Intuitive Eating with Food Sensitivities with Rachel Naar, RD
It’s commonly said that if you don’t have a diagnosed food allergy, then you shouldn't be avoiding any particular food. Unfortunately, this advice does more harm than good for those of us with food sensitivities. Today’s guest knows from both her professional and personal experience how to intuitively listen to your body so you can eat in a normal way and enjoy your food. About Rachel Naar Rachel Naar MS, RD, CDN, is a decaf coffee-loving, Leo, with a passion for people, places, running, and Motown Music. She received her Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition at New York University and completed her dietetic internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She is the founder of her private practice, Rachel Naar Nutrition, where she helps people reinvent their relationships with food, focusing on stress management with a body-positive, intuitive-eating approach. Rachel also assists with gastrointestinal distress and food allergies/intolerances. She aims to demystify food, draw connections to overall well-being, and make life palatable. Approaching Food Intolerances There’s a lot of uncertainty around food intolerances. Many doctors and dietitians will pass them off as not being a big deal since they’re hard to diagnose. However, there are lots of reasons why it makes sense for an individual to avoid certain foods. Rachel explains what intuitive eating is and how you can use it to maintain a healthier diet. Listening to Your Body for the Right Nutrition Rachel says that it's very important not to ignore nutrition when approaching intuitive eating. This means being in tune with what feelings of hunger are telling you while paying attention to your nutritional requirements. It’s also about being aware of where your fears around eating come from and addressing them at the root. In fact, Rachel finds that it is possible to decrease or even eliminate certain food-intolerances with the right approach. How do you approach a food intolerance? Leave a comment on the episode page! Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! In This Episode How Rachel developed her body-positive and intuitive eating approach [4:45] Realizing the true nature of diet-culture [12:37] The many psychological and physiological reasons people avoid certain foods [18:00] Techniques for using intuitive eating to overcome food fears [20:20] Addressing doubt about the validity of food intolerances [33:00] The connection between stress and disordered eating [38:50] Quotes “A true allergy is a little bit easier to understand. But when it’s an intolerance, then the symptoms are not life-threatening and your body is not attacking itself, and it’s just a different story.” [16:47] “It’s sort of a process of trial and error and collaboration. I think first and foremost it’s just really validating their experience throughout it all.” [25:54] “Can we have a pump-up playlist where we call from the power of music? It’s so fabulous! Can we have a pump-up, ready for the food challenge playlist?” [48:00] Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide! Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Sign up for the Nutrition Business Accelerator waitlist! Find Rachel Naar online Follow Rachel on Instagram Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative