Blog 2 — Krystal Clear Nutrition

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5 Healthy Habits That GIVE BACK (⚠️disclaimer: no dieting required 🙌) Forget the all-or-nothing mindset, getting it perfect, or waiting until Monday to start over (yet again) —- 👍 TRUE health is about building habits that bring you joy, make you feel GOOD and that are easy to incorporate 👎 It shouldn’t feel like a grind and you certainly shouldn’t have to work “extra” hard to stay on track Here are 5 game-changing HABITS to help you feel like the BEST version of yourself (aka energized, present, awesome & empowered) ⤵️ 🧘 Amp up your mental fitness - your mind needs care & attention too. Journal your thoughts, start a gratitude practice, meditate or have a morning/nightly routine. Don’t forget to set boundaries to protect that precious “you” time! 🥗 Add, don’t restrict - approach meal planning from a place of abundance and think about what you add to your plate - colour, protein, fibre, omega-3’s. Nourishing meals that appeal to your taste buds AND your soul are the name of the game! 😴 Hit the recharge button - prioritize rest and relaxation. Your future self will be ever so grateful that you carved out time to settle down, cozy up and put energy back into your precious tank 💜 Move because it sparks joy - ditch the apps and replace it for movement that makes your heart smile - hiking, running, dance parties. Not sure where to start? Watch a kid play - they’re pros at having fun! 💦 Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - water is literally life! Your body loves water so give it what it wants - add fruit/herbs or sip on herbal tea Ditch food rules and find a sense of freedom in your everyday life with habits that work WITH and FOR you, not against you! Which one of these habits will you start with? Drop a comment below and let me know👇 #healthyhabits #feelgoodnutrition #dietitianapproved #beyourbestself #intuitiveeating #foodfreedom #liveyourlife #nourishedlife

Make 2025 your time to really SHIMMER 🎉 January is when diet culture thrives! The messaging is everywhere all year long, but it really ramp up when the clock strikes midnight Ignore the noise and the messages and focus on YOU! Because guess what? All of those diets, plans and programs out there on the market have no idea what your unique preferences, goals and lifestyle are! This year, swap the trendy resolutions for intentions, stress for simplicity and hustle for calm & compassion! Here’s what’s IN & OUT for a year ahead that focuses on you - and YOU alone: ✅ IN FOR 2025 🎧 Listening To Your Body - honoring what your body needs, not following the rules of a diet or plan prescribed by sally the savy “nutritionist” or bob the bodybuilder 🥳 Counting Memories - focus on the world around you, not just what’s on your plate 💕 Loving Your Body For What It Can Do (Not How it Looks) - switch appearance/form for function and watch your self-love soar 🙅‍♀️ Healthy Boundaries - say no when it’s going to drain you and yes when it’s going to light you up 💃 Moving For Joy & Play: exercise should spark joy instead of be something that you “should” do 🪜 Baby Steps - we don’t need to be perfect all the time. Allow for flexibility and focus on the wins, big and small. Above all, keep going! 🌟 Gradual Progress - slow and steady progress will pave the way for changes that last! ❌ OUT FOR 2025 🚫 Listening To Wellness Influencers & Fear-Based Eating - food is fuel, not something to be afraid of 🚫 Counting Calories & Macros - we’re not robots! 🚫 Comparing Yourself to What You See on Social Media - comparison is the thief of joy 🚫 Overdoing It & Burnout - conserve your energy folks 🚫 Movement As A Chore - it shouldn’t be used as punishment or become so regimented that it takes the fun right out of it 🚫 Perfection - serves as a breeding ground for guilt and shame 🚫 Quick Fixes & Fad Diets - they don’t work! 🫶 Your health isn’t just a goal - it’s a journey! Enjoy the adventure and aim to feel empowered, strong and confident 💪💥 #newyears #newyearnewyou #newyearsresolutions #setintentions #lifegoals #empowered #intuitiveeating #newyear2025❤️❤️🎉🍾

It’s true…⤵️ Let’s talk life transitions for a hot minute… Our bodies are designed to change throughout the different stages of life and that’s not just normal—it’s essential 🌱 🤔Think about it: ▪️the body you had as a toddler/child was crafted for growing and exploring the world ▪️as a teenager, your body changed again, adapting to support your development into adulthood ▪️as an adult, your body continues to shift and evolve—whether it’s due to pregnancy and parenting (can I get a holler from all my fellow moms out there 🙌) or simply the everyday hustle of work, stress, illness and making time for self-care behaviours ▪️in your 50s/60s, menopause shakes things up by putting your hormones on a rollercoaster, often leading to *perfectly natural* but difficult-to-cope-with weight gain (fat cells make the estrogen that your ovaries can no longer produce) (Weight is also *very* nuanced and many factors determine what your individual set point weight is, such as genetics, environment, socio-economic status, food security…and the list goes on 😉) 💫 Each stage of life brings its own transformations…BUT these changes are your body’s way of supporting you, keeping you alive and allowing you to live FULLY ❤️ So why do we feel the pressure to resist these natural changes and yearn for our 20-something bodies again?? ✌️Two words: DIET CULTURE! Diet culture tells us that only one-size-fits-all version of our body is “acceptable,” but that is straight up BS 😡 ❌ Your body DOES NOT have to stay the same for you to be worthy of love, respect, and care. ❌ Your self-worth is NOT tied to the shape, size or appearance of your body. It’s tied to your heart, your values, your experiences and the way you show up in the world. BODIES CHANGE. Period! Let’s allow them to, and let’s honor the journey they take us through this wonderful thing called life 💛 #healthateverysize #haes #weightdoesnotequalworth #weightstigma #youaremorethanyourbody #dietitianadvice #dietculturesucks #dietculturedetox #intuitiveeating #antidiet #nondiet #foodpeace #bodykindness #allbodiesaregoodbodies #dietitianmom #bodyacceptance #bodyrespect #selfworth

SERIOUSLY, CAN WE STOP ALREADY? 🛑🙄 They all seem like the next best thing…until they’re not! No matter how you package it - with a pretty bow 🎀 of “health” or an appealing banner ✈️ flying through the sky that promises weight loss, diets ALL follow the same trajectory 💫…. 💛 You start off feeling hopeful, thinking it will be easy and that you’ll eat “healthy” 24-7 and finally lose X amount of lbs 🙌 The honeymoon phase may have you feeling “good” and you may see the number go down on the scale (disclaimer: this is temporary!) 🤯Then…uh oh! You start wanting all the things you’re “not allowed” to have (deprivation = cravings = constantly thinking about food) 🍩 You give in! You binge, overeat and feel like you’ve completely lost control around food 👋 Enter — guilt, shame and feelings of failure (self compassion reminder: it’s never your fault! Diets aren’t meant to work because your body is meant to survive) 🧐 RESULT: you feel like you need to try, try again with…another diet! 🔄 AND SO THE CYCLE CONTINUES - you lather, rinse, repeat with diet after diet, leaving you with a higher weight than before and a worsened relationship with food 🙈 ❤️What if I told you there’s another way? That you can live your best life without following silly diet rules, missing out on cake in the staff room, cafe dates with your littles and pizza night with the girls? ❤️Sound good?! Let’s do this! DM me “teach me the way” and I’ll tell you how we can get started #intuitiveeating #foodfreedom #dietsdontwork #dietculturedropout #dietitian #dietitianadvice #nutritioncoaching

Have you ever “successfully” lost weight on a diet plan, only to regain the weight back again? Well, you’re not alone! Here’s a few HARD TRUTHS for you, that are backed by ACTUAL facts and research (not just anecdotal reports and alluring before/after photos) **I’m a science-based kinda gal 🤓 and stats backed by evidence are my jam. As a Registered Dietitian, evidence is what guides my recommendations and overall approach to nutrition and well-being with clients** Here’s what the diet industry isn’t telling you about all those fun and flashy diets ⤵️ 💫 95% of dieters regain their lost weight within 1-5 years - it’s not a matter of lack of willpower, discipline or self-control. It’s a matter of participating in a program or plan that is set up to fail 💫 Up to 2/3 of those👆dieters regain MORE weight than they lose 💫 35% of “normal” dieters progress to pathological dieting (aka disordered eating) 💫 20-20% of those👆normal dieters that develop disordered eating habits go on to develop actual eating disorders ……Not only do diets NOT work, they come with a whole lot unintended outcomes (ie weight regain) and risks (like disordered eating, eating disorders and all of the physical, mental and emotional harm that goes along with them). Yikes! Why is the diet industry not telling us this? Because if diets truly worked, the entire diet industry would TANK overnight because there would be no repeat customers 🫢 Can I get a mic drop? 🎤 So if diets don’t work, what does? 👉 Put weight loss on the back burner and focus on behaviours that feel good, mentally and physically 👉 Reconnect to your body’s wisdom 👉 Practice self-compassion and body acceptance 👉 Give yourself unconditional permission to eat ALL food (deprivation is part of the reason diets fail so miserably) #dietsdontwork #antidiet #antidietculture #antidietdietitian #healthateverysize #ditchthediet #nondietapproach #intuitiveeating

Yes self-care 100% fits into a conversation about nutrition! As someone that used to skip meals and tell myself that I couldn’t possibly be hungry at certain times of the day, I’ll be the first person to tell you that that was no way to take care of myself. Taking care of your nutrition needs is a HUGE priority. Without fuel, how can you expect to do anything else in your day? There’s a reasons that nourishment is at the top of the list of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If you want to be there for your kids & mom hard, crush goals at work, head out on your next adventure and live and breathe all of life’s moments (big and small), you gotta keep those energy reserves up. And how do you do that? • By honoring your hunger! WHENEVER it strikes, to the best of your ability • By eating snacks between meals (yes, snacks are ok!) • By telling the voice in your head that’s saying “I shouldn’t be hungry again, I just ate” to take a hike 👋 When you don’t honour your hunger or try to stave it off, it’ll come back in big bad way later on in the form of intense *hanger* and cravings. Don’t be a hero and “tough it out” to the next meal when you’re “allowed” to eat - it’s not worth it. And p.s. it’s OK to be hungry 1-2 hours after you just ate a meal 👇 • you may be having a more hungry day • you may have ramped up your exercise routine, and/or • you may have not had enough to eat at your last meal Whatever the case may be, your hunger is knocking and honoring it is the best thing you can do ❤️ Hunger is your body’s alarm clock ⏰ going off to say “feed me, I need energy to keep going.” Don’t be the broken down car on the side of the road 🚗 - keep on truckin down the highway of life by giving yourself regular fuel (in the form of meals AND snacks) and live life it to its fullest 🍃 #honourhunger #hungercues #hanger #hunger #yourenotyouwhenyourehungry #snacks #selfcare #nourishment #dietitianapproved #momfuel

Want to know something crazy?👇 YOUR BODY NEEDS CARBS 🍞 Stop listening to the tik tok influencers and “nutritionists” and literally anyone else out there telling you that carbs are “bad.” Take it from me - I went to school for 7 years and majored in biochem and Dietetics (and have been a dietitian for 13 years). The one thing I know and trust is SCIENCE! And science says that our bodies need carbs - 120g MINIMUM per day because that’s what our brain needs to function properly. Then add more for the fuel for the rest of your body 😉 The second thing I know and trust is my BODY! I know that when my body doesn’t get fed with adequate carbs, my energy levels are low and my cravings get out of control later in the day. Food is more than just fuel (and the science behind it). It’s also about how food makes you FEEL and I like to make my decisions based on that too! Eat carbs people - trust me, your body will thank you for it ❤️ #carbs #evidencebasednutrition #registereddietitian #listentoyourbody

You wanna hear a story? Once upon a time (not long ago), I was stuck! Completely and utterly stuck. My mindset was entrenched in diet culture (thanks 90s!), my body lacked nourishment and energy and my self-esteem and confidence were sh!t 😢 When I finally woke up and realized that this is not the life I wanted to live (or the example I wanted to set for my girls), I took action! I embraced an intuitive eating approach and I haven’t looked back since Here’s how ⤵️ 💫 I ditched the low-calorie/“diet” foods and started eating foods that helped me feel full and satisfied (and gave me energy to be present for my family, work and play with my girls) 💫 I threw out the scale - seriously I gave it away! Because a number shouldn’t have that much power over your sense of self-worth, your mood and your mojo for the day 💫 I replaced guilt with self-compassion if I missed a workout - i actually took a BIG break from working out to heal my metabolism and then re-approached it and discovered new forms of movement that I actually enjoyed 💫 Instead of skipping meals I let my hunger cues be my guide - I was a big breakfast skipper and I soon realized that this was contributing to my low energy and cravings later in the day 💫 I stopped body checking & comparing myself to “her” body - it was becoming the main thief of my joy and it was the source of all of my disordered eating behaviours I healed my relationship with food and my body and gained a sense of empowerment, confidence and self-love ❤️ And now…this is exactly what I help women with every day. I offer an individualized approach to transform your relationship with food and your body and to live your best life, on your terms - beyond the barriers of diet culture! Are you ready to re-write your story too? Send me a DM with “STORY” and let’s get started! #intuitiveeating #foodfreedom #eatlovenourish #dietculturesucks #dietitianadvice

Our bodies don’t run on air 💨 We need food to survive ❤️ But when literally the whole world is talking about what to eat or what not to eat, “good” and “bad” foods, the next superfood or what is going to make you fat and *gasp* 🫢 not live up to diet culture’s standards of beauty or so-called “health,” what’s a girl to do? 1️⃣ Make peace with your body 🥰 👉 You are wonderful and amazing just the way you are. The second we try to change our bodies is when we let the diet culture noise in to “help” us decide how to eat 2️⃣ Reject diet culture’s false messages 👎 ❌ Carbs are NOT bad ❌ Calories are NOT bad ❌ Eating past 8pm is NOT going to make you gain weight ❌ You are not one bite away from developing a chronic disease 3️⃣ Make peace with ALL food We shouldn’t be afraid of food! Food keeps us alive and if we don’t get what we need, our bodies are smart and will ramp up hormones and cravings to ensure that we get it. Let all foods into your eating world and watch the appeal for “forbidden” foods diminish (over time) Fighting your biology (through restriction/NOT EATING) and internalizing diet culture messages in the pursuit of weight loss, health or “wellness” distracts you from your body’s needs (aka food & calories!!!) ❌ It creates a damaged metabolism ❌ It teaches you to not trust yourself ❌ It lowers your self-esteem and sense of self worth ❌ It creates disordered eating habits Most of all…it creates an unhealthy relationship with food and your body. And that my friends is waaay HARDER than you can imagine! I can help you started on the healing process - with your metabolism, food, your body and yourself! Let’s take the guesswork out of eating together and make food fun, enjoyable and EASY again, just the way nature intended 🍃 #nourishyourlife #foodisfuel #foodisjoy #ditchdietculture #foodisnottheenemy #dietmentality #dietitian

Top Reasons for Sugar Cravings 🍩🍪 Spoiler Alert ‼️—> it’s not because you’re “addicted to sugar” **sugar addiction is not a real phenomenon (it may FEEL like you’re addicted, but in reality, it’s not a thing. Let’s chat about that later!) ✨Skipping meals - missing meals can make your blood sugar levels plummet, which will lead your body to seek quick sources of energy & can manifest as cravings for things like 🍪 🍨 🎂 🍔 🍕 ✨Mental restriction - by telling yourself you can’t have something and labelling it as “bad,” it makes it more appealing. It’s simple - you want what you can’t have! ✨Not eating enough - lack of adequate calories throughout the day triggers the body to set off alarm bells to seek out food! It ramps up hormones like ghrelin (hunger hormone) and Neuropeptide Y (the “carb craver”) so not only are you starving, but your body wants carbs (aka sugar!), which is our main source of energy/kcal ✨Hormone fluctuations - when stressed, our bodies release cortisol, which can increase ghrelin and subsequently our appetite. Also, changes in estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle can cause cravings for carb-rich foods ✨Lack of sleep (or poor sleep quality) - this puts stress on the body, which increases cortisol levels and appetite ✨Low-calorie sweeteners - trust me, the brain knows it’s not getting the real deal ✨Unmet emotional needs - sugar impacts the body’s “feel good” neurotransmitters (serotonin & dopamine) and is often sought out as a form of relief during times of stress, anxiety, sadness or depression #sugarcravings #cravings #sugar #registereddietitian

Can we stop?? 🛑 It’s sayings like these that are making us truly believe that we have to change or fix our bodies. “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips” “You should watch what you eat” “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” “You are what you eat” “You have to burn it to earn it” When we hear statements like these, we internalize them and they become ingrained as part of our belief system They sit heavy on our hearts 💔 and minds 🧠 and impact every decision we make about food They impact how we view our bodies and how we measure our worth. We end up wholeheartedly believing that if we’re not thin, we’re not “healthy” or worthy of love, happiness and success. Ugh!!! ✨I call major BS!! It’s time to change the status quo and stand up against messages like these 👆 You are so much more than your body! You are strong, you are capable, you are smart, you are kind, you are confident and you bring value to your relationships just the way you are (today!) YOU don’t need to change ➡️ Diet culture needs to change! If you need help healing your relationship with food and your body, please send me a DM I offer 1:1 counseling and would love to support you on your journey towards body acceptance and saying peace out✌️to dieting, rules and restriction for good #intuitiveeating #foodfreedom #nondietapproach #gentlenutrition #dietculturedetox #healthyrelationshipwithfood #healthylifestyle #bodyacceptance #bodyacceptancemovement #bodypositivedietitian #bodypositivity #loveyourbody #allbodies #bodyimagesupport #bodyimage #dietssuck #foodrules #challengethestatusquo

Don’t think for a second that it was your fault ⤵️ Diets are like a bad breakup on crack. You know when the other person says “it’s not you, it’s me!” Well, when it comes to diets, it really is them. But the effed up part is that they’re not willing to admit it! And by “they” I mean the diet industry. I get it though - why the heck would they let the cat out of the bag with a secret this big when they’re still making millions upon MILLIONS on the next best “wellness” plan 🙄 Let me be (Krystal) CLEAR 🍏 — ❌ It is NOT your fault that the diet didn’t work Despite what you may think, it doesn’t come down to a lack of willpower, self-control or discipline on your part It’s that diets literally set you up to FAIL! WHY YOU ASK?? Well, my good friend Ron Burgundy said it best - “it’s science” (namely, our biology 🧬) When you go on a diet, your body thinks it’s in a famine. And because we as humans have persevered through a famine or two, we’re hardwired to “thrive and survive” For starters, in response to a lower calorie intake, your metabolism slows down because it has to become more efficient at using less energy to keep you alive To add fuel to the fire, your hormones adjust so that you seek out food (increase in hunger hormone ghrelin/decrease in fullness hormone leptin) 🤤 If that’s not bad enough, the mental restriction has your already underfueled brain preoccupied and obsessed with food 🍔 🍿 🍫 So…when you finally give in and start eating what you couldn’t have, you go off the deep end because “what the hell,” you’ve already “cheated” 🤷‍♀️ Then… you gain the weight back (plus more!) because your metabolism is lowered This only makes you feel bad about yourself again, so you sign up for yet 👏 another 👏 diet 👏 🔄 And the cycle continues! Please don’t beat yourself up for failing the diet! Shift your mindset and ask yourself if it was because you were on a diet in the first place Give me a shout and let’s explore the exact opposite of dieting with intuitive eating. I offer 1:1 individualized coaching and support ❤️ #intuitiveeating #dietculturedropout #foodfreedomforever #dietsdontwork #dietssuck #dietsfailyou #dieting #undietyourlife

10 Bento Box School Lunch Ideas (Dietitian Mom Approved)

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