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Break free from the rigidity of dieting to discover a sustainable way of living that feeds your unique mind, body, and soul.

 
 
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hello beautiful!

I'm Lindsay Sparks, a registered dietitian on a mission to help others move beyond the numbers and recognize that their value and beauty comes from within. Life is more than just going through the motions, it's about getting in tune with your mind and body to live a life well-nourished.

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Services

 
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It's time to ignite and radiate confidence from within by creating the happy, healthy life you deserve. Together, we'll redefine the way you view what healthy is and help you make peace with food and your body.

 

Inspiration to Spark Your Life

 
 
 
 

Ignite Your Inner Spark

 
Today was a grumpy, Grinch kind of day for me. I found myself on a rollercoaster🎢 of icky feelings: anxious, irritated, overwhelmed, whiney, ungrateful, and fatigued. Between a sick cat who has severe food allergies and needed an emergency trip to the vet, last minute Christmas shopping, frustrated about the harmful impacts I see daily from diet culture and weight stigma, feeling like I’m getting nowhere on my long to-do list for the week, and thinking about all the not-so-fun adult stuff that comes with being an adult…I needed a TIME OUT. At the end of my day, I stopped and asked myself one of my favorite questions: “What do I need?” . It has been months since I have rolled out my yoga mat. Tonight, it was time. It was what I needed. I took some time to stretch and reconnect with my breath. To attempt to release the tension in my face, neck, shoulders, hips. To reflect on what I’m grateful for. It didn’t fix all my feelings, but it did help me feel a bit more relaxed and grounded. Tomorrow is a new day. It helps knowing that I am not alone in these kinds of feelings and struggles. I know there are others out there who feel these emotions. . When you feel like things are piling up on you, what do you do to care for yourself? How do you like to refill your cup? . [📷 cred: unsplash]
This weekend was full of satisfying foods -- from pineapple pizza 🍕🍍 (according to my Instastory poll, apparently there's a lot of you wild people out there who like fruit on your pizza too🤪) with a refreshing salad topped with basil vinaigrette 🥗 - to homemade manicotti (a labor of love that was well worth it 😋). Food is revered and celebrated in our house. Grocery shopping, cooking, and eating together are priorities - among many other things we value. . If you are not satisfied with what you are eating, in efforts to be healthy or reduce your body size, studies show it is often not sustainable and can lead to disordered eating behaviors. If you focus on foods that not only make you feel good, but are satisfying to you, nutrition becomes positive and enhances your life, instead of takes away from it. . I've lost track of how many patients and clients have told me they got bored with X diet because it was too restrictive or they felt like they were left with eating "nothing but cardboard." Friends, food should taste good and be enjoyable! It should include a variety of food groups and foods (did you know that carbohydrates and fat can actually enhance the satisfaction factor at meals? Key macronutrients diets love to demonize and restrict...). . To increase satisfaction around eating, ask yourself: what sounds good? What tastes, textures, flavors, aromas, and temperatures am I desiring? How hungry am I? When will I get to eat again? Will this meal not only help me feel full and energized, but will it be enjoyable? . Side note: remember that you may not always be 100% satisfied with your meal/snack. That's okay. That's life and that's normal. The key is to think about how often do you feel dissatisfied in your eating experience when trying to pursue healthy eating or when on a diet - if it is frequent, it may be time to explore and get curious!
Started out my Saturday with a coffee date ☕️ with the lovely @laurenchaffinrd — a new IE/HAES dietitian to my community 🥰🙌 Came home and before we have some company and work on things around the house, I needed some fuel! ⛽️Enjoyed some leftovers of a yummy soup I made this week, inspired from an instant pot recipe (Autumn Wild Rice soup) I found via @gimmesomeoven. I added chicken to mine and omitted the kale because I didn’t have any on hand. 🤷‍♀️ Turned out delish! If you don’t have an Instant pot, she provides several variations to make it without. . Do you ever get in a “food rut”? I find that trying 1 or 2 new recipes helps me get out of cycles of food boredom in the kitchen. What about you? What helps you get inspired to cook at home?
Diet culture would have you believe that you need discipline, willpower or "accountability" to take care of yourself. The truth is, you are fully capable of nourishing your body and moving in ways that bring you joy, without external influences telling you what to do for the rest of your life. If you constantly need accountability or "discipline" -- I would question how much do you truly enjoy what you are doing? How much of what you are doing is actually being driven by internally based motivators or values (not what the scale or mirror shows)? . I also want to make it clear that fostering love and respect for yourself does not mean that you are narcissistic or selfish. It also doesn't mean that you have to absolutely love everything about yourself. I think it is more about coming to a place of self-acceptance and respect. It’s getting to know yourself, at your core. Just as you have relationships with others, you have a relationship with yourself. I totally understand that being kind to yourself can feel foreign and unnatural (as a recovering perfectionist, I've been there)! Our natural reaction is often times to bash, berate, or bully ourselves into "healthy behaviors." How healthy is this really? Is it actually helping you to live a better life? . Self-compassion is a skill that takes practice. It starts with speaking kindly to yourself, identifying your needs, and responding to your needs. What parts of yourself are you trying to shame or bully into changing? How can you be a "nurturing parent" to yourself instead?
“Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending—to rise strong, recognize our story, and rumble with the truth until we get to a place where we think, Yes. This is what happened. And I will choose how the story ends.” – Brené Brown . How many chapters in your story will be filled with food fear, negative food obsession, or poor body image thoughts? Of shame, self-judgment and guilt around your food choices? Of constantly fighting food and your weight? . You have the option to start writing new chapters in your story. You have the option to write a story that is filled with self-compassion and grace, over judgement and criticism. It may seem really hard to fathom, but it is possible have more space on the pages of your book to fill with things outside of stress around food + your body. . What are the stories that are regularly playing in your head? What is one negative story or statement you regularly tell yourself? How can you reframe this story to be more positive, realistic, or encouraging?
Food and exercise should add positive things to your life, for example: better energy levels, freedom to socialize, adequate sleep/rest, ability to eat a variety of foods from all the food groups, no feelings of guilt/shame, increased trust with signals of hunger/fullness, less focus on adhering to society’s thin ideal, [insert other non-weight focused views of “success” or “progress” here]. . If food and exercise are becoming pathological, and are tied solely to manipulating your body’s appearance, it may be time review if what you are doing is truly benefiting your health.