In light of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, I am choosing to share some of my own journey, in hopes that someone will be inspired to seek help and let go of the stigma or shame that is so often linked with mental health issues and getting treatment. I started going to therapy many years ago. No one told me to go, except a small voice within myself that was saying, “There has got to be another way to live. Get help,” which I believe was my intuition. So I got help. Th

During the last two Januarys, my dear friend and colleague Amanda Marks and I led New Year’s retreats in the mountains of north Georgia. It was a beautiful weekend filled with self-care and alternative ways to enter into a new year (like not dieting and learning about intuitive eating instead). Our hope was to help each guest return back to “real life” feeling nourished on every level with a renewed sense of self, and to feel more grounded as they enter into the new year. Unf

Hello blog readers! Thank you for being here. Today, I am co-writing with my longtime friend and fellow dietitian (AND yoga teacher!) Letal Garber, MS, RD, LD, RYT. Like myself, she sees nutrition through a non-diet lens. Unlike myself, she is an expert in Diabetes (DM) management! So, we decided to join forces and explain how a non-diet, Intuitive Eating (IE) approach can absolutely be taken when it comes to managing Pre-Diabetes (Pre-DM) and DM. But How Do They Go Together?

Hello, Happy June, and thanks for reading. Today’s blog topic is one that has been on my mind for quite some time – even well before this global pandemic, which has undoubtedly amplified pre-existing anxiety in many people, and created the perfect storm for brand-new cases in others. As a believer in a collaborative approach, and the merging of Western & Eastern medicine, I am certainly not suggesting that nutrition is to be used in place of therapy, and/or medicine to manage

Hello, hello! In the spirit of National Eating Disorder Awareness week, I want to highlight some of the major factors about eating disorders (EDs) that I find (in my work and just in general) are often misunderstood. So, here we go… EDs are coping/survival mechanisms. Much like drug addictions, ED behaviors (bingeing/purging, restricting, over-exercising, etc.), are ways of coping with hard life things and the uncomfortable emotions that come along with being human. Since ED

I feel very fortunate to share that I just got back from a freakin’ awesome vacation last week – spent two weeks in Europe. Ate all the food and drank all the wine – the photo on this post is the most amazing cheesecake I’ve ever eaten in San Sebastian, Spain (visit my IG page to see some photos of more delicious-ness). Food was absolutely one of the best parts of the trip. Now, back to reality. If I was still entrenched in a diet/disordered eating mindset like I was many yea

I am pleased to announce that this is another guest blog post by my lovely and talented intern: Lauren Tinkey is about to graduate from Georgia State University’s Coordinated Program in Nutrition. As a RD-to-be and personal trainer, Lauren is passionate about helping people live their best lives through nutrition and exercise. Gentle Nutrition is an approach to eating that comes from a mindset of trust and peace with your food choices. Food choices are made based on the desir

I am so excited to announce that this is a guest blog post by my lovely and talented intern: Lauren Tinkey is about to graduate from Georgia State University’s Coordinated Program in Nutrition. As a RD-to-be and personal trainer, Lauren is passionate about helping people live their best lives through nutrition and exercise. Before diving into food talk, I would like to ask what you see in the image below. Do you see a white vase or two black heads? Do you see both? The image

First, I have to say that the quotation marks around “Unhealthy” in the title of this post are not to be taken lightly. We live in a society where we are good for eating salad and bad for eating pizza – where one food is “healthy” and the other is “unhealthy.” So much so, that many people are literally afraid of foods like pizza, cake, cookies, ice cream, French Fries, etc. These are all what I call “fun foods,” and what the majority of our society deems “unhealthy foods.” Do

Hands-down, the number one macronutrient (carbs, fats, protein) that I hear people say they’re avoiding are carbohydrates. From my clients – with AND without eating disorders – to family members to friends and next-door neighbor, this fear and avoidance of carbs does not discriminate. Constantly, I hear statements like, “My weakness is English muffins,” “I’m afraid of how many calories are in grains,” or “I’ve just always heard carbs aren’t good for me.” I’ve also noticed tha

This is a time of year when I feel like it is really easy to disconnect from our bodies. Whether it’s trying to tie up lose ends at work, trying to jam in extra social events or dealing with grief, it is a time that can be really taxing on all parts of us. Don’t get me wrong — I generally enjoy everything that comes with the holidays — good food and drink, extra time with friends and family, making my dog wear a red snowflake sweater, etc. But I think that the busier our live

Take a moment to ask yourself: What motivates me to eat well? If your key motivators behind eating a healthy diet are weight control and/or weight loss, you are not alone. As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), I notice the driving force behind many people’s desire to develop a healthier diet is typically weight-focused (oh and mine used to be too, once upon a time). And I get it – we live in a society obsessed with appearance and often that comes with the glorificatio

Did you know that one in three U.S. consumers are following a specific diet? According to the 2018 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation survey of more than 1,000 American ages 18-80, people between ages 18 and 34 are more likely to diet, and the number of people dieting has more than doubled from the same survey last year. The survey also highlighted consumers’ top nutrition behaviors and concerns, which include carb avoidance, fatigue and weight. I const

Hello there people. This is just a super quick post to celebrate calories. One of the many things that I think our culture gets wrong is that calories are a negative thing, and that we should try to eat the least amount of calories possible if we want to be “healthy.” ….. Nope. This simple phrase blows my clients’ minds (in the best way) : “Calories are just energy.” Yep. That’s what calories are. They keep us alive, and then help us thrive. Calories = Life. So, if we are try

The term literally makes me cringe. Search the hashtag “cleaneating” on Instagram and you will find images of super-lean women taking mirror selfies at the gym. There are also photos of low-calorie, “ice-cream” and “milkshakes,” plates of only vegetables, and a bunch of guys’ washboard abs. All of these photos are sending the same message: Eat clean, and you’ll be a much more attractive person with a better life than the one you already have – the one you have while you’re

You’ve heard it all: Sugar is bad. Sugar is toxic. Sugar will destroy your health. Fear-mongering messages around sugar abound. They are extreme, unhelpful, and take the joy out of eating dessert. Truthfully, nutrition science is just not that simple – cutting out one ingredient (like sugar) or groups of food is not what will lead to better health. In fact, it can be detrimental to health. I know from experience. I used to avoid sugary foods thinking they would somehow make m

[This post is adapted from an article I wrote for the National Peanut Board (NPB) website.] Do you hear the phrase “meal planning,” and think “stressful” or “time-consuming”? I did too. As a RD and a person who values eating well, I realize the benefit of meal planning – it helps make the workweek less stressful, it’s economically efficient and it ensures we eat nutrient-dense meals all week long. But is it worth giving up a large chunk of our weekends? My vote’s No. But I al

Every time I’m out for Thai food, I always gravitate towards the green curries. I’m not sure what it is — it’s such a satisfying, delicious combination of tastes and textures. Plus, it’s a hearty and nourishing meal — complete with veggies, fat (from the coconut milk), protein (from shrimp, tofu or meat of choice), and grains (like brown rice or in this case, farro). My favorite Atlanta spot is Panita Thai Kitchen. It’s in Virginia Highland, tucked behind Surin, another (much

Ever been to Santa Barbara? If not, put it on your Bucket List. I’ve been to California a handful of times, but I never knew much about Santa Barbara. When I was assigned to work at UCSB (University of California at Santa Barbara) during their nutrition week, I checked it out online and was instantly excited. If you Google it, you see the ocean, mountains and beautiful sunsets. While there is all of that and more in SB, the pictures just don’t do it justice. It is truly an am

A magical combination of foods is sweet potato, black beans, feta cheese and avocado … well at least to me! Not only do they all taste delicious and complement each other well, you’re covering pretty much all your macronutrients when you put them together: Sweet potatoes = carbs, Black beans = protein (and carbs), Feta cheese = fat (and protein), Avocado = fat. Add some veggies, and bam! You’ve got a very balanced meal in one potato. Even people who are skeptical of feeling s