Hi Everyone,
I’m very excited to post my very first blog post on the website for my new website! I figured the first blog post should be a bit about what you can expect when it comes to working with me, since people can have a lot of pre-conceived notions when it comes to working with a dietitian.
I'm not the "Food Police!"
First and foremost, I want to tell everyone what I usually say in every single assessment I do: I am not the food police. I find that people have many ideas in their minds about dietitians, one of the biggest ones being that we are going to judge their food habits because we are "perfect" eaters (there's no such thing, by the way) and never eat any less nutritionally dense or “junk foods” (I like to just call them food though) and therefore look down on anyone who does. Let me say this now, I don't believe in "good" and "bad" foods and that eating certain foods doesn't make you a good or bad person. Some foods provide us with more nutrients, and some foods provide us with more enjoyment and both are important!
If you choose to work with me, we'll have a conversation about what's important to you and what you want to work on. Maybe you think about food all the time and feel out of control around certain foods. Maybe you've been dieting for years and can no longer tell when you're hungry or full. Or maybe you're struggling to control your blood sugars without feeling like you're restricting your eating. These are all things I can help you with from a compassionate, non-judgemental lens.
I'm not going to give you a meal plan
Earlier in my career as a dietitian, I did give out meal plans but I don't do this any more. Why? Because this way of trying to change your eating behaviour is not sustainable.
The truth is that I don't know how hungry you are, or what foods are appealing to you. Instead of giving you a meal plan that teaches you to look outside your body for what and how much to eat, we'll explore ways of tuning in to your hunger and fullness cues and what foods appeal to you. We'll work on working with your body instead of battling against it.
If you're dealing with a chronic condition like diabetes, we'll discuss what you can ADD to your diet instead of taking things away. If you're struggling with binging, we'll look at what you're eating to make sure you're setting yourself up for success.
There's no such thing as a 'perfect diet'
Sometimes our society gets so caught up in chasing perfection in eating that we forget that there isn't a 'perfect diet' out there. I believe in helping people to have a healthy relationship with food so you can eat a variety of foods and have more mental and emotional space for other things in your life.
If that sounds like something you're interested in, please contact me! I'm not taking on new clients at the moment but I will be soon!
