What is a non-diet approach to nutrition?
We have been entrenched in a culture obsessed with dieting for as long as most of us can remember. Dieting changes throughout time to continue to feel appealing. Like a rebranding of sorts. The current brand tries to sell dieting as a lifestyle change, and it sounds good. However, we often find that this approach to nutrition and health is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Put another way, I often hear people say that they went on such and such a diet or program “and it worked for me.” This seems puzzling as they are sitting in my nutrition clinic. If it worked, you wouldn’t need me. They then proceed to tell me that maybe they lost some weight, but gained it all back plus some. Often they say they felt better, but it became too complicated or took too much time so they fell off the wagon. Most programs restrict everything with any joy in it and people find that difficult over time. Basically, we keep trying this approach and we are convinced it is working because we have initial success. So we blame ourselves and assume we are the broken ones.
On closer examination, it seems pretty clear that if diets “worked” then we would need one diet. Yet, most of us have been dieting on and off for years or decades. Something doesn’t compute. If your doctor prescribed a medication that initially helped you feel better, but then ultimately made you worse off would you blame yourself or the medication?
Okay, but if dieting doesn’t work, why should you seek out a nutritionist? This is where the non-diet approach comes into play. Simply put, a non-diet approach seeks to reconnect you to the innate wisdom of your body. This approach helps us to reconnect with our body cues to know when we are hungry or full. Our body is very communicative if we relearn how to understand what it is saying. As we reconnect, we can understand how certain foods make us feel.
According to the USDA: Non-diet approaches are “health-centered rather than weight-centered” (1). When we focus on scales, measuring tapes, and pant sizes we shut off internal signals because we are so focused on external cues. This sets us up for a rough relationship with our body. If your body does not or cannot comply to these measures it becomes the enemy.
Non-diet approaches seek to help you once again ally with your body. Afterall, your body is working extra hard to keep you alive and help you really live. It is not your enemy.
There are times when our health is such that we need some structure around our nutrition. This can still be done in an intuitive way. Having a medical condition (or heading towards a medical condition) that requires dietary changes feels overwhelming. It often feels like our choice is being stripped away. It sets us up for a lot of black and white thinking with our food. Either we are on our program, or we are off our program. Yet, there is still nuance in these situations. Working with a trained nutrition professional can help sort out that nuance for your individual body and condition.
Walking away from diet culture into a non-diet nutrition approach will look different for everyone. We all come with different body image struggles, histories of dieting, and medical conditions. While I cannot say how that journey will look for everyone, I can say it is certainly a journey worth taking. At the end is a way to nourish your body and mind for the rest of your life without having to restart the program over and over. You will find a partnership with your own being and a way of life that allows for connection, joy, flavor, and peace.
It’s easy to get started on your journey to better your health with Integrative Functional Nutrition. Simply schedule your free consultation, where we will talk about what you need and want support in and what it will look like to work together.
Resources:
Warmly,
