Unhealthy Relationship with Food

Afraid of Sugar and Processed Foods

my story

I was in college in NC to become a teacher. During this time, I developed intense anxiety and digestive issues. I became obsessed with what I was eating as a means of controlling (or attempting to control) my symptoms.

I became afraid of sugar, processed foods… basically all “fun” foods, thinking they would make me sick and gain weight. I made the rules work for me until they didn’t anymore - I restricted foods I deemed “bad” like gluten and fatty foods but I couldn't stop thinking about them.

being afraid to eat sugar 

Let’s look back on my story and how I went from

eating intuitively and everything in balance

During my senior year of college, I took a nutrition class out of curiosity, thinking I could learn more about how to heal myself with food. Little did I know this interest would temporarily backfire and lead to an unhealthy relationship with food for many years.

I lived in New York, completely unsure of what I wanted to do with my career (I knew being a teacher wasn’t for me at this point)! My digestive issues and anxiety were still at a high. I continued to restrict “bad” foods while drinking heavily with friends. 

I did a lot of nutrition research while in an office job and even started my own blog (now deleted because it promoted disordered eating behaviors). I was deep in toxic Wellness Culture at this point, promoting restricted ways of eating disguised as “healthy eating.” I felt completely obsessed with food.

I decided to go back to school for nutrition to make it my career and began my Master’s in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. Luckily, it was during this time that I began to realize how restricted my diet and views of nutrition had become.

Through therapy and my own education, I began to heal this part of myself. I worked hard to redefine what “healthy” meant to me and learned about intuitive eating, and while doing this, my anxiety and digestion also improved drastically. 

Pursued Master’s Degree and Began Eating Intuitively

Became a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist

I completed an Integrative Health Coaching program at Duke Integrative Medicine to learn how to help my clients achieve REAL, sustainable change.

I graduated with my Master’s and began to take nutrition clients while I completed my licensure requirements. At this time, I focused mainly on gut health and hormonal health, working with women who struggled with their digestion like I once did.

I realized that like myself years before, many of my clients had negative relationships with food and their bodies. Over time, I began to focus on intuitive eating and anti-diet work with clients.

Owner of Joyfully Fed Nutrition Teaching Intuitive Eating Principles

Fast forward to the present day! I now own Joyfully Fed Nutrition and specialize in eating disorders, intuitive eating, body image support, and helping my clients repair their relationships with food.

I built my practice from the ground up to help people like you move through their healing process with the support, education, and community that I wish I had had years ago.

Whether your poor relationship with food stems from years of dieting as a kid, a health diagnosis eliciting food fears, or diet culture noise making it impossible to know what’s best for you - I got you!

Duke Integrative Health Coaching Program