My story..

Welcome to my journal! This is a place i wanted to dedicate to sharing more about myself and my own personal experiences with health, nutrition and lifestyle insights. While evidence-based advice is essential, we are human and thus I believe personal experiences help foster connection and guide my practice. For today, I wanted to share a bit more about me and my story to understanding the value of nutrition.

Before I became a dietitian, food was something I constantly struggled with. My Palestinian roots naturally made me a pure lover of eating, but i was constantly preoccupied with how much I was eating, what I was eating and often found myself not able to STOP. I went through diet after diet, restricting my intake until I inevitably found myself in front of the fridge going to town on a leftover cake.. (true and sad story). Growing up in a naturally thin body, no one ever questioned my eating habits, but I continuously felt the pressure to stay thin or be as thin as humanly possible. This pattern persisted throughout my young adulthood and even throughout my dietetic degree, but with time and a lot of reflection, i learned the true meaning of nourishment.

The shift occurred when I realized I was overly focused on external validation. I had been placing my self-worth on how I looked, rather than who I was. I was viewing food as a way to control how I was perceived in society (thin, 'beautiful' and or healthy), not for its incredible ability to keep me alive. I began to value and respect my body for all that it did for me i.e., my legs for allowing me to move around, my eyes for allowing me to see the world, my belly for keeping me full, and slowly starting recognizing that I was much more than a body. I was a whole person with aspirations, goals, a beautiful smile, a warm personality and these things were more telling about who I was than the size of my pants. Food is meant to provide us with sustenance, give us energy, fuel our cells and support our body in keeping us alive and safe. It is a need, not a want, A tool that allows us to live and enjoy all the small moments that make life life.

Nutrition went from arbitrary numbers to nourishing the body with nutrients that support my health. I started focusing on nourishing my body with nutrients that supported my body to work at its best ability, therefore allowing me to be the best noor there is. I had more energy, more mental clarity and felt more confidence in who I was than I ever have. That doesn't mean I don't or cant eat any sweets or anything deemed 'unhealthy', but rather it meant I have those foods when I wanted to, making choices based off of knowledge, respect and moderation not out of fear or a lack of control.

It has been a long road that continues to unravel to this day. I still have moments where I struggle but I continuously remind myself that I am more than my body, and because I respect and love myself I can choose to make decisions that will support my health, and me, in the long term. Looking back at my younger self, I would tell her that she, regardless of her body, is deserving of love and respect. She is more than her body. If you're struggling with food or self-worth, remember this: you are so much more than your body. Take small steps to nourish yourself with respect and love—your future self will thank you.