Written by Toni Tirozzi, FSU CPD Graduate Student

Health is not a one size fits all philosophy. In recent years, the move towards Intuitive Eating (IE) and Health at Every Size (HAES) has been making its way to the forefront of the dietetic community.

Sarah Gold Anzlovar,MS, RDN, certified intuitive eating counselor, and owner of Sarah Gold Nutrition, LLC, a virtual private practice and nutrition communications consulting business has been making her way with using IE and HAES in her practice to help women ditch diets and rediscover a healthy relationship with food and their body.

In her recent seminar on November 10, 2022, hosted by the Central Massachusetts Dietetic Association, Sarah introduced Intuitive Eating and the HAES approach in nutrition, busting myths, using evidence-based research as a strong stance and how to approach challenges of both methods. 

Sarah explained IE is a self-care eating framework, incorporating emotions, rational thought and instinct to develop a healthy relationship with food. It is a way of learning to trust your body when deciding what, when, and how much to eat instead of typical diet rules. IE recognizes you are the expert of your own body and emotions. Sarah busted myths that a IE lifestyle leads to eating poor nutrient foods regularly when in fact it is associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake than those who diet. 

She explained the HAES approach in more detail, and again, busting through dieting myths. HAES focuses on encouraging health promoting behaviors for all people, regardless of size and allowing autonomy for health journeys. It is even a core part of supporting health promoting lifestyle changes in those with chronic diseases. 

Sarah touched on the challenges that come with both the IE and HAES models. It is not a quick fix that many clients look for and how first starting off can feel a bit uncomfortable for clients. She also brought out how to evaluate our own readiness as dietitians to apply IE and HAES in our practice work. Stating that, “we can only take our clients as far as we as practitioners can go.” 

To learn more about the benefits and how to incorporate Intuitive Eating and HAES into practice, check out Sarah’s favorite and most recommended products for guidance. Sarah has also been highlighted in EatingWell, Verywell, Healthline, and several other journals and healthy living magazines that highlight her expertise.