.    I spent a week at home for the holidays and I watched live TV for the first time in a long time. I was in disbelief by the number of proble ..read more

I am hearing a common theme among clients the past few weeks, and I wonder if this worry has been on your mind as well. You feel nervous as things start getting “back to normal” and moving work and events to in-person settings, thus seeing people you haven’t seen in a while. What will they think when they see me? Do they think I have let myself go? I know they are judging me!  Has some internalized diet culture and body-checking been playing this type of baloney in your head? You are not alone.   First, let me offer you so much compassion. Working on your personal relationship with f ..read more