What do you WANT to eat Reader? Not what you think you should eat. What do you want to eat? What would be satisfying right now? "I can't believe it!" Sharon said in our session today. "My clothes fit looser for the first time in 3 years!" "What changed?" I asked "I stopped forcing myself to eat salads every night for dinner and ate the foods I wanted. I stopped eating so fast because I wasn't trying to just get through the meal that I didn't really like." She said "So, your clothes fit looser...
2 days ago • 2 min read
What do you think when you see a plate of pasta, pizza, fresh-baked bread, cookies, chips, or a bowl of ice cream, Reader? "Too many carbs" "Too much sugar" "Too much fat" "Processed/packaged food isn't healthy." "I'll get diabetes if I eat too much of this." "I'll get fat if I eat that" Yep. I had those thoughts too. Diet culture is a fantastic teacher. Unfortunately, most of the lessons it teaches aren't helpful. When you eat foods labeled as good, bad, healthy, or unhealthy, it's easy to...
23 days ago • 1 min read
"This is terrifying. I didn't think it was going to be like this." Jenn said as we peered over the edge of another cliff, we needed to down-climb in the middle of a nearly 4000-foot descent from a remote lake most hikers don’t venture to. Smart. It's true. We thought our route down would be smooth sailing through a gentle-ish valley. Instead, we followed 3 gym bros down a more direct route. This left us triggering rock slides, clinging to granite walls, and removing leg hairs by butt-sliding...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
“I thought I was going to have all this time to eat healthy and work out consistently this summer, but THAT hasn’t happened. Summer is chaotic around her - it’s good chaos, usually, but I need to get back on track. I want some better habits going into the fall when I go back to teaching - a different kind of chaos.” This was Mel’s (not her real name) opening statement in our initial session this week. Her good kind of chaos involved a family trip to Colorado, including mountain biking, easy...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Truth. I'm panic-buying snacks, Reader, How do you pack enough food and nutrition to be satisfied and well-fed on a multi-night backpacking adventure? Eating a brain-healthy diet is easy when you have access to grocery stores, fresh produce, and a variety of nutrient-dense foods. But what happens when you travel out of your day-to-day routine or go on an epic 220+ mile hike through the Northern Sierra Mountains? I’m about to find out! Fueling outdoor adventures is an adventure in itself. Can...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Do you feel stuck in the messy middle of wanting to eat healthier for brain health, cardiovascular health, bone health, etc, BUT you DON'T want to fall back into the diet culture trap of food rules, Reader? Here's a question I hear often from the women I work with... "How do I eat to support my brain/heart/bone health without falling into the dumpster fire of diet culture? Is that even possible?" Yes! Intuitive eating helps you find the sweet spot between honoring your satisfaction with food...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hiking is boring," he said. "You just walk along, feet get tired, shoulders ache, to see what? More mountains and lakes?" POV: Walking doesn't count as REAL exercise. Does this look boring, Reader? Scrambling up and down a 45-degree slope using every muscle to stabilize yourself and keep from twisting ankles, knees, and hips is… The. Most. Gorgeous. All around workout I've ever done. No weighted vest necessary, unless it's a 25-pound backpack! Moderate-intensity exercise (especially in...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
How many balls have you dropped this week, NAME? I dropped 2 on Monday. I misread my schedule on Tuesday (after reading it 3 times!), which meant being an hour early and thinking the other person didn't show after waiting 20 minutes. I left the meeting only to realize later that I missed the other person (and the appointment) because I was an hour early! Tell me I'm not alone in the frustration of your brain not performing like it's used to. Have you felt more brain fog since you turned 40?...
2 months ago • 2 min read
"I aspire to eating more vegetables, I know I should," Ann said in a recent nutrition session. "What's holding you back?" I asked "I buy them with grand ideas of roasting a bunch to have for the week, making salads with greens, and cutting up veggie stick to have for snacks. But then that all sounds too exhausting by the time I get home and they just sit in my fridge until they look like science experiments and I toss them." "That DOES sound like a lot of work - especially if you're tired...
3 months ago • 2 min read
"It's the chickeniest chicken you'll ever taste," Chef Shannon told her culinary students. Hey Reader, Have you been to a local Farmers' Market this season? Imagine walking through a bustling farmer's market. The vibrant colors and fresh scents of seasonal produce invite you to explore. This sensory experience is at the heart of intuitive eating and gentle nutrition. Visiting farmers' markets encourages you to listen to your body and make attuned food choices. When you eat with the seasons,...
3 months ago • 2 min read