Raising Intuitive Eaters with Gina Mateer | #15

Click here to access a written transcript of this episode.

It is so hard to be a parent in today's world of information (and misinformation) overload. This is especially true when it comes to raising kids to have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.

Luckily, Gina Mateer, a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian Supervisor and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, spoke with me about strategies parents can use to do exactly that. With these tips, you'll be on your way to raising intuitive eaters in no time!

We discussed:

• Gina's journey to becoming an RD who specializes in eating disorders.
• How children grow up in a “diet soup.”
• The fact that dieting is not recommended for children because it's associated with negative health outcomes.
• Why black and white approaches to food and eating don't work well with children.
• The harm caused by “traffic light” systems and apps like the new Kurbo app from WW (formerly Weight Watchers).
• The compassion and empathy we feel for parents trying to figure out how to feed their kids with all the mixed messages they receive.
• Our ability to eat intuitively from birth.
• Common things that can disrupt our hunger and fullness cues.
• Ellyn Satter's “Division of Responsibility” model of feeding children.
• How to overcome the fear as a parent that your children will only eat “junk” food if you loosen the food reins.
• Resources for helping teenagers have a healthy relationship with food.
• The importance of modeling a positive relationship with food and body to your kids if you're a parent.
• How focusing on weight instead of health behaviors is harming children.
• Additional resources for parents.
• How Gina defines health and wellness for herself at this moment in her life, including a focus on sleep hygiene as the mom of a newborn.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Central Texas Eating Disorder Specialists (CTEDS)
• Details about the WW Kurbo app
• Being A Competent Eater – Ellyn Satter Institute
• Ellyn Satter Institute website
• Ellyn Satter Institute Division of Responsibility feeding method information can be found here and here
• Ellyn Satter Institute adolescent feeding resources
• Intuitive Eating book
• The Intuitive Eating Workbook
• The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens
• Michelle Obama's Let's Move program
• Use the Intuitive Eating Counselor Directory to find a counselor near you
• Feeding Littles
• Dana Suchow
• Sex Positive Families
• Dr. Katja Rowell

And here are a few more resources that Gina loves that were not mentioned in the podcast: Anna Lutz, Sunny Side Up Nutritionists, and Born To Eat.

Featured in This Episode

Gina Mateer (she/her) is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian Supervisor and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor in private practice. After graduating from the coordinated program in dietetics at UT Austin, Gina started in her specialty at an eating disorder treatment center and has worked at the intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization levels of care before starting her own practice. Gina is also a 200hr RYT with an additional 200 hours of training in meditation. Gina's practice is fully online as a virtual dietitian, and she is endlessly spreading the intuitive eating and HAES approach on her social media outlets. Gina also serves as the vice president of Central Texas Eating Disorder Specialists, a non-profit to support the education of individuals working in the eating disorder field. You can find Gina on her website and Instagram.