Kripa Jalan

Ex-Dieter, Nutritionist, Founder

If you're here, chances are you've been a victim of a culture that bombards you with daily advertisements for quick fixes and unrealistic transformation stories plastered on magazines, websites, and social media. From 7-day detoxes, diet pills, and surgeries, the message runs deep – beauty and health are dependent on body shape and size.

When in reality, size is not a direct reflection of health.

How do I know that?

I spent years hating my body, constantly disgusted with myself, and prioritizing being skinny over everything else – health, relationships, and to an extent, my sanity.

So, I can safely say that I've been where you have. I've gotten rid of everything "bad" in my kitchen, spent hours overtraining, and devotedly following all that was prescribed, getting a little adrenaline high every day that I successfully stuck to the rules. I lived like a robot for years, meticulously counting carbs and calories. And, when each "proven, life-changing, and simple plan to unlock all my dreams" didn't work, I restricted further and trained harder. And, each time I told myself "this would be it."

Spoiler alert! It never was. Even if I got to where I wanted to be, it was never, ever enough. I didn’t feel skinny, happy, healthy, worthy, or confident. And the moments that I did feel thin enough? I was mostly panicked that this wouldn’t last, and that made me even more obsessed with the whole process.

On the verge of developing a serious eating disorder, I fell severely ill and was forced into taking control of my thoughts and behaviours. There had to be another way.

I started to research all of the reasons why dieting didn't work. I armed myself with every bit of scientific information I needed to keep myself trusting that not putting my body through so much turmoil was the right path. But most importantly, I decided I was going to learn to like and accept myself at whatever weight I ended up with. Fast forward to now, I can’t recognize who I was back then.

In a sense, Burgers to Beasts started as a creative outlet to share my personal experiences as a devoted dieter with a deep-rooted fear of food and advanced education in nutrition science.

I do really believe in the power of food as medicine. But, at the same time over the last six years of working with individuals from different walks of life, I’ve realized that they benefit from a type of coaching that is free from authoritative pressure. The right to eat what’s right for your body is inalienable. No matter your weight, there is nothing you can eat that is deserving of punishment. When the eating culture becomes one of sins and virtue, the cornerstone of well-being begins to crumble.

Because in the end, eating well is only a tool to improve and enhance their ability to feel joy and live a happy life.

It’s abundantly clear to me, that restrictive diets don’t work; and wish for anyone and everyone who adopts our philosophy to eat whole, live well and feel amazing – because that’s something we all deserve, no matter who we are or what our health history is.