Guest Post: Eat for Joy founder helps people navigate food choices

Recently, I stumbled on Eat for Joy, a Facebook page started by Ithaca resident Jaime Warburton. I asked her what it's all about, and here's what she said.

From Jamie Warburton:

I'm not a doctor; I have no formal medical training; I'm not here to diagnose conditions. But what I do want to do is help people actualize their own desires by listening to their needs/preferences and providing personalized plans and information about food, nutrition, and dietary changes.

A lot of folks express a desire to make changes in their diets, but become overwhelmed about how exactly to go about making these changes – especially if they're unfamiliar with their options or try to go all the way at once.

Every day, I hear questions and concerns about food labeling (Does organic mean low-fat?), protein (I would go vegan, but I'm sure I couldn't get enough protein!), finances (My doctor says I should go gluten-free, but I doubt I can afford it), time (How can I prepare fast meals and snacks my kids will eat without chicken or mac and cheese?), fear of failure (I went vegetarian for a month once, but I gained weight eating all that pasta), taste (Doesn't gluten-free bread taste like sawdust?) and the worlds beyond our grocery store "comfort aisles" (What's quinoa or jicama, anyway, and how do I pronounce it?). Getting calm, non-judgmental answers makes a difference.

I draw largely from my own experience keeping Rheumatoid Arthritis in remission and the contemporary research I've kept up with as part of teaching about socio-economic food issues and in the IC Seminar program, helping college freshman navigate their own eating. The consultations and recipe recommendations I offer are helpful for making specifically dietary transitions, but they can be helpful throughout other lifestyle transitions, as well – even if you're trying to stay healthy within budgetary restrictions.

A lot of my job is listening. I'm happy to consult with anyone via email, phone, or text/video chat, but around Ithaca, I can also go to the grocery stores, co-op, and farmer's markets with folks, guiding them through available options and label-reading. Eat for Joy offers the relationship and personalization we can't get from reading charts on the Internet. Empowered eaters can improve their lives.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/eatforjoy and leave a message!

Jaime Warburton (MFA, Sarah Lawrence) has taught flute, writing, and women's studies; she writes about vegan food for www.ecorazzi.com. Find out more about her at www.jaimewarburton.weebly.com or on Twitter @JaimeSWarburton