Shifting the Focus from Weight to Health

Brittany Jones Nutrition Group is a weight inclusive practice – but what does that mean?

Simply put it means that we believe that health is not defined by your weight.

A person in a small body is not always healthier than a person in a larger body – and a larger person is not always unhealthier than a person in a smaller body. In fact evidence shows that taking a weight-focused approach in which someone puts a focus on weight loss and dieting can be harmful to ones health, often times resulting in disordered eating and/or eating disorders among other health conditions.

We appreciate that bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and weights. We work with our clients to improve their health by focusing on behaviors regardless of their weight. We provide respectful and compassionate care of people in all body type, shapes, sizes, and weights.

Our approach to a healthy lifestyle takes the focus away from weight and instead focuses on health promoting behaviors to improve health including:

  • A healthy relationship with food without restriction
  • Eating a variety of foods that provide nutrition + enjoyment
  • Being mindful and flexible while managing your chronic disease through food
  • Trusting your body to tell you when you are hungry and satisfied
  • Giving yourself permission to eat all foods
  • Eating regular meals and snacks
  • Feeling safe around all foods (i.e. being able to keep all foods in the house without a binge)
  • Moving your body in a way to celebrate it rather than punish for something you ate or control your size
  • Learning to accept your body and take good care of it – knowing that all people are of value regardless of size, shape, or weight

We believe that the weight you are when practicing these behaviors is the healthiest weight for you.

Our body size is often influenced by many factors outside of our control including genetics, income, education, social support, where you live, work, and play. NOTE this weight cannot be told to you by a health care provider or a BMI scale.

Still not sure about this approach? Below we de-bunk some common weight focused myths:

MYTH #1 Weight is the best measure of health. “Overweight” or “obese” mean unhealthy and “normal weight” means healthy.

FACT: BMI does not tell us about individual health and it doesn’t recognize that healthy bodies come in many shapes, sizes, and weights. Health can exist in diverse bodies and BMI was created to be used in groups of white males in a research setting. You are not that.

Your risk for disease depends more on your lifestyle than your body weight. Factors like genetics, income, and stress can influence disease. For example, heart disease and diabetes affect people of ALL weights. People of all sizes benefit from activities that support their health such as eating a variety of food to support disease, moving in a joyful way, and managing stress.

MYTH #2 The best way to improve health is by losing weight

FACT: Studies (and our dietitians 35+ years of cumulative experience in this field) show that restrictive diet and exercise programs poorly affect mental and physical health. Research also shows the more you diet the more you weigh.

Dieting has been associated with:

  • An increase in weight
  • Muscle loss
  • Bone loss
  • Increase in blood pressure
  • Increased risk of eating disorders
  • Body image issues/body dysmorphia

MYTH #3: “If I’m not actively trying to control my weight, I’ll gain a lot of weight and worsen my health”

FACT: People can improve their health and manage chronic disease without a focus on weight loss. In fact, people who do not focus on weight loss tend to have better mental health, lower stress, a better body image, and a better quality of life while managing their health. When we focus on health promoting behaviors our body settles at it’s healthy weight – sometimes that’s less than you are now, sometimes it’s more, and sometimes it’s the same. We need to give our body the opportunity to figure out what is healthy for you without trying to manage it through dieting and non-joyful exercise.

MYTH #4 I’ll just diet to lose the weight quick and then focus on maintaining.

FACT: More than 95% of weight loss attempts do not lead to long-term weight loss or health improvements. In fact, most people who lose weight on a diet will gain it back +5% more within two years. Because of this trend, dieting is actually a better predictor of weight gain than weight loss.

Are you:

  • Sick of losing the weight and gaining it back?
  • Sick of hearing about weight loss drugs and surgeries?
  • Do you just want to be healthy and not focus as much on the scale?

Our Registered Dietitians can help! CLICK HERE to set up a FREE 15 minute discovery call and learn more about what it would look like to work together.

20+ Dinner Recipes done in 20 minutes or less!

We totally get it – some nights you just *need* a quick and easy week night dinner recipe.

Often times a healthy and balanced recipe that incorporates your protein/carb/veggie all in one recipe in just 20 minutes or less can be very hard to find!

That’s why we’ve rounded up some of our favorite recipes from the Real Life Nutrition Membership that can be made in 20 minutes or less. Click the links below and save these recipes to your recipe box!

Not a member? Sign up here for only $29/month!

Some quick meal staple items: salad kits, frozen cooked grains like brown rice and quinoa, pre-cooked frozen chicken/shrimp/burgers, cooked chicken sausage and meatballs, and organic canned low sodium beans.

Clothing Rental Services We Love

When you’re working on improving your relationship with food, body, and movement it’s important to wear clothes that you are comfortable in and fit your body now.

This enables you to focus on behaviors like fueling your body regularly, meal planning, moving in a joyful way etc and stop obsessing about the scale or losing weight. Remember – it’s the behaviors that impact your health not the number on the scale.

We recommend making a “capsule” in your closet to make the morning getting dressed process easier. Simply put the clothes that fit your body now in the front of your closet and move your other clothes to the back. This will make getting dressed less stressful and more of a positive experience! No need to throw anything out (unless you want to) just move it to the back of the closet so you’re not sifting through things that you do not feel good in right now.

If you want to expand your wardrobe with clothes that fit your body during this process – but don’t want to go out and buy a bunch of new pieces we *highly* recommend trying a clothing rental service!

Here are some of our favorites below:

Armoire

  • How it works: Rent 4 – 7 items at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like Boden, Lily Pulitizer, and BB Dakota. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $69/month+
  • Size ranges: 0 – 3X + Maternity option
  • https://www.armoire.style/ (referral link for 50% off your first month)

Gwynnie Bee

  • How it works: Rent 3 at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like Asos Curve, Jessica Simpson, and Torrid. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $49 – $199/month
  • Size ranges: 00-32
  • https://closet.gwynniebee.com/

NY & Company Closet

  • How it works: Rent 3 items at a time for 1 month all clothes are NY & Company brand. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $49/month
  • Size ranges: 0-20
  • https://www.nyandcompanycloset.com/

FTF Closet

nuuly

  • How it works: Rent 6 items at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Levi’s. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $88/month
  • Size ranges: 00-5X
  • https://www.nuuly.com/rent

LeTote

  • How it works: Rent 4 items at a time for 1 month. Choose from brands like BCBG and French Connection. Option to buy at a discounted rate.
  • Cost: $59/month
  • Size ranges: 00-18 + Maternity option
  • https://www.letote.com/

Want to learn more about improving your relationship with food and body? Click here to set up a FREE 15 minute discovery call with one of our Registered Dietitians.

5 Reasons Why You Need A Registered Dietitian On Your Eating Disorder Recovery Team

Eating disorders are complex diseases that require a multidisciplinary approach to overcome. Research shows that including physical, nutritional, psychological and psychiatric interventions, provides the best chance at a full recovery (1). A dietitian is an important part of this team and provides benefits that other disciples cannot. 

Here are 5 benefits that our clients in our eating disorder and disordered eating program get from working with a Registered Dietitian:

  1. Improved confidence in meeting your individual nutrition needs. We are here to help determine how much you should be eating and provide meal ideas so you aren’t constantly thinking about food and questioning yourself!
  2. Improved relationship with food: We help to debunk common nutrition myths and food rules and aid you in challenging these thoughts when they arrive.
  3. Medical Stability: We help to monitor your food intake, weight, vitals, and labs as well as coordinate care with your physician and therapist to ensure your safety.
  4. Support: We are there to help you through hard times and encourage you through challenges that arise with your food or body image.
  5. Prevention: We help to catch disordered eating before it turns into anything more serious and can help prevent needing higher levels of care.

What does eating disorder nutrition counseling look like?

Nutrition counseling for eating disorders involves:

  • Education on nutrients and how our body uses them
  • Your individual overall nutrition needs
  • Exercise recommendations
  • Supplement recommendations
  • Education on the harmful effects of dieting.
  • Personalized meal plans geared towards your individual needs in order to help those with eating disorders weight restore and/or heal their relationship with food

Dietitians help those with eating disorders navigate nutrition information – helping clients to learn what is true and what is false based on research. They help client’s to reframe their thoughts around food using therapeutic techniques and food exposures. They will monitor your weight and vitals throughout the process to ensure your safety. 

Our dietitians also help with accountability and support through healthie photo + feeling food logging. Clients can log their meals and feelings by taking a picture of their meal and dietitians will respond back weekly (no calorie/macro counting). This allows our dietitians to assess overall food intake, make adjustments to meal plans, and provide support in between sessions.

Lastly, dietitians stay in close contact with your treatment team and support system in order to make sure everyone is on the same page and give you the best chance at recovery. Our dietitians communicate with therapist, psychiatrists, doctors, and caregivers regularly. We even offer joint therapy/nutrition sessions and parent/caregiver sessions!

Want to learn more about how our dietitians have helped clients? Read our testimonials here

Still aren’t sure if working with a dietitian is right for you? We offer FREE 15 minute discovery calls to discuss your goals and how we can help. Sign up for a call here!

What’s the difference between a nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian specializing in eating disorders?

Education!! Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Our licensed dietitians Allison Pritchett, RD, LD and Anna Jensen, RD, LD have done extensive training in the field of dietetics and eating disorders. Their training is listed below:

Allison Pritchett, RD LD

  • Registered Dietitian with 5+ years of experience working with eating disorders, including higher levels of care
  • Licensed Dietitian in SC, NC, FL, LA, and OH
  • Clemson University – B.S. Food Science with Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration and Minor in Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude – Clemson University
  • Augusta University – ACEND accredited 1500 hour+ dietetic internship
  • Anticipated Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) 2022-2023
  • Additional trainings:
    • Food and Body Image Healers training by Marci Evans
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
  • Leadership and Awards:
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association Continuing Education Scholarship, 2022
    • Eating Recovery Center Conference Presenter, September 2022
    • Augusta District Dietetic Association Scholarship, May 2017
  • Read more about Allison here!

Anna Jensen, RD LD

  • Registered Dietitian with 2+ years of experience in clinical and eating disorder dietetics with monthly supervision
  • Clemson University – B.S. Food Science with Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration and Minor in Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude
  • BeWell Solutions – ACEND accredited 1500 hour+ dietetic internship
  • Licensed Dietitian in SC
  • Additional trainings:
    • Food and Body Image Healers training by Marci Evans
    • Motivational Interviewing
  • Leadership and Awards:
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association Young Dietitian of the Year, 2022
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association President, 2021 – 2022
    • Piedmont Dietetic Association Scholarship Recipient, 2021
  • Read more about Anna here!

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6732696/#wps20687-bib-0005

Giving Back to Our Community: Volunteering at Jasmine Road

Jasmine Road is South Carolina’s first two-year residential program for adult women survivors of human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction.

Their mission is to offer women who are trapped in a cycle of sexual exploitation and addiction a path to freedom, a haven for healing, and the opportunity to flourish, leading to generational change and the betterment of our Greenville community.

Brittany Jones Nutrition Group is thrilled to be donating our time and expertise through a 4 week series on “Gentle Nutrition” for the residents at Jasmine Road beginning in April 2022.

This series will be led by Registered Dietitian Anna Jensen, RD, LD and will cover the following topics:

  • A weight neutral approach to nutrition care
  • Rejecting the all-or-nothing mindset
  • Nutrition myth busting
  • Meal planning

As a volunteer, Anna will work alongside the Jasmine Road Staff to support the residents on their unique journey of healing, and to further their growth, and development. Our goal is to work with the residents as they move out of the cycles of addiction and sexual exploitation and to empower them to fuel, move, and accept their bodies along their journey.

We are very excited to be partnering with such an incredible organization and to give back to our Greenville community that we love so much!

Learn more about Jasmine Road and their social enterprise lunch café Jasmine Kitchen.

Quiz: Do you have a healthy relationship with food/body?

It can be hard to understand what is considered a healthy relationship with food and body when we’re living in a culture that celebrates diets. It becomes so engrained in us, and sometimes we don’t realize that our relationship has become an unhealthy one.

That’s why the dietitians at Brittany Jones Nutrition Group came up with this quiz! It by no means should be used as a diagnostic tool – it is simply a quick 2 minute check in that you can do yourself.

If you answer “yes” to 5 out of the 15 questions or more – it might be time to explore your relationship with food/body in a little bit more.


Take our quick 2 minute quiz to check in with yourself and your attitudes about food, nutrition, and body image:

Meet our newest dietitian, Anna!

We are SO excited to introduce you to our newest dietitian, Anna Jensen, RD, LD!

Anna has been working with Brittany Jones Nutrition Group clients in our nutrition counseling and eating disorder/disordered eating programs since August 2021, and our clients have really enjoyed working with her! She is a joy to work with, and we are so grateful to have her on our team.

Get to know Anna!

Q: You were an intern for Brittany in the past, what made you want to be a part of the team?

A: Nothing else felt quite right. When I interned with the team, I got to see the Brittany, Allison, and Christie build relationships with the clients, really listen to them, and create an individualized plan. I decided that is what felt right – helping individuals find food and body freedom in a world of diet culture. – rather than the traditional weight centric approach.

Q: Where did you get your Bachelors in Nutrition and complete your dietetic internship to become a Registered Dietitian?

A: I went to Clemson University and I would not change a thing! I completed my dietetic internship through Be Well Solutions Distance program. I LOVED doing a distance program, because I got to choose my own schedule – that’s how I was able to choose my “emphasis” rotation with Brittany Jones Nutrition Group!

Q: You have a clinical background in dietetics – how does that help you with your clients?

A: This has shown to be helpful in helping both nutrition counseling and eating disorder clients. In my time in the clinical setting, I learned about chronic diseases, interpreting labs, consequences of malnutrition, and the importance of preventing of malnutrition. I also learned how to work on an interdisciplinary team/communicate with other medical providers, and how to teach individuals to advocate for themselves.

Q: What kind of clients do you enjoy working with?

A: I love working with those ready to ditch dieting and take a full dive into intuitive eating! I also love when clients trust me to be completely transparent, open and honest with their past and current struggles. I use motivation interviewing in our sessions, and meet clients where they are at.

Q: What are you most excited about in this new position with Brittany Jones Nutrition Group?

A: Of course I am excited to take on more clients, but I think I am most excited to be on a team that is so supportive and personally invested in your success!

Q: What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

A: I grew up making Christmas cookies with my grandma and it brings back so many memories. Even if I do not get the chance to bake with her, I try to make the same cookies. Food is so much more than fuel- it can bring back special memories and create future ones.

Are you interested in working with Anna? Click here to set up a FREE 15 minute call today!

TD Saturday Market Peach Panzanella Salad

I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I moved to Greenville, SC! I moved here for a job with a start up company after graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina Dietetic Internship, and never looked back.

A LOT has changed in the last decade. I met my person and married him, traveled a ton, had a baby, bought a house, and held several jobs before finally starting and growing my own business!

I was honored to be asked by the TD Saturday Market to participate in their Kitchen Series as it has always been one of my favorite activities in our city!

SC peaches are my absolute favorite, and I had so much fun combining them with ripe tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, meat, cheese, and of course delicious sourdough bread! My recipe features produce from Beachwood Farms, Hyders Farm, and Great Harvest Bread.

Check out my full TD Saturday Market experience and the recipe below!

Farmers Market Peach Panzanella Salad

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • 3 Medium Ripe Peaches, sliced
  • 2 Tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 Small Red Onion, Peeled and thinly sliced
  • 4 Cups Cucumber, sliced into half moons
  • 12oz Fresh Mozzarella, cut into small pieces
  • 4 Cups Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, 1 day old & cubed
  • 6 Slices Prosciutto, sliced

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add the peaches, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, mozzarella, cubed bread, and prosciutto. Gently toss with the dressing.
  3. Arrange the salad on a large platter and top with fresh ground pepper.
  4. Enjoy!

Sheet Pan Red Potatoes, Veggies, and Sausage

I’m excited to share another EASY weeknight meal for you to try! This recipe has only 4 main ingredients and makes for great leftovers. Be sure to share your photos on social media and tag @brittanyjonesRD and @greenvilledietitians!

Sheet Pan Red Potatoes, Veggies, and Sausage

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds baby red potatoes, cut in half
  • 1/4 Cup Olive oil
  • 16oz bag broccoli florets
  • 2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 Cloves garlic, pressed
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 8 Precooked chicken sausage links of your choice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425
  2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with half of the olive oil, Italian seasoning, 1 clove garlic, and black pepper to taste.
  3. Roast the potatoes for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, add the bag of broccoli florets and chopped red bell peppers to the mixing bowl bowl and toss with the remaining olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic clove, and black pepper t taste.
  5. Add the vegetables to the sheet pan with the potatoes, and roast for 20 more minutes.
  6. While the veggies are cooking, reheat the precooked chicken sausage links according to the package
  7. Serve 1/4 of the potatoes and veggies with 2 sausages, and enjoy!

Note: this recipe is gluten free and dairy free

Thanksgiving during COVID19: how much food to make

The CDC released recommendations today to reduce the spread of COVID19 to friends and family this holiday season. The full recommendations can be seen here, and they include:

  • Celebrating virtually
  • Celebrating with members of your own household (who are consistently taking measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19)
  • Celebrating with family members or friends from a limited number of households with socially distanced place settings (2-3 households who are consistently taking measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19)
  • Hosting an outdoor event (if possible), or opening windows to increase ventilation indoors
  • Washing your hands before eating!!

For a lot of us, these new guidelines mean a significantly smaller Thanksgiving Dinner – which is hard when you’re used to cooking for a big crowd! But how much should you actually make? I’ve put together some tips to help you plan out your more intimate Thanksgiving Dinner below!

Note: if cooking a small dinner doesn’t sound appealing to you – please support our local restaurants and community! Click here to check out GVLtoday’s list of restaurants offering dine-in or carry out Thanksgiving Dinners. It’s a great way to support our local restaurants who have been hard hit by the economic impact of COVID19!

Thanksgiving Dinner for 2

  • Appetizers/Salad: 1
  • Pounds of Turkey: 3 pound bone in turkey breast
  • Carb Sides (bread/rice/potatoes/mac and cheese/stuffing): 1-2 side dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Veggie Sides (green beans, carrots, brussels sprouts etc): 1 side dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Desserts: 1 (will have leftovers)

Thanksgiving Dinner for 4

  • Appetizers/Salad: 1
  • Pounds of Turkey: 6 pound bone in turkey breast
  • Carb Sides (bread/rice/potatoes/mac and cheese/stuffing): 1-2 side dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Veggie Sides (green beans, carrots, etc): 1-2 dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Desserts: 1-2 dishes

Thanksgiving Dinner for 6

  • Appetizers/Salad: 2
  • Pounds of Turkey: 9-10 pound turkey (defrost for 2-3 days prior)
  • Carb Sides (bread/rice/potatoes/mac and cheese/stuffing): 2-3 side dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Veggie Sides (green beans, carrots, etc): 2 dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Desserts: 2 dishes

Thanksgiving Dinner for 8

  • Appetizers/Salad: 2
  • Pounds of Turkey: 12 pound turkey (defrost for 2-3 days prior)
  • Carb Sides (bread/rice/potatoes/mac and cheese/stuffing): 3 side dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Veggie Sides (green beans, carrots, etc): 3 dishes made for 4 servings (will have leftovers)
  • Desserts: 3 dishes (will have leftovers)

Looking for recipe ideas? Check out my Thanksgiving Recipe Round up here!