There are so many great anti-diet resources available so I wanted to share some of my favorite anti-diet resources today with you! These include books, podcasts, Instagram accounts, and my free handouts and webinar recording.

Anti-Diet Resources – Books

Intuitive Eating 4th Edition

Obviously, the Intuitive Eating book is one of my favorites, as I’ve done a whole blog series on the Principles of Intuitive Eating. The latest, 4th edition, came out in 2020. It is an anti-diet approach to making peace with food, freeing yourself from chronic dieting, rediscovering the pleasures of eating. By two Registered Dietitian, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

Unapologetic Eating

This is another great anti-diet book to help you make peace with food and transform your life. It is Unapologetic Eating but it’s also Unapologetic Living! This book incorporates anti-diet, body liberation, social justice, and so much more!!!!

As author, Alissa Rumsey, writes towards the end, “I hope this book enables you to get one step closer to figuring out who you are and what is important to you. One step closer to caring less about what other people think of you and more about what you think of yourself.

One step closer to being unapologetic about how you show up and take up space in the world. One step closer to living a life where you feel so unwavering in your power that you can eat, move, sleep, and act without apology. One step closer to being unapologetically you.”

<3 I absolutely love this book. It came out this year, 2021, and I’ve already read it twice.

Anti-Diet

Another great book and one of my top reads of 2020. The author, Christy Harrison, dives into the roots of diet culture, and how it steals our time, money, well-being, and happiness. She uses scientific research, along with her personal experiences and stories of her patients and colleagues, to dive into the details on each individual topic. She holds nothing back! I greatly appreciate how Christy presents the information in a clear, concise, informative, and non-judgmental way.

More Than A Body

Another great book and one of my top reads of 2021.  I pre-ordered this book because I knew it’d be a keeper to refer back to for my nutrition clients and myself – and it absolutely IS!!!

This book is a MUST READ, especially for women and anyone who is around young girls and women. We live in a thin-obsessed self-objectifying culture and that is not going away any time soon but we can begin to protect ourselves and others from the harm that this is causing.

How? By learning that body image isn’t about loving how your body looks, but knowing your body is so much more than how it looks. So many great points and quotes in this book. I have about every other page turned down in corner to come back to for reference. I highly recommend this book!!!!

Body Kindness

I read this one back in 2017 but it is still a must read. Excellent book by fellow RD, Rebecca Scritchfield. I love the idea and concept that health is so much more than weight. Health encompasses everything from food, fitness, sleep, social life, having fun, work, stress, and anything else that ties into everyday life and happiness. I took lots of notes about things I have incorporated into my nutrition coaching and I would recommend this book to others.

Secrets from the Eating Lab

Another book where I took PAGES of notes. “The science of weight loss, the myth of willpower, and why you should never diet again.” This book provided a lot of interesting research and information about how the body adapts to periods of starvation (dieting), why exercise is good for you even if you don’t lose weight, and why willpower is an illusion. As a Registered Dietitian, I enjoyed reading this book for the science aspects.

Just Eat It

This book is the straight-talking guide to Intuitive Eating: how to develop a healthy, trusting relationship with food and your body. Basically, Intuitive Eating with some humor and sass. Again, lots of highlighted sections of this book and another great anti-diet resource.

Gentle Nutrition

This more recent, 2021, book is part Gentle Nutrition information and part recipe book (without the calories, guilt and shame). This is a great resource for those wanting to dive more into the nutrition piece of Intuitive Eating. With real-world examples of how to actually apply gentle nutrition into your everyday life, and some yummy recipes to try out!

What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat

I read this one the same month as I read More Than A Body. And wow. This is a powerful and vulnerable “memoir” (of sorts) offering insight into the world of fat phobia and weight bias. I highly recommend! It was truly awful and heartbreaking to hear about some of the author’s (and others’) real-life lived experiences as fat people.

The bullying, harassment, comments, and oppression that they face simply because their bodies don’t match the cultural “thin ideal” that we’ve all been taught is achievable for every individual regardless of their height, genetics, weight history, dieting history, access to healthcare, etc. (Spoiler: It’s not achievable, nor realistic, nor should it be. Bodies are meant to come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, etc.).

Truly a powerful read and I recommend you read this if you want to get some true insight into the world of fat phobia and weight bias and begin to challenge the cultural beliefs about fat people.

Anti-Diet Resources – Podcasts

Some podcasts I like and recommend include:

• How to Love Your Body
• Food Psych
• Body Kindness
• Body Image with Bri
• Dietitians Unplugged
• Nourishing Women
• Real Health Radio
• Real Pod
• We Can Do Hard Things
• You Need Therapy

Anti-Diet Resources – Instagram Accounts

And finally, I think it is SO IMPORTANT to curate your social media feed so that it makes you feel better, not worse. And that your feed shows you anti-diet, body positive/neutral messaging AND shows you a diverse range of body shapes, sizes, genders, colors, abilities, etc. Here are some I recommend:

• Me – @JillMerkelRD
• Beauty Redefined – @beauty_redefined
• Brianna Campos – @bodyimagewithbri
• Kathryn DeFatta – @kat.defatta
• Jennifer Rollin – @jennifer_rollin
• Krista Murias – @kristamurias
• Ashlee Bennett – @bodyimage_therapist
• Katie Maneschi – @fineprintfood
• Kaitlyn Allen – @self.love.nutritionist
• Jenna & Lauren – @thebodylovesociety
• Taylor Chan – @foodandfearless
• Anna Sweeney – @dietitiananna
• Barb Puzanovova – @nondiet.trainer
• Alissa Rumsey – @alissarumseyrd
• Shana Spence – @thenutritiontea
• Christyna – @encouragingdietitian
• Evelyn Tribole – @evelyntribole
• Emily Murray – @murraynutrition
• Marci Evans – @marcird
• Just Move by KaisaFit – @justmove
• Rachel Elise Sellers – @iamrachelsellers
• Stefanie Michele – @iamstefaniemichele
• Dr. Colleen Reichmann – @drcolleenreichmann
• Lauren Leavell – @laurenleavellfitness
• Aubrey Gordon – @yrfatfriend
• Tiffany Ima – @tiffanyima

I hope these anti-diet resources are helpful!

Looking for More?

If you feel like thoughts around food and your body are all consuming, download my FREE guide – 5 Steps to Stop Obsessing About Food and Your Body

If you are looking for more, please reach out about working together on individual nutrition coaching and/or join the waitlist for my next Intuitive Eating Support Group for Women, which runs every quarter.