Healthy Eating Talks In Lightwater Surrey And Online

Over the years I’ve given a lot of talks at various organisations, mainly at weight loss companies but also in different community settings such as cafes, churches, mother and baby groups and ‘drop in’ centres and support groups run by charities. During that time I’ve had an opportunity to develop many different talks, depending on the needs and preferences of the groups I’m talking to.

For anyone who wants to improve their relationship with food, tackle overeating or lose weight, there is such a lot of information out there that it can be overwhelming, as well as confusing. All most people want is the most important, key points of a subject area clearly presented and summarised for them, rather than having to research and wade through lots of information themselves. I’m a great believer in ‘knowledge is power’, as it’s through learning and awareness, including self-awareness, that we can start to make positive changes.

I run a range talks, including online (Zoom).

My talks last 90 minutes, with interactive discussion, Q&As at the end and a detailed handout is provided.

Teaching The Nutrition

One of the aims of my talks is to help clarify things for people and to clear up any confusion in relation to the nutritional aspects of food choice. For example, a common issue is dietary fats. As a result of following certain weight loss plans that might have restricted or forbidden high fat foods, I’ve come across many individuals over the years who feel confused about fats and believe that all fats are ‘bad’. I help them to understand the importance of eating essential fats such as Omega 3 and Omega 6 due to the numerous important roles they play in the body. I reassure them that it’s ok to eat foods such as avocados, nuts, oils and oily fish, which is welcome news to many people who enjoy such foods. Another important topic I cover in my talks is blood sugar balance, and how eating certain combinations of foods can help to stabilise blood sugar levels and thus regulate appetite. Incorporating protein and healthy fats into meals and snacks can help us to feel fuller for longer and make us less likely to reach for food soon afterwards, in contrast to eating a meal or snack that’s predominantly high in carbohydrate and low in fat.

Helping People To See Things In A Different Way

Through both my talks and one-to-one sessions I help people to build self-awareness and gain new perspectives and insight into their own issues with food and to think about things in a way they might not have considered before. Sometimes our thinking can get stuck in a rut, and I aim to empower people by presenting concepts to them which give them clarity, leading to ‘light-bulb’ moments. Some people feel that food has a hold over them, and I help them to become aware of what might have caused that and to explore it in a self-compassionate rather than a self-loathing way. The great thing about my interactive talks is that people come together and by hearing others talk about their own experiences they start to realise that they’re not alone in their struggles, that previous diet plans might have been too simplistic and not given them an opportunity to explore their relationship with food, and that achieving long-term weight management and developing a better relationship with food needs to start not with a diet, but by embarking on a journey of self-discovery. My talk ‘Understanding Emotional Eating’ for example, is intended to help individuals become more aware of the specific emotional factors driving their own eating and give them some tools to tackle it.

Examples Of Material Covered In My Talks

~ The importance and benefits of developing self-awareness in order to improve eating habits and relationship with food: what, how and why we eat

~ Common, unhelpful thought patterns, attitudes and beliefs that can hinder weight loss progress and successful long-term weight control, and create a problematic relationship with food

~ The importance of looking at the whole picture in relation to eating habits and weight management such as self-perception, emotional eating, lifestyle factors and the role of childhood in understanding a person’s relationship with food

~ The important link between nutrition and mental health

~ How stress can negatively affect the body if it’s not managed properly, how it can impact a whole host of things including appetite, weight management, health, sleep, mood and general well-being, and nutritional tips to support mind and body

~ Guilt, shame and secret eating

~ The importance of self-care and compassionate curiosity (tackling the inner critic) to make positive change possible

~ The ‘black and white’ mindset and its link with yo-yo dieting: the importance of permission and choice- not categorising foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’

~ The concept of calorie ‘shaving’: being able to eat the foods you enjoy whilst keeping food consumption in balance

~ Individual differences: the importance of finding personalised strategies to cater for individual needs, challenges and preferences for long-term, sustainable change.

Click HERE for a summary of each talk. For reviews of my talks, please click HERE.

If you’d like to attend any of my talks, please click HERE for the latest talks schedule and for ticket purchases via Eventbrite.

For information about all of my services (one-to-one sessions, online webinars and talks), see ‘Services‘.

Follow me on my Mindful Eating Facebook page for free tips, advice and information.

If you would like to ask me (Emma Randall) any questions about my services or to book sessions, please email me: info@mindfuleating.org.uk or give me a call: 07961 423120.