Brooklyn Seal, RD, CDE

It doesn’t always have to be about the # on the scale!!

Non-scale victories recognize the positive outcomes and results that are not related to weight loss! Changes in your nutrition, physical well-being, and mental wellness can foster long-term health and success 😊⭐️

Let’s celebrate these various small wins to achieve bigger, sustainable, healthy habits overall! 🥳

What is one non-scale victory that you’ve recently accomplished and/or are working towards? 🤗

In a world that demands our yes, demands our looks, demands good marks, demands marriage and children by a certain age, demands we do more, earn more and be better… we must give ourselves grace and simply be.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the chaos, yet difficult to say no. It takes strength to recognize toxic patterns, to speak up, to step outside your comfort zone, and move on. Letting go isn’t meant to be easy. It forces you to feel deeply and trust the unknown. But some say that’s resilience - to feel those emotions and let them move through you because you have hopes that peace will be waiting on the other side.

Suffering and healing have been one of the hardest things. I never really knew what it was like to experience darkness until every aspect of self-care (nutrition, exercise, sleep, social connection, etc.) was no longer helping me. I shed enough tears to fill the entire ocean and quite honestly, it still feels like that some days. But that’s okay. The journey is far from linear and this is how the light gets in. The universe cracks us wide open to help us grow and bloom into ways we could only dream possible. Even though it hurts like hell, it’s nature’s way of saying something is still worth fighting for. The places you have yet to visit, the people you have yet to meet, the memories you have yet to experience, or the day where you wake up and realize that the pieces all came together faster than anticipated.

It’s okay not to have everything figured out or to question the end of your path. What’s more important is surrender. Surrender to the process because it will all reveal itself in its perfect timing.

1 in 3 Canadians will experience a mental health concern at some point in their life, but the truth is… we all have mental health. As Mental Health Week comes to an end, it’s important to shine some light on normalizing these conversations, breaking the silence, and supporting our mental health on a daily basis. One way to do so is through compassion, which is this year’s theme. Thanks to all my close friends, family, and therapists for showing me unconditional compassion through thick and thin.

And remember… better days are ahead 🤍

One year in business 🥹 Thank you to all my amazing clients who have made this side hustle a reality 🧡

🍎 HAPPY NUTRITION MONTH 🥦

Nutrition Month can be a great time to reflect on your eating habits and consider how you can strive for improvement. Eating a wide variety of foods including fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, legumes, nuts, and lean protein will help to maintain good health and meet your nutritional needs.

Tips for balanced eating:

👉🏻 Aim to make fruits and vegetables the focal point of your meals. Include a wide variety of colours to ensure you’re getting a wide variety of nutrients.

👉🏻 Choose whole grains more often than refined grains. Opt for brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread, and oats as whole grains are higher in fibre, which help keep you feeling full while supporting your digestive health.

👉🏻 Include lean proteins such as poultry, fish, legumes, tofu, and nuts. Protein is essential for building and repairing tissues, maintaining muscle mass, and supporting immune function.

👉🏻 Incorporate healthy fats into your diet to enhance brain function, heart health, and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Sources of healthy fats include avocados, nuts/seeds, fatty fish, and olive oil.

👉🏻 Be mindful of your portion sizes. Avoid eating foods from the packages, use smaller plates and bowls, and try not to eat past the point of feeling comfortably full.

👉🏻 Follow the 80/20 rule: eat for nourishment 80% of the time and eat for enjoyment 20% of the time. There is no harm in having treats such as chips, chocolate, candy, and baked goods in moderation!

What is one change you can make right now to improve your diet?

On this Valentine’s Day, I want to remind you that you are deserving of love regardless of your weight, size or shape 🩷
Here’s to embracing every curve and imperfection - you are beautiful 🫂

I hope you enjoy all the hershey kisses as will I this week 😊😍

One of the most common challenges my clients express is feeling out of control with night time snacking. Can you relate?

Before you start beating yourself up over a lack of “willpower”, I encourage you to ask yourself some of the following questions:

- Am I eating enough throughout the day?
- Am I sleep deprived?
- Am I labeling certain foods as “forbidden”?
- Am I eating fiber-rich foods?
- Am I emotionally eating?
- Am I having a balanced plate at meals?
- Am I eating every few hours?

Many different factors (both biological and psychological) impact our appetite! Take some time to self-reflect and identify areas you could improve on to help reduce overeating tendencies into the night 🌝

Don’t forget to make the most of your health benefits before 2023 wraps up!

Why wait until the new year to start? Your health and well-being is an investment, and there’s no better time to prioritize than NOW.

Ditch that all-or-nothing mindset and join me to discuss how we can kick start your habits, prevent food guilt and find a gentle approach over the holidays! Send me a DM before it’s too late 😘

Find out 3 reasons why we don’t consistently execute small habits!

1️⃣ while they’re easy to do, they’re also easy not to do

2️⃣ you don’t see any results at first

3️⃣ they seem insignificant, like they don’t matter. But they do!

Example: Take 3$ per day and stick it into savings instead of buying an expensive daily Starbucks drink, and at the end of the week you’ve got 21$, which is more than 1 grand after 1 year (seems like a pretty big deal to me)!

Compare this to your diet. Eating one cheeseburger and fries won’t kill you… today. But compounded over time, it easily can (just not at first). In contrast, not eating it won’t transform your health today. But compounded over time, it can and it will. The problem is we don’t see changes right away so we give up. But that’s not how success is built!

Success is “progressive” meaning a PROCESS not a destination. It’s something you experience gradually, over time. Successful people are those who understand that little choices they make matter, and because of that they choose to do “insignificant” things until they are in fact, significant!

Guilty AF?? Let’s chat 🆗

Hey friends, both new and old! 👋🏻 It's been a little while since I've introduced/reintroduced myself so here I am 😊 Thank you all for following along. ⁣
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The obvious is that I'm a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. Most of my work is done within the traditional clinical setting, but I started this private practice on the side because I wanted to work more closely, more frequently, and make more of a difference in your life long-term!! 🥰🥳⁣
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I hold a true passion for helping others alleviate fears surrounding chronic disease management, and I also enjoy fostering food freedom through cognitive behavioural therapy. Our thoughts and emotions are driving forces that influence food behaviours but ones that are often swept under the rug. We need to 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 this work, because this is what makes us 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 and 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭 our relationship with food 💖⁣
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Keep reading for some more fun facts about me: ⁣
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💆🏻‍♀️ I love practicing mindfulness - meditation, breathwork, reading, journaling, podcasts, you name it.. I'm always doing something. ⁣
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🎹 I played the piano for 8 years growing up. One of my 2023 goals is to relearn a song. ⁣
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🎬 Don't ask me anything about pop culture because I won't know the answer 🙈😂⁣
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☕️ I've never drank a cup of coffee (nor plan to), yet I'm obsessed with Espresso Martinis?⁣
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🌮 If I had to pick one type of cuisine for the rest of my life, I'd pick Mexican 😍

Thanks for being here. I hope I can continue to show up and impact your life either small or big 😘 If you or someone you know is looking for 1:1 nutrition support, please don’t hesitate to send a DM or visit my website (link in bio)!

Enjoy your weekend :)

Let's not be fooled by recent headlines "aspartame = carcinogen"! In Canada, the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for aspartame is 40mg/kg of body weight per DAY. To put that in perspective, a person who weighs 100 kg (220 lb) could safely have 4000 mg of aspartame per day. One can of diet pop may contain up to 200 mg of aspartame so that's ~20 cans, which I highly doubt you are consuming in one day 😉

Reaction to aspartame carcinogen declaration Maralee speaks with professor Dylan MacKay about the WHO’s reported designation of aspartame as a possible carcinogen.

"Eat when you're hungry. Stop when you're full." But what if you can't tell?

Although hunger and fullness cues are nice to have, not everyone can feel or identify them. This is where 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 comes into play. ⁣⏰
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Have you ever heard of "eating on the clock"? Mechanical eating is essentially a structured eating schedule that can help you restore your hunger and fullness cues over time. Typically we function best when eating 𝟑 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟑 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝟑 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 (also known as the rule of 3's). Setting an alarm can also be helpful for those who don't feel hungry and forget to eat. ⁣
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Your body needs to learn how to self-regulate, and mechanical eating can help with this transition while ensuring you get the adequate nutrition you need! ⁣
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High sugar intake is commonly mistaken to be the cause of diabetes; however, this is simply not true! While it is true that individuals with diabetes should be mindful of their sugar intake, it doesn't mean sugar is entirely forbidden (or the cause of diabetes). Here's why:⁣
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👍🏻Portion Control: Moderation is key. People living with diabetes can enjoy small amounts of sugar as part of a well-balanced diet. It's important to manage portion sizes and consider the overall carbohydrate content of the meal or snack.⁣
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👍🏻Flexibility in Meal Planning: The total carbohydrate content of a meal or snack is important for blood sugar management. If someone with diabetes wants to indulge in a sugary food, they can adjust other carbohydrates in their meal plan to accommodate it without causing significant blood sugar spikes.⁣
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👍🏻Overall Diet and Lifestyle: Managing diabetes goes beyond just sugar intake. A balanced diet, regular physical activity, stress management, and medication adherence are crucial. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle overall, individuals with diabetes can enjoy sugar-containing foods in moderation as part of a balanced diet. ⁣
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👀Quick tip: Did you know that incorporating protein and fibre into your diet can be a game-changer for managing diabetes? 🙌✨ Protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels, while fiber slows down the absorption of glucose, keeping those spikes at bay. Try pairing your carbohydrates with protein and let me know if you see a difference!⁣
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start of a new month 🌼 what are your intentions for May?

This week is mental health week and with all the hustle and bustle, it’s important to take a step back and re-evaluate how you can improve your mental wellness. Here are some suggestions to help get you started:

🌻Building and nurturing support networks - Feeling connected to others and to our community not only provides us with a sense of belonging but ensures we have people to lean on when we need to.

🌻Identifying and feeling our emotions - Having good mental health doesn’t mean feeling happy all the time. It means being able to identify and experience the wide range of emotions that all humans go through and managing them in a way that is respectful to you and others around you.

🌻Moving our bodies - Move your body in a way that feels good for you. Moving your body 20 minutes per day has been proven to decrease tension levels and improve anxiety, depression, dementia, cognition and quality of life.

🌻Trying a new hobby or sport - Inviting fun and creativity into our routines can help minimize stress and reduce anxiety and depression. Make time for the things that bring you meaning and joy.

🌻Practicing mindfulness - Practicing mindfulness can help calm your mind, become more aware, and create better connections with yourself and others.

🌻Being kind to ourselves - Take a moment and listen to your inner voice. Sometimes we don’t realize the amount of negative self-talk we engage in until we stop and listen. We could all benefit from growing our compassionate voice which might sound like how we speak to our loved ones.

Do you need more support, someone to talk to, or help optimizing your diet so that you FEEL better overall? I’d love to help you!!!

Send me a DM or visit my website www.brooklynsealrd.com for more info ✨💛

Feeling stuck in a rut with your eating habits and not quite sure how to break free?? I can help guide and support you 👏🏻

Virtual telehealth videoconferencing allows you to seek help from the comfort of your own home! 🏠

Many insurance plans and extended healthcare benefits offer dietitian and/or nutritionist coverage upward of $500 per calendar year. Check with your insurance provider to find out details about your coverage today! 🥑

Welcome! I'm SO excited that you are thinking about starting this health journey.

I'm Brooklyn, a non-diet dietitian and diabetes educator ready to help you manage your chronic disease while living a diet-free life! My passion lies in helping others reach their greatest health potential by providing non-judgmental, practical, and evidence-based advice that will lead to long-term success. I have empowered many individuals to achieve their health goals and develop a positive relationship with food and their body. Are you ready to be the next?

✨ INTRODUCING... ⁣
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my new private practice, Brooklyn Seal, RD, CDE⁣ 🥳
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After months of working on this beyond my 9-5, my dream has finally come to fruition!! I am SO excited to share that my doors are officially open and I am now accepting clients for online nutrition coaching. ⁣
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If you or someone you know is interested in 1:1 nutrition support, visit my website below!

Brooklyn Seal — Registered Dietitian & Diabetes Educator Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator specializing in nutrition and wellness coaching for disordered eating, body image, and chronic disease management.