We agree with IIN’s philosophy that the food on our plate is “secondary” to everything that nourishes us off the plate - i.e. our careers, relationships, finances, education, etc. These “primary foods” often get overlooked when considering nutrition, yet they are often “primary” stressors for most people, directly impacting their day-to-day satisfaction. Why does “satisfaction” matter? Because stress even takes the protein we eat and turns it into sugar, directly influencing our blood sugar levels and how our bodies assimilate nutrients. So you may be drinking the green juices, but if you’re operating in chronic stress-induced environments, you’re likely spinning in a hamster wheel. At Sweat & Heal, we help clients understand that a balanced “diet” actually considers both “primary” & “secondary” foods, recognizing where dissatisfaction lives and most importantly, help them heal the root.

We don’t do “one size fits all” anything at Sweat & Heal! What works for one person may not work for another — we’re all unique and our bodies respond to foods differently based on a variety of factors, such as gender, age, body type, culture, etc. We teach our clients to instead reconnect and listen to their bodies, recognizing how their bodies respond to different foods immediately after eating and again, two hours after. We encourage our clients to keep what feels good and let go of what doesn’t. Because no one knows our bodies better than us!

There’s no such thing as “perfect” when it comes to nutrition. We believe that what you eat most of the time matters more than what you eat some of the time! Think of this concept as a more loose “80-20” approach to nutrition - i.e. have nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time — like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds — and be more flexible the other 20% of the time! We help clients unlearn nutritional misinformation they gathered over the years to sustain & support this lifestyle. For example, contrary to popular belief and fad diets, “fats” and “carbs” both serve a purpose — there are healthy carbs and healthy fats that are essential to our overall wellbeing, and restricting them entirely isn’t sustainable or healthy. “Everything in moderation” is the goal and we’re here to show you exactly what that can look like for you!

We don’t believe in restricting anything from your “diet” unless its a safety concern (i.e. an allergy, etc.) Instead, we focus on adding nourishment and nutrition to every meal first - a concept known as “crowding out” - rather than restricting or eliminating - “cutting out”. Adding more of the”good” (i.e. more whole foods to your diet) leaves less room for the “not so good” (i.e. highly processed food).

We teach our clients that how you eat and actually is oftentimes equally as important, if not more than what you eat. Are you eating on the go? Finishing your food in 2 bites? Multi-tasking while eating? Stressing out about something outside of your control while eating? Science shows us that our bodies don’t assimilate nutrients the same when we’re on the go and, or under chronic stress versus when we’re present during our meals — taking our time to eat mindfully and slowly, to properly chew our food, reflecting on where it came from and romanticizing the process.