HÄLSA Nutrition - Maria Adams, Marblehead, MA (2026)

01/12/2026

I have a lot to say about the new dietary guidelines, but I will start with a reminder that there is no one right way to eat. In addition, while guidelines can be helpful, they can also lead to stress around eating, rigid eating, and restriction.

If you find that the guidelines stress you out, consider visualizing an intuitive eating plate instead. An intuitive eating plate can be a helpful tool for anyone who wants to cultivate or maintain a healthy relationship with food.

COMPONENTS OF AN INTUITIVE EATING PLATE:
->Foods that you have ACCESS to. There is no need for fancy foods; go with what you have.
->Foods that will NOURISH you. This means they provide the energy and nutrients that you need.
->Foods that you ENJOY. While it’s unrealistic to think that every meal will be your favorite, hopefully, pleasure should be on your plate most of the time!
->Foods that SATISFY you. This means choosing foods that satisfy you, but it also means eating enough total food!

NOT INCLUDED ON THE PLATE:
Guilt and shame. Food should be enjoyed without the negative thoughts that often come with diet culture. If you find yourself having negative thoughts or feelings, know that this is very common. Rather than getting frustrated, get curious about why you feel this way and respond to yourself with kindness and compassion. It can take time to let go of these thoughts; working with a dietitian and therapist can help.

YOUR INTUITIVE EATING PLATE:
Since we are all unique, an intuitive eating plate should be individual to you, both in what you choose and the amounts. And, of course, it can look any way you want and can vary from meal to meal!

For more intuitive eating help or 1:1 counseling, go to halsanutrition.com ♡

12/04/2025

The third principle of intuitive eating is "make peace with food." ☮️

What is the make peace with food principle?
🥄Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat.
🥄Not labeling food as “good” or “bad”—no one food has the power to make you healthy or not. It’s your overall pattern of eating that matters.
🥄Eating what you really want.
🥄Making sure there are no hidden conditions (e.g., you have to exercise after, or you have to eat less tomorrow).

Why make peace with food
🥄When we restrict certain foods or amounts of food, it can lead to feelings of deprivation and cravings.
🥄Eventually, we may “give in” to our cravings, which can lead us to feel guilt.
🥄This guilt triggers feelings of being “bad,” which can lead us to eat more—the “what-the-hell effect.”
🥄We then restrict again, and the cycle continues.

How to make peace with food
🥄Allow all foods into your life.
🥄It can feel scary at first, but trust that eventually choosing a cookie will feel emotionally equivalent to choosing an apple.
🥄When you know a food will be there and allowed, day after day, it loses its power.
🥄Research shows people tire of eating the same kind of food. This is known as the habituation effect.

5 Steps to Making Peace with Food ♡
1. Think about the foods that are appealing to you, and make a list of them.
2. Put a check by the foods you regularly eat and circle the remaining foods that you’ve been restricting.
3. Permit yourself to eat one forbidden food from your list, then go to the market and buy this food, or order it at a restaurant.
4. Check in with yourself to see if the food tastes as good as you imagined. If you really like it, continue to give yourself permission to buy or order it.
5. Keep enough of the food in your home so that you can have it when you want it. Or, go to a restaurant to order as often as you like.

The information in this post was adapted from "Intuitive Eating," 4th Edition, by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, FAND.

12/01/2025

What do you do when you have overripe bananas 🍌 to use but you’re ready to get your holiday baking on? 🎄 You make gingerbread banana bread, of course! And if you have a lonely bundt pan stashed away in your kitchen, put that to good use while you’re at it. 🤍

Get the full recipe on my blog, https://halsanutrition.com/gingerbread-banana-bread-in-a-bundt-pan/

Happy December! ❄️

11/20/2025

If you have ever felt down about your BMI score, here's a reminder to look beyond this value when assessing your health and well-being.

Here are some of the problems with the BMI:

->doesn't accurately indicate your health status
->doesn't consider health conditions
->promotes weight stigma
->common cause of eating disorders
->can negatively impact mental health
->doesn't consider fitness or muscle
->doesn't consider men vs women
->doesn't account for different ethnicities
->doesn't consider different age groups

The BMI is one data point that health care providers have when assessing health. There is a lot of other data to consider.

The BMI should be used as a screening tool that elicits a deeper assessment of a patient’s health risks. Ideally, everyone–no matter their BMI, should be asked questions about health behaviors that affect health, such as diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and substance use. In addition, it’s important to recognize that weight-loss diets generally do more harm than good; so instead of pursuing weight loss, people should work with dietitians, therapists, and personal trainers to improve body image and make sustainable behavior changes that promote lasting health.

In addition, it's worth noting that the social determinants are even more correlated with health--factors like economic status, education, access to healthcare, access to food, environment, and discrimination.

Bottom line: When assessing health, it’s important to look beyond the BMI. Likewise, we need to work to end the stigma that comes with both BMI and weight. Your weight is not your worth. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes.

Read the full post about BMI on halsanutrition.com, link in profile.

11/07/2025

An essential part of intuitive eating is having access to adequate food. For children, it means being offered regular, nourishing meals and snacks.

You can’t eat intuitively on an empty stomach. When you don’t know what or when your next meal will be, it disrupts your relationship with food and can lead to a life of disordered eating.

Food insecurity stresses the body in many different ways, from reducing health and quality of life to promoting stigma and shame.

The largest anti-hunger program in the US is SNAP, which helps about 1 in 8 Americans. It’s essential, especially for the 1 in 5 children in this country who are currently living with hunger.

Let’s work together to end hunger and support adequate food for all. Donate money, food, or time to your local food pantry. Support organizations like . Spread the word about the importance of food security in promoting health and healthy relationships with food. Give in whatever way you can. ♡

Sources:
https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(24)00334-4/fulltext
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-is-snap-and-why-does-it-matter
https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/how-many-kids-united-states-live-hunger

10/23/2025

The second principle of intuitive eating is honor your hunger.

What does this entail?

💛Keeping your body fueled with enough energy and carbohydrates.
💛Learning to recognize and honor your body’s hunger signals.
💛Recognizing that it’s ok to eat for reasons other than hunger too.

📝Note that sometimes this principle is hard to tune into or not even accessible.
if you have been dieting or restricting for a while you may no longer feel your hunger. Likewise, if you suffer from an eating disorder, you first need to reestablish eating enough and eating regularly. In addition, certain conditions and medications can make it harder to feel hunger.

Why is honoring your hunger important?

💛The more you deny your true hunger, the stronger and more intense food cravings and obsessions become.
💛When you routinely ignore hunger cues, they begin to fade, and you don’t hear them anymore.
💛Honoring your hunger tells your body you are safe and builds body trust.

How do you honor your hunger?

💛Listen for your hunger cues.
💛Use the hunger-fullness scale to help you recognize your hunger level before and after eating.
💛Know that most people need to eat every 3-4 hours during the day.
💛Recognize and be mindful of other reasons for eating: taste/pleasure, planning/practical, emotions, and social events.

Common hunger sensations:

mild gurgling or gnawing in the stomach
growling stomach
thinking about food
mouth watering
difficulty concentrating
stomach pain
irritability
headache
feeling faint or weak
lightheadedness

📝Note that these sensations range from gentle to ravenous. Also, your experience of hunger is highly individual.

10/13/2025

Something I wish more people knew is the harm that dieting causes. Not only do weight loss diets usually fail in the long run, but dieting also comes with a lot of side effects:

Harmful effects of dieting:

➤teaches the body to retain more fat when you start eating again
➤decreases metabolism
➤increases cravings and food noise
➤increases the likelihood of overeating or bingeing
➤increases the risk of premature death and heart disease
➤causes satiety cues to atrophy
➤increases the risk of eating disorders
➤may cause stress or make the effects of stress worse
➤is associated with feelings of failure, low self-esteem, and social anxiety
➤gradually erodes confidence and self-trust

(Adapted from Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition, by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch)

So instead of dieting, focus on health and well-being as being separate from weight. Establish a healthy relationship with food and your body. Learn what habits and eating patterns make you thrive and feel your best. Focus on creating small, sustainable, healthy habit changes. Set "SMART" goals that are not focused on weight. Practice intuitive eating and mindful eating. Be super compassionate with yourself.

Need support? Work with a registered dietitian or therapist trained in intuitive eating and Health at Every Size. 🩷

10/10/2025

Intuitive Eating - What is it and what is it all about?

It's a life-changing mindset shift that can bring back the joy in eating. It can help you feel confident around food and comfortable in your body. It can help you be more present, more curious, and more compassionate. It's not a diet. It's not focused on weight. But it's also not "just eat whatever you want."

Since it's not a diet, you don't need to adhere to all 10 principles of Intuitive Eating or practice them in one certain way. There is no "correct" way of eating. The principles are simply a framework that can help you find food freedom and nourish yourself in a non-restrictive way.

That said, it would be hard to fully embrace intuitive eating without first adopting the first principle:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality.

What is the diet mentality?
➤The focus on weight loss and the happiness it will bring you.
➤Following rigid plans or rules to control your body.
➤The mindset of diet culture, which equates thinness with health and worthiness.

Why let go of the diet mentality?
➤Weight is not a behavior and doesn’t determine your health or worth.
➤Dieting causes harm. (More on this in next post.)
➤Most weight loss diets result in regaining more weight than was lost.
➤A weight-centric society leads to bias, stigma, and poor food/body relationships.

How to let go of the diet mentality?
➤Recognize the harm that dieting has caused you (and/or your loved ones and society as a whole).
➤Become aware of diet culture messaging.
➤Practice intuitive eating.
➤Treat your body with kindness and appreciate that bodies come in all shapes and sizes.
➤Unfollow social media accounts that promote thinness or one right way of eating.

Recommended Resource:
"Intuitive Eating" 4th Edition, by Tribole & Resch

08/22/2025

Happy Friday! 🩷It’s the season for back-to-school snacks and fueled coffee breaks! (Because having just coffee and no food is so out.)

If you need a little inspiration, check out my recipe for blueberry oat bars made with whole grain spelt flour and local berries. Recipe link: https://halsanutrition.com/simple-blueberry-oat-bars-whole-grain/ 🫐

08/14/2025

With school starting up again, here's a reminder that kids depend on the adults in their lives to establish healthy, nourishing eating habits and a good relationship with food.

Here are 8 ways that you can prioritize nourished family eating:

1. Plan meals (whether you keep it simple and plan just 3 dinners a week or go more detailed and plan 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 5 dinners, it all helps).

2. Provide satisfying snacks - kids need to eat every 2-3 hours, so snack time is a must. (Most adults benefit from snacks, too.) Have a variety of satisfying options on hand. Serve snacks to younger kids and let older kids and tweens choose their own.

3. Role model mindful eating. Monkey see, monkey do. Role model any habits you hope your kids might pick up. (And remember that nagging usually has the opposite effect!)

4. Let kids decide how much to eat. This is SO important and helps raise intuitive eaters. Trust that your child is eating the right amount. Avoid making comments about how much they are eating. (If you are concerned about super-picky eating or disordered eating, talk to your doctor).

5. Have consistent meal times. This also helps promote intuitive eating, helps avoid kids getting overhungry and cranky, and helps your kids learn to trust that food will be offered regularly. For most kids this means Breakfast, AM Snack, Lunch, PM Snack, Dinner, Bedtime Snack.

6. Meal prep. This will help save you time in a pinch. Whether it's freezing bananas for smoothies, chopping up some veggie sticks, or grilling extra chicken.

7. Try new foods and recipes. We all get stuck in a rut. Keep it interesting! Flip through a cookbook and pick something new, or buy a fruit that you don't usually buy. (I also recommend trying new restaurants and ethnic cuisines).

8. Get your family involved. Whether it's helping you pick out a new recipe, assisting with meal prep, or just setting the table. This step is important and will (in time) save you time!

Want more personalized help? Send me a DM with your question or consider reaching out about nutrition counseling. ♡

07/11/2025

A healthy relationship with food means:

✨eating a variety of foods
✨eating enough food throughout the day
✨choosing foods for both nutrition and pleasure
✨caring, but not stressing, about food ingredients
✨not fearing the trending food fears (e.g., seed oils)
✨enjoying the foods you enjoy without guilt
✨being flexible around food and eating
✨eating to promote well-being, not weight loss
✨being curious about your eating patterns, not critical
✨not overthinking your food choices
✨not spending all day planning your meals
✨feeling satisfied after most meals
✨nourishing your body with food unconditionally
✨honoring your hunger and fullness
✨letting go of the diet culture noise

Of course, there may be variations in this list as everyone is different. In my 27 years of being a dietitian,I have learned that there is no one right way to eat and there is no one right way to be around food.

It should also be noted that this all assumes that you have food security. It's very hard, if not impossible, to eat intuitively when you don't have access to enough food or enough variety of food.

If you would like help with improving your relationship with food, consider working with me. Learn more about my services on halsanutrition.com. ♡

07/02/2025

Summer is the perfect time to get creative and try new recipes, whether it's just for you or you're hosting an occasion! There is an abundance of fresh produce out there, and if you're lucky, you may even have some basil or tomatoes growing in your own backyard!

While my intern, Sofia, was in Italy with her classmates, she spent two days cooking with Chef Jacopo and his wife Anna at their beautiful countryside home in Montespertoli, Florence, Italy.

📷The first picture shows the 3 different types of bruschetta that they made while in Italy.

📷The second slide features photos of us recreating the classic tomato basil bruschetta at my house.

The bruschetta that we made was absolutely amazing, like summer on a plate! In addition to using fresh basil and tomatoes, another key to the rich flavor was the high-quality extra virgin olive oil that we used. Sofia actually brought it back with her from Italy and was nice enough to share it. ♡

We didn't have Tuscan bread but used the delicious Pain au Levain from our local .

Get these authentic Italian recipes on the Halsa Nutrition blog: https://halsanutrition.com/authentic-crostini-tomato-basil-bruschetta-and-more/

All recipes adapted from Chef Jacopo and Anna; Salati Bene

Buon Appetito!

HÄLSA Nutrition - Maria Adams

01/12/2026

12/04/2025

12/01/2025

11/20/2025

11/07/2025

10/23/2025

10/13/2025

10/10/2025

08/22/2025

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07/02/2025

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