Topics
- News and updates from Diane [1:40]
- Balanced Bites Master Class
- 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide in Costco
- Balanced Bites Spices
- Introducing Katie Garces, and something she's into lately [4:40]
- About intuitive eating [13:23]
- The effects of intuitive eating [19:04]
- Navigating the journey [28:00]
- Listening to your body versus eating junk [34:40]
- Intuitive Eating and Moderators/Abstainers [38:12]
- Addressing emotional eating [45:52]
- Final advice for intuitive eating [53:50]
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You’re listening to the Balanced Bites podcast episode 348.
Diane Sanfilippo: Welcome to the Balanced Bites podcast. I’m Diane; a certified nutrition consultant, and the New York Times bestselling author of Practical Paleo and the 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide. I live in San Francisco with my husband and fur kids.
I’m the co-creator of the Balanced Bites Master Class, opening soon, with my podcast partner in crime, Liz. And together we’ve been bringing you this award-winning podcast for more than 6 years. We’re here to share our take on modern healthy living, answer your questions, and chat with leading health and wellness experts. Enjoy this week’s episode, and submit your questions at http://blog.balancedbites.com or watch the Balanced Bites podcast Instagram account for our weekly calls for questions. You can ask us anything in the comments.
Remember our disclaimer: The materials and content within this podcast are intended as general information only, and are not to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Before we get started, let’s hear from one of our sponsors.
Diane Sanfilippo: Today’s podcast is sponsored by Equip Foods. Dr. Anthony Gustin and his teams have created lines of supplements that are super clean and effective, no matter what your dietary needs. I’ve been blending Equip’s complete collagen into my matcha latte every morning. Each scoop has 15 grams of protein, and there are no added flavors. It’s a nice frothy texture to my matcha after it’s been blended in. Check out at www.EquipFoods.com and use the code Balanced for 20% off everything on the site, as well as at their sister product site. Perfect Keto.
1. News and updates from Diane [1:40]
Diane Sanfilippo: Alright you guys. Before I get into my conversation with my special guest today, I wanted to give you a few quick updates. The Balanced Bites Master Class is coming very soon. It’s opening for enrollment in June. And I wanted to let some of you know a little bit of background on who the class is really perfect for. Because as a student, or as a practitioner/coach, there are different approaches here.
And I know tons of you, as listeners, are probably sitting there. You’ve been listening to the show for years. Whether in your car or at your job. And I know that you want to deepen your understanding of nutrition; whether just for yourself, or potentially to make a career shift. Because I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it with a bunch of our students, who have come through and later gone on to other nutrition programs. Or I’ve seen it with people who just wanted to learn more. We don’t travel and teach seminars, or any of that stuff anymore.
This is really the way to do. To come sit and learn with myself and Liz through audiovisual video content, and really get to deepen your understanding and your knowledge and put it into practice in a way that’s different from a one-off podcast here and there, or a blog post. It’s extremely comprehensive. And I know that you guys will absolutely love it. Because you're here, listening to us, every single week.
So be sure you check out. www.blog.balancedbites.com/masterclass. You can get on the wait list. We’ll send you a bunch of information ahead of time. You’ll be able to see some sneak peeks into what the class looks like, and get more details on it. And a heads up; the class is $497 for a couple of months. It’s about an 8 to 10-week program. It just depends on how we space out the live calls in terms of whether there are holidays in there and all of that.
So it’s paced on your own; however we do release the modules over time. Because we don’t want you to be overwhelmed. It’s a ton of information. I know you're absolutely going to love it. So stay tuned for that. And keep your eyes open, your ears open.
Our practitioner/coach program is $1497, because that is slightly more comprehensive. I say slightly with a little wink. It’s more comprehensive and it helps you, as a practitioner, apply what you know to your clients. Lots of business resources and tools. Handouts and bonus modules regarding business.
And as a side note, I wanted to let you know, if you come into the program as a student, and you later become a coach or practitioner through another certification. You can absolutely come back and become a practitioner through the program.
A couple more things. The 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide is now in all US Costco stores. If you don’t see it, dig through the pile. It might be buried. There is a chance it will be sold out in your store. But look for it, ask for it, if you’ve been wanting to check it out. It’s a great way to check it out and also support myself and my work so that we can keep brining you this show and all kinds of other content that’s totally free when you support our work out there in the wild. I totally appreciate that.
And Balanced Bites spices are all back in stock. Head over to BBspices.com. And you can always see what’s going on over on Instagram at Balanced Bites.
2. Introducing Katie Garces, and something she’s into lately [4:40]
Alright you guys. I am super excited, as we have a special guest on today’s show; Katie Garces. Katie and I go way back. She’s been a 21-Day Sugar Detox coach from the beginning. She’s one of those people; and I will talk about this with her when she jumps on. She’s one of those people who has just always kind of been on my mind, because she is just doing the work day in and day out, and really committed to this whole practice as a nutrition coach. But a little background on her.
Katie Garces is a nurse practitioner and a certified nutritional therapy practitioner. She blends her professional background in traditional healthcare, wellness, and nutrition with her passion for the healing power of spiritual wholeness for women and men across the country. Katie examines how our spiritual and emotional barriers have a direct effect on our relationship with our bodies.
Her coaching and online programs work to achieve a “grownup” and empowered approach to life balance. So her clients will live lives that feel, as she says, “Sexy, spiritual, and sane.” Katie also founded the wildly popular Denver-based Beyond Book Club, and serves as a coach and mentor to nutritionists and nutrition students with her enterprising nutritionist program. She leads workshops and retreats around the country, and is excited to share her brand new program on intuitive eating. A topic she’s passionate about teaching.
Katie’s blog was listed as the 2017 Top Health Blogs to Watch in the Huffington Post. Her work has been published in Elephant Journal, Paleo Magazine, and Westwood Magazine, as well. And her recipes have been published in Paleo Magazines Holiday and Summer cookbooks.
Katie currently resides in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, twin boys, Bob the Hamster, and Piper the Puppy. I absolutely love following her on Instagram. It’s super fun, as well.
Welcome to the show, Katie!
Katie Garces: Thank you! I’m so excited to be here. Thanks for having me.
Diane Sanfilippo: I’m excited to have you. This is a long time coming. We have known each other for many years. I think; did we first meet through the 21-Day Sugar Detox.
Katie Garces: I believe so. And that was back when it was a PDF. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} You’re an OG to the whole community. That’s for sure.
Katie Garces: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: You were one of the original; you were a beta coach, weren’t you?
Katie Garces: I was. Uh-huh.
Diane Sanfilippo: Back when the original; the whole first thing came out. So I remember you were at one of the book signings I did in Denver. And you were like, “If you need any help, let me know.” And I was like, “Yeah can you take pictures?” I think you were taking pictures for us.
Katie Garces: I was taking pictures, yep.
Diane Sanfilippo: So it’s funny, because a lot of times people want to know how to connect over business mentorship or even developing a friendship as we have in different ways. It’s something that I can’t ever say that, yeah I’m going to mentor people. Or this will happen. But you and I just had that connection, and you were somebody who just was doing the work. You, for years, have just been doing the work. And those are the types of people that I’m always drawn to and want to support and uplift and help. And as we’ve gone through the years, and watching your business develop and see all the things that you're doing. And I’m really excited that we get to chat today.
Katie Garces: Thank you. I agree. It definitely happened organically and over time. And I feel like those are the best connections in relationships to have. So I am thrilled to be here.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yay! So you guys already heard Katie’s intro. So what we’re going to do is actually just jump into an ice breaker, as you guys know we love to do on this show. And why don’t you tell us something that your digging lately?
Katie Garces: Ok. I feel like I’m digging a lot of things, but the thing that’s really on my big radar screen right now is these new CBD oil infused bath salts. One of my good friends who lives up in Boulder developed these with CBD oil, from the cannabis flower. It just has all these amazing properties of antiinflammation, and help us to sleep, which I can always use. Anti-stress, all that stuff.
I’ve always been a bath taker, and Epsom salts I love. So to have this added element of CBD. And it’s got all these different essential oil blends. So there’s a time of the month blend. And there’s a relaxation blend. So it’s just kind of a fun way to elevate your self-care. I’ve dubbed this unofficially my year of self-care. So it fits right in with what I’m up to. So I’m really into those these day.
Diane Sanfilippo: I definitely need to up my bath game. Because I’m a fan of taking baths. But one of the things about this house, I will have to say, I don’t feel like the bathtub was the biggest selling point. It’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with it. But it’s not like; “I need to take a bath in there.”
Maybe it’s because it has the glass door. And that feels a little less welcoming for a bath. I’m like, “I need somewhere to put my stuff.” {laughs}
Katie Garces: Right you want to make the whole arena pretty.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s a whole thing.
Katie Garces: I hear you.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah. Anyway. That’s awesome. So I’m going to share something that I’ve been digging lately. One I’ve been digging lately; for those of you who are Beautycounter people, or Beautycounter consultants you might know her. But if you're not, I think would still be interested to follow her on Instagram her name is Lindsay Dahl. And her Instagram is @Beautycounter.Hill.Nerd. Meaning Capitol Hill. And she’s a nerd about advocacy.
And I just love watching what she posts. She shares information about work that the company is doing on Capitol Hill and all over the country to help get safer skincare and cosmetic laws passed. She kind of pulls the curtain back on what they’re doing. Which I find fantastic. I just love it so much. I love how genuine she is. I love her energy. I loved hearing her speak at our conference this past weekend. That was definitely a highlight for me.
And I feel like whether or not you're interested in this company or the products that Beautycounter sells, knowing what the company is doing for the entire personal care industry at large. And in order to protect people more from harmful products, I think that’s a really interesting story and interesting to learn about.
One of the things she’s been doing currently is working on getting a bill passed her in California regarding labeling on salon products. So a lot of us know that the products that are in salons; they can be extremely toxic. And some salons may have healthier or cleaner options. And this bill would have nothing to do with what’s in the products. But merely having the ingredients listed.
Because what if somebody is dealing with a health concern. Or they found out something is going on. Or they just are becoming more aware and want to avoid things that they know are harmful. Phthalates and parabens and SLS and all kinds of other ingredients that can be potentially carcinogenic or endocrine disruptors, for example. They have a right to know. And salon workers are, by and large female. And also primarily a vast array of different communities and ethnic backgrounds. Whether that’s minorities; anybody. So we really want to make sure that everyone is being accounted for, and making sure that they’re protected. And have information.
Because that’s one of the things that the founder of the company always says; armed with better information and armed with more information, we can make more informed choices. And that’s really what it’s all about. It’s not about dictating what anybody uses. It’s really more about making sure that we all have information, because we have the right to that.
So, I think you guys would love following her. If you want to nerd out on that stuff. Or you just want to know. You’re just curious; more about what this company is about or how this might impact what’s happening with your personal care products. So @Beautycounter.Hill.Nerd. Her name is Lindsay Dahl, and I think you're going to love following her.
Katie Garces: She was really impressive. Her talk was awesome.
Diane Sanfilippo: I loved it. She has so much passion for this whole thing. And I was commenting on her posts. “Thank you, that was amazing!”
Katie Garces: Yeah it was really cool. She knows a lot.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah.
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3. About intuitive eating [13:23]
Diane Sanfilippo: Alright you guys. So let’s get into my little interview here with Katie Garces. I’m really excited to talk to you about this topic. Because it’s something that our listeners are curious about. But we really have not talked a lot about it. Liz and I are not at all experts on this subject. Although I’m sure we both have our own touchpoint with the subject matter, just in our own lives and what we’ve experienced over the last decade or more of moving towards this type of approach.
Although, I won’t speak for either myself or Liz and say this is one thing that’s overarching that we do 100% of the time. But I think it’s a goal for everyone in some way. And that’s the topic of intuitive eating.
So, can you talk to us about what exactly intuitive eating means? Because I know you’ve been working on a program around this for a long time. And you’ve worked on many different topics around nutrition, and have worked with women for years. So I know you’ve come to this place, and feel super grounded in this topic. So can you talk to us about what it means?
Katie Garces: Yeah, absolutely. Intuitive eating; and I’ll share a bit of my story, too, as we go along. But its’ really been lifechanging for me and really freeing for me, and I think for a lot of my clients. Very simply put, intuitive eating is the way we were meant to eat and live. It’s just really being in tune with our body. What our body is asking for. And basically giving it that.
So when you think about what you body wants, and you think about the diet that we eat. Our diets and our bodies, we’re changing every day. Day in and day out. It’s dynamic. What we might need today, or what we might crave, or what we might want might be different tomorrow. It might be different an hour from now. So just being really in tune with our bodies, and being really in tune.
And when I say that; when we’re following a diet, or a framework, or a plan we tend to go into that saying, “Ok. I’m going to do this. I’m going to follow it 100%. No judgement; go for it.” But that doesn’t give us much wiggle room for listening to our body. And saying, “Wow. I feel really dehydrated today. I wonder why?” Maybe you haven’t had enough electrolytes. Maybe you haven’t had enough fat, or enough carbs, or whatever. But when we’re stuck in this diet framework, it doesn’t give us that wiggle room to get out and sort of honor what our body is asking for.
So our body innately wants, and will go towards balance. Our body innately wants homeostasis. And again, when we’re forced into a box of a solid diet, we don’t allow for that. So to some extent, that can cause internal stress; physiologic stress. But it can also obviously cause a lot of emotional and mental stress. Because we’re trying so hard mentally to follow this plan or this diet, or whatever. But everything physiologically and biologically is screaming the other way.
So either we “fall off the wagon” or stop doing it. And then we feel like failures. We feel that sort of shame cycle, and guilty. And for people who have a tendency towards emotional eating, that can bring on that emotional eating. “I feel shame and guilt; I’m going to numb out or ground with more food.” Or the other very classic on is, “I’ve already screwed up, so I might as well eat all the things for the rest of the week, or until I start again.”
So, I think a lot of us have gotten to this “on or off” way of living. And I know that was me for many, many years. I was either on a plan, doing a challenge, doing a detox, or not. And over the years, that “not” period kind of got unhealthy. So I was literally swinging between extremes all the time. And that’s not healthy. It’s not healthy physically, and it’s not healthy mentally, obviously.
So to finally find what I like to call that gentle middle, where I can take what I’ve learned over the years. Which is a lot. About nutrition. And I know a lot of people out there know a lot about different diets and nutrition. There’s nothing wrong with that; that’s awesome to have that sort of wisdom, knowledge. But to say, “OK, what is it that I need today. What is it that I don’t need today. And where can I give myself that grace to find that place and honor what my body is asking.”
Diane Sanfilippo: I love that. I think as you know, obviously creating a plan/program that’s a 21-day program. I have said, especially more recently, that it’s an excellent tool. And I actually think paleo is a great tool. The sugar detox is a great tool. Keto is a great tool. To learn something about how food feels in your body in different balances. And the struggle that we’ve probably both seen people get stuck in is exactly what you said; that “on or off” mentality. And that also brings “good and bad” mentality.
If I’m on, it’s good and if I’m off, it’s bad. And something that I’ve worded as a new normal is; along these lines of what’s normal for you and what feels good for you. And I think the idea that it is intuitive is so helpful. Especially for people who have learned; “What is real food. What are the things that 80-90% of the time we’re fueling ourselves with?”
Once you already know how to eat real food, deciding that you're going to be just a rules follower for forever. Which, maybe that feels good for you. And if it feels good for you, cool. But if it doesn’t, I think that’s what you're really talking about. If it doesn’t not only feel good, but it’s not working for you because emotionally you're a mess, then I think this approach sounds like something that a lot of our listeners are going to feel like they want to just dial in and learn; how do they do this? How do they get to a place where they can tune into their body and not allow the idea of following rules or not to be the end-all, be-all?
4. The effects of intuitive eating [19:04]
Diane Sanfilippo: So, why don’t you talk about how this has changed your life. Because I think that’s probably where our listeners are going to understand more about just identifying where they’re at now. And where they might be able to get to with this kind of approach. Like mentally, stress, all of that.
Katie Garces: Right. I would say I probably started dieting, or having the diet mindset, very early. And I think this is probably typical; even more so nowadays. But probably early teens. And it was just always about, “How can I be as fit as I can be. I want to lose a couple extra pounds.” Which is never quite being satisfied, and always looking for the next magic bullet or thing that was going to work.
So you name it, I’ve tried it. And again, that basically just led me to 25-plus years of on and off mentality. So by the time that I hit 40, which I know you just hit, as well. Which has been almost exactly a year now. I was done. I just felt exhausted, mentally and physically. And I was just like; “I am just done.”
And I need to find a way that is sustainable and that I can just live. And stop wasting all this emotional energy, physical energy, time. Counting calories, counting macros. It sucks you dry. It takes your time away. Again, I’m not saying there isn’t a time and place for that. And whatever your goals are, that’s fine. But for me, having lived basically a lifetime of this on and off rollercoaster stuff, I was just like; I’m done.
To go from a lifetime of being within a framework, or on a diet to a place of; hey. It’s wide open. Is really scary. It’s like the wild, wild west. And my biggest fear was that I was going to gain a lot of weight. I’m like, can I trust my body? Can I trust my body to make choices and not just go crazy on all the bad things or all the overeating things that might be “bad”. But I might tend to overeat them, or whatever.
I did go into it with a lot of fear. But I also felt very much that I was called to do this at this time, and that this was where I needed to be. So I just stepped into it, kind of from a place of surrender. And just kind of like; this is what I know I need to do; for my body, for my mind. For my business, for my clients. I feel like for those coaches out there; I feel like we tend to attract people similar to us. And I would see the same things. The same people coming to me on and off. “What’s the next diet, Katie? What’s the next program?” And then being in this really ugly middle place.
So I was like, “ok. Let’s do this.” I kind of started last fall, and in earnest over the holidays. I did kind of a test for myself, because the holidays were notoriously my worst time. It was like, “ok. It’s the holidays. I can eat and drink all the things. And come January 1st I’m doing some sort of program or detox.” And I didn’t want to get to that place. I didn’t want to feel that bad mentally and physically on January 1st. So I said, “Ok. I’m not going to give myself any restrictions. But I don’t want to be in that place January 1st.”
So I just really released everything. And it was interesting, for the first time ever, I think, I didn’t gain weight over the holidays. I didn’t feel like I needed a detox on January 1st. And it was shocking and very freeing. So that’s when I really sort of dug in. I’m like, “Ok, this intuitive eating thing. There might be something to it. Now that we’re out of the craziness of the holidays, let’s see what happens in real life.”
For me, everything has changed. Namely, I think by allowing myself to eat what I want, I am satisfied quicker, or earlier, and I don’t consider to seek food. For example; our bodies, we’re made to seek pleasure. We’re wired that way. And I used this example a lot. I went to breakfast. And I was craving something cool, crunchy, and a little sweet. And the old me would have been like, “That’s too high in sugar. That’s too high in carbs. I need to have a savory breakfast with eggs and sausage.” But nothing in my body was wanting that. It didn’t sound good. I didn’t want it.
So I honored what my body was asking. I had some house made granola with some plain yogurt and berries. And it was delicious. I ate it. I didn’t feel guilty about it. And I moved on. As opposed to eating the eggs and sausage if you will. And maybe, I’m sure it would have tasted fine. But I didn’t give my body what it was asking. So I probably would have gone home and scoured the cupboard for something crunchy, sweet, and cold. Right?
So just honoring what your body is asking for and giving it the pleasure it’s seeking from whatever food that is allows you to actually eat a little bit less. Because you're giving it what it’s asking for then and there. And not continuing to graze and crave throughout the day. So I feel like I started a little bit less, even though I might have been eating foods that I, in the past, might have thought weren’t on plan or perfect.
So inadvertently think I lost a little bit of weight. Which also shocked me, because I’ve never inadvertently lost weight in my whole life. That’s been a struggle, always. Every pound, every ounce was a struggle. So to see my body responding in a way that was kind of how I always wanted it to, just by trusting it and listening to it. It was like; wow. For the first time ever I thought, “Hey, maybe we are in this together. And maybe we can be on this path together.” I say make friends with food, make friends with your body as opposed to let’s continue to butt heads and let’s continue to have this lifelong struggle. So that was a huge realization for me.
And I also think, just being more present with my relationships. And being more present with my kids. And being more present in whatever situation I’m in. Because I’m not overthinking my order. Or counting my calories or macros. Or whatever it is. Just that constant mental battle that’s going on for some of us that are in this place. It takes you away. It takes you away from your relationships, and being present. So being present has been a huge blessing, I think, to me. And my family. And my relationships. And all of those things just kind of make you happier.
I’m not constantly worried about; “well. I guess I better plan my next detox, because my birthday is coming up, and I know after my birthday I always need something.” I can just trust that I will be able to; maybe I will overdo it on my birthday. But you know what? That’s ok. I don’t have to beat myself up. I don’t have to feel guilty about it. And the next day maybe I eat a little bit more greens, and I hydrate a little bit more. It’s just about balance. It’s not about this yes and no, black and white all the time.
For me, I’m even sleeping better. And that’s kind of a roundabout thing. But I’m not so stressed out about what I did or didn’t eat. How much I did or didn’t exercise. That I don’t wake up in the middle of the night worrying about it. Which happened. It happened, and that’s ridiculous that that would interrupt my sleep. But again, that mental battle in my head. It’s like that angel/devil on your shoulder. Right?
So sleeping better. I’m probably eating less, but eating what my body was asking for. Being more present. Those are all things that have just really served me with this practice. And it feels so much more peaceful to me in my life.
Diane Sanfilippo: I love that. I’ve talked so many times. I know probably some of our listeners are hearing you say; “Oh, I don’t need to do a detox.” That’s not even just my detox. I remember not this past January but the one before, I think you had created a short small program for yourself. Because it was like, “Let’s do this.” And I think that was probably one of the last times that you were like, “I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Katie Garces: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: To that point, that’s the thing that I’ve always talked about with people. If you keep coming back to the same program, or the same two or three programs because there’s just fundamentally a lack of trust in yourself. And I don’t think for everyone; I think for some people, there’s a comfort and an ease to following a program. And for other people’ there’s not. Do you know what I mean?
Katie Garces: Right.
Diane Sanfilippo: I do find that for me, at a lot of times in my life, following a program that has a lot of flexibility but some structure actually lightens my energy and lightens my mood. Because otherwise it was this; I don’t know. Maybe an emotional unawareness around what’s happening with food. Whereas if I can just write it down, literally just put things on paper as to what’s happening. I feel less stressed about it. And I feel more like, “ok. That’s what I had.” I know I feel good if I eat a little more protein, so if I’m not feeling good I can see right there on the paper. If you didn’t have the protein, and you know you feel good doing that.
So I think that really speaks to this idea of; where do we fall within, what’s your head space when you go into these programs. The detox or challenge. And I think we all need to get really honest with ourselves in that space and in that place. I think you're really hitting the nail on the head for so many people who are feeling lost about, “I keep doing these things. And it works for a short period of time. And then I’m feeling super guilty when I fall off. And then I go so far off the rails. And I can’t reign myself back in.” It’s missing that grounding of really tuning into your body.
5. Navigating the journey [28:00]
Diane Sanfilippo: So, I have a question for you that’s totally practically speaking. The one example that you just gave about being at a restaurant. Where essentially you will have a lot of choices at a restaurant. What if you're home. And you're craving that crunchy, fresh, whatever. But what’s in your fridge is eggs and sausage. What do you do practically speaking? If you're like, “Actually what I want is this. But that’s not what I have here.” How do you do that? How do you move forward in that moment?
Katie Garces: I mean, obviously you could go out and find whatever it was you were looking for. But if that’s not possible, either, I think you make the best choices and decisions based on what you have. And just kind of, note to self. “I know this might be a craving I might have. Or something that I might want.” So you could start stocking it.
So for me, I never know what I want for breakfast. Nowadays, it literally is eggs, sweet potatoes, and sausage. Or it’s a yogurt bowl with granola and berries. That’s what it was this morning. Frozen berries. I kind of like the cold sweet. So I stock both right now.
And that’s part of the journey, I guess you could say, with intuitive eating. You're not going to know. That’s why it’s scary at first. You're not going to know what it is you're going to want to want. So it is a process at first. And for me, it’s going to be a lifelong process. But just kind of experimenting and learning and knowing what you need to be prepared with.
To your other point, I think it’s important to comment. Detoxes and challenges, and all the stuff out there. They’re not bad, at all. They’re not inherently bad. In fact, they’re really important. And that is how; and you alluded to this earlier. But that is how we learn about ourselves, and about what works for us and what doesn’t work for us. That’s how we learn about food prepping and quality food.
So many people have learned so much from your program, and the other programs that are out there. I even have just a 10-day real food reset. Because I do think it’s important for people to learn how to eat real food. And it’s actually one of the ways that we can eat intuitively. If we’re eating like crap all the time; junk food and Standard American Diet food, it’s really hard to listen to our body. Because our body has been tricked. Our palate is desensitized.
So that’s actually one of the very first things to do. Learn how to sort of get back to the food chain and eating real food. So those things, there’s a time and place for those. But like you said, when we’re coming back to them time after time. I was so good; I could outsmart any challenge. You tell me I could have almonds; I’ll have all the almonds until my stomach hurts. Because I’m overeating it again. Because maybe I actually wanted some crackers. But that wasn’t allowed. So I was the queen of outsmarting these programs and stuff. Because I think after the first time or two, I had gotten what I needed from it.
And that’s another thing you’ve got to be able to tune into. Like; ok. Say it’s a two-week program, and maybe by day 13 or day 10, you're good. You’re like, “I feel like I’ve gotten what I needed from this program.” Be ok stepping away and just respecting that that’s what you needed. And that’s ok if you didn’t finish 14 days. You finished 10, and you got all the benefits you needed, and you can walk away that much more knowledgeable. Own that. That’s ok.
Diane Sanfilippo: I love it. That’s one of the reasons too why in the 21-Day Sugar Detox, for example, I also don’t tell people that if there’s a slip up or a day where something is kind of off-track, that it means they’ve failed. Because while I do totally hear you; if you go this much time, and you’re like, “I’ve learned what I need to learn.” That’s cool.
What I see in practice is a lot of folks come to a challenge because they honestly don’t feel capable of a lot of things in their lives, and so being able to say, “I completed this thing no matter what.” Not to the detriment of your health; not to that kind of extreme. But not giving up on day 19 just because it seems good enough. But sticking with it so you can look back and say, “I did a thing. I completed it. Pat myself on the back.” There’s a huge confidence boost that comes with that.
But at the same time, if you are on day 14 and you pop a grape in your mouth. Or you grabbed a French fry off someone’s plate, and you’re like, “Oh, wait. What just happened?” Or even if you consciously did it. Because you're just in that place where you're like; I want to try it. I kind of force people to look at; “What was the thought process there. Were you feeling emotional? Were you feeling defiant? Were you just in a moment.
Katie Garces: Right. It’s getting curious as opposed to getting judgmental.
Diane Sanfilippo: Exactly. And then just move on. Because that is what life is. And we have to prepare ourselves for that balance. Absolutely. So anyway.
I think this is a cool way to approach things because it addresses this idea of your future self. So when you were talking about the holiday situation, I think what a program, or a reset, whatever. A sugar detox might teach you is how well this feel in your body, when you're eating real food or not. And what your approach is really addressing is kind of this idea of your future self. It’s like; you handle what you need right now. Because you know that if you don’t, your future self will suffer for it.
Katie Garces: Exactly. And when I looked at that holiday period, I kind of looked at all the things I know make me feel happy and healthy. Not just food. So for me, it’s like getting my workouts in during the week. Getting in that movement. And if I overate or drank too much at a party during the holidays, then I don’t make it to my workout. And my sleep suffers. And then it’s that vicious cycle.
So for me, it’s like; ok. I gave my permission to maybe say no to a couple of parties that I didn’t have to go to, because I knew that sleep was my priority because I really wanted to hit my favorite workout the next day, or whatever. So it’s not just about the eating. And that’s why I actually like to say it’s intuitive living. It’s like; what is it that my body needs to feel the best that I can, like you said, the way I want to feel come January 1st. Or come whatever date. Or all the time. It’s all those things put together. So if we can just honor those.
First of all we have to figure out what they are for us. And they’re different for everybody. Figure out what they are, and honor them. And do everything that we can to support them. Knowing, like you said, we’re only human. We’re going to mess up. And the biggest piece of messing up, like you said, is just getting back up. Not spiraling. Because that’s one of the, I think, biggest hang-ups. People just kind of spiral. And they’re like, “Well, I screwed up. I might as well just, everything is out the window.” And then two months later, “Katie, help!”
I always say; “The very next time you eat is a chance to start again.” The very next time. You always have a chance for a fresh start. And no judgement, and no guilt, and just kind of let it go. It’s in the past. Next opportunity is a fresh start.
6. Listening to your body versus eating junk [34:40]
Diane Sanfilippo: So, I’m curious how you see this play out; both with yourself and with your clients. How the emotional side of things comes in with the balance of tuning into what your body is asking for. What I’m sensing from you is that primarily it is a physical craving. But I think a lot of people will have a hard time differentiating between, “Am I craving something that’s a little bit sweet because of an emotional thing that’s going on? Or does my body want it because I’ve been restricting carbs, and now my body wants carbs, so I translate that to candy.”
This is just some example person. I feel very fortunately now that I don’t turn to candy when I want something carby. That’s over years of what we’ve talked about. Going through eating real food for so long. But that was me long, long ago. I ate every cookie, candy was in the house when I was a kid. If there were Christmas cookies left, I would just peck away at that plate for so long. Wake up in the morning, “Where are the cookies?”
But I’m just thinking about our listeners, and how they’re probably hearing you say, “Listen to the type of food that your body is saying you want.” But they’re thinking, “But my body wants cookies, Kate.” How do I get around that? That’s what they want to know.
Katie Garces: And that’s always like I to say what intuitive eating is not. Because some people say, “Hey, you're telling me I can eat whatever I want, then I’m going to go to McDonald’s for lunch, and I’m going to have pizza and beer for dinner. And I’m going to go for a donut tomorrow morning. Because maybe they are addicted to that food. Or maybe that’s what they truly think they crave.
And that’s, again, why I think it is important to spend a couple of days at least trying to eat really cleanly and eat sort of real food to kind of get some of those cravings out of the way. Because we crave what we eat. So if we continue to eat a lot of sugar, we’re going to continue to crave sugar. If we continue to eat a lot of vegetables, we’re going to crave vegetables. Our body craves what we continue to give it. So kind of stepping away from those things, at least for a couple of days, I think is very helpful.
When it comes to the emotional piece and cravings. Food is grounding. It’s inherently grounding. There’s nothing wrong with that. So just kind of, again becoming really self-aware of the things that you're craving. Maybe it would be helpful sometimes for people to write things down, like you said. Like, “I was really craving cookies. I had them.” And I hope if you did choose to have them then you wouldn’t feel guilty about it, you would just move on, like I said.
But maybe like you said, get curious. Look back. What was my day like? Was it super stressful? Did I have a fight with my husband? What was going on there that I sought that out. And maybe you had a great day and you were just craving some cookies. And you know what; ok. So you have some cookies. Life goes on. Cookies are good and they’re a part of life. They don’t need to be a part of every meal and every day.
It’s getting curious about what is going on when you feel like you're having some emotional craving or emotional eating. Like I said, food is grounding. Food will make us feel better. That’s not good or bad, it’s just a fact. So just kind of recognizing that. And if you do feel like you're doing that more often. Using food for feeling grounding. Or using food to potentially “numb out.” Try to find out some other things that might help you feel better. I know it’s cliché, people say it all the time. But going for a walk is seriously one of the best things you can do. Get out in nature. Get out, get some fresh air.
What are the things you like to do that you can feel loved up on yourself without necessarily having it be food? Do that first. If you still have that craving; honor it. Have a little bit and move on.
7. Intuitive Eating and Moderators/Abstainers [38:12]
Diane Sanfilippo: So I know that you are a fan of Gretchen Rubin’s work. I saw that in your Beyond Book Club; I’m actually relying on my own memory. Not looking at anything. So in your Beyond Book Club, you were reading the Four Tendencies. In that book, I don’t think she talks about it as much. But in Better than Before, I know she did. And we talk about it on the podcast a lot. But Abstainers versus Moderators. I’m curious how you see this potentially panning out for those of us who consider ourselves Abstainers.
I’m not somebody who naturally feels like moderation is a thing for me. I do find that there are certain foods that, over time, I care less about. And maybe in the past if it was an emotional stress or whatever, I would have trouble moderating it. Where as now, it’s like a certain food. But in general, I’m a “I just shouldn’t have any.” Because that’s just my personality. It’s like; I don’t really have an addictive personality. But one cookie or a couple of cookies, I’m not sure if that’s a thing for me. One brownie; only if only one exists. If there’s one whole pan, you know.
Katie Garces: Sure. Yeah, I get that.
Diane Sanfilippo: So I’m curious if you think inherently, this would be an approach that if you know that you're a Moderator, this is a much easier way to approach things. Whereas if you're an Abstainer, I don’t know. I wonder if it’s as easy for an Abstainer.
Katie Garces: That’s a good question. And I do think it’s probably a good approach for a Moderator. Potentially a Moderator who has, in the past, had a problem with overdoing, like me. Abstainers, I don’t know. I guess I’d be curious because I’m not one, and you are. If you know yourself; again, it’s that sort of body wisdom. And experimenting over years and years, so what works for you and what doesn’t. If you know that there are things out there that are sort of slippery slopes for you, and it’s really not worth it to you to go there; then yeah. I would stay away.
I guess the other side of that coin is; if it’s something that you're going to obsess over it, and it’s always on your mind, then that’s not worth the mental energy. And that’s a place where you might need to make an Abstainer option and just go try it a little bit and see. But I think that’s, again, going to come down to individualized body experimenting and what’s going to work for you.
Diane Sanfilippo: I think that’s an interesting point. Because as an Abstainer, not having things doesn’t really make me obsess over it. It actually kind of takes it off the plate. For the most part.
Katie Garces: And I think that’s what Gretchen Rubin says, too.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah. Because she’s like; literally never eats sugar.
Katie Garces: Not even on her birthday.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah, I’m not that person, that’s for sure. But I think your example you kind of gave earlier about if following a program makes you feel like all you live for is a cheat day, or you have a backlash experience from it. Then that’s where tuning in more and figuring out how to get off that hardline option. Of, this is a yes, this is a no.
Diane Sanfilippo: You know, I actually think; I’m wondering what you think about this, too. I actually think the idea of “yes and no”, when it’s not tied to morality. When it’s tied to; for me this is a no food because it doesn’t feel good when I eat it, emotionally or physically. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think that is partially intuitive eating.
Katie Garces: Totally.
Diane Sanfilippo: For me, when I found out I was allergic to almonds. And now I might be able to eat them again. I’m like; they’re still a no food, because I don’t really want to deal with more paleo cookies in my life. So I just kind of leave them out.
Katie Garces: Exactly.
Diane Sanfilippo: I don’t feel any pressure about that, or like, “Ugh. I really want it.” I just don’t care. I’m indifferent.
Katie Garces: Right. That’s 100% intuitive eating. I know things that just don’t; I have some people in my family that are obsessed with gummy worm, sugary things. And even I was saying, “I’m 100% intuitive. I can eat whatever I want. No problem. No restrictions.” That doesn’t do it for me. If I were to have one, I know it would taste good. But I know how it makes me feel. And it makes me feel lousy. And that’s not how I want to feel. I know the way that I want to feel. I know the foods that support that. And that’s how I choose to eat.
So yeah, there might be some foods that I consume now that certainly were no food lists, or bad food if we’re going to go there, a morality thing. But I know that I tolerate them. They don’t make me feel bad. They don’t make me break out. They don’t make me get bloated, or whatever. Again. Staying in a relatively, nutritious eating way, I can have those foods. I can enjoy them. And I can move on. And that’s to me a very peaceful place to be.
Diane Sanfilippo: I think literally this just vision of a visual representation of intuitive eating is kind of this Venn diagram overlap, I don’t know what it would be. An overlap of a physical feeling, and an emotional desire, but also an intellectual knowing.
Katie Garces: Yes.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s like; I feel like want this thing. This flavor; what you were saying. Sweet, cold, crunchy, whatever. But now combine that with what you know intellectually about food. And then that doesn’t equal Fruity Pebbles and skim milk. It equals a healthy version of a full fat yogurt or whatever, berries. And a granola that not highly processed. So it’s like that whole convergence gets people to a place where you're dropping the guilt and shame. You're able to enjoy the food that you're eating.
Because I think that’s something that people miss so much. People come through a sugar detox, and it’s like; all these questions about, “Do you ever have a treat?” But a treat to me is so different than everyone. Because I might enjoy a gluten free donut now and then, but I also might really enjoy salmon skin from my bowl of salmon and whatever else. That’s so enjoyable to me. That feels like a treat. Like, give me yours. I want that. That feels like a treat too. I know that’s not a classic treat. But we can feel treated by our food in a lot of different ways that are positive and also nourishing our bodies.
Katie Garces: Totally. And that goes back to that sort of innate; our bodies are hardwired to seek pleasure from food. That’s literally what’s kept us alive and evolved for thousands of years. When we don’t get some sense of pleasure from our food, we don’t feel satisfied. Even if calorically we’ve had enough, we’re going to continue to want something until our brain gets that satisfied, that sort of pleasure hit. Whether it’s salmon skin or a gluten free donut. We need that little pleasure hit so we can move on.
And when we move on with our lives; we eat maybe, I don’t know, 2 hours a day if you add it all up. That’s how many extra hours a day we have to be energetically clear to do all the amazing things that we’re here to do. And not obsess or focus on, or ruminate over what we did or didn’t do in our last meal, or the last night. And so that’s really what it comes down to for me. This has cleared up so much space for me to do the things and to do the work that I’m here to do, and help the people. Whether that’s be a more present mother, or help clients. Whatever it is and whatever it’s going to be for you guys. To clear up that energy is so freeing. It’s like, opened up this whole new world.
Diane Sanfilippo: I love it. Preach!
Katie Garces: {laughs}
8. Addressing emotional eating [45:52]
Diane Sanfilippo: I love it. So, how do you, and also I would say how do you recommend your clients, address their feelings without turning to food. And I would highlight this as; especially in a period of time when they’re figuring out intuitive eating. I think when you get to a point where you're there. This is what I do when I’m feeling sad or lonely or bored or whatever. Bored is not an emotion, I understand. But sad or lonely or contemplative. Whatever.
Katie Garces: When I started, and I’m not a big journaler. But I started a little journal just on my computer. It was like an email to myself that I just kept open as a draft. And I just kind of wrote everything that was going on for me that day. And how I was feeling. And it was literally probably a paragraph a day. It wasn’t pages and pages. Because some days I felt like I was doing a really good job, and some days I felt like I wasn’t. But I wanted to document it so that I could look back and be like, “Oh wow. Look what led up to this.” Or not.
I feel like that was not only just a good exercise to do to, again, be able to reference back. But also just something that kind of kept me grounded. It was on my laptop. It was always open. I could just open up that tab and just jot down what I was feeling or thinking about my eating habits and behaviors that day.
And I don’t do that anymore because I don’t feel like I need to. But if I were to ever feel things getting; I don’t know, funky or out of control. That was a really good exercise for me. I know a lot of people out there are great journalers. And if you have a journal, get in there and just write. For me, it was just easy to type some stuff down. It’s almost, like I said, an email to myself. And that was just a really good way to kind of keep myself in check. And it didn’t have to be some major intervention. But just like a little thing.
Diane Sanfilippo: I like that. I wrote down a note here. I’ve been taking a bunch of notes during our call. And this is something that I encourage people to do if they’re on a program. If they’re working on intuitive eating. Whatever you're working on, is to write down how you felt after eating the thing that you were craving. And I think that’s; you were kind of touching on this earlier, and I wrote this note down a while ago.
But, what if you eat those cookies, or whatever it is? Do you feel better? Do you feel like you got what you wanted from that? And if you don’t; because I remember in my past, it was probably about a decade ago. I remember feeling, probably when I was just in the beginning of my hustle. Around 30 years old. And I lived upstairs from a business street. There was a bar downstairs. A couple of them, probably. And there were lots of people out. It would be a Saturday night, and it would be a weekend where I wasn’t teaching a seminar. So I would be home on a Saturday night. And I was like, “All these people are out partying and drinking, and I’m not doing that. I’m going to have this dairy free ice cream. Or I’m going to have whatever it was.”
And I’m not sure that I really felt better. Because what I was feeling was just lonely, and missing out on socializing. And instead, it was. Sorry, the dog is being really weird. Harper, what are you doing? Missing out on socializing, and not participating in that. But that’s because at that time in our lives; which I’m sure you can relate to this too.
And I’m sure many of our listeners are probably around 30, and are deciding to pull away from the bar scene. From your friends who are still kind of out there partying it up. That’s a confusing time. That’s a hard time to understand what to do with yourself when all your friends are still kind of going out and drinking. You're like; I don’t know how to have fun and just relax when other folks don’t want to hang out, because they’re always out.
So I do remember that time. And I wish I had written down, how did I feel after I made some random tahini. This is the weird, healthy stuff. It was tahini, and a little maple syrup, and cacao nibs. The healthiest snacky thing {laughs} that I was probably craving. Which I’m like; I should write that down. That was a good recipe.
But yeah, that’s just such an interesting thing to observe. Behaviors that you’ve had over time. And how maybe you were eating a little bit intuitively at the time. But then you didn’t know enough about nutrition. Or you didn’t really know how to handle your emotions. Or what was happening. So those are just interesting things to observe. I think writing it down holds so much more power. And I’ve never been great at that, but in hindsight, that would have been amazing to look back at.
Katie Garces: Yeah. And I think the way I know if it’s “worked” or not. If I have a little sweet craving after dinner, and I allow myself to have some cookies I had made. Or some healthy ice cream that I have, that I still enjoy. The way I know that’s “worked” is I’m done thinking about food. It doesn’t continue to stay on my mind. Whereas before, if I was saying, “no dessert tonight!” Then literally for the next three hours before bed, I would be eyeing the cupboard. Or looking at my kid’s dessert.
And that, again, is just a place of not being present and not being satisfied that I don’t want to be anymore. So I’d much rather give myself a little bit of what that is that I want and move on, as opposed to have it hanging over me for hours to come. So that’s when I know.
I’m sure there are those times where maybe it’s an emotional think and maybe I have one too many cookies in my stomach and it’s like; yep. There you did it. But all that is just another piece of data as far as I’m concerned. It’s a data point. And you just look at it and say; oh well. You ate too much Katie, and your stomach hurts. So move on, and next time don’t do that. And not beating myself up about and just being like, “ok. Next.”
Diane Sanfilippo: I think that is such an important little nugget. That, realizing that whatever little treat it was, one extra was too many or whatever it is just didn’t feel good. That being a data point. That being a point of information; not a point to feel shame about. Because I’m with you. The next meal is your next chance. If you hold onto shame, that’s when you really can’t progress and can’t make positive changes. Because having that feeling of shame takes you away from a growth mindset. So I think those are really important lessons.
Diane Sanfilippo: Can you remember a moment when you had identified that you had made peace with food? Was there a moment. A day. A week. A meal. Where you were like; oh.
Katie Garces: Yeah. I don’t know if it was an actual moment. But I do feel like that whole coming out of the holidays in one piece. Whereas I’d never come out of that time period before that way. It was just so eye opening. I guess I never really believed it was possible. And the fact that I did. To me, that just felt very empowering. And like I said, I wanted to just move it forward and take that with me the rest of the year. The rest of my life.
So that really is what kind of; like wow. If I can not forbid anything. Allow some things. Especially during a celebratory type holiday season. And know that I always have a chance to choose healthier or better for myself the next time. And I’m going to maintain my movement, my exercise, and my sleep. All the other things that come into play for my overall health and happiness. That was just; wow. For the first time ever, I didn’t have to be on or off. Or detoxing, or going out every night and eating crazy and drinking whatever. So that was the moment that I really realized.
9. Final advice for intuitive eating [53:50]
Diane Sanfilippo: OK, so I’m going to wrap this up with just asking about tips that you have for somebody who is looking to move from the on and off, or diet focused mentality. And for those of you listening. If you feel like you just can’t escape this constantly trying something new. Where you're always on and off. And that’s different from really seeking what will physically make you feel better. Because if you're in that place where you haven’t figured out at all what feels good in your body in terms of real food, then it’s ok.
If you’ve never done a detox; do a 21-Day Sugar Detox. Katie has done it more times than all of us.
Katie Garces: Probably.
Diane Sanfilippo: You learn so much from it. I’ve done my own program twice; that’s it. In almost a decade. Because I learned from it, like you said. But how do we move from that to intuitive eating. What are some ideas or some steps or some tips for people.
Katie Garces: Right. Again, I think remembering that unlike diets and detoxes, this isn’t a black and white thing. So just because you may declare, “I’m going to start intuitive eating tomorrow.” The light switch doesn’t just turn on. It is a journey. And you have to just have some compassion for yourself, as you grow and you learn. I think it’s important to release yourself from any sort of diet mindset in general. And just be like; ok. For the first time, this is the wild, wild west. I'm going to embrace it. Here we go. Getting rid of that diet mindset.
And I also think, which we talked about a little bit. We touched on, getting rid of that morality. Food is not good or bad. It’s just what we put on it that makes it good or bad. The second we say something is bad, we put morality on it. And if we eat it, that’s when we get the same. And then that sort of vicious cycle starts again. So just kind of taking the food police out of it. Morality out of it.
Again, I think I mentioned at the beginning. A relationship with food is a lifelong relationship. So we have two choices; we can make friends with it and sort of hold hands and go on this journey together. Or we can continue to butt heads. So just saying; ok. I’m going to make friends with my body, make friends with food. Just drop all this struggle. And say; “What do we need to do here?”
A lot of these are almost like mindset shifts that we have to start with. I think it’s important to get back in touch with your feelings of hunger and fullness. I think a lot of us, the second we have a twinge of hunger, we’re like, “got to eat!” And we need to pause sometimes and say, “Whoa, is this an emotional thing? Am I really hungry?” Which we talked about as well. But kind of getting back into touch; those are really important physiologic sensations that we have to be in touch with. And knowing when we’re too full. We don’t have to clean our plate. We’re lucky enough to live in a society where there is always going be enough food. There will always be more at the next meal. So even if it’s some really delicious, expensive, grass-fed something. Put it in the fridge for later. You don’t have to finish it if you're full. And if you are full, then keep eating.
So kind of getting back in touch with those physiological signals that are so important. I think slowing down is a huge thing. That’s talked about a lot. But we’re eating so fast we can’t tell if we’re hungry or full. Just taking a pause halfway through. Taking a pause before we start. I don’t know, some of the moms out there. It’s such a crazy time just getting food on the table that by the time I sit down, I have to take some deep breaths. My husband is always like, “Are you ok?” I’m like, yeah I just need to catch my breath. This has been a crazy 30 minutes. Whereas before, I would probably just start shoveling it in because I was in that sort of sympathetic, go, go, go mode. So slowing down is really important.
Just kind of reframing perfection. Reframing an ideal number on a scale or a pant size or whatever. What really does that mean? Is that really what you need and want to be happy, and present, and purposeful in your life? Because I’m going to let you in on a little secret. For most people, it’s really not. And once we can kind of just release that a little bit, you might be pleasantly surprised what your body does for you on its own when you kind of release that stress and that pressure.
So, I think a lot of it is just slow but sure mindset shifts. Having a lot of compassion with yourself. Getting really back in tune with our bodies. We’ve lost that so much, because we listen to everybody and everything but ourselves. You are the expert. You are the only expert of your body. Nobody else is going to be able to tell you what you need more than you. So kind of fighting on those voices in the head and just listening. I think is the best place to start.
Diane Sanfilippo: That gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. That is good. As I think about the butternut squash and tomato and meat sauce that I didn’t finish last night. I was like, I’m full. And I texted my husband, who was in the front of the house. Because I wasn’t talking to anyone yesterday. I was like, I’m on a decompression mode. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just want to watch Bravo and eat this food, or whatever it was. But I was like, “Are you still hungry, because I didn’t finish this and I’m done. I’m full.”
I was a clean plate club person for a long time. But I think that is so great to get to a place where you can identify feeling full physically, because emotionally for so many of us, we don’t feel full. So we look to fill it physically with food. And it’s so many more things than that.
Where can people learn more from you about all the things that you have going on. How to actually participate in doing this for themselves or any of that.
Katie Garces: So I have a brand new intuitive eating program. It’s called eating intuitively; finally ditching the diet and making friends with food. And that is brand spanking new. I’ve been doing local seminars here in Denver, but I wanted to make that available to everybody because I just feel so strongly that everybody who wants to learn about this be able to. So that is available now, at my website. KatieGarces.com.
I do have one more Denver event, if you are local, on May 22nd. You can check that out on my website or my Facebook page. There’s an event on my Facebook page. Otherwise come check me out KatieGarces.com. and @KatieGarces on Instagram and Facebook. I’m pretty active there. I’m pretty available.
And obviously, if anybody feels like they would like to have sort of that one on one a little bit sort of higher accountability, higher level coaching, I absolutely do take one-on-one clients as well. And this is one of my favorite areas to work with people.
Diane Sanfilippo: Love it. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. I think our listeners are going to absolutely love this episode. It’s right in line with things we’re talking about all the time, but we haven’t talked about this exact subject. So I know they’ve been kind of yearning for it. My friend Robyn Youkilis talks a lot about this type of thing, too. The idea of losing weight. Which she talks about as just a lightness in your body. It’s not about the actual physical weight. And I think this concept. It brings people a lightness and I think this is a great path for so many.
And I hope that so many of you listening who are feeling stuck, and that you want to get out of that on and off; that hamster wheel or whatever it is. Look into this and see if this can be something that relieves you of a lot of that stress.
Katie Garces: Thank you so much for having me. It was great to talk to you.
Liz Wolfe: The Balanced Bites podcast is sponsored in part by the Nutritional Therapy Association. The NTA trains and certifies nutritional therapy practitioners and consultants (including me; Liz, I’m an NTP), emphasizing bio-individuality and the range of dietary strategies that support wellness. The NTA emphasizes local, whole, properly prepared nutrient dense foods as the key to restoring balance and enhancing the body’s ability to heal.
The NTA’s nutritional therapy practitioner program and new fully online nutritional therapy consultant program empower graduates with the education and skills needed to launch a successful, fulfilling career in holistic nutrition. To learn lots more about the NTA’s nutritional therapy programs, go to http://www.NutritionalTherapy.com. Registration is open for their May NTP and NTC courses, so grab your seat today.
Diane Sanfilippo: Alright, that’s it for this week. You can find me, Diane, at http://dianesanfilippo.com. And Katie, as she mentioned, at www.KatieGarces.com. Don’t forget to join our email lists for free goodies and updates you don’t find anywhere else on our websites or even on the podcast. While you’re on the internet, please leave us an iTunes review. We’ll see you next week.