The mindset root of emotional eating, with Leah Van Dolder

In this episode of the Heallist Podcast, we’re joined by Leah Van Dolder, a registered dietitian and mindset coach who works with women on the behavioral and psychological patterns underneath their relationship with food—not just the food itself. Together, we explore what healing a relationship with food can actually look like in practice, beyond meal plans, restriction, or willpower.

Drawing from her work with clients, Leah shares how family dynamics, stress, achievement-oriented thinking, and cultural messaging can shape eating habits and body image over time. The conversation explores the difference between reactive and responsive eating, why consistency often matters more than perfection, and how mindset shifts may support more sustainable and compassionate approaches to nutrition and self-care.

This episode is shared for educational and reflective purposes, offering perspective on food relationships and behavior change without promoting restrictive or prescriptive approaches.

Key takeaways include:

•  Relationships with food are often influenced by emotional and behavioral patterns 
•  Healing food relationships may involve mindset and habit shifts, not just nutrition plans 
•  Responsive eating can support greater awareness and flexibility around food choices 
•  Consistency and self-awareness may be more sustainable than perfection-based approaches 
•  Enjoyment and compassion can play an important role in long-term well-being

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Transcript

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Yuli 0:00

Welcome to the Heallist Podcast, where we unpack the many layers of holistic health. I'm Yuli, founder of Heallist, your portal to holistic healers worldwide. Now let's go deep. Hello, dear friends, and welcome to the Heallist Podcast. If this content resonates, please hit subscribe or follow to support this independent content. Today's guest spent over a decade as a registered dietitian watching clients follow the right advice and still struggle. Leah Von Dolder is an RD and mindset coach who works with women on the behavioral and psychological patterns underneath their relationship with food, not the food itself. And we are getting into what healing your relationship with food actually means in practice. So welcome, Leah. So good to have you.

Leah 0:53

So good to be here and so good to see you again.

Yuli 0:56

Yes. So I'm really, I mean, this conversation is so important in this day and age. And we're going to talk a little bit why and all the reasons. I feel like as I age personally and as I try to balance my life as a mother, as a startup founder, as a person in the world in general, I come back to that idea of like nutrition. It's such a fundamental piece of our lives. And unfortunately, in my case, I didn't learn proper nutrition until I was in my 40s and was forced to do so. But I think what you do is just really important for women and for people in general. So I'm really excited to dive into this conversation with you.

Leah 1:38

So excited to dive deep. Nutrition is such a beautiful gateway to talk about so many things. So bring it on. I'm an open book.

Yuli 1:48

Amazing. So I like to dive right in and really, I mean, give me like the biggest thing that you learned. And of course, you've gone through this journey, right? From, you know, clinical nutrition. What was the moment for you that nutrition became kind of the focus and then how that shifted over years?

Leah 2:07

It never was the focus. And I think that's what's was so beautiful about my evolution with it. Went to university and I started in arts because I'm like, I have no idea what I'm gonna do with myself. I started in arts and I quickly realized that I did not like that. And I shifted into a Bachelor of Science and I was playing around with nutrition classes, but what I was really hooked on was psychology. I I loved, I loved neuroscience and I love the behavior classes and cognitive behavior, and I was so, so obsessed with that. And I also became very attuned to how our nutrition made a big difference in terms of how we feel, how we function. And I was really amazed by the connection between nutrition and our relationship with it and how it absolutely affects not just our physique, but our energy, our mental clarity, our focus, our energy. And not just, I know I said energy twice, but energy in terms of that magnetism, right? That that confidence that just oozes out of us. I find it so beautiful how it all intertwines.

Food Beliefs We Inherit

Leah 3:24

You said something too, Yuli, which I thought was really, I'm glad that you said it at the beginning. You said you were kind of forced into learning about nutrition when you were 40. I recognize how powerful a woman's relationship with food is and especially her leading by example. And I recognize that I gained the beautiful gift of seeing a woman fully embodied in a healthy relationship with herself and her food by my mother. And I realized as I was working in, because my very first clinical job was in a weight loss clinic. And what I loved about it was the human connection and having these deep, intimate conversations with women around food, because like I said, food is this gateway into talking about everything else. And I quickly realized how fortunate I was and how much of a blessing it was to grow up in a home where my mother had a very healthy, nourishing relationship with food. And I realized that the more that I talked to women and how warped their perceptions were around food, how they grew up in a home where their mother was continuously on Weight Watchers, ideal protein, talking about the next wedding that she's got to go to and lose 10 pounds to rock her dress, or talking about her body picking herself apart in the mirror. And I was like, whoa, what a gift it has been to me to have a role model and somebody who passes down those habits to me just naturally. I learned those as a kid, and I see how much of a privilege that was and how powerful it is for women to create a nourishing relationship with foods so they can pass it down to their children because that's that's generational health. There's such an impact there.

Yuli 5:15

Absolutely. I mean, you you are very lucky. And I feel like most of us, uh especially most women, we did not have that privilege. Um, because, like you said, there's so many different stereotypes that are engraved in us from the very early age, and especially some of the older generations, not to blame anyone. I feel like they didn't have access to the same information we have today. So they did their best. We love them deeply. But there was also a lot of really, really like dangerous stories, right? That we were exposed to. So can you talk about some of those stereotypes or some of those limiting beliefs that women come to you these days?

Diet Culture Rules And Self-Worth

Leah 5:56

Yeah. Well, the first one that come to mind is how food, like the good food, bad food, certain foods are put on a pedestal of, like, oh, well, I shouldn't have those. I can't have those. That's gonna go straight to my hips. You know, we put on these these foods on a pedestal. And it's interesting too in psychology. Of course, the things that we can't have or we shouldn't have, of course, we want them more. It's like telling your child, you can't play with that toy, but you can play with all these other 50 toys. The one that they want to play with is the one that they can't have. So that is a fascinating dynamic with food and how we assign importance, or also, yay, me, I have more willpower or discipline because I can resist the chocolate cake that's brought into the staff room, you know. So that dynamic is also very interesting. So the good food, bad food thing, the the pedestal. And I think also too around numbers, our body shape and size, and how that subtly works into our self-worth. That also. And, you know, so many women that I work with, they say they recognize, or like I recognize that, you know, I heard things from my mom talk about like getting smaller and skinnier. And, you know, it's uh a lot of their self-worth and capabilities and belief in self are tied into a number. And even though I personally did not experience that myself with weight and numbers, I personally experienced the same feelings when it came to building my business and making more money every month and that association with my worth and how I felt about myself. So the numbers and the self-worth, that is also a very common thread.

Yuli 7:49

Yeah, no, those are really great points. I'm gonna throw in just something that came up as well as you were talking about good food and bad food. I feel like we also live in such an age of like this extreme marketing, right? That is constantly bombarded. You know, uh, we are bombarded with those messages that are sometimes like manipulative, right? And there's like people that are profiting from that, you know, every day there's like a new ingredient. Like today is protein, and all of a sudden there's protein everywhere, right? Like people put, they they throw powder into something, and all of a sudden it's uh healthy food. So for me, it's also like that misconception about one one is labeling what good and what's bad, but then also the misconception of like what is the good stuff or actually good for you, or is it marketing?

Leah 8:34

Yes, it's such a good point because I was grocery shopping the other day, and it's so funny because you know, you can see a product and just on the branding and what it says, it's gluten-free or it's organic or whatever it is, like no sugar added. And I can't even remember what the product was, but you know, looking at the ingredients, and that's a big thing too. It's one thing to read a label, and it's another thing to understand how that food relates to your body or what it's doing within your body. But you're right, the food marketing is such a big thing, and there's so many eye roll moments where I go into the grocery store, I'm like, good God, like no wonder it's an absolute disaster trying to shop. There's so much, so much. It's confusing.

Yuli 9:24

I mean, I feel like you have to be almost like a food scientist today to differentiate. And it took me, even being in wellness a few years, it took me some time to start learning. And like you said, reading the label is not enough because we don't understand half of the things it says, right? So I started using apps that actually help you scan food and give you at least some sort of a rating because it's really impossible to navigate, at least if you live in the US, the food industry it is so corrupted that it's really impossible to make good decisions for yourself unless you're equipped with some sort of like a scientific data or an app that helps you navigate that space. So, to your point, I also was shocked to discover using like app like the Processed app, for example, how many things that are labeled organic non-GMO are actually completely ultra-processed. That was news to me that it was even possible and legal in this day and age.

Leah 10:21

Yes. Yeah. The app that uh the other one that comes to mind is Yuka. Yuka is another really familiar one as well. But yeah, having that rating and making sense of it. And also recognizing, too, like I really love living in the the lifestyle of, you know, choosing about 90% foods from Whole Foods and still giving yourself full permission to enjoy, you know, 10% of those foods that might not be as nourishing on the continuum of foods. But I don't know about you, Ely, but I could not live in a world without enjoying chocolate or treats. Absolutely. Yeah. The Dutch girl in me would die without sweets of some

When Hard Work Isn’t Enough

Leah 11:04

type.

Yuli 11:04

So we talk about the issue in the market, right? And all the challenges we're facing as consumers of food, as shoppers of food, as women uh that are aging and their biology is changing, the stereotypes that we came with. So I'm pretty sure most women that come to you, they're in some sort of stage of despair, probably. They probably tried things, right? They tried the old programs and the weight loss and um working maybe with other modalities. They come to you. Describe that moment or maybe give us some examples of clients. When do they reach the stage that okay, I'm I'm ready, I need a coach, I need help. What I am doing is not working.

Leah 11:49

So accepting and realizing that, not feeling guilty about reaching out and recognizing that they can't do it alone or they don't want to. Because they say, I feel really lonely in this. I don't want to do it on my own. Plus, I don't have the time or the mental bandwidth to figure it out. And there's this low grade annoyance because they start to realize that the cost of staying the same is way more expensive than investing in the solution and getting the right support. That's the moment. I usually ask them, I said, so this might sound like a super weird question, but how much worse does this have to get in order to do something about it? They're like, nope, like can't, can't, it cannot get any worse because I don't recognize myself in a mirror. This isn't me. I don't feel like my exterior matches like who I am. And I don't want it to get any worse. I don't want it to.

Yuli 12:44

And what was that moment? What do you see kind of the biggest um mind shift that happens? And I know it's uh it's not as easy or as simple, but you are talking about the mindset being one of the key components of that journey. So talk through that. What happens when after Roswell realized it cannot get any worse? Where do we go from there?

Leah 13:11

Yeah, recognizing that it's less about food. Realizing that it's it's less about food and it's more about organization and implementation and repetition of this stuff and incorporating balance into their everyday life because I think one of the most amazing things that I see well, a couple things are coming to mind. The one is recognizing they're like, I didn't realize that it could be this simple. Where when women come into my world, I get a really good idea. I have got a three-step uh proven process for this where we reveal what's not working, we reveal the habits, the thought processes, the stories, the mindsets that are keeping them stuck. We refine all of it and then we recalibrate her to a new level so that she elevates her baseline, she elevates her default habits. And one of the things too is recognizing women are like, why have I been making this so much harder than it needs to be? Here I am trying to change everything at once or do a plan that is so different than what I'm used to. And where our brain comes into that and our mind is like, our brain doesn't love that much change at one time. Like we can all follow a meal plan for like three days, but come Thursday night, you are mentally tapped, life is lifing, and you're like, screw this, I'm just going for the easy, like, let's press the easy button. I'm gonna go for what's quick and convenient, it's and what's most familiar. So this beautiful shift from I don't have to try so flippant hard and white knuckle it through through this journey. I can start with three things. And oftentimes for women, it's making a decision ahead of time. And I say, I'm like, less choice equals more freedom in your brain. Less decisions in the moment when you are stressed, tired, and mentally tapped, the better when it comes to nutrition. So making those decisions ahead of time and prepping. Healthy eating doesn't happen by accident, it happens on purpose. And the planning ahead so that women have those moments during the week where they're like, oh, I am just loving on my past self right now. So the element of really realizing that it's not about the information. Like I had a couple of women say, they're like, I know this is not an education problem, but I suck at the execution. I suck at the implementation of it and the consistency. So organizing, planning, having a plan in place and prepping simple things so that there's more freedom and headspace, and also recognizing, too, that shifting also the definition of consistency. Because oftentimes Yuli, women say, I suck at consistent execution. I say, tell me what consistency means to you. And we live in this social world where women have just thought that consistency is synonymous with perfection, where they think, well, consistency is I get to the gym five times a week, I eat what I should, I don't mess up, and you know, heaven forbid I have a donut because then my whole day's a write-off. So consistency is not synonymous with perfection, they're very different. So I know I shared a lot there, but it's I think the most amazing thing to me is seeing women's brains light up of like, oh my gosh, I've been I've been going at this the wrong way. This can actually be so much easier than I thought. This can actually be fun and feel light and energizing versus a total slog and actually enjoying food. So that's a big shift. And getting away from tracking macros, like you're going to confession of like, oh, forgive me, father, I have sinned. I ate three crackers and didn't track them today, like whatever it was. So it's uh creating more enjoyment with food in the process of becoming the healthy, happy, and really like the strongest version of you.

Making Healthy Food Enjoyable

Yuli 17:30

Amazing. So you mentioned something about enjoyment that really struck with me because I feel like it's another thing that we um that is installed in our brains sometimes that there's certain foods that are meant to enjoy, right? Like the ice creams and the chocolate cakes, right? And then there's certain foods that we have to like suffer through, like the greens, you know, we just gotta do it because of their and right. And I think it's one of the things like I'm at least I'm trying to do consciously as I'm learning to be more of a mindful eater, is really find join in eating kale, which is not my first choice by default. But it's like, you know, making like for me, I'm a visual person. So part of it is making like a visually beautiful, colorful dish, and then working with myself to see can I actually really enjoy, truly enjoy this bite of kale, even though it's it doesn't have those, you know, um, the taste that we're we're again we're like brainwashed with saying that is enjoyable.

Leah 18:33

Yeah. I love that you brought that up, Yuli, because I'm thinking about uh a client said to me, She's like, you know, I used to, I used to think, and again, the thought, the belief, I used to think that I had to suffer through eating fruits and vegetables just because they're good for me. It felt forced. And she said, and then the opposite too, around, you know, the things like uh like french fries or chips or cakes, whatever. She said, I used to really love those because I'm like, oh, they taste so good and they're just so yummy. So when hearing her own thought process and her own belief around food, I'm like, okay, now we get to create a new confirmation bias in your brain that sounds like, hey, kale can be enjoyable. We just get to play and flirt around with what you add to it, how you cook it, whatever it may be. Uh that and that's so fun. That's the fun part about this is uh allowing yourself to play in the kitchen because I think too, we get so we're like, I don't know what to do, I'm gonna do the recipe wrong. Yuli, I never cook with a recipe. I never do. I'm just like, sure, let's try this and see how it turns out. And yeah. So I'm curious, how have you made kale enjoyable?

Yuli 20:03

Well, I think one thing I said is like making it actually visually appealing and making it like when I make myself lunch sometimes, and I often have like just a few minutes, but just like throwing things in it that make it colorful, putting on a beautiful plate that looks like a restaurant almost, right? So I serve myself this dish and I make it like look very decadent, right? So for me, it's like okay, I get the visual pleasure out of it, and the setting itself, that's what creates that pleasure and joy.

Leah 20:35

Experience.

Yuli 20:37

Exactly.

Leah 20:37

Yes, experience, yeah. I I'm similar, I really love an array of colors, so I love doing and also ease. Like anytime I can press the easy button on something, I'm on it. So I love utilizing those pre, like the the cut slaws or the pre-wash, whatever, the spinach or the bag salad mixes, and adding little pieces of color or different textures, right? Like uh great carrot on top or some zucchini, or put some roasted lentils or chickpeas on top. Of course, store bought. Like I'm not I'm not making those. Like maybe on a Sunday, but uh yeah, it's that element of visual appeal and just allowing yourself to try. Like I'm thinking about an example to one of the women in my program. She said, I just decided to play around with a burger. And she said, the old meat just thought, well, a burger is made with a big white Kaiser bun with loads of mayo and ketchup on there and piled high with whatever pickles and cheese and stuff. And she said, you know, I started questioning that where did the idea of the ultimate burger come from that like it has to look like this? So the the fun in it is just questioning the story, questioning the like how did this even come to be? So she's like, you would be so proud of me. She's like, I was just playing around, playing around. She's like, I took off, I just decided to go no bun, not because of, oh, I can't have carbs, but because I'm just gonna try this and see how I like it. And she said I put some Dijon mustard because she loves mustards, and she's like, I'm obsessed with all these different kinds. So she said I did a plate of greens on my dinner plate. I've got my burger patty, had these amazing mustards, put some cheese on top and these pickles. And she's like, it was the best thing ever. Oh, and then she, instead of the mayo, she did a little bit of mayo with plain Greek yogurt, mixed a little bit of hot sauce in there. She's like, it was so delicious. And I recognized that I felt so satisfied and I felt so much better after that meal because I wasn't weighed down by it. And I felt like I had choice, like I had a say in the matter in terms of what I put on my plate because I allowed myself to play and see how it turned out.

Yuli 23:15

I love that. And I think again, like that choice is so important. Like we talked about how certain things just kind of like certain stories that came down the line. We believe in them and we kind of live by them. Like I had a funny story when I um at some point in my life, I was wise enough to get a personal trainer for a while. And the first thing he asked me, and I was shocked, like he started talking about nutrition. What do I eat for lunch? And I was like, I don't know, a sandwich. And he looked at me and he said, like, why are you a truck driver? It's like truck drivers needed needed a convenient way to pack food for the road. Yeah. So they loaded with in the bread, and so it's easy to like hand held and eat. And that really made me pause. And it just said, you know, those little things that feel like stay with you for life, right? That one question, and it was like funny, and I was a little offended, right? But it really stuck with me. I'm like, wait a second, do I need all this bread? And then you go on a story to like unpack like why do I eat so much bread? And then it goes back to my childhood that this was like my comfort uh zone, right? And um, but it's really interesting how some of those stories, like by default, we just kind of accept them instead of questioning it. It's like, okay, why do I need this loaf of bread just to eat lunch? Um, so I can totally relate to that. It's true, it's so true.

Leah 24:38

And that is the basis of any transformation. It's really it's looking at it and choosing a curious lens of where did this come from? And it also, for me personally, when I started taking that approach versus the critical lens of like, oh my gosh, like, why are you eating this? Do better, you know, do better next time. Okay. It's looking at the curiosity because I personally felt it was so much more empowering that way. And that element of choice, because women say all the time, they're like, I just want to feel in control around food. And the sense of feeling in control comes from this place of truly knowing that you have choice and feeling good about the choice that you made and taking responsibility for that choice versus say going into, I don't know, like a typical diet plan where women are looking to lose weight and they're put on something that they didn't choose, or feeling like they have to like follow a plan or they're like adhering to something. Deep down, it's not creating more trust in our choices. Deep down, usually what I hear it's like, oh God, when is this 30-day thing gonna be over so I can eat what I want to? So that questioning the stories and just being like, where are these since when did I like breakfast? I was thinking about this too. Like you say, lunch and your truck driver lunch. I was thinking about weekend breakfast traditions. One of the women, my client, she's like, I just have this tradition of making pancakes in bacon grease. She starts starts with bacon in the pan and then does the pancakes and the bacon grease. So she's like, Where did that even come from? She's like, This is hilarious. So it's like, great, let's unpack that. And it usually like the breadcrumb trail to childhood, stories, memories, all of that. And uh, it's just I think it's just the coolest thing.

Yuli 26:43

Well, you are in uh, I feel like in the hardest business, which a lot of holistic practitioners are, and it's a business of changing habits, yeah, or helping people change habits. And I always admire people that step on this path, but I know it's not the easiest path. What do you see in terms of um changing habits that actually like clicks with people? Like what are what are some of the techniques or some of the you know mindset strategies that we haven't mentioned yet perhaps that really do the work?

Leah 27:19

Yeah, what's coming to mind first, Yuli, is learning how to become responsive versus reactive in a situation. That's huge. That's huge. And I talk a lot about identity shifting and that you know, for outlasting transformation, you know, you're changing your being in these moments, you're changing how you behave in these moments. You know, when life life, when you're uh when you're triggered, when you're tired, when you're stressed, who's the version of you who uh who shows up in those circumstances? The the default uh or the reactive version of you who you know defaults to food, defaults to ice cream and sits on the couch with this story of like I deserved it, I pushed through, you know, good for me, self-soothing, or the version of you who takes a moment to think because the difference between a reaction and a response is the pause. Being able to just like hold on a second here. Why am I walking to the freezer? Why, like, why is the pantry calling my name? What is my body actually asking of me? What type of emotion am I trying to fulfill with food? So it's that that pathway of self-awareness, self-discovery, honoring body in the moment and recognizing that wow, sure, food could fill an emotional comfort, absolutely. And so could getting outside for some fresh air when I'm feeling stressed, or having a hot bath and lighting a candle because I am genuinely exhausted from working 10 extra hours this week. So it's this very, it's a really beautiful way to become your own scientist and your own observer of your patterns and understanding the thought processes that lead to that behavior or your emotional state that lead to a behavior and recognizing that you can in a moment take a pause and take a different pathway. And with repeating that time and time again, the neuroplasticity, you know, you're creating this new, this new pathway in your brain. And what that does is gets us to this place where you, you know, automatically, instead of like this example is coming to mind, but one of my clients, she's like, I used to think that exercise was just something to do when I was feeling happy and motivated. She's like, now I've learned. She's like, instead of when I'm stressed, instead of my default to eat, she's like, I have rewired and recognized that when I am fired up and aggravated, she's like, that is prime time to move. So now her autopilot is to get out and move versus eat. Because oftentimes the food is just avoidance. You know, we just want to temporarily soothe. We're just given a band-aid solution versus actually giving ourselves the space and the courage to really feel the discomfort of our feels. So it is the most uncomfortable, fulfilling, wild, like transformative journey. I love the work that I do, as you can tell, because women just come alive. They're like, oh my gosh, I just didn't realize that I could feel this great in my body. And see that these skills of becoming responsive versus reactive and really becoming mindful and thoughtful about our next choice. That is a transferable skill that helps in so many different areas of their life and their communication with their partners, you know, at work, how they show up. And, you know, when women start to see the benefit of that, they see that the behavior change leads to more presence, more kindness, more compassion. It's yeah, it makes it makes the growing pains and the stretch marks of growth so worth it.

Yuli 31:41

I love that. And you described so well like a process. I've been trying to leave, and obviously it's easier said than done, right? To develop that level of self-control, that observer effect where you're actually not allowing like the monkey brain to lead you to places that you didn't want to go, right? But somehow here we are. And I think also I know you work with a lot of high-achieving perfectionist type A women that I belong to. Proudly belong to. Can you just touch upon any specific things that you see in this particular group of women? Because I feel like, you know, it's like the trouble of the functioning, you know, that executive functioning brain that you know, you know everything, you know what to do, you're capable, right? Why do we fail in some of those areas?

Leah 32:38

Yeah, a couple things that come to mind. Well, the first one is shame hides in the dark. And I really love just helping women take the the shame of that, just like uplifting from it and recognizing that it's not your fault. It's not your fault. The other thing, too, is the drive and those characteristics of high achieving A-type personalities, they work. They work and they've served you very well with getting you to places within your career, achieving milestones. Like they've served you in a beautiful capacity. However, when it comes to your body, your body does not respond well to like push, push, push, white knuckling, like hustle harder. So, what's really beautiful about the body transformation is really helping women soften and come into that feminine energy as well. Because hey, I love me, my good masculine energy, hustle, hustle. I love it. We all love a good execution. And also recognizing, too, that we cannot rush our body, we cannot rush it because it knows. And when we start slapping time frames on things, because we all love that, we have time frames, and then we also make it mean something of if I don't achieve five pound weight loss in 14 days, well, then somehow I'm a failure. So I really love bringing awareness to what kind of timelines are you setting on yourself? Can you modify them? And what's the interpretation of things? Just because you don't lose a pound this week doesn't mean you're off course or failing. What's the interpretation of that? What are you making these moments mean about you as a person? So if I were to sum this all up, it's shifting the expectations of self and of body and learning how to slow down, listen, and honor, and surrender the outcome and the timeline, and fall in love with the process of becoming the healthiest, happiest, most confident version of yourself.

Yuli 34:56

Amazing. I love it. Pretty much the opposite of what we should be doing in business, right? Like no KPIs, no timelines, surrender to the process.

Leah 35:04

It's so uncomfortable. It's so uncomfortable because it's not familiar. So, yes, it's the total opposite. And uh, yeah, it's a total bamboozle to your brain and emotions.

Yuli 35:19

Yes,

GLP-1 Shortcuts And Lasting Change

Yuli 35:20

yeah. I think a lot of our listeners can relate to that. And I feel like we can have a conversation in this day and age about nutrition and potential weight loss, right? We're not labeling things without mentioning the all the incredible scientific advances of our times, and part of it is the shortcuts, right? The amazing menu of shortcuts that are available for people these days. And I think as science progresses, the need for discernment also grows. That's how I feel personally, being in this very crowded wellness space that is continues to grow and in a pace that sometimes outweighs the proof or the evidence, right? We're rushing to accept a lot of those new shortcuts that sometimes give us that those KPIs in a very short timeline that satisfy a lot of people. And the reality of today is I think we just looked at the stats before this conversation that 15% of women in the US are on some sort of GLP1 medication, and 22% tried it in their lifetime. And I think as the age group goes higher, about 50, I believe it's about one in five women actually is on GLP1. And we are seeing, and I have friends who've taken them, and I see people transform and finally feeling them like themselves and having their dream bodies and how their life is shifting. But part of me is also the holistic part of me that appreciates nutrition and learning and changing habits and developing that observer effect and the self-control. I can't help but wonder what are some of the long-term behavioral or psychological impacts of those shortcuts that we might be considering. And I think from you coming from a place of nutrition and psychology and mindsets, I'm just really curious about your perspective. And I'm sure you've had clients that came to you either in that process or before or after. What are you seeing in your space?

Leah 37:36

Yeah, I'm seeing that medications, there's a time and a place. And there's some women that it's a great fit for and some that it's not. And again, going back to choice and discernment, I love that word. Um, at the end of the day, it's it's your choice, your body, and feeling that something is a good fit for you, that absolutely takes discernment. Now, with working in weight loss clinics for over a decade, absolutely, there were many, many women that were taking GLP ones and using these medications. And the the one thing that I'll say about this is what happens when you take them away? You know, when you are choosing a medication or whatever else, like whether it's a detox or another shortcut, when it's done, or when you decide to stop, then what happens? So I really like the thought process and in any conversation with women, it's like again, it's your body and it's your choice. And recognizing that any of these modalities, it could be a great adjunct to what you're doing. The behavior, the psychology, and the behavior change that has to be included in the the program in order to get the lasting change. So what I see often is how women take GLP and thinking, like, okay, what mindset is this is gonna give me fast and furious results. Great, cool. And it happens, but then they come off of it. Well, you've just taken away this hormone. So it makes a lot of sense that appetite's gonna come back, we're gonna come back if you haven't also looked at the behavior change, your relationship with food, everything that we've talked about here. So I have also seen women that are doing the deep transformative behavior change using a GLP one or medication to support them in their journey. I've seen it done that way too. Yeah, it really comes back to that element of choice, practicing discernment and recognizing that, okay, how do I want this to end? Do I want lasting results or am I cool to just go fast and furious, have temporary results, or do I want lasting results and also be accepting and okay with the the fact that it's gonna take me longer to get there. So it's like, what do you want? Fast and temporary or steady, sustainable, and lasting.

Yuli 40:14

It's a very important point. Well, thank you for sharing that. And uh, it ended up being a long episode because I feel like I could I could talk for hours about nutrition and psychology. This is really my cup of tea, and you're a great guest to have this conversation with. Anything that we should leave our listeners with, if there's one take or maybe something we haven't mentioned yet that you would like to share.

Leah 40:40

Yeah, this is coming through. There's nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, there's nothing wrong with wanting to look better, there's nothing wrong with wanting to feel your absolute best. There's so many women that come to me and they're like, oh, I know this sounds so so shallow of me, but like I want to look better. I'm like, don't feel bad. Don't feel bad about it. Celebrate the fact that you want that for yourself and not from like who cares if there's an element of vanity in it. We're all vain. We all love looking good, but it's also the the energy that you're coming into this is when you see a woman that takes care of yourself, like the signal that you send out, it's like the signal is I matter and I take myself seriously. So do not feel bad about wanting more for yourself.

Yuli 41:31

I love that message. Well, thank you for living with us with this beautiful thought. And uh, I can thank you enough for sharing all your wisdom. And again, thank you so much for being here with us.

Leah 41:43

You're welcome, Yuli. Thank you.