Food is a seriously important part of self-care. In fact, one of the BEST ways to love and respect yourself is to provide your body with nutrient-rich foods that make you feel your best.

Food is also the universal connector—I mean, we all have to eat, right!? We all celebrate with food, socialize with food, and fuel ourselves with food. Food is a life-giving necessity and eating shouldn’t be complicated. Or boring. Or overwhelming. It should be simple... and nourishing... and enjoyable.

But most of us have a complicated relationship with food and our bodies, and what happens is that years of struggling can leave us feeling helpless, hopeless and broken. But this is NOT true. I believe our eating and food challenges are actually an OPPORTUNITY… they are an INVITATION to start understanding ourselves in a much deeper way.

My own relationship with food has changed drastically over the last 15 years (you can read my story HERE), and I'm so thankful for that. And in this guide, I’m sharing all of my real-food resources and tools with you. Here’s what you need to know (and do) to start eating like you love yourself...

 

 

 

CREATE CHANGE FROM THE INSIDE OUT

If there’s anything I’ve learned working as a dietitian for over 20 years (as well as overcoming my own struggles with food!), it’s that you can’t solve your emotional eating and weight problems with the same hateful mindset that got you here.

And you can’t create a nourishing relationship with food through restriction and fear. It just doesn’t work.

Changing your eating habits without also changing your thoughts and beliefs is a huge weight and wellness mistake. If you truly want to improve your health and live a happier life, you really need to...

Release your limited beliefs and perspectives...

Take care of your emotional needs without food (find out how HERE)...

Trust your body and your intuition...

And create a loving and nourishing relationship with yourself...

You need to make internal changes so that you can create a FEEL BETTER lifestyle that works specifically for you. A lifestyle you can live and lose weight with. The Master the Weight Loss Mindset Challenge right here is a great place to start. You can also check out my Emotional Eating Checklist, my Emotional Empowerment Training and my Release Weight Without Willpower Masterclass.

 

READ THIS EXCELLENT BOOK

How to Eat: Mindful Essentials by Thich Nhat Hanh

I LOVE this simple and profound book. Here are two of my favorite ideas from this awesome little book:

Nourished by the Present Moment
"In our daily activities, we often rush from one thing to another. In between tasks we spend our time planning how we’ll accomplish future tasks. In all that hurrying and strategizing, we become isolated from the present moment. Eating is a chance to return to the present moment and stop the rushing and the planning."

The Right Amount
"When we take a moment to sit and breathe before we eat, we can get in touch with the real hunger in our body. We can discover if we’re eating because we’re hungry or if we’re eating because it’s time to eat and the food is there. If we’re paying attention and taking our time, we also know how much to eat. Mindfulness is recognizing what is there in the present moment. What is there is the fact that you are still alive and your health is still there. The food in front of you is available to help you nourish your body and keep you healthy."

 

EAT (MOSTLY) REAL FOODS

Real foods are those that are unprocessed, unrefined, whole and fresh, free of additives, colorings, chemicals, flavorings, sweeteners and hormones. They're as close to their natural state as possible. And when you eat real foods (rather than highly processed ones) you'll notice that you just feel SO MUCH better, as these are the foods that provide your body with what it needs to function at its best.

Basically, you clean up your diet by eating MORE clean vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, plus healthy proteins and fats, and LESS refined grains, added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats.

And keep in mind this is not about perfection. Here’s what I do...

Most of the time (maybe about 90% or so) I eat nutrient-dense, organic, clean foods that I love (I shop at farmers’ markets, I drink green smoothies, I cook delicious real-food recipes, and I search out healthy foods everywhere I go). And the rest of the time, well, I just don’t worry about it.

Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, really says it best...

“Obsessing over food rules is bad for your happiness, and probably for your health too. Our experience over the past few decades suggests that dieting and worrying too much about nutrition has made us no healthier or slimmer; cultivating a relaxed attitude toward food is important.”

 

Consider animal welfare...

If you choose to eat meat, please consider only eating meat from humanely-raised animals. You can find out more about why and how to do this in these links right here...

Farm Sanctuary works to end cruelty to farm animals.

People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals the largest animal rights organization in the world.

Certified Humane Raised & Handled a food labeling program dedicated to improving the welfare of farm animals.

Consider GMOs...

Genetically modified organisms — in this discussion, genetically modified foods — have genetic material that engineers unnaturally altered. Such foods are extremely controversial, and many people, citizens and scientists alike, believe there have not been sufficient studies on the effects of GMOs on human health. And they are definitely not good for the environment. However, the federal government does not require that GMO foods be labeled as such –it’s voluntary, so it’s impossible for us to know what food contain GMOs and which do not.

But GMOs are not allowed in any food certified as organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). So, if you are concerned about GMOs and want to reduce your exposure to them, organic is the way to go. Familiarize yourself with the most common GMO foods and limit (or buy organic versions of) these foods and products containing them. Here are the most common GMO crops in the US:

* Corn, Soybeans, Canola, Cottonseed, Sugar Beets, Hawaiian Papaya (FYI, corn and soy are in almost all processed foods, and 88% of corn and 93% of soybeans produced in the US are GMO.)

* Sugar containing sugar beets (which is common unless it’s labeled “pure cane sugar”)

For more info check out this site: www.nonGMOproject.com

Consider locally sourced and sustainable food...

Sustainable food is better for the environment, better for you, and better for the world. And local food is fresher, seasonal, and it tastes SO much better than food that’s been trucked or flown in from thousands of miles away. Here are some resources to check out:

Eat Well Guide—search over 25,000 hand-picked restaurants, farms, markets and other sources of local, sustainable food.

Local Harvest—CSAs (community supported agriculture programs) provide a direct link between local farmers and consumers by allowing members to purchase a share of a farmer’s crop before it’s produced each season.

Seafood Watch—how to buy seafood from sustainable sources.

Food Print—FoodPrint will help you make food choices that do less harm to the environment, animals and people.

 

LISTEN TO YOUR (VERY WISE) BODY

As a dietitian, a question I get asked a lot is this: What's the best eating style for health and weight loss? Is it vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, Paleo, raw-food, pescatarian or [insert any other eating style or specific diet here]?

My answer is always the same: Only YOU know which foods are right for your body (and what eating style aligns with you personally). You can absolutely work with an integrative nutritionist (I suggest dietitian Danielle Omar) to help you get clear on a nutrition strategy, but you and you alone are the real expert of your body, and you are always your own best teacher.

A part of nourishing yourself from a place of love is listening to your body and noticing how it feels and reacts to your food choices. Start to make connections by tuning in to how different foods affect your mood, energy levels, and cravings, and pay attention to how your body feels when you eat (or don’t eat) certain foods.

Your body is WISE and it is communicating with you all the time, and it's up to you to slow down and pay attention to its messages. Find out how to do this in my Masterclass right here.

 

WATCH THESE EYE-OPENING FILMS

Kiss the Ground
This documentary sheds light on an “new, old approach” to farming called “regenerative agriculture” that has the potential to balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world. 

Hungry for Change
Find out what's keeping you from having the body and health you deserve and how to escape the diet trap forever.

Food, Inc.
Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact.

 

SHOP AT THIS FANTASTIC ONLINE MARKET

Thrive Market
This place is kinda amazing. Thrive Market is an online shopping club on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone.

Thrive Market members can buy the best-selling healthy foods and natural, wholesome products in everyday sizes, always at 25-50% off retail prices, delivered right to their door. And for every paid membership, Thrive Market donates a free membership to a family in need.

With love,
Heather