Advice from Registered Dietitians Who Say “No” to Diet Culture
Registered Dietitians of Palm Valley Shed Light on Common Nutrition Myths
Dietitians of Palm Valley is a private practice based in Ponte Vedra, FL with a strong goal: to empower wellness seekers to ditch fad dieting and find “food freedom.” Co-Owners and Registered Dietitians Sammy Previte and Mindy Black work with people who want to stop dieting, make peace with food and find a sustainable way to improve their health.
With two knowledgeable owners, Dietitians of Palm Valley is founded on approachable nutrition, sustainable practices and an appreciation for real life. Co-Owner Mindy Black is the Director of Performance Nutrition for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but you do not have to be a professional athlete to benefit from their fresh perspective on health and wellness. Together, Black and Previte built a flourishing online community focused on individualized healthcare and filled with wellness resources for individuals from all walks of life. Between Instagram and Tik Tok, they reach over 130k wellness seekers through their content. Be sure to follow along!
We sat down with the dynamic duo to dive into the details of individualized healthcare and seek advice from registered dietitians on how to approach a healthy lifestyle.
What does your practice focus on?
Our team of dietitians specialize In:
- Intuitive Eating / Non-Diet Approach
- Medical Nutrition Therapy related to: heart disease, diabetes, thyroid, autoimmune, digestion, and cancer.
- Sports Nutrition
- General Wellness / Preventative Care
What three things would you recommend people change about their diet to maximize their health?
We believe that all foods fit and that all foods should be enjoyed in moderation. Our practice takes a non-diet approach that goes against the grain of diet culture. We teach our clients how to ditch dieting, learn how to fuel their body, and restore their relationship with food. Three tips that we have to maximize one's health is to eat every 3-4 hours to keep our blood sugars stable, drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water, and move your consistently throughout the week in a way that feels good to you. Ultimately, honor your hunger, focus on building healthy behaviors, and move your body in a way that serves you.
What are some of the most common nutritional mistakes?
Cutting out a whole food group, whether that’s carbohydrates, proteins, or fats. Each of these macronutrients plays a vital role to our health. Your body craves them and needs them to survive.
What is one nutrition-related myth you would like to bust?
Carbohydrates are not the devil. Carbohydrates are our body's number one source of fuel. To put this into perspective your brain alone needs at least 130 grams of carbohydrate per day, which is equivalent to 520 calories. This is the minimum amount of carbohydrates needed to produce enough glucose for the brain to function.
Do you see a shift happening in the public perception of nutrition?
We would like to think so, yes! Part of our message that we strongly believe in, is to look beyond the number on the scale. What this means is to shift our focus off of our weight/weight loss and focus more on health promoting behaviors. Weight is not a behavior but drinking more water, adding more vegetables into your diet, and including some form of daily activity are all health promoting behaviors. Our private practice follows the evidence based principles of Intuitive Eating created by Evelyn Tribole and Elsye Resch. Intuitive Eating was named one of the top health and wellness “trends” going into 2020, we certainly have seen it catch fire all over social media and on different news platforms. Intuitive Eating sets out to help people who are fed up with diets, reclaim joy in their life and around food. This is what we work on with our clients! If this was your first time hearing about Intuitive Eating and it planted a seed of curiosity for you Click here to download our free find food freedom guide and to start your journey towards food freedom!
What lifestyles do you think a healthy snack subscription like SmartBox would benefit the most?
SmartBox is a perfect subscription for those individuals who lack time to shop during the week and those that follow very busy schedules. Whether it is due to a crazy work schedule, juggling your kids schedule, traveling a lot, or trying to juggle all of these. SmartBox offers a variety and multitude of snacks that can easily last you a couple of weeks, or more.
What is your favorite healthy snack?
We love snacks and so many of them at that! We collectively have a love for peanut butter, we even ask our podcast guests on The Drunk Dietitians Podcast whether they prefer crunchy or smooth as an intro question. Click here to check it out, we recommend starting with episode one to set the foundation for the rest of our episodes!
What’s your take on refined sugars and the different types of sugar they have on ingredient labels?
Your body needs sugar. Refined sugar or natural sugar, it doesn’t matter. Sugar is another form of carbohydrate, and carbohydrates are your bodies #1 fuel source.
Which of the food nutrient contents listed on a nutrition facts label are most important to look at when choosing a healthy snack option?
The short answer is all of them! Don’t let words you can’t pronounce scare you, that doesn’t mean that are bad for you. Snacking pro-tip: make sure your snack has a good source of carbohydrates and protein. Protein helps keep us fuller for longer and carbohydrates help us stay fueled! But most importantly choose a snack that you love and one that keeps you fueled throughout the day.
Fuel Your Body
