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. More importantly, body size says nothing about your value and worth as a human being.
At Mindset Nutrition + Wellness, we acknowledge, embrace, and celebrate body diversity. We challenge diet-culture and the weight-centric paradigm it encourages. We shift focus to genuine health-promoting factors, while acknowledging and respecting the impact that weight-bias has on us all. We respect body autonomy and believe that each individual is the expert on their own body and experience. Using the framework of the Intuitive Eating principles, we explore new perspective, considerations, and information in order to help individuals make informed decisions about how they choose to pursue health and wellbeing. There is no one “right” way to eat or to be healthy.
We are passionate about dismantling diet-culture and the oppressive and discriminatory health and beauty ideals that are at its roots, separating fact from fiction when it comes to body size and health, and advocating for respectful and compassionate health care for all bodies.
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 have a complicated relationship with food, including disordered eating or an eating disorder (or a history of either).
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 strategies 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 looking for neurodiversity-affirming care to help navigate challenges related to food and eating.
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:
Challenge food rules that cause stress, guilt, and shame around eating.
Explore ways to develop a more peaceful, easeful, and minimally stressful relationship with food.
Discuss concepts of body respect, body acceptance, and body liberation - and how these may impact how you choose to pursue health and wellbeing.
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.
Nutrition counselling from a weight-affirming, neurodiversity-affirming, and anti-oppressive lens.
Contact me for a free discovery call to learn more about this approach and how we can work together.