Kara Westrup Nutrition

This was one of our dinners from last week - grilled pork chops, mac and cheese from a box, and canned green beans. It was good and quite satisfying. I hope you know it’s totally okay to eat processed foods like canned vegetables, food from boxes, pre-prepared foods, frozen dinners, etc. Sure, fresh, homemade food is great, but the more processed, convenience foods can have a place in your kitchen too! (Did you know that frozen produce and canned produce are picked and... packed at the peak of ripeness and are often just as nutrient dense as the fresh stuff?) Years ago, I would have felt bad about eating these more processed foods, but now that I have a healthy relationship with food, this meal creates zero guilt. I’m thankful for that peace, and also thankful that I have enough food to eat as I recognize this isn’t the case for everyone. What are your favorite canned, frozen, or boxed foods? Share them in the comments! See more

Feel like you’re eating more than you normally do? If so, that’s perfectly okay. It's natural to seek comfort when you feel anxious, sad, or uncertain. And it’s very human to find that comfort in food. So, be kind to yourself, and allow food to bring you the pleasure you need. And if you desire a little something extra, connect with a good friend, watch something funny, or just let yourself be.

In my disordered eating days, I didn’t eat what I really wanted. I’d often opt for the healthy or diet-approved version, and even convinced myself that I preferred it over the real thing. There was nothing inherently wrong with the healthy version, but it wasn't what I wanted - it was what I thought I should be eating. And when those food swaps inevitably didn't satisfy, I often found myself eating a bunch of other things in search of the satisfaction I was after.... I wish I had known that it was okay to take pleasure in food. Because finding pleasure and satisfaction in food is a good thing and nothing to feel guilty about. Now that I regularly aim for satisfaction, I'm no longer preoccupied with food, and I can focus on the bigger and better things in life. If you'd like help with your relationship with food, hop on over to my website to request an appointment. [link in bio] See more

I’m now an in-network provider with BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Humana. If you’d like help improving your relationship with food , and you’d like to use your insurance benefits for our work together, head over to the link in my bio to find the guide: Checking Your Insurance Benefits. This guide will help you figure out if working with me virtually (telehealth) is covered by your specific insurance plan.... Questions? Feel free to DM me! See more

Now that it's January, diet culture is in full force, bombarding you with messages that you're not eating the "right" foods, and that you need to "fix" your body. But that's not true. You don't need to diet, quit sugar, make a "lifestyle change," "watch what you eat," or cut out any food groups. And there are no "right" foods to be eaten, and your body isn't broken, and it doesn't need to be "fixed."... So, what do you need? Maybe you need to opt-out of diet culture and heal your relationship with food and your body? If that's the case, perhaps it's time to consider Intuitive Eating? Intuitive Eating is the way you were born to eat - it's simple, effortless, and instinctual. It's trusting your body to tell you when, what and how much to eat; rejecting the diet mentality; choosing foods that bring you pleasure; eating enough to be fully satisfied and content, and moving and eating in a way that feels good. It's having a peaceful, struggle-free relationship with food and your body so you can spend your time and energy on the bigger and better things in life. If that sounds like something you need, maybe Intuitive Eating is your next step. If so, DM me about working together or hop on over to my website to request an appointment. See more

I was re-organizing our pantry this afternoon when I came across this package of Hershey kisses, and I had a moment of gratitude. In my days of disordered eating, I didn't trust myself to have chocolate in the house out of fear that I'd eat it all. I'm so thankful that chocolate no longer has power over me. It can sit in our pantry without bringing on any stress or out of control eating. I don't know who needs to hear this, but YOU CAN have a peaceful and flexible relationship with ALL foods , even the ones you've previously deemed as "off-limits."

Do you have doubts about intuitive eating because "eating whatever you want" doesn't quite sound like it jives with "healthy eating?" . . If this is you, I get it. And here's what I want you to know. .... . Intuitive eating isn't just about "eating whatever you want, whenever you want." . . It's ALSO about: . . Using your body's wisdom + nutrition information to decide when, what, and how much to eat. . . Challenging diet culture's arbitrary rules about eating and nutrition. . . Eating foods that energize you and make you feel good (if that's what you're seeking) . . Choosing foods from a place of self-care instead of self-control, etc. . . There's a lot of nuance with intuitive eating, and it won't look the same for everyone. . . If you're on your intuitive eating journey and feel like you need some support, hop on over to my website to request an appointment. And if you're not quite ready for that, but curious about what it would be like to work with me, send me a DM and let's chat! See more

If you're constantly thinking about food, you're likely not eating enough. Here's what happens When you're on a diet or consuming too few calories due to restrictive eating patterns, your brain senses that it's not getting enough to eat.... It interprets this food shortage as, "oh, no, we are in a famine, and I must protect my person from starvation!" It has no idea you've planned this famine... Your brain only knows that it needs to keep you alive. And to do that, it preoccupies your mind with non-stop thoughts about food to urge you to eat. And once you eat enough and your body starts to feel adequately fed, it feels safe and those endless food thoughts begin to fade. Sooo, if you're tired of feeling preoccupied with thoughts about food, you might see if you're actually eating enough. And here's a little nuance: It's perfectly normal to think about food throughout the day to some degree - like what you'll eat for breakfast, what you want for an afternoon snack, what groceries you need, what restaurant you want to go to for dinner, etc. The concern is if you're experiencing non-stop thoughts about food, food rules, and eating that distract you from your everyday living. Drop an emoji in the comments if you find posts like one this helpful! See more