Dr. B’s Professional Spotlight: Alyssa Callahan, MS, RDN, Founder/CEO of Nourished with Kindness
“I love working with my clients to help them learn the truth about nutrition (instead of what the internet tells us) and learn to appreciate how good they feel when they are kind to themselves”.
- Alyssa Callahan, MS, RDN, CEO/Founder of Nourished with Kindness
Intuitive eating is the practice of honoring one’s emotions, rational thought, hunger, and instinct (Tribole & Resch, 2017). It involves integrating one’s mind and body by actively paying attention to physiological and emotional needs so that an individual can practice eating when hungry and stopping when full instead of when a diet plan says this is “allowed” (Albers, 2018). For those seeking eating disorder treatment, intuitive eating can help one cultivate a healthy relationship with food through the help of a licensed therapist and registered dietitian. While therapists can support understanding emotional needs, dietitians can help individuals identify ways to tune into physiological signals of hunger and instinct. Both professionals can assist in helping one to challenge diet culture to prioritize mental health and wellness.
In this professional spotlight, Dr. Ballardo interviewed Alyssa Snow Callahan, MS, RDN, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, certified Intuitive Eating counselor, author of The Mindful Eating Journal, and Founder / CEO of Nourished with Kindness. Alyssa specializes in eating disorders, binge eating, emotional eating, and body image in teens and adults, as well as a weight-neutral approach to treating gastrointestinal disorders and fertility/pregnancy issues. She graduated with her Masters in Nutritional Science from California State University at Los Angeles, where she wrote her final project on applying the principles of Intuitive Eating during pregnancy and becoming a role model for a healthy relationship with food as a parent.
Alyssa previously worked as a clinical dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Providence-Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance. She also previously worked at Center For Discovery, a leading eating disorder treatment center. Originally from New Hampshire, Alyssa graduated from Boston University with her B.S. in Communication and concentrations in Psychology and Public Relations. She worked in health policy public affairs in Washington, D.C. before becoming a dietitian.
To learn more about Nourished with Kindness and the services that Alyssa offers as a dietitian, please read below:
Dr. Ballardo: Can you please tell us a bit about your group practice? Who works with you and what are the specialties that you and your colleagues provide?
Alyssa: Nourished with Kindness is a group of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who specialize in eating disorders, binge eating, emotional eating, and helping people with medical conditions like diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, and women’s health issues without focusing on weight. We know that focusing on weight loss is often counter-productive because it causes people to fixate on the scale and jump onto trend diets (which are not sustainable). Instead, we work with adolescents and adults to teach intuitive eating, understand their individual nutrition needs, and heal their relationships with food and body.
Dr. B: Can you discuss what the potential benefits are to working with a dietitian?
Alyssa: Dietitians can provide personalized guidance on your nutrition based on our education in subjects like biochemistry, metabolism, specific nutrition considerations of health issues, and the psychology of eating behaviors. Working with a dietitian is actually a plus if you are also working with a therapist to heal your relationship with food and body! By working with a dietitian as well, we can help you ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs, explain nutrition science vs diet myths, discuss your specific goals and concerns about foods, and explore body image. Then, your work with your therapist can focus on complex emotions and thought patterns like perfectionism, healing interpersonal relationships, developing coping skills, and processing trauma.
Dr. B: Do you take insurance in your practice? If so, which are accepted?
Alyssa: Yes, we are in network with Anthem PPO, Blue Cross PPO, Blue Shield of California PPO, and United Healthcare PPO. We can also bill other insurance plans, like Cigna and Aetna, as out-of-network providers.
Dr. B: How do you explain what intuitive eating is to your clients?
Alyssa: Intuitive Eating is a framework for eating developed by Elyse Resch, MS, RDN and Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, that includes 10 principles to guide people in getting more attuned to their internal body cues (like hunger and fullness) and make peace with food and their bodies. Intuitive Eating teaches us that true health is encompassing of mind, body, and food, as the principles focus on health-focused behavior change, like balance and variety in food, regular movement, and self-care, as well as addressing destructive thought processes that get in the way of us feeling our best – like shame and guilt.
Dr. B: How can a parent or loved one help support their child or spouse with practicing intuitive eating?
Alyssa: If you have a loved one who is working to heal their relationship with food through Intuitive Eating, I of course recommend reading the book or workbook! I find that the most important way to support your loved one is to remain curious and open-minded. Certain principles and concepts are more difficult for some people, while they come naturally or resonate deeply with others. It’s important to take the time to ask them whether there is anything you can do to support them. They may have suggestions for changing the way the family talks about food or bodies, which is very common, so try not to take it personally. Some comments that we see as innocuous can be very sensitive to those who struggle with eating disorders, so it’s important to be flexible.
Dr. B: Are there other intuitive practices that you recommend clients practice to help practice intuitive eating?
Alyssa: The most important practice to incorporate regularly alongside intuitive eating is intentional self-care. This can be in the form of meditation, spending time with friends or family, joyful movement, adequate sleep, being in nature, journaling, or anything else that helps us feel connected in our bodies and our lives. The journey of mending our relationships with food and body also needs to include anything that nourishes and enriches our souls.
Dr. B: What is your favorite thing about being a dietitian?
Alyssa: I love working with my clients to help them learn the truth about nutrition (instead of what the internet tells us) and learn to appreciate how good they feel when they are kind to themselves. My clients are so inspiring, and I love guiding and laughing with them every day. I also love working with my team of dietitians because they bring unique perspectives from their experiences, and I love learning from them.
Dr. B: If you weren’t a dietitian, what do you think you’d want to do for a living?
Alyssa: I would want to be an author or a journalist. I love to write and be creative when I have time!
For more information about Nourished with Kindness, please contact Alyssa Callahan, MS, RDN:
805-267-9338
alyssa@nourishedwithkindness.com
2660 Townsgate Rd, Suite 610, Westlake Village, CA
Telehealth offered?: Yes
IG: @nourishedwithkindness on Instagram
References:
Albers, S. (2018). Eating Mindfully for Teens : A Workbook to Help You Make Healthy Choices, End Emotional Eating, and Feel Great. Instant Help.
Evelyn Tribole, & Elyse Resch. (2017). The Intuitive Eating Workbook : Ten Principles for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Food. New Harbinger Publications.