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There are no "forbidden" foods on nutritionist Rachel Lerner's list. "You've got to live your life," says the holistic health coach. "If you eat healthy 90 percent of the time, the other 10 percent you can relax a little bit. You're at a party, you can have a piece of cake or a couple of cookies and not feel guilty about it."
It's partly a psychological thing, she says. If donuts, for example, aren't taboo, you're less likely to lose control and eat a dozen of them. Plus, once Rachel gets her clients started on the path to eating right, she trusts they'll choose the right foods simply because they feel better eating them. That's what got Rachel, a former advertising exec, hooked on a healthy diet. Back in 2001, she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. Her symptoms were so extreme that she had to leave her job. She put her newly free time to good use, however. "I became determined to overcome these obstacles by learning as much as possible about them," Rachel says.
She was initially dismayed to learn that gluten, dairy, eggs and sugar were making her condition worse. "At first, I was devastated," says Rachel. "How would I manage without eating my favorite foods?"
But her dietary restrictions turned out to be a blessing in disguise. "The quest to understand my conditions led me to discover the strong connection between food and health," she says. "I also discovered many wonderful alternatives for the foods I had to avoid. Learning the different effects food has on my body was instrumental in helping me resume a healthy and happy life."
Now, Rachel is committed to helping others attain the same sense of well-being. Certified by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, American Association of Nutritional Consultants and National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA), she works with individuals and corporations to educate people on the right way to eat. Her clients have included Time Warner, Starwood Hotels, and Joan Lunden's Camp Reveille. "More companies need to invest in their employees' well-being, rather than focus on how to medicate them when something does, inevitably, go wrong," she says. She's also offering a new Summer Wellness Special for small groups, a once-weekly meeting held in your home that will focus on weight-loss ($150 per person for four weeks; starts June 15). Rachel lives in Rye Brook, but works with clients in both Fairfield and Westchester Counties.
For more info on Rachel's services, go to www.personalwebnutrition.com or call 917-885-0052.
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