We are our own worst critic. You’ve heard that a million times by now, but it’s a solid statement. When we start critiquing ourselves, we end up digging a deeper and deeper hole for ourselves and can end up falling into a spiral of self-loathing.
Loving ourselves is so important in order to combat the hate that this spiral produces. Jessica Medeiros used the practice of self-love paired with proper nutrition to heal her own internal pain and now helps others do the same.
You can learn more about Jessica and her self-love practice here:
Tell me about your professional background.
I received my degree in Kinesiology however I never quite knew what I wanted to do with it. I ended up in an office job but when my life sort of took a big shift I realized I needed to start living out my purpose. I knew I had a passion for nutrition and for helping people so I decided to obtain my certification in Holistic Nutrition and Weight Loss and pursue a career as a Health Coach.
What made you want to get into this field?
I struggled with weight and self esteem my entire life up until about 3 years ago. I saw how much of my life my self doubt and hate took away from me and I wanted to help other women stop letting it get in the way of living a life full of happiness and purpose.
What has been your favorite aspect of this work?
By far my favourite part of all of this is being able to see my clients through their journey. I usually see a lot of my prior self in them and I know just how much self love and food freedom has changed my life. So knowing that I play a small role in giving them that feeling is pretty incredible.
Can you explain what you do and what a typical session with you is like from start to finish?
My mentorship program has a couple of layers. We start with healing their relationship with food because I know that oftentimes the relationship with food is so closely tied to their self worth and self esteem. I introduce them to the world of intuitive eating and food freedom. The next phase is teaching them how to nourish their bodies so they can start feeling good and have the energy they need to grab life by the horns! It’s in this section that I educate on; basic nutrition, importance of sleep and managing stress. The second half is focused on building self love and respect for their bodies. A Lot of what I have my clients do is journal exercises. Sometimes writing out past experiences brings about feelings you never realized you had regarding that. The 1:1 portions with me typically include an exercise and we go over everything that came up for them during their journaling and try to work through those thoughts and feelings.
How can self-love and nutrition be supportive in overall health and wellbeing?
Self love and respect in my opinion is absolutely necessary to living a fulfilling and authentic life. To know your worth means you know what you deserve in life and it will ultimately drive and motivate you to achieve that. Hating yourself and being unhappy with who you are often causes people to settle and sit on the sidelines of life in fear of being judged or failing. We all have a purpose and I think the only way to live out your purpose is to see your strengths and your own magic so you can start sharing that with the world!
Is there a technique or modality that you have found to be the most beneficial to yourself and the people you work with?
It’s all about learning to slowly shift that mindset and internal dialogue. We are often our own worst enemy and are constantly putting ourselves down. What really worked for me and what I find works with my clients is becoming aware of these thoughts and accepting that they happened. We shouldn’t judge ourselves for these thoughts because they are often not our own. They are ingrained in our minds by things like diet culture and societal standards. Once we accept this thought as not being our own and understanding where it came from, we must try to counter it with a kind thought, something that we ARE rather than are not.
What is practicing self-love like from the patient’s point of view?
The journey to self love is one of the most difficult journeys you’ll take. The world will forever be fighting against it and wanting you to fall victim to self hate and doubt instead. This journey is hard, but it is also one of the most incredible things you can give yourself. I explain the journey to self love as feeling little bits of freedom everyday. You’re going to feel; lighter, carefree and more yourself than you’ve ever felt. This is because you will no longer be carrying the weight of the world and all it’s expectations on your shoulders.
What would you say to someone who is skeptical about self-love and nutrition and their effectiveness? How do you approach that?
I would say if you are skeptical of self love it is likely that you are living in some form of self hate and doubt. Because when you get a taste of living life from a place of self love there’s really no way of denying how life altering it is. You will see the world and life from an entirely new lens. So if you’re skeptical I think it’s likely that it may be something you’ll want to consider working on.
Besides self-love and nutrition do you have any universal health and wellbeing tips that you’d like to share?
A tip that I would share is to really try and get in tune with your body. Our bodies are so much smarter than we often give them credit for. Listen to your body, if you’re feeling sluggish or tired you might need to add more nourishing foods to your diet. Participate in a movement that feels good for your body and rest when your body needs rest. Listen to your hunger and full cues. Our bodies are always talking to us, we have just been taught to ignore it.
If there was one piece of advice you could give someone who is struggling, what would it be?
A piece of advice I would give is: You are not alone and it’s not your fault. Unfortunately the world we live in profits off of tearing down women. The diet industry wants us to hate ourselves because this is the only way they profit. Everything you’ve been told about yourself is a lie. My advice is to see the world for what it is and to question everything you’ve been accepting as truth or fact, up until this point when it comes to your worth and just how incredible you are.
What resources do you recommend?
These are some amazing books I’ve read:
The body is not an apology- SONYA RENEE TAYLOR
Body positive power- Megan Jayne Crabbe
There’s also some body positive accounts that I follow, I think it’s important to make your social media a safe place for you. Here are some great accounts I’ve found:
@paradisefitnesswithcarly
@bodypositivepanda
@ownitbabe
@mikzazon
Self-love is not a quick fix, it is a process of rewiring your internal dialogue. It’s a process of reconnecting with your body so you can live a happy, fulfilling life.
Jessica is on a mission to help others that have struggled in the same way she has by practicing self-love. You can learn more about Jessica and her practice here:
To learn more about holistic healing, including expert perspectives and personal stories from those who have experienced such treatments, follow us on Instagram and Facebook to be a part of our community. We share personal stories and expert advice on all different modalities of holistic healing and overall health and well-being.
If you have a story you’d like to share or an area of expertise in holistic health, email us at hello@hopeandway.com for a chance to be featured on our blog and social media!
