Everyone has a nutrition philosophy, whether they realize it or not. Simply put, it is the beliefs you hold about food and nutrition. What you think about nutrition not only shapes what you choose to eat, but also the way you think about food and your emotions surrounding it.

If you’re looking for a dietitian, it’s also important for you to hear what their nutrition philosophy is because their beliefs about food will shape the way they teach and guide you. Here are some principles I try to practice in the way I eat and would encourage my clients to consider prior to working with me:

• There are no good or bad foods. All foods can be a part of your diet. Some may play a larger or smaller role, based on preferences, goals, activity levels and your own body type, just to name a few.
• Health doesn’t have to be determined by body weight. There are so many other factors that determine our health and often those are the areas that need to be addressed and changed.
• Only YOU know how much food you need to eat for your unique body! For some, this might be a new concept and something you need to relearn, but I believe we can trust our bodies to tell us what, when, and how much to eat.
• Good eating and nutrition begins in the mind; what you think and believe about food is extremely important, because your thoughts and beliefs affect your actions.

Because of my nutrition philosophy and my own personal experiences with dieting and weight loss (be sure to check out “Bethany’s Story”) I have chosen NOT to be a dietitian who promotes weight loss. I also don’t want to be prescribing clients weight loss diets. I even want to be careful about “lifestyle changes” with the underlying goal being weight loss. I want healthy eating to be about balance and feeling good in your body and your mind. If you lose weight doing that, so be it. But if that’s our overarching goal, I think we’re missing the point.

Part of learning and growing is discovering new things and sometimes realizing that we’re wrong. I’m constantly learning new things about nutrition, and adjusting my practices and thoughts because of it. I’ll be the first to admit that in the beginning of my nutrition journey, I had some major flaws in my thinking! While we don’t need our philosophies to perfectly align, we do need to be flexible and willing to learn from each other.

If you’re unsure about what you believe or even who to believe about nutrition, you’re in a great place to learn. I LOVE to teach people about food and how it relates to their health. If you’re a blank slate and willing to learn, I would be happy to work with you! And if you’re in a diet and weight loss mindset, but don’t want to be there anymore, reach out to me! Let’s find the way to healthy together and getting comfortable in your body, just as it is!

Confession time: I want to be your dietitian! Seriously, I have a huge passion for nutrition and want to share that with everyone I connect with! But the reality is this: it’s not humanly possible for me to be able to work with every single one of you. And to be honest, some of us won’t be a good fit.

What do I mean when I say “a good fit?” Here are just some factors to consider: where are you located? Do our personalities work well together? What kinds of food beliefs do you have? How willing are you to work hard and make changes? What kind of help or nutrition services are you needing?

Let’s start with the last item on that list. My overarching goal is to help women feel comfortable and at home preparing food in their kitchens. I also want to support women in feeding their families, if applicable. If you’re looking for help in any of these areas, you’re in the right place:

• Learning to cook and bake
• Meal planning and preparation
• Ways to save time in the kitchen
• How to shop for yourself or your family
• What kinds of foods might be best for you and WHY
• HOW to incorporate new foods into your cooking
• Preventing food from spoiling or going bad

Below are additional areas of nutrition practice that I have a passion for:

• Nutrition needs for the female runner
• Help with a new or existing food allergy
• Beginning a gluten-free diet (for celiac disease or gluten intolerance)
• Baby’s first feedings
• Helping with picky eaters
• Intuitive eating

These examples are only some of the areas in nutrition that I can help with. In the next post I mention some areas where I DON’T feel comfortable practicing, due to my nutrition philosophy.

I will note that there are a few areas out of my scope of practice and I would be happy to refer you to a nutrition specialist, including newly diagnosed diabetics, people requiring specialized renal diets, and those with active eating disorders.

Some of the other factors I mentioned include your location and personality differences. I wanted to briefly touch on those as well. You can find out more about my nutrition counseling services and packages on the page titled “My Services.” Depending on where you live, I can work with you virtually! Please feel free to reach out to me for a brief initial phone call or video chat to ask any questions about my services and to get to know me.

I look forward to being your dietitian!