If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get the results you’ve always gotten. If you want to get out of the eternal spin cycle when it comes to your challenges with eating, if you want to feel a sense of freedom and victory, then it’s time for a new strategy. ~Marc David, The Institute for The Psychology of Eating

Are you on a constant hunt for the “perfect” plan as you try to figure out how to eat, drink, sweat and stay slender & healthy?  Do you read all the new books or try the hot new “superfoods”, and have hope that this is it-- the magic formula?  And then, when it doesn’t work out exactly like the experts say it will or life gets in the way, you move on to the next thing…and try all over again.

Truth be told: There’s a lot of advice out there, and it can be downright confusing to sort through it all and make sense of it.

I’m certainly not discounting the value of information on nutrients, numbers and the healing properties of particular foods. It’s an essential part of the nutrition equation. But I realized pretty early in my health coaching career that helping people enhance their diet by adding in lots of deeply pigmented fruits & veggies and other nutrient-rich foods was only one part of achieving results. Just knowing whether to “eat this” or “don’t eat that” doesn’t always create enough impetus for lasting change.

Think about it: do you eat when you have had a stressful day?  Or skip your meals when you're distraught over that huge blowout you had with your boss?  Or do certain smells and aromas remind you of your grandmother’s homemade meals you ate as a child?  Do you beat yourself up if you end up eating a piece (or even a bite) of chocolate cake when you vowed not to have any sugar?  Do you look in the mirror and then does that influence your choices you make about what to put on your plate that day?

When we consider questions like these, it becomes obvious that what we eat (hopefully whole, real foods) is only half the story of good nutrition.  The other half is who we are as eaters. And what I mean by that is no matter how much you know about kale, quinoa and superfood smoothies, it just isn’t enough.  The nutrition equation has to include YOU.

Your choices that you make every time you eat are profoundly influenced by your thoughts, your feelings, your associations, your experiences and more…And when you start to tune into those messages and really listen, it can be life-changing.

Once I understood that this deeper dimension is the key to creating a happy and healthier relationship with food & body, I knew that the only way to work with clients and really make an impact meant I had to expand beyond the science and data of food and nutrients. In order to empower people and achieve long-term results, I needed to understand the heart & soul of the eater.

Today, I am excited to share with you that it’s official:  After many hours consumed with classes, lectures, papers, projects and a whole lot of dedication, I am a Certified Eating Psychology Coach through the Institute for Psychology of Eating.

This cutting-edge approach is what I call the “missing piece of the nutrition puzzle”.  It can transform and heal your relationship with food & body in a profound and sustainable way.  It goes far beyond classical nutrition by focusing on the fascinating connections between brain, body and behavior, which also can have an impact on how food is metabolized in the body.

Eating Psychology gets to the core of the most commonly seen eating challenges and health issues of our times, and it does so in a kind and nourishing way.  It brings pleasure back to food and your body through practical and results-oriented strategies.

Now, I invite you to end the eternal spin cycle when it comes to your relationship with food and look further than just what you eat. Begin by exploring who you are as an eater. Over the next few posts, I’ll dive deeper into some of the day-to-day, practical strategies that will help you gain insight on how to include yourself as a central part in the equation. You may even discover the missing piece of the nutrition puzzle.