Supporting Children and Teens in Navigating a Healthy Relationship with Food and Body, with Heidi Schauster

Today I’m talking to Heidi Schauster, MS, RD, LDN, CEDS-S, SEP who is a nutrition therapist and Somatic Experiencing (SE)™ Practitioner who has specialised in eating and body image concerns for nearly 30 years. She provides individual and group counselling and clinical supervision/consultation and is particularly interested in the intersection between food and body concerns with trauma. Heidi considers herself a whole-self-wellness practitioner and Embodiment Warrior. She is the author of the award-winning book Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Self and writes the Nourishing Words newsletter on Substack.  Her most recent book is Nurture - Nurture: How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves. Heidi lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with her partner and twin daughters when they aren’t in college. She recently choreographed a modern dance piece about the “empty nest,” performed by an ensemble of women age 40+. Heidi and her family enjoy most food that is lovingly prepared, especially if it’s followed by a dishwashing dance party.  In the episode today, Heidi talks about how parents can support their young children and teens in navigating a healthy relationship with food and body. She talks about responding to your individual child, and the delicate balance of providing structure with eating versus over-control. Heidi explains why it’s unhelpful to have good and bad foods and how to navigate food neutrality within your family. Heidi talks about educating children around body diversity and calling out fat shaming and weight stigma. She explains about how we will be imperfect as parents and get it wrong, when navigating all of this. Heidi helpfully normalises how many parents are dealing with their own food issues and how they can still helpfully support their children. She deeply advocates for food as pleasure and nourishment – for connection and joy, in addition to nutrition. So much packed into the episode. I hope that you enjoy it.   To find out more about Heidi: - Official site: www.anourishingword.com   Substack: https://heidischauster.substack.com/ LinkedIn: @nourishingwords Instagram: @nourishingwords Pinterest: @NourishingWordsHeidiSchauster Facebook: @NourishingWords     Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Eating Disorders Training for Professionals https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/eating-disorders-training-with-harriet-frew.html Body Image Training for Professionals https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/body-image-training-with-harriet-frew.html