Do you have a health situation that makes intuitive eating difficult? Do you have doctors telling you that weight loss and cutting out certain food groups is required for your wellbeing? Do you just feel lost and want to help guide yourself toward food peace?? Listen now for some first steps on how to tackle it all. Subscribe and leave a review here in just seconds. Key Points: Reflections on the 2016 Election, the President-elect Donald Trump, and the fat phobia that has come along with his campaign. The difficulty in choosing not to diet, and dealing with the pressures from outside sources to continue down that path. Using food as a coping mechanism and a numbing agent for uncomfortable feelings. The vulnerability and fear of being thin. Coping with health issues, such as PCOS, while also dealing with a disordered relationship with food and your body. PCOS: weight gain, hormone destabilization, fatigue... what do we do?? Does intuitive eating really work for PCOS?? Or does "healing" PCOS require weight loss, as so many doctors suggest? The million dollar question: can someone work on intuitive eating (rather than dieting) AND manage their health with PCOS? HELL YES! Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: a genetic and environmental syndrome that affects someone's hormones, which leads to high insulin levels and insulin resistance. These high insulin levels lead to a high drive to eat, especially carbohydrates, which can lead to weight gain. Weight loss is often the primary treatment from most practitioners. This can make delving into intuitive eating difficult! Other sympotoms can include hair growth and male pattern baldness. These symptoms can have a huge negative impact on the body image of someone dealing with PCOS. Self-care needs to be a priority for people with PCOS, especially getting enough sleep. Those affected with PCOS can actually use the delicate balance of their bodies to delve deeply into intuitive eating! Take notice of energy levels and mood, rather than weight and even hunger cues (hunger cues can be super difficult to interpret with PCOS!). Those with PCOS will probably need more protein than those without, especially at breakfast and before bed, to help with fatigue and appetite (but don't cut out carboydrates or fats!). Focus on healing your body and your soul... Sometimes, it's not about the food!! Sit with your vulnerability. (This is where therapy can come in handy! Therapists allow us the space to sit in that feeling.) Put weight loss on the back burner and check in with your body... how does it feel today? What self-care did I do that worked for me today? This will help lead you to food peace and body peace. Show Notes: Link to subscribe to the weekly FREE Food Peace Newsletter. It is sent out every Tuesday morning and no spam EVER. By signing up, I will also send you Love Food's Season 1's Food Peace Syllabus. PCOS and Food Peace tools Eating Disorder Dietitians Julie Dillon RD blog Do you have a complicated relationship with food? I want to help! Send your Dear Food letter to LoveFoodPodcast@gmail.com.  Click here to leave me a review in iTunes and subscribe. This type of kindness helps the show continue! Thank you for listening to the Love, Food series. Give me feedback via Twitter @EatingPermitRD. This episode was sponsored by my friends at Green Mountain at Fox Run. A special promotion for Love Food listeners: VIP Upgrades at Green Mountain at Fox Run On stays November 6 - December 17, 2016 Green Mountain at Fox Run is offering special upgrades for one+ week reservations through the end of the year. Receive a free room upgrade and $250 credit towards amenities and professional services. See Details