Rethinking the “Wellness” Mindset
What comes to mind when you think of “wellness”? Could you define or put into words what it means to be healthy?
We take for granted that we understand what health and wellness mean, but the reality is that they can be hard concepts to clearly define.
For many people, and certainly for our culture in general, the definitions of health and wellness are narrow, focusing mainly on the absence of illness and disease, often with clear implications about what a person should look like to be considered “healthy”. Our society, including the medical community, places a lot of importance on the foods you are (and are not) eating, the types of exercise you do (and do not) participate in, and the size of your body. These narrow definitions of health and wellness leave out a lot of important information. Things like how much time you have in your day to devote to food preparation and exercise, or whether or not you have access to safe spaces to be active, or grocery stores that are well stocked and affordable. Not to mention larger systemic structures that significantly impact our individual health, including racial and gender inequalities, poverty, stigmatization, and access to health services. There simply is no set definition of what it means to be well, and certainly no definition that we all have equal opportunity to attain. As a result, one-size-fits-all nutrition and health recommendations aren’t particularly helpful for the vast majority of people seeking health advice. Instead, personalized and practical guidance that takes into account the life circumstances, lived experiences, and values of each individual is needed.
Keep in mind, some of the assumptions that guide our personal definitions of health and wellness are simply not true. Body weight, for example, is often used as a proxy for health, and this can cause harm for a lot of individuals. Body weight is not actually a good predictor of health status, and weight loss is notoriously difficult to achieve and maintain for the vast majority of people (translation: weight loss recommendations are not helpful). Weight loss diets fail for over 95% of people, with up to two thirds of people eventually regaining more weight than they originally lost on their diet. Believe it or not, the number one predictor of future weight gain is dieting itself. The size of your body says very little about how healthy you are or what kinds of health behaviours you engage in. Plus, a focus on weight often steals the attention from lifestyle behaviours that are much more likely to actually improve your health.
Even if you’re not all-consumed with matters of weight and body size, the diet- and weight-obsessed culture in which we all live can still have an impact on how we view the pursuit of health and happiness, what we consider to be a “healthy” diet, and what things in life we prioritize in our quest to be well. For many people, the journey to wellness is filled with confusion, stress, guilt, and shame. Together, let’s change the narrative and start supporting wellness goals that make sense for you. Using the principles of Intuitive Eating, you can make peace with food, exercise, and your body, and start living a life free from the shackles of dieting, restriction, and feeling guilty about what you eat.
There’s no perfect formula for wellness, so if your current attempts to “be healthier” are actually a source of stress, despair, or negativity in your life, you might be ready for another approach.
This approach may be right for you if:
You’re tired of endless dieting and want to rebuild a healthy relationship with food
You feel overwhelmed by food rules and/or nutrition advice that doesn’t seem to work for you
You feel a loss of control around food, or find it hard to enjoy certain foods without guilt
You’re looking for help managing (or preventing) chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or heart disease, by focusing on healthy and sustainable lifestyle behaviours that will fit your life
You’re looking for advice on recipes and menu ideas to help take the stress out of feeding yourself and/or your busy family
You’re looking for advice on raising healthy and happy young eaters
You’re simply looking to improve your health in ways that suit your tastes, preferences, and lifestyle – without unnecessary restriction and confusion!
What you can expect from working together:
Find food freedom! This means no unnecessary restriction or rigid food rules. Just joyful, satisfying, and guilt-free eating.
Find enjoyable ways to be active and move your body.
Work towards making peace with and respecting your body.
Prioritize activities and strategies that bring joy, happiness, and relaxation to your life.
Honour your life circumstances, lived experiences, and values on your journey to wellness.
Contact me for a free discovery call to learn more about this approach and how we can work together.