Hey cutie, I’m Steph! ✨
A Registered Dietitian & Intuitive Eating Coach who’s dedicated to helping neurodivergent folks STOP under- & over-eating & find lifelong nourishment by prioritizing radical self-acceptance & accessibility.
My story
I spent my high school & college years on & off diets, overthinking all my food choices and at war with my body.
Somewhere along the way, I started binge eating. Unaware that I was in a binge-restrict cycle, I struggled with guilt & shame over my lack of “willpower.”
I eventually discovered the concepts of Intuitive Eating & Weight Neutrality, and begun to heal my relationship with food by addressing the root causes of my under- & over- eating!
But in this work, I quickly realized that some of my most significant root causes weren’t addressed by traditional intuitive eating.
Specifically, my neurodivergence.
Nobody was talking about how executive dysfunction, demand avoidance & burnout make nourishment SO MUCH HARDER.
& after some grief & frustration, I knew the only way forward was to accept my needs and work WITH my brain instead of against it.
It wasn't until I embraced my neurodivergence and all of the ways it complicated my ability to nourish myself that I truly became an intuitive eater and later created the Eat Like YOU™ method.
But enough of the formalities, let’s talk about the REAL reason you’re here… exploring MY site…
Neurodivergence
Spoiler alert, ✨I have ADHD.✨
And holy sh*t did I find that to be an unexpected challenge in making changes to my eating habits 😮💨
Let me be frank for a second here, no amount of “accountability” “meal planning” or “discipline” is going to help you form healthier eating habits, if you aren’t also addressing your executive dysfunction, demand avoidance, sensory sensitivities & unmasking needs.
I gently encourage you to release the ableism, accept that your approach to health may look very different than a neurotypical person’s & start holding space for your unique (& completely valid) needs.
Weight-neutrality
If you’ve EVER dieted before, I’m sure this will make some sense to you, but I do not facilitate intentional weight loss… And here’s why ⤵️
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Intentional weight loss is not necessary to improve your health! Health improves by focus on health-promoting BEHAVIORS, so that’s what we do ‘round here!
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Research is beginning to show that there is a lot of potential harm associated with intentional weight loss efforts.
If you feel the relentless pursuit of weight loss has caused you harm, you have every right to disengage.
If you’re tired of counting, tracking & measuring, and all of the subsequent guilt and shame… there’s another way to improve your health… and it’s called ✨Weight Neutrality.✨
Cannabis
I’m a California native, what can I say? 🤷♀️ As I’m sure you can imagine, we didn’t cover this topic in nutrition school 😅 But as someone who had my own struggles with food, binge eating & dieting, I knew intuitively that if I wanted to help people like me, I couldn’t talk about eating habits and NOT talk about cannabis.
But to be clear here, it’s not within my scope as a Dietitian to make recommendations regarding cannabis use. However, it is my DUTY to provide a safe, non-judgemental space for my clients to open dialogues about how their cannabis & eating habits influence each other, so we can take a holistic approach to nutrition.
But enough of the formalities, let’s talk about the REAL reason you’re here… exploring MY site…
Here’s something else you should know about me!
I’m a Registered Dietitian! Not a “nutritionist,” not a “health coach,” but the real deal nutrition expert!
If you’re unclear on this distinction, here’s a cute lil’ breakdown for ya⤵️
Dietitian
✅ Held to a strict Code of Ethics that requires Evidence-Based recommendations.
✅ Need to complete a 4 year bachelor's degree
✅ 1-year dietetic internship
✅ Pass the national exam
✅ Complete 75 hours of additional education every 5 years
✅Recognized by health insurers as the only food & nutrition specialist
✅ Training on drug-nutrient interaction
✅ Training on disease states/medical conditions
✅Training on athletic performance
✅Training in cultural competency
Nutritionist
❌Completely unregulated and don't follow any Code of Ethics
❌ Little-to-no education
❌ Anyone can call themselves a "nutritionist"
❌Cannot legally provide medical therapy (no disease specific advice)
❌Not recognized by health insurance as a food & nutrition specialist
❌ Many have online certifications from unregulated providers
❌Often trained to promote supplements and health products