‘Gentle Nutrition’ as a Form of Self-Care
Diet vs. Self-Care Mentality:
You know when you meet someone new at a gathering and one of the very first questions they ask is, “So, what do you do for work?…” Ya know, small talk. ☺️ As a registered dietitian, once I “let the cat out of the bag,” so to speak, it’s not unusual for conversations to take a sharp turn towards the latest diet trend(s). The person I’m speaking with will often begin to justify what’s on their plate, or share with me what their mom’s neighbor’s sister is trying for weight loss, or ask for my opinion on keto vs. vegan. 🙃
While this is not exactly my favorite social experience, it kind of comes with the territory of working in the field of nutrition. 🤷♀️ I think what’s most awkward about this scenario is how people hear “dietitian” and immediately equate my role with “food police.” There’s an evident level of discomfort, embarrassment, and/or performance when someone begins to explain their plate away, or tells me what they ate for breakfast that day, and/or shares their intentions to make changes or “do better” come Monday.
Living in a ‘diet culture’ society like ours, nutrition can feel like a DUTY, something you should uphold but don’t necessarily want to. Honestly, it feels kind of miserable, right? The loads of rules and guidelines presented along with harsh punishment language. (i.e. restriction, elimination, cheat day, diet fail etc.) NO WONDER all the complexities around relationship to food & body! 🤪
HERE is where I come in...
Instead of acting as the “food police,” I encourage and teach my clients to discover the voice(s) of their inner intuitive eater. We work together on adopting an intuitive eating framework and practice how to confidently and consistently:
Make neutral observations around food and body as a “Food Anthropologist.”
Ex: “I am a level 4 on the hunger scale.” OR “When I ate pancakes for breakfast, I was hungry again 45 minutes later…”Gain understanding of what the body needs, nutritionally, in order to function optimally as a “Nutrition Ally” / “Nurturer”
Ex: “Eating when I’m hungry instead of pushing it off, will help prevent eating to a place of uncomfortable fullness later.” OR “Consuming 25+ grams of fiber daily will help support my gut, cholesterol, blood sugar goals." OR “Increasing my protein with dinner will support my muscle recovery after the gym.”Set healthy boundaries (with themselves and/or others) for implementing change as a “Rebel Ally”
Ex: “I would feel more comfortable ending the meal now, but I’ll take the rest to go.” OR “When you comment on my body at the dinner table (positively or negatively), it does not feel good and I don’t appreciate it.”
The approach described above helps you move away from the diet mentality (extreme performance and punishment) and into an intention of self-care (built on curiosity, knowledge, understanding, intentionality, gentleness, and grace). What a beautiful and FREEING switch to make!
5 steps to make ‘gentle nutrition' a self-care focal point:
1. Grow your understanding. 🧠
The more clarity you gain about what food does for your body, the easier it is to make intentional choices. The key here is to be sure to seek nutrition advice from a trusted licensed professional (i.e. a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist). Remember - not everything you see/hear on the internet or social media is evidence-based/facts, there’s a lot of weeds and fear mongering to pick through!
2. Notice how food makes you feel. 🥱
When you pay attention to how certain foods and behaviors around food make you feel, both physically and emotionally, you’ll become motivated to choose those that serve you best.
3. Focus on “addition” versus “restriction.” ➕
Instead of dieting or making a list of “off limits” foods (i.e. no more ice cream), begin prioritizing foods you’d like to increase consumption of (i.e. more leafy greens with dinner, experimenting with different fiber-rich whole grains like bulgur or farro)! Give your body MORE of what it needs to thrive!
4. Plan ahead. ✍️
Like any other part of your self-care routine, intentionality is key. Considering a realistic variety of foods you’ll want to eat with flexibility for the week ahead and then grocery shopping accordingly can be super helpful!
5. Embrace accountability. 👭
Recognizing a need for support when implementing change in your life is a point of strength, not weakness.
An intentional switch can make a world of difference.
No one, and I mean no one, switches from a diet mentality into a ‘self-care’ eating framework without being intentional about it. Heck, we live in an intense diet culture society, so we’re talking about swimming UPSTREAM here, my friend!
Every quarter I work with a group of women who want to heal their relationship with food and build sustainable healthy habits. I recently got to celebrate a BIG WIN with a client of mine… She went from barely cooking at home AT ALL to prepping 1 brand new recipe every single week for an entire year. 🤩 As she grew in understanding of what her body needed in order to thrive, to feel better, and to be nourished, she decided to build a habit of consistency around preparing food.
What a joy it is to help women implement change with a greater sense of knowledge, structure, and support. If you’re ready to quit dieting trends and heal your relationship with food & body for good, I’m here to support you!
Click the link be low to apply for the next group program, kicking off in Summer ‘23. 👇
♡ With care,
Grace Lopez, RD, LD/N, CLC, CPT
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist