That diet you’re on isn’t going to work. Certainly not for the rest of your life. That’s what Certified Nurse Practitioner Emily Bach knows, and teaches her clients ahealthier way.
Emily Bach Health Coaching helps clients build a better (and longer) life by creating and maintaining sustainable habits. It goes deeper than “eat more and move less.” Emily says it’s about breaking cycles we’ve been trapped in for decades.
Emily advises, “If you want to lose that physical weight, you also have to deal with the mental weight. Some of it may be coming from stress, anxiety and even trauma. We’re using food as a coping mechanism.”
The food industry doesn’t help, according to Emily. She says, “we’re eating a lot of foods that weren’t around 50 years ago. They’re designed to keep us eating more and more… definitely past the point of being full.”
There are four main pillars of Bach’s client work. They are:
- Awareness - helping people recognize how their eating patterns and daily activities affect their overall health
- Education - sharing knowledge about the intricacies of nutrition
- Hunger Cues - helping clients tune into their body’s signals
- Logistics - managing details within busy lives
That last pillar—logistics—is often the game changer. Emily explains that understanding the nuances of someone’s daily routine can unlock untapped potential.
“It can be the littlest things preventing someone from gaining healthy habits,” Emily explains. “We go deep and figure those things out.”
Those details become harder to manage over the holidays. When treats abound, travel ensues, and stress triggers are everywhere, keeping up good habits can be more challenging.
“The key is not to throw in the towel. Stick with your plan until you can’t. Then make the best choice you can in the situation and be done with it. Don’t stay in guilt mode. Just move on… starting with the very next meal.”
So what does that plan look like? Emily recommends creating an eating strategy that spans from Halloween to New Year’s. Whether you plan a week at a time or just one day ahead, the goal is to make decisions before you’re in the moment. That way, you’re not relying on willpower alone.
“Plan to eat your favorite things like your grandma’s pecan pie for example. But then also maybe plan to eat healthier the day before and the day after,” Emily says.
She continues, “This is why diets never work. Because you restrict yourself for a few weeks or months and then you get burnt out and you just go back to bad habits.”
The solution isn’t to skip the pie—it’s to be intentional. Grandma’s pie may be worth it, but those cookies in the break room that don’t even taste good? Not so much.
Another tip Emily shares is to bring a healthy dish that you love to holiday gatherings. Emily says she likes to bring perfectly roasted root vegetables, for example, to Thanksgiving. A truly delicious salad that looks inviting is another requested option. For holidays, that might include dried cranberries, nuts, and whole grains.
Emily is also passionate about helping children develop a healthy relationship with food, including her own two little ones. Even during the holiday chaos, there are ways to support kids in forming balanced habits. One of her favorite strategies is to neutralize food—removing emotional labels like “good” or “bad.”
Giving her kids a brownie on their dinner plate is one way she does this. “So many of us were taught we have to finish what’s on our plate to get dessert. And that’s not actually healthy.”
Some of the products featured in Emily’s holiday prep come from Yeah Baby Goods, a family-run company known for stylish, functional mealtime accessories for little ones. From highchair cushions to silicone placemats, their thoughtfully designed products help make feeding time smoother and more joyful, especially during the busy holiday season. To learn more, visit: www.yeahbabygoods.com.
Repairing your own relationship with food can also repair it for generations to come. And, according to Emily, it can help you be more present and active in their lives.
“When I worked in a hospital I was just putting on band-aids, literally and figuratively. I was helping people with heart disease and other chronic diseases. What I do now really gets to the root cause so they can have a better chance at avoiding those things,” Emily explains.
She helps people enjoy their lives not only now but later in life - including all those holiday gatherings in the years to come.
Most clients begin with a 12-week program designed to disrupt unhealthy patterns and replace them with a strong, lasting foundation. Emily adds, “I want people to be able to get on an airplane to visit their kids, go hiking and play with their grandkids when they’re in their 70s and 80s.”
"It can be the littlest things preventing someone from gaining healthy habits"