Meet Dina Garcia | Dietitian-Nutritionist & Mindful Eating Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dina Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dina, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
Do it because you love yourself… not because you don’t! The journey to self-love is just that, a journey, not a destination. We all want to love the skin we are in but doing so can be complicated if we have internalized messages from diet culture (https://www.vidanutrition.com/diet-culture/). Diet culture, which glorifies unrealistic body types and food restriction, is part of why in a glamour magazine survey 97% of women surveyed reported having at least 1 negative thought about their body image every single day. I get it, it’s tough. We live in a body shaming society that says if you look a certain way you should do whatever it takes to not look that way… whether it be have thicker eyebrows, shrink your tummy, change your skin tone, the message is the same… change yourself to feel better about yourself. When we internalize these messages it causes us to make lifestyle choices based on a motivation to change ourselves or fear that our bodies might change vs making the choice out of self-love. This is why I love intuitive eating so much. It gives you unconditional permission to eat while also encouraging you to honor your hunger, listen to your fullness and to respect your health from a place of self-love and compassion. So what that might look like is one day choosing a balanced, healthy energizing lunch and another day opting to order out and taking a few minutes to breath, relax and center yourself for the day. No guilt, no shame, no emotion. Just doing what you need to feel your best because you are choosing to treat yourself with love and respect. So while I do make eating healthy eating DO-able for clients I also help them shift their motivation to self love and compassion vs being motivated by feelings of not being good enough as they are. … Do it because you love yourself… not because you don’t! 😉

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I think one thing that sets me apart from others in the industry is that I am anti-diet vs pro-diet. I have struggled with binge eating and an unhealthy relationship with food and body image in the past. My recovery really lead me embrace HAES (health at every size) and the belief that persons of all shapes and sizes deserve unbiased non-judgemental treatment not just in day to day life but also when receiving healthcare. My son asked me a while back “mommy, why did you become a dietitian?”… My response “well Anthony, for some people food is a source of pain, frustration and fear… I believe food is such a joyous thing to be celebrated. If I can help make food and eating a little more enjoyable for someone it feels really good”. He said “hmm… I think that too”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well you can’t come to Miami without going to the beach. But I’m not one for the crowds so I like to hit up a few hidden gems that are less crowded. I’m also a huge fan of live music and a variety of food so Wynwood Yard and The Wharf are two of my favorite hot spots. Versailles is a must. I can’t imagine Miami without a good cafe con leche and cuban pastries. I also love to take my kids to the History Miami Museum. It really brings a lot more meaning and appreciation to a city when you know more about its history.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give a big shout out to the writers of the book Intuitive Eating. It helped me personally overcome binge eating and an unhealthy relationship with food and body image and I often use principles from the book with my clients.

Website: vidanutrition.com
Instagram: instagram.com/dietitiandina
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/vidanutrition
Twitter: twitter.com/dietitiandina
Facebook: facebook.com/myvidanutrition
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vida-nutrition-miami-4
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChktzNvo_PYq1ZgMBNrfKhA