Inclusive and Supportive Fitness with Samantha Barash, RD

Episode 64. Today I have the pleasure of talking with Samantha Barash! What We Cover in This Week's Episode: Samantha’s personal experience with diet culture, How nutritional education is sending out mixed messages, The process of removing shame from fitness, The journey of transforming her cycle studio into a safe space for women to move freely, & Reframing the purpose of exercise and dispelling that it is solely a tool for weight loss. Samantha Barash is an intuitive eating registered dietitian and the owner of Tap Into Nutrition, a nutrition counseling service dedicated to supporting individuals to cultivate a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.  Tap Into Nutrition utilizes a non-diet, weight-inclusive, Health at Every Size approach to empower their clients to break free from chronic dieting and understand nutrition in a gentle, evidence-based approach that emphasizes mental health as just as important as physical health.  During 1-on-1 individualized sessions, Samantha works with her clients to dive deep into their nutrition and dieting history to unlearn old mindsets. She will guide your journey to find peace with food while simultaneously becoming your healthiest self.  Samantha Barash earned her Bachelor's of Science in Dietetics from Michigan State University and then went off to complete her accredited internship at Wayne State University. When Sam isn't supporting her clients to navigate their plates from a non-diet approach, she can be found motivating riders as the lead instructor at CycleBar in Troy, Michigan.  With Sam’s guidance, CycleBar in Troy has been able to cultivate an inclusive fitness space, welcoming to all identities, body sizes and fitness levels. As a registered dietitian and fitness professional, Samantha approaches her work from a “what can we add” vs. “what are we taking away” mentality. You can find her on instagram @tapintonutrition and @samanthabarash and on her website at www.tapintonutrition.net “You have permission to do what your body is asking for.”- Samantha Barash, RD Main Takeaways From This Episode Shame shouldn't be used as a facilitator of change in nutrition or movement. Try reframing your mindset around exercise from "I'm doing this to create physical change" to "I'm showing up for my mental health and clarity." People want to feel welcomed and like they belong, so creating a safe space for women to move freely is crucial to inclusive and supportive fitness. Give yourself permission to do what your body is asking for and to move in a way your body wants. Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship. Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).