I had the pleasure today of interviewing Golda Poretsky, holistic health counselor and founder of Body Love Wellness, which provides individual and group counseling from a Health at Every Size (HAES) perspective. We met last year at Full Figured Fashion Week and hit it off, and ever since then I’ve meant to learn more about her work. When I read about her upcoming 2nd Annual Body Love Revolutionaries Telesummit starting tonight and running through the end of February, I finally got it together and reached out to her.
Golda was put on her first diet at age 4 so that kids would stop picking on her. At 11, she was on a calorie-restricted diet requiring her to drink a lot of weird shakes. Sick of dieting and struggling with her weight her whole life, Golda pursued her degree to become a holistic health coach after practicing law for 6 years. After helping herself coming to terms with her body, she turned her efforts to helping others.
Intuitive Eating
Central to Golda’s counseling is the concept of “intuitive eating.” She explained to me that intuitive eating is listening to your body’s needs, hunger and fullness signals. Golda says it’s important to trust your body, and hear hunger pangs rather than being wed to calorie counts. The goal is to reconnect with your body and emotionally heal. She says it’s important to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. By figuring out what you really need emotionally, you can take steps to have these needs met in a more effective way. When eating, you should do it mindfully and savor your food, whether it be greens or a piece of cake. Unlike some experts such as Geneen Roth and Mark David, she doesn’t think intuitive eating necessarily leads to weight loss. But she does think it’s imperative to coming to terms with your body. Continue reading
