What does a {formerly} vegan weightlifter have to offer us Intuitive Eaters? A lot, it turns out. Val blends her Italian roots with compassionate choices to create an insightful mealtime methodology.
Val Rosile is a life and event architect. She builds, creates, and organizes workshops, retreats, and seminars for people who want to transform the lives and businesses of those around them. Val also works one on one with people to implement that same transformation in their own lives. Val has worked as a stage manager in theatre and opera, an event manager in both the for-profit and non-profit fields, and as a leader of a group of community builders and goal setters. She has worked with teams of two and teams of 82. Val has traveled, stayed in one place, and she’s never given up on the possibility of others.
Kellie Adkins: Tell us a little bit about your journey toward eating intuitively…
Val Rosile: My journey started about 4 years ago while I was working in theater – I began taking Pilates class and someone encouraged me to take a yoga class and I totally fell in love with yoga and everything it was teaching me about myself. I started taking more yoga and had the incredible opportunity to go to a Jivamukti class. The teacher taught a lot about ahimsa and shortly after that I began to weed out meat from my diet. I really got educated about where my food was coming from and decided to stop eating meat and embrace a vegan diet. As I did, I saw and felt the changes in my body. I felt leaner, I wasn’t as bloated, and I started to lose some extra weight.
I really felt great for a time then I began weightlifting and I felt I needed more complex protein. I made the decision to bring some high quality, consciously selected protein back into my diet. So I ate a Kobe burger –because Kobe cows have the best life possible!—and I saw immediate gains in my lifting.
Now, I still eat some meat but occasionally I’m constantly investigating the best possible fuel for my practice and my life. I may take out gluten or dairy or meat for a time just to see how I feel.
KA: It seems you’ve been highly pragmatic with your food choices –in both choosing the best fuel for your body and also in selecting responsible foods. Has there ever been a time you struggled with your body image or your food choices?
VR: Oh, yes! I have an underactive thyroid and that can prevent me from losing weight and in addition to that, I’m Italian! We love white bread and pasta and when I eat like that I tend to gain weight and look like my family. While that’s a beautiful body shape for them, it doesn’t fit me and so I struggle to find the balance. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s ok to have that glass of wine or that scoop of ice cream and just enjoy life. Life happens around food; people get together around food and you have to keep letting life happen!
KA: So what was it like for you being Italian and having a family that maybe didn’t understand your choices around food?
VR: Well I had my family over for Thanksgiving one year when I was vegan and we didn’t have a turkey. I think I taught them the power of a side dish that year! I felt my role was really to educate them. I didn’t try to force my opinions down their throats, I just opened up a dialogue and a conversation around my own choices. And my family was supportive –of course there were the occasional snide comments –but supportive overall. They wanted to learn more about my choices and my lifestyle, despite their own personal choice to still eat meat. And I think that certainly had to do with my role as a coming from a place of why: not from a place of ‘I’m right, you’re wrong.’ Food is so personal and it’s not about can or can’t or should or shouldn’t–it’s about choice.
KA: What process really helps you get really clear about what your body needs and your subsequent food choices?
VR: It’s really a conversation–and it’s thinking big picture. If it’s the holiday season and I know I’ll be spending time with my family and I want to enjoy those special foods that signify family and connection, then I plan to eat really light the week before. Enjoying a slice of pizza with my brother at his favorite pizza joint is worth the extra calories to me! When I was vegan it was definitely about the big picture, too. Because while I certainly could have eaten the soup cooked in beef broth, that didn’t reflect my position of standing for those who couldn’t speak for themselves. Now my position is to stand for a life that is full and loving. I have entire days where I don’t eat any meat and I have other days where every meal has something in it. In the bigger picture, though, I want everything to balance out.
KA: What advice would you offer those who’d like to make mealtime shifts or embrace a more healthful diet?
VR: I had many people ask me ‘How did you drop meat all together?’ Well, you just start at the next meal. You eat well –the way you want to eat – as much as you can. And if you slip, or have something that doesn’t fit your big picture plan, then you just start again the next time. Just like in yoga, you have mindfulness and set an intention about what you’re doing. So if your intention is taking care of your body, then let that guide your choices. If your intention is spending time with your family and friends, then let that guide your choices. And know that you can have it both ways, too! Figure out what makes your body feel amazing and choose that.
Love Val’s approach? We do, too! Val’s offered a special bonus just for the Wisdom Method crew: a free 30-minute call Living Your Best Life {with Bonus Worksheet!}.
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