Nutrition and body image lessons to my teenage self

If you and I are connected on Instagram or Facebook, you probably know I spent a lot of my time this past summer training teen clients. I loved the energy and challenge these young women presented and am grateful their parents trusted me with their precious daughters. 

Part of the class structure included nutrition lessons. After the fitness portion ended and we stretched, I spoke to the girls for a few minutes about the nutrition topic for the day. Knowing most people retain only 30% of what they hear, I created cards they could take home. Sometimes these cards also contained recipes or easy meals/snacks they could prepare, but I tried to make the information applicable, science-based, and realistic. 

For the last class, I wanted to do something a little more personal. After giving it some thought and prayer, I decided I'd take the vulnerability route that's equally important and hard. I decided to give myself a nutrition and body image lesson when I was their age.

While I was a little nervous to admit my shortcomings and insecurities as a sixteen-year old girl, I received more feedback on that lesson. Not only did my girls give a little verbal affirmation, but I also received texts from the moms saying, “my daughter said she really liked your lesson today.”

If you're reading this email and listening to a podcast, chances are you're not a teenager. But I know several of you listen with your teens every now and then. Or maybe you just need a conduit of someone else to say the exact same thing you do; it’s just received better when it’s from a different voice.

Take this episode and do what you will with it. I pray it blesses you in one way or another.

-----

Join me in my favorite writing space, my monthly journal. This subscriber-only journal is where I share my pulse of the month: food, recipes, workouts, music, shows, articles experiences, and behind-the-scenes pictures. Sign up at www.gracedhealth.com/monthly-updates