Many of us grew up with a mindset that eating healthy = deprivation and restriction.
Something we often overlook is how our approach to nutrition is directly impacted by our relationship with food and sometimes vice-versa: how our approach to nutrition IMPACTS our relationship with food.
I believe (and coach clients this way) that when we approach nutrition from the perspective of NOURISHMENT and making choices that CARE for our body (vs focusing on all of the foods we “shouldn’t” have) – we are better able to create an approach to nutrition that is sustainable and one that gives us consistent energy, stabilized blood sugar, mental clarity, hormone balance and helps maintain a healthy weight. Isn’t this what we’re all seeking in our meal plans anyway?
By shifting our focus away from deprivation and towards nourishment, we will begin to view food as a source of fuel (what goes in is what comes out 😉) and self-care, rather than a source of guilt, anxiety, judgment, and punishment.
This can help you get out of the yo-yo dieting and/or binge // restrict cycle and establish a healthy relationship with food that allows you to create sustainable habits that you ENJOY (because you feel so good and food is BALANCED for you).
Prioritize nourishment and self-care in your approach to your nutrition and watch your health and relationship with food transform for the better.
Here are a few examples to get you started:
- Focus on nutrient-dense whole foods (all the foods you know make you feel really good) rather than counting calories and/or restricting entire food groups.
- Set your intentions to eat a variety of foods, mindfully (to satiation vs full) rather than forcing yourself to stick to a strict meal plan (this will only yield short-term results that potentially backfire eventually because it’s not sustainable long term).
- Cultivate a positive relationship with food (and your body) by prioritizing gratitude for both. (I know it can feel odd to show gratitude toward your body if you’re unhappy with it – either aesthetically or perhaps due to an illness, etc. If this resonates – I want to remind you – your body has done so much for you – its most prioritized job is to keep you safe. If there is a struggle to lose weight, an illness, etc. – your body is in survival mode – it’s doing what it knows to do to protect you. Be kind to it – it’s working hard for you.)
Alix Barth Nutrition
Alix Barth is the Owner/Founder of Alix Barth Nutrition, where she helps adults and teens make
peace with food and their body and teaches them how to eat for the rest of their lives.
Alix battled with anorexia through most of her teenage and young adult years. Through this she
gained a significant amount of experience in nutrition and discovered how important our
relationship with food and our body is to our overall health. She gets people off of the diet
rollercoaster and empowers people to trust themselves around food. Through an anti-
inflammatory way of eating, her clients think more clearly, heal their gut, increase their
immune function, balance their hormones, increase their energy and lose any unnecessary
weight they are carrying. They learn how to create a plan and trust themselves.
Alix was a competitive triathlete for 6 years and also works with athletes in various sports –
helping them with their nutrition, specifically for their sport and athletic goals.
Her passion is to educate and pour her heart into each and every client. Her goal as a
nutritionist is to teach people how to eat for the rest of their lives and do so in a mind and body
they are kind to and enjoy being in!
