Why food is love to me
Background
My grandmother was a delightful cook. I remember the excitement I felt when we went over to her place on Sundays to indulge in her creations. I could taste the love in every bite.
Eating my mothers food was a little different. Her main effort was to raise us as healthy as possible.
When I started to cook, I was influenced by both of these women. Trying to make healthy meals that tasted delicious and soulful felt like a logical development.
I always felt good when I was in the kitchen so it made perfect sense to earn some money working in them while I was studying or to fund my passion for travel. Although I am not working in professional kitchens anymore, cooking is still a huge passion of mine and I love to cook for myself and all the people I love.
After becoming a trained chef I felt the need to know more – so studying Nutrition Pedagogy at the University of Innsbruck was my next step. With great curiosity and persistence I quizzed my professors: I had a lot of questions. I wanted to verify if all the things about healthy eating were true or had any scientific basis.
I learned a lot about food science, all sorts of diets. Even some helpful facts about the psychology of eating and how to teach that to children and young adults.
But I was missing important factors. The individuality. The joy. The autonomy. The one solution fits all just didn’t feel right. The inability to nudge people into healthy eating and living was discussed with many of my professors and teachers. Did they have a solution?
No.
Interestingly I haven’t heard once about the concept of Intuitive Eating during my study even though I find it groundbreaking. Yes, there is a movement in Dietology that demands personalizing your diet. But now once was the a very dear and important question asked: WHY do we have to be slim and look equally skinny in the first place? And does being skinny automatically mean we are healthy?
But things are changing and the impact Intuitive Eating can have is spreading. Only by getting to know this gentle way of eating , trying it out for myself and ultimately studying it and getting certified as an IE Counselor I found the missing link: My / your body is a source of great wisdom. By learning to listening to it I found the tool to a peaceful, joyful relationship with food. Relearning what was there from the beginning: food making me feel warm, home and loved.
My grandma would love that!
What I enjoy...
mission
You come to me with your story, your background and your personal struggles, hopes and expectations. It's likely that you have been harmed by diet culture and you may feel terrible about your body and your eating habits.
Not only will I hold whatever you share with unconditional positive regard, I will also become your ally in finding any obstacles that kept you from becoming an intuitive eater. I will support you in finding ways that suit you best in order to remove those obstacles so you can have a relaxed and peaceful relationship with food and yourself.
Let's kick diet culture in the butt and make room for you to have a meaningful relationship with your body.
vision
After learning what brought you to a point where your relationship with food and your body was conflicted, you make space for unlearning. You discover what will serve you in the future. At your own pace you find the tools that help you to treat you and your physical, emotional and mental needs with a gentle and kind attitude.
You will eat intuitively most of the time. In case you fall back into old habits you will see this as a learning opportunity.
Because nobody's perfect, and that's a good thing.
