Mindful-Nutrition

The non-diet approach originates from research that supports the ineffectiveness of diets/dieting. Many health professionals are coming to agree that 'diets don't work,' and in fact, diets can cause their own set of problems. Research supports that 95% of dieters gain the weight back and more within 1 to 5 years. Diets can lead to intense cravings, food preoccupation, low self-esteem and depression, increased body dissatisfaction, decreased metabolism, and nutrient imbalances. For some, dieting can lead to a more serious eating disorder, such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder.

For most, dieting causes a disruption in the bodies innate ability to self-regulate hunger and fullness cues. This is a direct set-up for the cause of deprivation-eating also known as compulsive eating.

Dieting also makes one more vulnerable to use food to cope with distressing emotions, emotional under-or-over eating.

The alternative to dieting is known as, "intuitive eating," also referred to as,  "attuned eating." This approach is based on several principles, all of which have the intention of restoring one's innate wisdom to listen and respond to the body's cues of hunger and fullness. It is used in the prevention and treatment for most eating disorders.

It is also very useful for those with general health concerns and in particular, those who want to gain more control over their health and weight, even if they do not have any emotional eating issues or past experiences with dieting.

The intuitive eating process, also called, attuned eating, involves several principals, each of which is essential towards freeing oneself from food, body, and weight obsession.

Learning and practicing these principals will help you to:

• Manage your weight and health concerns without having to weigh yourself on a scale, measure out food portions, count points, grams of carbohydrates, calories, and so on.
• Choose foods based on subtle body sensations that will lead to a natural, balanced, and pleasurable way of eating.
• Learn to identify triggers that lead to mindless eating and to cope and manage those situations.
• Lose weight naturally and permanently without pills, surgery and diets.
• Never go on or off another diet again.
• Make peace with all foods so that you can eat anything without guilt, confusion, or shame

The intuitive eating approach, when practiced over time, will lead one to their natural size and shape, as well as a more peaceful and loving relationship towards the body and how to care and feed it. You will develop increased self-trust around all your hungers.

The principals of intuitive eating and mindful eating do overlap. Healing your relationship with food and weight will help you to access a deeper level of awareness for the foods you eat as well as their effect on your body.

Mindful eating is based on the following principals:

• Non-judgement of the foods one eats
• Appreciation of where food comes from, how it is prepared and ultimately consumed
• Awareness of the internal processes of physical hunger, satiety, and fullness
• Being fully present when eating by using all senses to explore, savor, and taste the textures, sights, smell of food. This will enhance the experience of eating; eating will be more pleasurable and satisfying
• Greater insight to reflect on the effects mindless eating has on ones' overall health and well being

With practice, mindful eating will allow you to value the quality of food over the quantity. You will begin to appreciate food from a deeper level, allowing for more pleasure and balance with your eating.

For those in their recovery process from an eating disorder, I will work closely with you and your treatment team to provide continuity of care in your recovery.

• Psychotherapy is less effective if one's body is not adequately nourished to support the processing and concentration required in therapy.
• Working with a nutritionist/registered dietitian will help promote optimal nutritional balance for effective therapy.
• Working with a nutritionist/registered dietitian will allow you to learn new ways to change and heal your relationship with food, your exercise, and body image.
  
• You will learn how to eat and exercise 'normally,' as well as how to change food and exercise patterns to allow for increased metabolism.
  
• You will become more aware of biological and emotional body reactions to food and exercise.
• Learn to distinguish emotional hungers from physical hungers.
  
• Eventually, you will be able to maintain a weight that is within a healthy range for your natural shape.