About

Who am I?

Hi! My name is Paola Petri, I’m 24 years old and I live in Madrid, Spain. I’m a nutritionist and personal trainer. My mission is to promote healing from eating disorders and diet culture through intuitive eating, following a holistic approach that involves body, mind and soul.

Since I was 9 until I was 20, I had anorexia nervosa. Only in December of 2016 I realized it wasn’t something good and a privileged lifestyle as I used to believe, but an evil trap. I started then the recovery process, which has been full of suffering, fears and anxiety… But through which I’ve also grown a lot as a person and I’ve been able to discover who I’m called to be.

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After so many years of mistreating my body, I wanted to respect it and look after it. Feeding it with good quality food, in good amounts and in a way that’s both healthy and enjoyable has been one of the best ways to get it to bloom in health and beauty, allowing me to live a life that makes me happy. It was also key to learn to move it in a constructive, not destructive way; finding forms of exercise that enhance my life instead of being a torture. By experimenting with all of this, and later researching about it, I was fascinated by how impressive the human body is, how complex its mechanisms are, with macro and microscopic, chemical and electric reactions… And how our way of eating and moving affects all of that. Knowledge is empowering and allows us to make conscious choices and not to be fooled by the many myths and nonsense that are everywhere.

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That’s why I decided to study first personal training and then what has become my greatest passion, nutrition. At the same time, I started to share my anorexia recovery story. As a result of that, I’ve come into contact with many people suffering from eating disorders, and I’ve thrown myself into helping and inspiring them so they dare to overcome their fears and get to this wonderful «other side». Now I want to bring that to a bigger sphere, because everyone deserves the chance to take control over their diet and getting to live in the best version of their bodies.

Catholic perspective

Consultations are opened to people with every and any kind of religious beliefs, but my practice is informed by a Christian worldview.

When I was deep into anorexia, I used to believe that was God’s will for me, a sacrifice I was offering to Him. I later realized that it’s a demonic illness, in which the devil disguises himself as an angel of light to destroy you. He deceives each person in a different way, but always making you believe that it’s the solution to something or your identity. If I was able to get out of that hell, it was thanks to by trustfully surrendering to the Providence and spiritual direction.

When it comes to taking care of the body in general, the importance I give to it is rooted in religion too. Our bodies, as St. Paul says, are temples of the Holy Spirit. If we care so much about both the technical and the ornamental aspects of our churches, we should also look after the temple of our body by keeping it healthy, strong and radiant.

Moreover, God has entrusted us with His Creation so we can exploit it, but not as its owners; only as mere administrators. We’ll have to report back to the Owner, to God, of what we’ve done with it. Our bodies are privileged pieces of Creation that are given to each one of us as a house for the soul. We therefore have a great responsibility. 

And, finally, the meaning of everything we do must be, first and foremost, to give glory to God. By cultivating the best version of our body, we’ll be able to give our 100% in life and better fulfill His will.

Credentials

  • MNU Certified Nutritionist – Passed with Distinction (Mac Nutrition Uni)
  • Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA National Strength and Conditioning Association)
  • BA History + BA Art History (CEU San Pablo University)
  • Courses:
      • New Scientific Trends Applied to Strength Training (Wingsport Academy)
      • Prescription of Exercise during Pregnancy (NSCA)
      • Optimizing Nutrition for Thyroid & Gut Health (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
      • Functional Training and Practical Applications (NSCA)
      • High Intensity Functional Training (NSCA)
      • Muscle Hypertrophy (NSCA)

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