This week I’m joined by sisters, Sinéad & Gillian Crowe who have set up Intuitive Eating Ireland.
The sisters had decades of being on the ‘diet merry-go-round’ and disordered eating behaviours but when they came across intuitive eating as an approach; it resonated deeply with both of them.
“Every eating experience is information. It’s an opportunity to learn something about yourself”.
On their journey, they knew they were a huge support to one another when times were tough, so the sisters set up Intuitive.Eating.Ireland (on Instagram) to support anyone who wanted to step into this anti-diet approach, and inspire people to see that living a life consumed by dieting, obsessing about the number on a scale or constantly feeling guilty and ashamed for not living in the idealised body size isn’t necessary. The sisters are here to share with you that there is another way that’s not dieting, and it’s a freedom you’ll never experience listening to an external source about what’s best for your body. We all have the innate wisdom within us of what is best for us, if we relearn how to truly tune in.
Sinead works as a mental health nurse in the community. After her nursing studies, she completed a 3 year course in Strategic Intervention, which is the study of human needs, why we do what we do! And she also completed training in Nutritional Therapy in 2016, hoping that studying nutrition would give her the answers to her disordered eating behaviours. Although the nutrition education was paramount on her journey, she didn’t discover true freedom from disordered eating until she stepped onto the intuitive eating path. With 4 kids, she’s very passionate about empowering people and particularly mothers & fathers when it comes to raising intuitive eaters! Sinead is currently on the road to becoming a Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor!
Gillian is a qualified social worker since 2009 and works in the mental health sector. She completed her first 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2013 and a second in 2014. She has always been interested in the holistic approach to working with people and has found huge benefits of integrating ancient yogic practices into work in her professional setting. One of her key social work values is empowerment and she is keen to spread the message of Intuitive Eating as it has been so empowering for her.
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A really important conversation at this time, especially with all we are going through. This was recorded weeks before the racism and white privilege protests that are taking place now but the girls talk a lot about inclusive and acceptance of all body shape and sizes and even mention how the beauty ‘ideal’ is deeply steeped in racism.
We’ve all been exposed to the diet culture and body image. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a woman alive who hasn’t felt the pressure to reach a certain ‘ideal’ (and lots of men too!). It’s time to expose the diet culture for what it is, and allow people to shower themselves with lots of self-compassion as they repair their relationship with their body and food. This is the work Sinéad and Gillian are doing now with Intuitive Eating Ireland and it is powerful! Diets don’t work and shaming ourselves doesn’t work either, hence the girls are bringing a new language and conversation to the table. Well worth a listen.
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