Ditch the Diet, Live Your Best Life & Enjoy Eating
Approach & Philosophy
I’m a dietitian and nutrition therapist who loves to eat. I hate rules, and when I can’t break them I bend them. This is why I call myself Vegan/ish. If I really want to eat something no one is going to stop me – am I right? I want to help you ditch the diet rules. My goal is to help you improve physical and mental health through a healthy relationship with food and self-love.
As an “anti-diet” dietitian, you’ll find me promoting a relaxed and permissive style to maintain or recover a healthy you so that you can live your best life without dieting. I can help you find a friendly balance between eating and health.
You are the expert of you. My approach is weight inclusive, collaborative, compassionate, informed by Health at Every Size®, intuitive eating, and mindful eating philosophies.
My Qualifications
I am a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND, eatright.org). I have an (MS) in Human Nutrition from Columbia University, Institute for Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, (BS) in Dietetics from Kansas State University, and a (BA) in Biology, secondary education, from Appalachian State University (I am also a teacher!).
I did my clinical training at Mayo Clinic. Furthermore, I also took Master’s courses in Biotechnology from William Paterson University. I can talk genetics and Biochemistry all day long—if you want to dive deep into the nerdy stuff! This means I have real credentials from well-regarded institutions - I didn’t just buy my degree online. It also means I’m held to the highest standard of evidence-based practice----i.e., science rules!
What Brought Me Here!
I like to help people stop dieting, deal with picky eating, and relearn normal eating. I am on my own wellness journey, and haven’t always had a super healthy attitude towards food and eating. I was an overweight child. I was an overweight teen. I had trouble getting rid of “baby weight” after having kids. I’ve eaten because I was lonely or didn’t like my job. I’ve starved because my boyfriend dumped me. I’ve counted calories, taken handfuls of vitamins, and tried cleanses – and I used to obsess about food.
It wasn’t until I stopped dieting and started looking at myself as a whole person that needed my love and attention that I changed my relationship with food.
My Purpose
As an RDN, I have worked in hospitals, a dialysis center, an oncology clinic, a food bank, schools, and the community. I’ve helped people learn to feed themselves through a tube, what to do when their chemo makes them feel sick, and how to count carbs for their insulin pump. I’ve analyzed people’s labs and read their medical histories. I’ve held their hands and helped them eat their soup. I’ve helped them relearn to eat. And I love every minute of it.
An RD or an RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) has obtained a degree from an accredited college, completed hundreds of hours of supervised practice, and passed a nationally recognized board exam. We are then held to the standards of the credentialing board, which requires continuing education annually. Most states only issue licenses to Registered Dietitians.
I do not accept health insurance directly.
For clients whose insurance plan covers nutrition services, we can also provide you with a “superbill” to submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
Yes, as a clinical dietitian, I am experienced in the prevention and management of chronic medical conditions. I provide MNT (medical nutrition therapy) for people with:
- Diabetes: I follow the guidance of the American Diabetes Association, and I am a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. I am also a certified life coach with the CDC DPP (Diabetes Prevention Program)
- Heart Disease
- Gut issues (IBD, IBS, Celiac, gluten sensitivity, microbiome, etc)
- Kidney Disease (I trained at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville Dialysis Center)
- Cancer (I worked in an oncology clinic)
- Maternal/Child Nutrition (My Master’s Research is in Nutrition during the first 1000 days, from conception to age 2)
- Tube Feeding, and return to oral diet after tube feeding
With my help, you will put foods together to create delicious meals that will help you feel more energized, full, and satisfied. You will make balanced meals and snacks with foods you enjoy to keep you going all day. You will Not give up your favorite foods or eat foods you don’t like.
An Initial Consultation/Assessment $199 ($300 value). This is a 60+ minute appointment when I try to learn as much as I can about you: your background, your lifestyle, where you are in your wellness journey, and what your goals are for the future. After this appointment, I will email you an overview of my initial impressions. Know More.
I’m not here to give you a stern talking-to about your weight, your eating habits, or your lack of exercise. And I’m certainly not here to pretend that I know it all. I will not give you a “diet”—no forbidden foods or eating foods you dislike. No body shaming, no weight loss plan…No Quick results: Sounds appealing…. but also disappears just as quickly because nothing great can be achieved fast. No endless list of Expensive supplements: A diet that requires you to take a large amount of supplements is not a good diet.
No! There is no better time than now to begin feeling better, sleeping better, moving more easily, and having more energy to do the things you want to do in your life!