What is a healthy relationship with food? | Rhiannon Lambert | TEDxUniversityofEastAnglia

25 June 2025


What is a healthy relationship with food? | Rhiannon Lambert | TEDxUniversityofEastAnglia



Most of us are foodies. Food brings us together, and gives us comfort. But have you ever stopped to think whether your relationship with food is healthy? Give Harley street nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert’s talk your time to think about whether your food habits and you have a healthy relationship. Rhiannon’s myth busting talk is revitalising in all aspects- and give us some much needed “food” for thought! Rhiannon Lambert is a leading Nutritionist, founder of Harley Street clinic Rhitrition and bestselling Author of Re-Nourish: A Simple Way To Eat Well. Previously a professional soprano trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Rhiannon is now a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) and a Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders and Obesity. Her philosophy is that food should be a positive aspect of life, offering enjoyment, fuel and happiness for both the mind and body! Rhiannon is on a mission to fight diet culture with evidence-based nutrition and build healthy relationships with food free from restriction. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

do you have a healthy relationship with food have a think about it what does this even really mean now this is the question I am commonly asked by the majority of my clients who walk through my door in clinic and I'd like to ask you all some questions and you don't need to put your hands up but do you think carefully have you ever calculated the calories in your meal before eating it or have you followed the latest dietary trend like the juice cleanses 5:2 Atkins meal replacement programs or perhaps you're that person that steps on the scales in the morning and then feels really bloomin deflated afterwards or you know you should be eating some more green vegetables and a whole varied diet but you end up ordering a takeaway three nights a week and ordering the same thing to your desk at the office the next day because I don't need to see a show of hands I'm pretty confident the majority of you have tinkered with your diet in some shape or form to feel differently about ourselves and the fact of the matter is we all have a relationship with food we have to eat to live right so this relationship is developed throughout our lives and this is something that I discuss with my clients in clinic and I often call at your food world which is everything you all believe about food or your food script and that's the journey that it took you to get to where you are now with food I developed an unhealthy relationship with food aged 17 my life quite literally changed overnight I I went from working in my local Subway store as a sandwich artist because believe it or not that's what we were called to winning classic FM's young musician of the year as a soprano without any formal training I left home very young to London to embark upon a whole new life I was very excited it was worlds away from small hometown in Wiltshire I had some amazing opportunities and for those of you musical theater fans in the room you might know I've son on stage with alfie Boe and Michael Ball even international royalty I was led to believe that I would be the next Katherine Jenkins needless to say it couldn't have been further from the truth and after three relentless years on the singing circuit I had a career which was quite frankly over before it had even begun and the record industry's pursuit of quick changes and fixes overnight held no boundaries I believed that in order to be successful I had to be slim and to fit into these beautiful and binding dresses that they provided me with and the perfectionist in me tried I tried so hard I went straight down to the local supermarket and I stocked up on all the latest products you know the ones I mean those there's no calorie energy bars and the pho oh there's food chocolate tea milkshake things and chokers I thought I was being really healthy in doing so of course after a period of time I became I became so malnourished and low in energy that in desperation I went to my doctor and I remember this moment so clearly I was searching for answers and instead of identifying my nutritional deficiencies he prescribed me with antidepressants and looking back I still can't quite believe that they were so quick to medicate someone so young in this situation this was a complete no point in my life so my decision to switch singing part-time and enroll in a three-year degree in nutrition and health it it saved my life quite literally saved me I still can't believe I graduated three years later with a first-class degree in nutrition and health which would really astonish my GCSE science teacher I had very little time for science back there and it was all about the music and I went straight away with my clients on London's Harley Street to work with them on their nutrition with these big ambitions that I could help every single person that walked through my door now of course I soon quickly realized that it's very hard to separate what someone should be eating of how they feel about the food they're eating because the psychology and nutrition they are what work hand in hand and this is what inspired me to study a further master's degree in obesity and another master's degree again in eating disorders because we all have that inner voice inside our heads and for so many people this voice it'll be dictating how you choose the food you choose it tells you what to do for some people it's very loud it's almost like a bully inside your head that tells you that you're not good enough or that you should be doing this or you should be doing that and for some people that's the voice that dictates your food choices how can you help people implement health behavior changes if this voice is ruining their decisions every single day keeping them trapped the most useful thing you can do is learn to separate that voice in your head with what you really want and what you really would enjoy that day for instance making very small changes can have really really big results if consistently carried out one such example would be a plant-based diet now this is known with fountains of research to improve health and vitality but that is a small change that cannot be measured by a number on the scales how can the scales be a marker for health how can how you look on the outside reflect how you're feeling and how you're functioning on the inside stepping on the scales frankly consumed so much time and you spend your whole life aspiring to reach this one number because you can't enjoy that pizza cake or donut observe how you feel and be mindful watch and save at the moment because everything in moderation that's what life should be about if you respect your body enough you're given a whole variety of different foods on a daily basis and if you get organized and you believe in yourself and those that allow themselves enjoyed foods the research suggests that they are less likely to overeat and binge on foods because black-and-white thinking that's what gets us into trouble I'm sure a lot of you can relate to this one they're very all-or-nothing well I've had one biscuit so I might as well have the whole pack or I've been really good all week so I'm gonna have this now at the weekend these are the thoughts in our heads that can make life just that little bit more difficult I try and merge these thoughts from black or white into gray a middle ground how about instead of I've had one biscuit I have one or two but I'll have it with some yogurt or fruit instead well if you're exhausted why go on that run when you could just go for a walk these are very very small health behavior changes that cannot be seen by a number on the scales because being stuck in that cycle the binned restrict cycle is a very vicious place to be and I'm sure a lot of you may be able to relate or know someone or you've tried to follow your latest social media star or celebrities diet and often that means taking something out of your diet rather than what you can put into it how many of you have restricted what you've eaten and then the minute you restrict that food item or you can think about obsessively every single day is that food item that you've restricted which then leads you to eating that item and then you're riddled with fingers of guilt feelings of shame which lead you back to stretching again this cycle can keep people trapped their entire lives but it doesn't have to be that way the single most important thing that I have ever learned is that you are all as unique as your personalities and what works for you it won't work for your friend or your child even because you're your genetically biochemically unique individuals and you need to find a balance that works for you because the minute that you embark upon a diet for anybody about to do a diet on the verge of one or giving up on one let me tell you that I've been there very lost and confused but I can assure you that the secret to good health is not hiding and the bottom of a pack of super foods or a pack of chia seeds and what fatty diet peddlers do not share with you is it's not how you feel days or weeks later it's how you feel months and years later because diets don't work if diets worked we would we would all be doing them so I developed four easy to remember principles to help you all focus on nourishing your mind and your body on going back to basics I call these my four R's respect your body because if you respect your body and think how amazing it is it will treat me right in return it's about the mindset listen to your voice and not that voice that may be there in your head think about refuel food is fuel food is energy food is an amazing thing it's not just for people that work out think about how you can fuel your day in the correct way rehydrate now there's a very scary statistic that the average Briton drinks one glass of water just one your body is 60% water it's such a simple simple aspect but a vital function of life for you to feel amazing every single day back to basics and recover allow your body time to rest and I'm not just talking again about muscular repair talking about about your hormones or your mind or sleep sleep is something that is too frequently overlooked I believe that food is not intrinsically good or bad and we need to stop labeling in this manner because everything is there to be enjoyed so I would like you all to consider unlearning everything you thought you knew about nutrition just decided and go back to basics seek out qualified advice and stop turning to a search engine and if we can stand together we can fight diet culture we can embrace our individuality –zz we can do different because education that is truly empowering and I have a vision that food is is something to be seen as a positive aspect of life offering fuel enjoyment and happiness for your mind and your body and that is what I call a healthy relationship with food you

#healthy #relationship #food #Rhiannon #Lambert #TEDxUniversityofEastAnglia

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40 Comments
  1. Last year I had developed back pain because of working and studying so hard.
    Because of that , doctor gave me 3 big chortisol needles.
    And since then I gained alot of weight because of cortisol, and I felt depressed and didn't like my body.
    I want to lose weight and go back to who I was before all this .
    I want to build a healthy relationship with food that's why I am here.

  2. It's a shame that when people discuss eating disorders they rarely ever talk about "needing to" eat more (for bodybuilding f.e.), when you do not like eating.

  3. Oh my , this comment section is so real. I see myself in most of the comments. We will get over it . 💪

  4. 💜💜💜To anyone reading this,you are enough,you're beautiful( or handsome),loved and stay strong. Have a wonderful day/night.❤🎉❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🇺🇲🇺🇸🇺🇸👋😊😊😊😊😊😊😊👋👋👋

  5. Rhiannon Lambert thank you for your effort in trying to give a good talk. And most of it was great. Thank you , however, I'm sure you have thought upon this time and time again and have regretted saying how >" I believe that food is not in trinquently good or bad" … Please do a peer review on this. What our society called food can be very toxic in lame. Terms calories that come from Coca-Cola are not the same calories that come from fruits

    Meaning that vitamins, minerals nutrients that come, for example from chips or soft drinks are not the same nutrients vitamins minerals that come from fruits and vegetables and whole foods in general unprocessed

    Your statement about being " very lost and confused" But in turn just confuse others

  6. Drop whatever you are doing and go read the book Womans’s weight loss secrets: the unspoken truth, its absolutely life changing, trust me on this

  7. I have the same problem. I was on a diet for 7 years. Every single day I struggled with myself. One day I ate healthy food, for the next day I ate fast food and blamed myself too much because I couldn’t find balance. I didn’t have througtful approach to my food habits. I ate bland food and didn’t enjoy my meal. After hard 7 years I quit my diet and gained 10 kg. I tend to gain weight so fast, but I couldn’t control myself anymore. I started eating fattening food and a lot of fast food.
    Now I still don’t have good relationship with food. I wanna find balance, but when I come back from work I am so tired, starving and my voice inside my head tells me “you deserve for something tasty and filling”.

    I wish one day I can find balance and will have healthy relationships with food and will listen more my body then my inside’s voice

  8. health and safety is important

  9. Doctors can’t win. If we don’t prescribe needed meds for depression/anxiety, we’re not treating a very treatable disease. If we do, we’re being hasty. I’m sure this doctor was trying something that may have been helpful to many, even if it wasn’t to her.

  10. Glad I clicked this on really upscale and helpful thoughts turn to things!!! Love Mikayla Thank you

  11. nothing much about How, more about her ;(

  12. I've always had a good relationship with food.. wish I could say the same thing about alcohol 🍷 🍻😭

  13. this was fuckin incredible, and this video has helped me a lot. <3

  14. Our society screwed us up so bad that starving people wander the streets while we have an overabundance of food and obesity and health crises. And everyone in between either has an extreme diet (like a religion) or hates themselves for their eating habits. We have the most resources about diet an exercise than ever, yet our malnourishment problems are getting worse. Diet and food culture must change

  15. I keep a mental note on how much I eat just to keep myself from eating a whole bag of chips. I tend to give myself a casual time limit and eat slowly. I still do question if I've got a healthy relationship

  16. She looks like she’s in perfect shape. I think she’s on a very strict diet

  17. All things aside. DAMN SHE'S HOT.

  18. She sounds like Emma Watson

  19. Great talk when you look like her and there's nothing wrong with you.

  20. I really enjoyed this. I’ve struggled with body image and my weight since I was in middle school. During COVID, I lost almost 50lbs and gain the weight back within a year. Now as I get older I realized that my relationship w/ food is the REAL problem. I have to unlearn most of the things I was taught.

  21. This is also accurate for other needs. As she said, we need to have everything with moderation and not start randomly cutting items just because some fitness Youtuber said so.

  22. Namaste

    As per Ayurveda according to our body type, the type of food that we take needs to differ.

  23. Oh my god, her voice is so horrible, I had to move on.

  24. I've always had an ED, when I was a kid I was so picky id frequently end up in the hospital from malnourishment, when I finally got healthy toxic friends drove me to ana, then binge eating. Now I'm finally getting better and the moment I shared this my "friend" Again just started attacking my body, weight, with slight comments. But I'm not going to let her triggr my ed again

  25. 5 minutes of narcissistic intro

  26. My dream is to have at least one day where I don’t think about my weight, what I should eat, what I shouldn’t eat, shame …to just live.

  27. She's a Inspiration Al Cute and Things I'll work themselves out

  28. this talk literally did nothing, completely unrelatable and she studied this her whole life lmao

  29. It's a understand in video

  30. I believe in MIRACLES and in SPIRIT and in GOD and that's the reality of it

  31. I have ADHD symptoms and once that's gone I'll feel better and really move forward cuz I had this problems with that for years and the last Tooooo know in a racial standard s of LIFE

  32. What's an Unhealthy Relationship with Food s video

  33. Ever since I stopped eating meat/dairy my relationship with food has been so bad 🙁 I’ve lost so much weight I just don’t know what to eat anymore.. what I’ve eaten my whole life I can’t eat anymore without feeling guilty

  34. There are intrinsically bad things in foods. Wax and pesticide residue on the skin of many fruits and vegetables; that is bad and should be avoided. Artificial sweeteners are intrinsically bad. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is intrinsically bad and should be removed from your diet. Trans fats – AKA hydrogenated vegetable oil – added to many foods to increase shelf life and make chocolates not melt at room temperature – is intrinsically bad and needs to be removed from your diet. It is misinformed to say that there are no intrinsically bad foods and everything is there to be enjoyed. There are intrinsically bad food ingredients and if you do truly respect your mind and body; there will be certain things you will remove from your diet forever; because having them in your diet will only continue a negative relationship with food.

  35. Thank you so much for this talk, especially the part about the psychology around our relationship with food.

    My aunt swung from fad diet to fad diet her whole life. She didn't need to, but she couldn't see that. All she could see was that she didn't look like she was 16 any more; no amount of weight loss will reverse aging. She was trying to stop the world in its tracks, as if eating exactly the right thing could make it 1955 again and turn back all the changes since.

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