Food is arguably one of the most important things in all of our lives. With an increasing number of people becoming more aware and selective about the foods they consume, the health and nutrition industries have taken off in more ways than we could have ever imagined – especially in regards to dietary coaching. There are countless nutritionists and coaches out there who have different areas of expertise, focusing on different diets and aspects of the human body and mind in relation to food. Each with their own unique knowledge and skill sets, here we present the Top 5 Nutrition coaches as we share some insight into what they do.
Anna Sweeney (@dietitiananna)
Anna Sweeney is the founder of Whole Life Nutrition Counselling, a weight inclusive nutrition therapy practice dedicated to the thoughtful treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating and body image concerns. A nationally respected eating disorder dietitian and serving as an expert in a variety of media forums, Anna is dedicated to empowering her clients to notice and refute the influence of diet culture in their lives. She provides compassionate, no nonsense support to her clients and followers, and challenges oppressive forces that make being in a body so challenging, helping them to understand that interaction with food, body and movement are both unique and personal. Anna has lived with MS for most of her life and is also a full-time disabled person, but does not let this stop her in any shape or form. She uses her life experiences to enhance the work she does, and does not shy away from talking about chronic illness, wellness culture, and how to navigate these tenuous spaces with as much care as possible on her social media. Foreseeing that many would not be able to access the help they may need due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna created Virtual Connection, a weekly free hour of support for those struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns. “I seek to be an accessible practitioner and human being. So, I bring myself and my experiences to social media with the intention of supporting others in healing, growth, and learning,” Anna says.
Aidan Muir (aidan_the_dietitian)
Aidan Muir is a sports dietitian who runs nutrition consulting business, Ideal Nutrition. Ideal Nutrition is one of the few dietitian organisations that specialise in increasing the performance of strength sport athletes through their dietary requirements. An aspiring powerlifter himself, Aidan noticed that there seemed to be a bit of a gap in the market where people in the bodybuilding space take their diet very seriously, but those in the powerlifting space often aren’t as focused on it. “Increased focus on diet leaves a huge potential performance benefit on the table, and that is what Ideal Nutrition aims to address,” says Aidan. Whilst Aidan does specialise in working with strength athletes, particularly powerlifters, Ideal Nutrition does cater to all by working one-on-one with their clients to reach all of their nutrition goals – particularly those wanting to become leaner and fitter. Aidan’s business model ensures this by working alongside clients to provide them with a detailed meal plan to follow, one which has been 100% tailored to the individuals needs and preferences. Aidan aims to guide the general public towards better eating habits as well. Regularly providing free and informative nutritional content on his Instagram and blog, he’s definitely one to follow as these tips would help even the most conscious individual towards making more mindful dietary choices.
Alexis Roberts (@nutritionbylex)
Alexis Robert’s approach to nutrition coaching stems from her personal experiences with food. Having been diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease, the sudden life change forced her to become more cautious of the foods she was putting into her body. Not long after becoming obsessed with reading nutrition labels and ingredients, she fell into her own struggles with food, developing disordered eating due to the restrictive ways in which she was consuming food. After silently struggling with this for 3 years, Alexis decided to take matters into her own hands, and started working with dietitians to learn how to properly fuel her body. Creating Nutrition by Lex, Alexis specialises in integrating a new way of eating healthy that works for your specific body and lifestyle. She offers a course to help you learn how to eat healthy on a budget, and 1-on-1 coaching where she also helps clients unpack and work through their emotional relationships with food. Alexis also hosts the Nutrition by Lex Podcast, dedicated to providing education on nutrition, fitness, mental health, social and relationship advice and more. Nutrition by Lex stands out from its competition in that all programs and courses are fully customisable for the individual. “No person is exactly the same so why should my services all be the same for every single one of my clients? My main goal is to help my client reach their health goals and it is my job to create an achievable action plan to do so,” Alexis says.
Lara Days (@lara.days)
Lara Days is a certified nutrition coach and yoga instructor who is on a mission to change the world, one woman at a time! While many nutrition programs only give advice about food, Lara Elizabeth Coaching aims to help each client transform from the inside out. Lara focuses on improving your mindset, unlearning your past conditioning, and creating productive daily habits so that you can find food freedom and step into your power! “I truly believe in helping people from all walks of life. I am here to serve,” Lara says. She provides options for people of all income levels, and believes in making sure clients will be a good fit for her program. “This should be a mutually beneficial partnership; if we aren’t a good fit, then I will refer out! I know dozens of incredible coaches, and can set you up with someone who is perfect for what you truly need,” she says. Lara promises her program has no meal plans, no rules, and no bullshit. Her philosophy is all about working together with her clients to create lasting change by providing them with ongoing education and support, so that they can move forward and create lifelong, sustainable habits!
Gabrielle Puzzolo (@thegutgp)
Gabrielle Puzzolo, founder of The Gut GP, educates and coaches individuals that our body systems are interconnected with one another. Gabrielle thrives on the belief that healing a certain part of the body cannot be isolated. Her philosophy adopts a holistic approach to nurturing the body and mind back to good health, with her motto being “health is holistic, but healing is personal”. She consistently shares knowledge on topics related to gut health, hormones and the relationship between the gut and the brain, as she believes mental health is one of the most important pinnacles to breaking old habits, producing long term results and improving overall health and wellbeing. Gabrielle has a passion to empower others and provides her clients with tools to make better decisions so that they can heal both mentally and physically to live a prosperous life. Gabrielle focuses on nutrient density, cellular benefits and less-is-more when it comes to nutrition, with additional emphasis on wellness techniques to calm the mind, reduce stress and positively influence the gut-brain axis. All attributes utilised in her practise have strategically been developed to improve and maintain one’s health, with individualised guidance also offered. Gabrielle’s passion to help others was born from her own gut-related experiences. She has developed manuals with first-hand information on aspects that successfully facilitated her healing and regaining her life back. Gabrielle’s tried and tested escapades have produced dependable tools for others to apply and better their own health.
Nutrition is incredibly important for a healthy, balanced life. If you don’t know where to start, make sure to go and follow this amazing group of individuals as they continue to transform lives through their nutrition knowledge.