What is a Non-Diet Nutritionist?

by Fran Allen, CNP

I get a lot of questions asking what I do exactly as a non-diet Holistic Nutritionist. As someone in a larger body navigating this industry I know the health and wellness field can be overwhelming and have a lot of fear and pressure associated with it.

I want to clear the air and share how I approach nutrition and support my clients. My goal is to help people develop a safe and joyful relationship to their bodies and a proactive approach to their health. A non-diet approach to nutrition is a new way of looking at health, which takes the focus away from weight and dieting and focuses more on offering a long term plan for health and happiness that is not tied to any specific diet, protocol, supplement or weight goal.

These are some of the principles I use to support my clients.

Health is Holistic

Non-diet nutrition takes a wide scope of what health means and considers all aspects of the human experience. This includes encouraging health promoting behaviours such as joyful movement, establishing boundries creative practice, as well as mental and social well-being. This emphasizes overall health, rather than focusing on one area at the expense of another. I want to encourage balance and a life filled with joy and vitality, not just a goal weight. I offer recommendations on diet and nutrition but also stress, sleep, anxiety and activity. Cultivating a wide range of recommendations to help my clients find balance, feel good and enjoy being in their bodies!

Size Inclusivity

Size inclusivity comes from the understanding and appreciation that bodies come in different shapes and sizes. ALL bodies are beautiful and deserving of respect. This message is championed by the ‘Health at Every Size’ (HAES) and Body Positivity movements, which highlight that you don’t have to have a thin body or lose weight to be healthy. Therefore weight is not used as a specific goal, but healthy body image and body respect are the focus. As we begin to accept the body we are in at this moment the, our focus shifts away from the external markers of ‘health’ like weight and dress size and start to look deeper into what makes us happy and what feels good.

This approach encourages each of us to identify and challenge weight bias we see on a personal and societal level.

Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is a radical concept that encourages people to focus on internal cues like hunger and satiety. It’s sounds easy but can be very difficult to implement initially. Intuitive eating teaches a neutral approach to food – no food is labelled as ‘good or bad’ and no guilt associated with eating. It encourages mindful and joyful eating for all.

Therefore, no moral superiority is given to any type of food, no food is off-limits and there are no food rules to follow. Intuitive eating is a skill and a continual learning process which is best approached with compassion and curiosity about how different foods make us feel. This is also a great tool to unpack the stigma our society has around foods and develop thoughtful ways to dismantle those prejudices.

One of the principles of intuitive eating involves ‘gentle nutrition’. This encourages us to nourish our body with satisfying food that gives us energy and makes us feel good.

It is important to have guidance and support throughout the process; especially for those with a history of chronic dieting or disordered eating to encourage lasting results and recovery.

Understanding That Diets Don’t Work

Another key message related to this approach, is that dieting does not work. Dieting and restriction, whether caloric or macro related is commonly associated with long-term weight gain and binge cycling. Diets, despite how popular they are in mainstream culture has several potential risks like increased anxiety, depression, isolation, lowered immunity, body dysmorphia and metabolic disorders. Chronic dieting can increase your risk of several diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Using a non-diet approach encourages us to avoid and challenge all forms of dieting and ‘diet culture’.

Diet culture is anything that places importance on weight and body shape, rather than overall health and wellbeing. With this understanding, my clients and enrich their lives without feeling guilt, anxiety or restriction around food and develop a healthy relationship to nourishing, loving and taking care of their bodies.

Enjoy a variety of foods without fear, shame or guilt.

My work is so much more than just food and weight loss. It’s relearning how to engage with your hunger, feel good and take care of your body, getting rid of shame, guilt, fear and negative self talk around food. It’s sleeping better, managing stress, feeling calm and confident around food, it’s letting go of that inner critic, being present and enjoying the moment.

I love supporting my clients in fostering a new relationship to food and themselves that comes from a place of love, respect and compassion. If you are interested in learning more about me and my practice find my offerings here.