It's time to ditch the diet with nutrition coaching

Let go of the diet mentality is not something you expect to hear in January.
Chocolate porridgeChocolate porridge
Chocolate porridge

Post Christmas and into the new year we are bombarded with diet recipes and weight loss tips.

For Sarah Moore, of Kale and Cake, her premise is to help women and men develop a normal relationship with food and to educate them on good nutrition for their bodies. “Diets make us feel like a failure and when you do fail you tend to over eat as you think ‘oh I’ve broken it’ and keep going, so you are best to ditch the diets,” she says.

Sarah Moore of Kale and CakeSarah Moore of Kale and Cake
Sarah Moore of Kale and Cake
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Sarah admits that she has always been a disordered eater and yoyo dieter.“I would say I got it together in my late 20s,” the Ditchling resident says.“I saw a picture of me when I was 15 in a bikini and I can’t believe I thought I should lose weight. “I feel it was the diet that made me put on weight as when I broke it or stopped I over ate.“I did an intuitive eating course but it took a few years for those principles to bed in, then I started to love doing exercise and it all just started to click. “You have to have it right in your head and it can take people many sessions to finally understand their needs, their body and recognising the triggers to overeat.”

After a 14-year career in advertising and marketing Sarah took courses in eating psychology and, diet and nutrition as well as having a BA Hons degree in anthropology and psychology.“We look at the ‘forbidden foods’ and normalising them,” says Sarah.“So you can enjoy chocolate, cake or crisps but it is about recognising those hunger cues and the ones that say you are full so you don’t over eat.“It is about putting the enjoyment back into food. If you want a chocolate donut have the donut.“I also think it is important to get enjoyment out of movement rather than just doing it because you feel you should, learn to love exercise.”

Sarah says it is also important to look at mindful eating as many of us now eat in front of a screen and don’t realise what we have eaten.“I also talk about self care and self love,” she adds.“People have to love the body as it is, it is about self acceptance.“I ask people what would be different if you were slim and they say I would wear this or do this and I say to them do that now.”

During the sessions Sarah also looks at family.“As children we have this thing that we have to clear out plate then we get dessert or can get down from the table,” she says.“But this can mean as we get older we eat when we are full. People talk about waste but save it or put it in the bin, better than in your stomach when you are full.”

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The sessions are tailored to the person so some people go for six sessions some go for more.

Sarah is holding workshops in January looking at six principles, they are a great place for people to start their journey and they can always book with Sarah if they feel they need more information.

The key thing is having a balanced diet of three meals and two snacks. You have to think about giving your body what it wants when it needs it.“If you want something sweet or salty have the crisps you want or that mini roll as otherwise you eat healthy things instead and then end up having it anyway, so end up eating more,” she says. “Your body will find a way to have the craving. You have to respect food.”

For more information, visit www.kaleandcake.co.uk

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