In this episode, you will learn about Health At Every Size® as an organization, a principle, and intuitive eating:

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

7 Day Spark

Eating with Intention

Wellness Tribe

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Fall 2018 Nourishing Detox

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What is Health at Every Size®?

Health at Every Size® is a set of principles that help us advance social justice, create an inclusive and respectful community, and support people of all sizes in finding compassionate ways to take care of themselves.

There are 3 components to HAES:

Respect - HAES celebrates the diversity in human bodies and honors size, age, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, class, differences, and other human attributes.

Awareness - HAES challenges not only cultural but also scientific assumptions with a particular emphasis on body knowledge.

Self-Care - HAES honors and encourages finding the simple joy in moving the body, honoring your hunger and fullness, tuning into and honoring your innate biological wisdom.

The organization was developed because of the “war on obesity” which is waging but isn’t working. Frankly, I know, I was obese, I have lived in an obese body. HAES is the peace movement against the war on obesity. The bottom line is that waging a war against fat hasn’t made the fat go away, and again being thin or thinner in my case, or changing your shape doesn’t necessarily make a person happier. In fact, losing weight doesn’t necessarily make a person healthier either. I see many clients with ancillary physical conditions from losing weight.

Additionally, there has been substantial and documented “collateral damage” resulting from the war on obesity. We are a society consumed with food and body preoccupation, self-hatred, eating disorders, discrimination, poor health, anxiety, depression, and many troubles. Regardless of size, very few humans are at peace with their bodies...are you?

What is true health?

First, know this...size is not a good or reliable indicator of health. Take cardiovascular health, for example, you can be in a smaller body and in terrible cardiovascular health, you can drop dead on mile 5 of a planned 7 mile run from a heart attack. Just the same, you can be in a larger body and have a picture perfect cardiac assessment.

As you know, I have a holistic view right, let's be honest that is where the Wholebeing in Wholebeing RN comes from. Health, wellness, health AND wellness, is far more than just balanced eating habits, it is much more than the food we eat. In fact, it is a balance and integration of all seven dimensions of health and wellness identified by The University of California, Riverside:

Social -the ability to relate and connect to others in a positive way

Emotional -the ability to experience and share feelings

Spiritual/Energetic -the ability to develop congruency between values and actions

Occupational -the desire to contribute to society & ability for fulfillment in a career

Environmental -the ability to live with respect to our surroundings

Intellectual -the ability to be open to new ideas & the desire to learn new concepts

Physical -the ability to move through daily activities without excess fatigue & stress

So you see, as it seems we are all obsessed with the perfect body...it is but a tiny little minuscule piece of the entire wellness puzzle.

Does battling your body hurt your health?

In short YES. Waging war on your body, manipulating your diet and over-exercising in order to lose weight often times result in poor h...