Food Philosophy

Let’s get one thing straight from the get-go.
Life is too short to skip dessert!!

You see, when most people hear what I do for a living, more often than not, their immediate reaction is: “Ugh…she’s going to tell me I have to eat raw carrots all day and judge me for snacking on Oreos.” But…. those willing to dive a little deeper into my food philosophy will happily discover that I live by what I call the 90/10 rule. That is, for about 90% of the time I stick to a clean, seasonal, whole foods diet, allowing for about 10% of the time to gleefully dive into a gooey homemade brownie or a piece of my sister’s famous banana cake — see, I’m human too!

The extremes never work — the all or nothing mentality only sets you up for failure and disappointment. Food is something to be treasured and enjoyed — both for its’ nutritional boost as well as its’ emotional pleasure. Therefore, living by the 90/10 rule has allowed me to nurture a much healthier relationship with food —in other words, I have come to respect the powerful effect food has on my body — both good and bad. And, by eating foods that are whole, unprocessed and made with love, I have come to realize the so-called comfort foods of my past (Doritos, I’m talking to you!) simply don’t appeal to me anymore. I know, I know…I see your eyes roll through the screen, but trust me, if you can truly appreciate food and its brilliant ability to heal not only your body, but your mind and spirit, well then, wouldn’t you want to give it a chance!?

Back to Basics

Remember, food and nutrition is not rocket science (although, it’s still pretty f’ing amazing!) So, my number one tip for all clients is to keep it simple. Seriously. Stop making food complicated. Let’s stop the calorie counting, the carb counting and the never ending battle of good foods vs. bad foods. Stop the madness.

Instead, let’s bring it back to the basics. I have always loved this tip from Michael Pollan and his brilliant little book, Food Rules. He simply asserts, “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” That’s so true, right? Along the same line, don’t eat anything with wacky ingredients you can’t pronounce! I mean really, how could Ethoxylated Diglycerides possibly be good for you?!

Bottom line — honor your body, honor your health and wrap your head around the idea that what you put in your mouth really doesn’t have to be so complicated. Just cut out the crap — the added sugars, the wonky chemicals, the artificial junk — and, no matter what the absurd claim might state on the label to justify you eating fake food, just step away from the madness and get back to the basics!

A Healthy Diet Is Far From Boring

Many believe eating a clean and healthy diet must be restrictive, monotonous and boring. Or, once you identify foods that may not sit well with you, believe your options to be limited and your choices more confining. Please trust me when I tell you that eating a healthy, whole foods diet is far from boring. You just need to shift your perspective and focus on what you can eat —think outside the box (literally, get yourself outside of the processed box) and embrace the adventure of trying something new. Remember, when you stick to a primarily whole food diet, the change of seasons becomes such an exciting and delicious adventure. Think about it — the juicy glory of ripe watermelon, berries and tomatoes in the summer months, the earthy heartiness of autumn squashes and root veggies, the warmth of a comforting winter stew and the brightness and vibrancy of early spring greens — just the anticipation of eating these seasonal foods is fun and energizing — never mind the fact that when we eat foods at the height of their season, we are able to reap the most nutritional benefits from them — bonus!! Bottom line — when you make the choice to see food and what it can do for your body, mind and spirit with a positive mindset, a whole new culinary world awaits you — and it’s far from boring, my friend!

Functional Health and Wellness

So, what does “functional health and wellness” mean in terms of my approach with clients? Simply put, all areas of human life are connected — body, mind and spirit. Therefore, when one area of life is out of balance it has an impact on the others. For example, when clients initially set up a session with the intention of losing weight, they are often surprised when we end up spending the majority of our time together working on reducing stress, implementing healthier lifestyle habits and setting up an appropriate exercise routine. See, food will always be part of the puzzle, but not necessarily the most important piece. We will work together so that ALL of the pieces fit beautifully together resulting in a happier, more energized, more empowered, more relaxed and yes… even leaner, YOU!

One Ideal Diet Does Not Exist

Let me just repeat that — ONE IDEAL DIET DOES NOT EXIST! As you can probably tell, I am not much into labels. Walking down the path toward optimal health doesn’t mean you have to become vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian, gluten free or paleo. While these structured diets may prove beneficial for some, they may be disastrous for others. You may have a sister or a girlfriend who lost 30 pounds by removing all animal protein from her diet and while that is an awesome result, let me tell you right now that if you move forward playing the comparison game, you are setting yourself up for a whole bunch of frustration and disappointment. Be happy for your friend and support her journey, but this is about YOU — and your journey may play out very differently, but just as beautifully!

Now that we have that clear, I want you to remember one important thing — I could care less if a particular food, trend or diet recommended by your favorite celebrity is all the rage — if it does not feel right in your body, it is NOT FOR YOU! The “right”foods should make you feel sated and energized, not bloated and lethargic. So, as I said above, there is no all encompassing “right” rather it’s all about what’s “right” for you!!

As your mentor, practitioner and biggest cheerleader, it is my role to help you navigate the often overwhelming and confusing messages surrounding nutrition and help you build a lasting and loving relationship with good, high quality food. I will help you connect with how you feel on a daily basis and help you make a plan to help you live to your utmost potential. Sounds pretty sweet, huh?! Let’s get started!