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As a registered dietitian nutritionist since 1997, I have always been fascinated with the role of food in promoting health and preventing disease. Growing up, I was one of those weird kids who looked at nutrition labels-which weren’t consistent or regulated at the time.

Early in my career, I quickly learned that patients are not always ready or willing to talk about making changes to their nutritional habits while they are still in the hospital. As my career evolved, I started working more in management and education. While I enjoyed the work I was doing, I wanted to get back to the roots of why I became a dietitian—to help people get healthier through their food choices!

I started my virtual nutrition practice, Whole Food Is Medicine, in December 2018. Keep in mind that this was before Covid, and many people were hesitant to have a virtual counseling session, and most were not familiar with zoom. The pandemic has certainly helped me in this area!

Most clients who seek my services are interested in weight loss, but I also see clients who are interested in getting feedback on trying to improve their overall nutritional intake, as well as those who are trying to better manage health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Regardless of your current weight, here are a few tips I think most people can benefit from:

Honor your hunger.

I have worked with so many clients who think the only way they can get healthy or lose weight is to starve themselves. Unfortunately, chronically undereating to achieve a certain number on the scale works until it doesn’t. Undereating throughout the day sets you up for overeating later in the day or in the evening. Your body doesn’t need so many calories to go to sleep! Furthermore, your body stops trusting you because it doesn’t know when it will be fed. The end result is decreased metabolism because your body is trying to hold on to as many calories as possible. The bottom line is this-don’t ignore your hunger-it’s your body’s way of telling you it’s time to eat. Once you start trusting your body, your body will start to trust you!

Eat your vegetables!

Most people-even those who eat a relatively healthy diet-can benefit from getting more vegetables. Vegetables are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals, and cancer-fighting plant compounds! Fresh, frozen, and canned veggies all count. You can eat them cooked or raw! The best way to get more vegetables into your daily eating patterns is to try to incorporate them into the foods you already love. For example, in the morning you can add leftover veggies to an omelet. At lunch, add veggies to your wraps or consider a filling salad that includes lean proteins, whole grains or nuts, and perhaps even some fruit! For dinner, add veggies to pasta and rice dishes, or have them as a side dish either roasted, grilled, or steamed. You can even put your favorite veggies in your air-fryer!

Ditch the soda—even if it’s diet!

There are no redeeming health qualities in soda. Regular soda is loaded with calories that don’t fill you up or keep you satisfied. They are extra calories on top of the food you eat, and they contribute to weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. Diet soda is so unnaturally sweet, it can increase your craving for other sugary foods. Both diet and regular soda is bad for bone health.

If you're interested in learning more about Amy Knoblock-Hahn's services, contact her via phone or email at 314-852-3626 or dr.amy@wholefoodismedicine.com.