My name is Cayla Mantis and I am a Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor.  I am based out of Thunder Bay but am licensed to provide nutrition counselling to anyone in Ontario.  My interests include trail running, relaxing lakeside, reading, travelling and eating food (especially cheesecake)!  

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I have over 14 years of experience in nutrition counselling, working in both inpatient and outpatient settings with most of my career specializing in paediatrics.  When I reflect back to my dietetic education in University, the focus of “health” was on weight and a large portion of our learning was structured around strategies to help people lose weight.  I now know that weight loss is not the answer to optimal health.

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I have helped counsel many parents/caregivers and as a mother of 3 children myself, I understand how difficult or confusing feeding your family (or yourself) in a healthful way can be.  There is so much conflicting nutrition information available to us.  

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My intuitive eating journey started when I read Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resche’s book “Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach”.  This is when a shift in my mindset happened.  I was inspired to start working on myself, my family and my dietetic practice.  I began by un-learning so much of what I had been taught.  My passion for intuitive eating motivates me to continue to reflect on my clients’ past experiences, my own values and the constant messages that diet culture feeds us.  There is a lot of work to be done. 

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In my clinical experience, I have seen the consequences of how diet culture and weight stigma can negatively affect children, teens and adults.  Many people feel guilt, shame or anxiety around their body or when eating.  Many people feel as though they lose control around food.  Some are so preoccupied with thoughts of food or their body that they feel they don’t know how to eat anymore.  Some move between food restriction and eating compulsively.  Some are stuck in a cycle of chronic dieting, counting calories or macros or only eating in a certain time frame.  Some go on to develop serious eating disorders.  This has led to so much suffering.​

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It is this suffering that has pushed me into a new role – one that counsels people to help them re-discover intuitive eating, heal their relationship with food, find body acceptance and ultimately, find joy in eating.  I provide nutrition counselling on a variety of health conditions and I use a weight-inclusive non-diet approach centered around intuitive eating.  

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Book now if this sounds right for you or book a free discovery call if you want to learn more.    

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I can’t wait to meet you! 

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Cayla   (she/her)