Food Freedom Q&A Series: Sarah Herman of Starving to Strong

Hey Sarah! 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 Sarah Herman and I am the face and voice behind Starving to Strong, a health/wellness/food blog focused around living a healthy and balanced life free from rules, restrictions and reservations. The blog is actually my side hustle, but would love to turn it into a full time job some day. But until then, I also work part time in Oncology clinical research and am also a student int he Nutritional Therapy Association Program and will be a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner at the beginning of June. I grew up playing soccer for 18 years and absolutely love the sport, but truly just love being active outdoors in any way - some day I would love to live in Colorado where I have access to hiking trails all day every day! 

Take us through a day in the life for you! 

Every day looks a little different around here, but for the most part I work, blog, cook/bake and study all from home. My part time job allow me to work remote, which works out very well for my side hustle and studying! I typically wake up around 7-7:30 am and start my day with water and a large FROTHY coffee (my favorite simple joy). I then either get to work on my job, on the blog, or by doing homework assignments. Each day varies, but I ALWAYS make a point to get outside for a walk for at least 30 minutes - this allow me time to clear my head, get away from the computer for a little while and just relieve stress and anxiety. After work, my husband and I have been doing workouts together, courtesy of this quarantine life we are all living. But honestly, I have been loving having him as a workout partner and hope it continues post pandemic :) After that, we will cook dinner together, and sit down to relax, enjoy some netflix, before heading to bed and starting all over again the next day! 

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

I have battled an eating disorder for almost 10 years now. I have recovered, and then relapsed, and it wasn’t until this second attempt t recovery that I truly discovered the idea and lifestyle of intuitive eating (and I couldn’t be more grateful). Since senior year of highschool, I had always prescribed to some kind of diet - low carb, low calorie, fat free, weight watchers, the list goes on - but it wasn’t until I started my revery journey in 2017 and read the book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole that I realized the way we eat does not have to be dictated by a specific “diet” or by a certain amount of numbers. I realized that our bodies truly have the innate knowledge to determine what fuel we need and when we need it. It hasn’t been an easy journey learning this type of eating, but it has been well worth the fight. 

What is your definition of Food Freedom?

My definition of food freedom is letting go of food, the thoughts around it, the constant obsession with it, and the detailed organization of it. By that I mean, I want to be able to go about my day without thinking about what I’m going to eat, or what I just ate. Without adding up macros or calories to determine what I’m “allowed” to eat next or what exercise I have to do to ensure I can eat again. This is how I lived for so long, and it never led to happiness. Food freedom gives me the ability to explore other passions and interests because my mind isn’t so consumed with thoughts and anxiety around food. Food freedom, to me, is also allowing ourselves to enjoy food, whether its because we are hungry, or because we are stressed, or because we are at a birthday party - food can be so many things besides fuel, and realizing that there is no right or wrong time to eat is liberating! 

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

There are so many things I wish I could share with someone starting this journey. One thing I want to say is that it is WORTH it. If you are afraid to start the journey, or feel like you just aren’t succeeding, know that if you just keep fighting, you will one day reach a place of freedom you never thought possible and be so grateful you kept going! I would also say to them that the journey isn’t linear - for ANYONE! Each person is on their own journey, and each persons journey will look different, but no one is on a straight road up. You will fall, you will feel defeated sometimes, but that doesn’t mean you have failed, it just means you are HUMAN and that we all have tough times. But the key is how you respond to those harder times, and I urge each of you to get back up and start again, because the more you get back up, the stronger you become! 

What advice would you give to someone struggling with food during home quarantine right now? 

Give yourself grace! Nothing about the situation we are in is normal, and we are all adjusting the best we can. Know that if you are eating a little more, if you are eating different foods than you normally do, if you aren’t moving as much as you may usually, you are NOT wrong for that! And although we aren’t sure when this situation will end, I always want to remind people that this is TEMPORARY! So again, know that you are doing the best you can with the circumstances, and that no matter what may look or feel different, in no way is how you are reacting, eating, moving or expressing yourself WRONG! 

Can you share a favorite quote of yours and what it means to you? 

My favorite quote is “tie a knot and hold on”. This is something my grandma always said to my mom, and now my mom repeats it to me! I can attest to the fact that nothing about healing your relationship with food is easy, it takes work and determination and a huge amount of self love and compassion. So on those hard days, I always say to myself “tie a knot and hold on” - hold on as tight as you can, because the bad day or days will pass, and if you just hold on a little longer, everything will be okay!