If you’re a long time follower you may already know that when it comes to my nutrition philosophy and eating behaviors, I have an all foods fit approach. Simply put, I avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” and truly believe that ALL foods can fit into a balanced lifestyle.
The goal is to embrace a sustainable way of eating that works best for you and your lifestyle.
Growing up in a diet-obsessed culture made it hard to find my way around food. I was always eager to hop on the latest trend, but never really felt content and at peace with my thoughts around food. After navigating through years of disordered eating thoughts and restricting certain foods from my diet, my views on nutrition started to evolve as I got older and realized restriction was not sustainable.
It wasn’t until I took foods off a pedestal and starting allowing all foods back into my diet that I suddenly felt a weight lifted off of my shoulder. I began eating intuitively and honored my cravings.
When you give yourself permission to eat any food at any time, you’ll notice that your body will naturally crave a variety of different foods and nutrients. You’ll be able to enjoy a piece of cake or cookie without the guilt, but more importantly you’ll start to honor your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues and eat the amount that truly satisfies you. To some, this may sound like a simple concept. But for many others, including myself for so many years, restricting certain foods only made me crave them more, and made it harder to eat the amount that actually satisfied me.
There is no “one size fits all” approach
Everyone should follow a way of eating that fits seamlessly into their lifestyle. If you follow my Instagram, you’ll know that I never share “what I eat in a day” content. I see this trend often on social media. While many of these videos have good intention and can offer inspiration for meals, everyones needs are so different. No one should be making food choices based off of someone else’s eating habits.
Instead, tune in to foods that leave you feeling good, foods that give you energy and keep you full. But also include foods that satisfy you mentally and physically. Yes, this means sweets and treats whenever you’re craving them.
Craving a slice of pizza? Enjoy it. Need something sweet during the day? Have at it. Stressing over not eating the exact food you’re craving is far worse than the food itself. That’s not at all to say these foods are “bad,” but the mental load of chronically stressing over every bit of food you eat is far more detrimental to your health in the long run.
Unhealthy food thoughts used to consume my daily thoughts, but now I see food in a much more positive light. Food is meant to nourish, but also be enjoyed. It’s a huge part of my culture and many others, and truly brings people together.
Having a healthy relationship with food includes a balance of physical, mental, and emotional health. My role as a dietitian and recipe developer is to guide you to creating healthy eating habits by sharing simple, nourishing recipes that use a variety of ingredients. Building small and sustainable habits overtime will help support a healthy lifestyle for a lifetime.
Wherever you are in your journey, I see you and I’m here to help. If you ever have any questions, you can message me on Instagram or leave a comment below!
Nice philosophy and recipe
I have been a long time follower (since your early holyhealth days) and really consider you a pioneer in the food blogging world! You make it so easy to create healthy, nutritious and satisfying meals (and desserts 😋). There are so many of your recipes that I make on repeat and I always get rave reviews!
Thank you for sharing all these amazing recipes and for not being obsessed with calories and truly enlightening the world that everyone is different and each body has different needs. Looking forward to reading more recipes for years to come.
❤️ Liora
I love your philosophy !!! I follow you an I love all your recipes and the way you share with us.
Thank you so much, Gina! I’m so glad you’re here 🤍