Chris Sandel
Nutritionist, Coach and Founder of Seven Health
I am 41 years old, married to a magnificent woman called Ali and the proud father of Ramsay, my 5-year-old son. I am a nutritionist by profession and the founder and owner of Seven Health.
In 2003, after moving from Sydney to London, I coincidentally discovered an interest in food and nutrition. Before studying it formally, I spent two years voraciously reading everything I could find on the topic. Subsequently, from 2006 to 2008, I attended the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) and graduated with a Diploma in Nutritional Therapy.
In 2009, I decided to launch my own business and founded Seven Health.
Finding My Passion
Initially, as most nutritionists do, I worked with the general population and had not yet decided what to specialise in. As it so happened, I ended up working with a number of clients who were not just struggling with physical symptoms but emotional struggles relating to their body and self-acceptance as well as food and nutrition. It turned out that our work together led to lasting improvements for them, and a lasting impact on me, for I had now found my calling.
In the beginning stages, I was mainly working with people who had been “chronically dieting” for years and didn’t know how to get off this rollercoaster. Over time, with more experience and a continuously deepening understanding of eating disorders, I found my “calling inside my calling”, as it were: I started helping ever more people who suffered from eating disorders reach a place of full recovery.
I admit, I do love the nerdy side of nutrition and physiology, and I am continuously educating myself on the latest research to have an evidence-based understanding of how food and the body works.
Many years ago, as I was educating myself about weight science, it became clear that I needed to take a weight-neutral, non-diet approach.
Why I Adopted A Weight-Neutral, Non-Diet Approach
For one, there is ample scientific evidence that dieting and intentional weight loss are not sustainable for the vast majority of the population. And this is regardless of whether this loss is achieved by a “lifestyle change” or by adopting any particular set of food and nutrion rules.
In the long term, even the most dedicated dieters end up regaining the weight, often more than they lost. Adding insult to injury, they then regularly blame themselves for a “lack of willpower” and are off to planning the next diet. That’s what makes weight loss promises so profitable: people get trapped in the world of yo-yo dieting.
It is also true that dieting is the number one risk factor for eating disorders. In fact, restrictive eating disorders can often be found in that tiny fraction of people that are being mislabeled as “weight loss success stories”, as they are solely able to maintain their weight by severely disordered eating and exercise habits.
So instead of adopting the traditional and unsuccessful method of dieting, my work solely focuses on a weight-neutral non-diet approach.
The High Price Of Dieting, Disordered Eating And Eating Disorders
Needless to say, a life dictated by rules, fears and punishment has detrimental effects on people’s overall well-being, as it negatively impacts both someone’s physical and psychological health. In my work as an online nutritionist, I’ve come to know countless clients silently suffering — trapped in prison-like circumstances, disconnected from their bodies, their dreams, their joy, their true values, and often, from any real, authentic connection in life.
Now, clinicians like me who have adopted the non-diet approach aim to mend the disruption that was caused by diets and restriction-oriented eating styles. Our work is centred around the fact that we were all born intuitive eaters, and that our bodies can inherently be trusted.
By removing any focus on “intentional weight loss”, I can gently guide my clients to a more trusting relationship with food and nutrition, eventually leading to body acceptance. As this requires skills and experience, I do this by incorporating intuitive eating, which has been proven to be highly beneficial for health and well-being in more than 120 scientific studies.
Let me be specific about how this work typically pays off: Clients eventually experience how truly empowering it is to be reconnected to their body, and to be able to accurately read and respect its signals regarding food, movement, rest, and self-care. They know what’s best for their individual well-being and they no longer get sidetracked by the ubiquitous diet talk that might be surrounding them.
By getting into alignment with their internal wisdom, and by learning to appreciate their unique body, they are best equipped to make the right choices for themselves.
And getting to be part of this transformative process is why I love this work so much.
It’s About More Than Just Food Or Weight
As you probably know by now, I am not just interested in the food and nutrition side of science. In fact, that side alone would not be enough for me to feel happy with what I do. I am a person who’s always been drawn to questions like “What makes us do what we do?”, “What makes us think the way we think” and “What constitutes a good life?” All throughout my career, I have consistently been diving into deeper topics surrounding humanity in general, psychology, habit formation, neuroscience, compassion and philosophy.
After all, my work isn’t solely aimed to help people make peace with food and nutrition, but moreover, to help them make peace with themselves — including their body, their life, their humanity. I firmly believe true healing encompasses every aspect of us and can only happen in a safe container of a relationship that is built on trust.
Needless to say, as an online nutritionist, I thrive on one-on-one work and it’s easily the part of my job I enjoy the most.
Continued Education
As a perpetual student, my continuing education since my graduation from CNM has included: Intuitive Eating (IE), Health At Every Size (HAES) ®, eating disorder recovery, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), polyvagal theory, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), trauma, behavioural psychology, and habit formation.
After Work
Surprise! — I love my free time as much as I love my work with food and nutrition. In non-pandemic times, I quite fancy travelling, be that visiting my home country Australia, or exploring new places with friends or family. I miss my old Sydney beach life, so I have a soft spot for European destinations that can scratch that itch: Barcelona, Ibiza, Lisbon, San Sebastian, Sardinia, Amalfi, and Croatia.
I also love the UK and have done lots of travelling around it: the beaches of Devon and Dorset, the incredible New Forest, and the Scottish Highlands are some of my favourites.
Ever since Ramsay was born, mine and Ali’s life has changed in many ways: less all-night partying with friends, more fun slides at the pool; less sleeping in, more pillow-fort-building; less idle time, and more love. Fun fact about my son: As an introvert like me, Ramsay loves getting lost in the world of calculating and maths, and judging by the way he juggles numbers, he’ll definitely be the genius in the family.
