Meet Eve Lahijani MS RDN | Nutrition Therapist | TEDx Speaker | Food Peacemaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eve Lahijani MS RDN and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eve, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business started with a promise I made. One night, after overeating yet again, I made a promise that if I could someday heal my eating issues, I would dedicate my life’s work to help others heal their eating issues too. After all, the stress, shame, and exhaustion of my problems with food (trying to diet, feeling out of control with food, eating emotionally, bingeing, using exercise to purge, etc) were so detrimental to being truly present for my life. It felt like these struggles with food were keeping me from being the person I was deep down inside. I knew, that if someone who was struggling as much as I was could overcome this, I could help other people too!

So I did the inner and outer work to not only overcome my eating issues – but to become the person who was living deep inside me. After receiving my Masters in Nutrition I started leading the Corporate Wellness program at Northrup Grumman and I noticed how so many other professionals had similar issues. However, the mainstream “wellness” topics that we were supposed to offer only exacerbated their eating problems. Pushing diets, counting calories and steps and all of that actually made matters worse! So we created programs that helped people listen to their hunger, honor their fullness, savor their food, participate in joyful movement and be present for their lives, instead of obsessing about food and torturing themselves on a stair master. The programming was so effective and popular that other locations requested to participate.

From there – I took my programs and philosophy into the broader community, including eating disorder clinics, schools, companies, etc. I even taught Body Image and Mindful Eating classes at UCLA (my alma mater). It felt so rewarding to have such an impact on students at such a crucial time in their lives, as well as super inspiring to work with UCLA faculty and staff who were up to so much in the world, but had this private struggle with food.

Meanwhile more people found out about me and my work through my YouTube videos and TEDx talk entitled: “Trust Your Hunger and Make Peace With Food”.  Folks were requesting private sessions – so they too could learn how to leave the diet roller coaster and live in greater harmony with food and life. So following the pull of my private practice, I left UCLA and now work for myself. Helping clients from around the world heal their relationship with food as well as speaking on the subject. Having my own business has allowed me the opportunity to blend the world of nutrition, eating disorders, emotional eating, binges, and other food struggles with helping people live a more soulful, awakened life. In other words, working for myself allows me to have the unique impact I am meant to have. In a way it felt like it was the next step for my own evolution.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What got me where I am now, was a deep desire to be the person I wish I had when I was in my darkest hour struggling with food. I was filled with so much shame and hopelessness with a private struggle that I couldn’t even explain. All I wanted was someone to see me, someone who understood how scared and alone I felt in my food hell and wouldn’t make me feel even worse about it. Struggling with food isn’t like struggling with alcohol or drugs because you can live a “normal” life without those things. But with food, we need to interact with it daily, multiple times – not only to live a normal life, but to be alive in the first place! I wished for someone who understood that, someone with tools and strategies that would actually work. Somebody who could hold my hand as I left the world of diets, restriction, emotional eating, over eating, compulsive eating/exercise, binges etc and show me the way one step at a time. And so, here I am, doing just that.

What I love about my business is that the core value is helping. My mom is a big influencer here, a simple lesson she demonstrated to us again and again while growing up was this; If you can help, help. So, although I have a roster of clients who have invested in working with me, I have dedicated spots in my schedule to offer a complimentary call to anyone who feels inspired to finally heal their relationship with food and live an even more fulfilling life. I feel it’s a tremendous act of courage for those who struggle with food to reach out for support and so I have made it as easy as possible for people to know that the support is out there, healing from food issues is possible, and there is totally so much more to life. So for anyone who is reading this who is struggling with food and diets and who is ready to leave the diet world and learn how to listen to their body, trust themselves with food, and get into eating in a way that is energizing, satisfying and feels good — reach out for a complimentary call with me. Your relationship with food will never be the same.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First of all, I would bring them to my house for some of my homemade ice cream! But after that we’d get some brunch at Juicy Ladies in Malibu, spend some time at the beach. Grab some lunch and delicious cocktails at Malibu Farm Restaurant. Maybe do some shopping across the way at Aviator Nation. Then for dinner – we’d go to Ocean Park’s Il Forno for Italian food and spend the rest of the night at metaphysical book stores like Sacred Journey on Main Street.

The next day we’d start with a hike up Temescal Canyon, grab brunch at Porta Via in the Palisades commons. Visit the Self-Realization Temple for some pictures. Then get ready for a dinner at Bacara in Melrose and make it out to Sunset for a show at the Laugh Factory.

The final day we would grab some breakfast at Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica and go roller skating at the Mar Vista skate park. Take a walk through Sawtelle and get a bite at Nong La or Sushi from Hide, get a taro tea slushie from Volcano Tea. And since it’s time for my friend to go home (I think three days is enough LOL) on the way to the airport we stop at True Food Kitchen.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
University of Santa Monica’s Three Year Certification in Spiritual Psychology, with an emphasis in Consciousness Health and Healing gave me the tools to have a more profound and meaningful impact on my clients. Going to this school showed me the way to live in deeper alignment with my authentic self – and help my amazing clients do the same.

Also all of my courageous clients from around the world who are dedicated to living their best lives free from food issues!

Website: www.vitamineve.com

Instagram: vitamin.eve

Youtube: youtube.com/vitamineve