We live in a culture of all or nothing. I believe that’s why so many people hesitate to make changes in their food; they think they need to be perfect. But you don’t. You only need to make a gradual shift to healthier real foods and you’ll see a difference. Once that happens, you can build on that. There’s a theory in my book Food Becomes You where I give you a plan to make one change every week for 12 weeks. Multiple research studies show small steps tend to be the most effective and lasting way to change habits. You will find when most of your food is healthy and nourishing, you will be less hungry. You won’t carry the “food is the enemy” attitude around. You’ll enjoy an ice cream cone and be able to distinguish quality ice cream from one loaded with chemical preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.
I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2004. At that time, classes were held on weekends at the Lincoln Center in NYC. I’m not quick to make big decisions, but when I attended an introductory program at the Center I knew immediately that this was for me. It didn’t talk about calories. It didn’t talk about weight. It talked about the individuality of all human beings and how we thrive when we address the important aspects of life - nourishment, physical activity, and relationships - and how they influence our health and well being. It spoke of the critical need for humans to return to a healthier way of nourishing themselves if they want to avoid the many health risks associated with eating food grown in pesticides and treated with chemical additives and preservatives. It resonated with what I already studied in the principles of Chinese medicine and with a holistic approach to healing.
I signed up on the spot. Over the course of the program I met more than 800 other students who came from all walks of life and from more than 40 countries- massage therapists, medical doctors. people with autoimmune disorders, authors, performers, and physical therapists. I thought it was a big deal for me to commute from Boston until I met people who moved to NY from Germany, Greece and South Africa just to take the program. We all learned for ourselves, and for the people we work with in their healing processes.
We were inspired by Annemarie Colbin, PhD. founder of NYC Natural Gourmet Institute, Andrew Weil MD, of University of Arizona, Neil Barnard MD, Physicians for Responsible Medicine, Dean Ornish, MD, and Walter Willett MD from Harvard School of Public Health. Their unifying message was that food really matters. Real food. Organic food. Home cooking. Food around the table. Community. Pleasure. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and weight issues could all be traced to the same issue: toxic food.
These are the principles I work with and believe in. We got in trouble with food when fast food, prepared and packaged food with additives and preservatives took the place of the real food our bodies, minds and spirits crave. Ask anyone who has returned to eating simple whole foods and they will tell you how it changes their life. It surely changed mine.
If you need help. please reach out for an initial consultation to see if this work is for you.
Or if you want to learn about the Institute, follow this link for a look at the current curriculum guide.