Food Freedom Q&A Series: Gracie Gordon of Hungry Blonde

I was SO excited to interview Gracie of @hungry.blonde for this week’s Food Freedom Q+A. She has a deep wealth of wisdom when it comes to food peace and how to manage during quarantine right now. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing this up!

Hey Gracie! For those who may not have met you just yet can you tell us what it is that you do and one thing about yourself that may surprise people?

I’m a food + lifestyle blogger based in Brooklyn, New York. I love sharing simple recipes, product reviews, beauty tips, and life inspiration with my community. I’m passionate about sharing my #RealLifeWellness approach - encouraging women that it’s possible to embrace a healthy lifestyle without restrictions. There’s plenty of room for vegetables and grain-free treats but also cheeseburgers and wine :) Aiming for wellness should only *add* to our most fulfilling lives, not take away.

Something that might surprise people about me is that I have a very creative side. I love music, writing, art and poetry!

Take us through a day in the life for you!

I usually wake up around 6:30am, make coffee, and sit in bed for about 45 minutes of quiet time. I pray, journal, read and meditate.

Most mornings I try to get some movement in, even if it’s just 10 minutes. Right now I’m loving the Melissa Wood Health workouts. Otherwise I lift weights in my apartment gym or have a slow treadmill walk while listening to a podcast.

I typically work from home for the first half of the day, usually creating recipes. Then in the afternoon I head to a cafe or workspace to do my computer work - emails, writing blog posts/copy, sending proposals, etc.

For evenings, about half of the week I stay home and make myself dinner while watching whatever my guilty pleasure TV show of the moment is (right now I can’t get enough of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!).

The other half of the week I plan dinners or social occasions with my friends in the evening. All about that balance ;)

How did you discover Intuitive Eating and how do you practice it in your daily life?

I actually remember the exact moment I decided to embrace an Intuitive Eating lifestyle. I was lying in a bubble bath, disappointed in myself for “failing” at yet another diet. And then out of nowhere, it was if I almost audibly heard what I believe is the voice of God telling me to never diet again. I had no idea what Intuitive Eating was or what it would look like in my life, but I what I heard was the one of the most sure things I’ve ever known in my life.

While eating intuitively has become second nature to me in many ways, I’m still always aware of how easily diet culture can sneak into my mind, so I make it a point to remain aware and choose this lifestyle on a daily basis. Practically speaking, I genuinely choose to eat exactly what my body wants at any given day/time, and I give in to cravings as soon as possible (ironically enough, once I removed foods from being off-limits, I don’t have cravings all that much anymore). I also make it a point to focus what my real priorities in life are - my relationships, living out my purpose, being free - and remember that I never want to go back to feeling in bondage to a diet again

What is your definition of Food Freedom?

To me, Food Freedom can be summed up as having a healthy mental + emotional relationship with food that never gets in the way of other areas of life.

What advice would you give someone on where to start with healing their relationship with food/finding food freedom?

I’d suggest reading the book Intuitive Eating, deleting any apps related to counting/tracking, finding someone you can talk to about it, and begin adding foods back into your life that might have been forbidden before - maybe even eating at least one of them a day.

What would be your advice for those that are struggling with food, over eating and emotional eating during home quarantine? 

Instead of trying to fight the current situation, I think it's important to accept and almost press into quarantine as an opportunity to grow and strengthen those Food Freedom muscles. It's the time where life throws you off your normal routine that you can learn the biggest lessons about yourself. Have grace on yourself and continually remind yourself that you're not "bad" or less worthy if you feel the desire to eat emotionally - this is an emotional time!

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For more FOOD FREEDOM resources, you can download my free food freedom guide to help break your food rules!