A Helping of Health

Fridays are a great time to plan out your meal plan for the next week! 🗓

Here are 5 quick tips to make your meal prep a breeze:

1. Plan out your meals for the week

2. Create your grocery list based on your meal plan

3. Try not to buy more than you need to prevent waste

4. Schedule 1-2 hours per week to prep your meals

5. Evaluate what meals and prepping methods work best for you

Keep in mind these are very basic tips to get you started with meal prepping. If you want a more detailed guide to meal prep, check out my meal prep blog or grab if you prefer a step-by-step guide, check-out my full Meal Prep Made Easy course! Simply follow the link below.

Happy prepping! 😊

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/mealprepmadeeasy

5 of worst things about dieting:

1. Most diets are overly restrictive and cut out certain foods and/or food groups. This not only takes the joy out of eating, but it will likely lead to cravings for those particular foods and food groups, leading to binging on them later.

2. Diets teach you to ignore your hunger and fullness cues. They teach you that you can’t trust your body or what it’s trying to tell you by providing you with strict rules of what, how much, and when you can eat.

3. Diets completely ignore the needs of our individual bodies. Nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all type of thing. Someone who has multiple health conditions is not going to require the same type and amount of food as someone who is a college athlete without any known health conditions. Even between two individuals who seem relatively similar, there are going to be countless differences in nutrition requirements, how their bodies digest certain foods, and their energy levels, moods, sleep, etc. after consuming certain foods or amounts of food. Most diets provide you with a blanket meal plan that likely isn’t suited to your nutrition needs at all.

4. Diets can completely destroy your relationship with food and your body. The restriction that comes with dieting as well as the mental state that dieting often puts you in can lead you to feel completely out of control and obsessive around food. These feelings can turn into full-blown eating disorders quicker than one might expect and can cause extreme mental and physical health complications down the line.

5. Dieting has actually been associated with weight gain, not weight loss. Yep, you read that correctly. So while you’re seeking better health and a lower weight, that diet that you’re on will likely have the opposite effect in the long run.

Want to learn how to break free from dieting forever? Follow the link below!

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/weight-management-makeover

It’s crazy to look back even 5 years ago and see how much my relationship with food and my body has changed. I remember how much I used to obsess over food and never eat over 1000 calories. I would stick myself on the treadmill for hours just to “work off” my meals each day. Secretly body checking myself every time after I would eat something was my jam and I completely attached my self worth to how thin I was, how little I could eat, and how much I could exercise. I remember the overwhelming exhaustion of feeling like I was never good enough, pretty enough, or thin enough.

Fast forward to today, where I no longer attach my self worth to how I look or how little I can eat because I know I am so much more than that. I exercise because it relieves stress and keeps me strong, not because it burns calories. I haven’t counted a calorie in years and have no intention of ever doing so again. I eat satisfying, delicious meals when I’m hungry and no longer hold rules around food.

Standing here now, I wish I could jump back in time and tell my younger self what I knew now. Tell her that there is so much more to life than trying to fit into a certain jean size or eating as little as possible. Even though I can’t do that, I’m now able to use that experience and what I learned throughout healing from it, to help others who are going through the exact same thing. Healing from diet culture is a life-long journey, and not an easy one. If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck today, know that I see you and I’m here for you. You are so much more than diet culture tells you you are.

Weight Management Makeover is finally here!! 🎉
well_rdn and I are so excited to release our second online program together - and this one’s bigger and better than ever!

If you’re tired of constantly dieting, over exercising, and lacking confidence in your own skin, this program is for you!

Weight Management Makeover is a body positive, non-diet approach to finding and maintaining the healthiest version of you. As Registered Dietitians who have also struggled with body image, exercise addiction and dieting, we know your struggles first hand, which is exactly why we created this course! We want to help YOU break free from yo-yo dieting, self-loathing, and diet culture and heal your relationship with food, exercise, and your body. ❤️

For more information on Weight Management Makeover or to sign up, follow the link below! If you sign up within the next 24 hours you get a hugeee discount, so don’t wait!

I can’t wait to see you there! 😊

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/weight-management-makeover

The time of news years resolutions, diets, and exercise programs is almost upon us. The feeling of needing to better yourself in some way, whether that be by losing weight, eating “healthier,” exercising more, or a combination of all the above, can feel overwhelming and tempting this time of year.

But what if I told you that you could kickstart 2023 without the restriction, over exercising, and negative body image that comes along with the next best diet program? What if I told you that you could acquire the tools, knowledge, and support you need in order to improve your health and manage your weight in a way that’s respectful and kind to your body and mind?

Sounds impossible, I know - but it’s not!

Bea Well Dietitian and I have created a life-changing new program that does exactly this! No more crazy diets, negative body image, over exercising, or feeling frustrated and helpless. Weight Management Makeover completely flips the script on what you’ve been taught about managing your weight and provides you with every thing you need to finally stop the war with your body. We even decided to offer an amazing group coaching option if you want to connect on a deeper level, find a community of like-minded people, and feel even more supported!

Providing the guidance and resources necessary to easily and effectively manage your weight while also improving both your mental and physical health has been a passion of mine since the beginning of my journey as a Registered Dietitian!

I can honestly say this approach to food, exercise, and my body is what freed me from the endless cycle of dieting and finally allowed me to effortlessly find and maintain the healthiest version of myself. It is my most sincere hope that I can help even one person break free from toxic diet culture and find peace and freedom within their body and mind.

If this sounds like the type of support and program you need in your life, comment “me!” below, shoot me a dm, or follow the link below for more info or to sign up!

Thank you so much for being here ❤️

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/weight-management-makeover

My new course and group coaching program with Bea Well Dietitian, Weight Management Makeover is on sale for up to $100 off!!

I am so, so excited about this program and can’t wait for you to get your hands on it!

Follow the link below to sign up or for more info!

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/weight-management-makeover

With Amazon Prime Early Access going on, I figured I would make a blog post on some of the best and most helpful kitchen tools being offered at a discount today!

I hope this gives a few of you ideas for time saving kitchen items or even Christmas ideas for the avid chef/baker in your life! :)

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/blog/life-changing-kitchen-tools-and-gadgets

10 Life Changing Kitchen Tools and Gadgets on Sale During Amazon Prime Days — A Helping of Health - Nutrition Coaching and Urban Gardening 10 Kitchen tools and gadgets that will save you time and money during meal prep. All tools are on sale during the Amazon Prime Days.

✨Meal Prep Made Easy✨

The online course that helps save you time, money, and stress by providing you with a step-by-step guide on how to meal prep!

This course isn’t just a meal plan (although it does have a full 7-day meal plan in it!), it actually teaches you HOW to plan, prep, and plate meals easily and effectively so you don’t need to rely on a pre-made meal plan each week!

This course is a total game-changer for anyone who leads a busy life, is trying to feed nourishing and nutrient-rich meals to themselves and their family, who are sick of wasting money at the grocery store, who want to stop wasting so much food, and who want to decrease stress around figuring out what to make for dinner.

Join Bea Well Dietitian and I as we help guide you to providing easy, delicious, and nutritious meals for you and your family while saving time and money!

Meal Prep Made Easy launches on Monday, August 22nd, just in time for back-to-school! Follow the link below to learn more and sign up to receive early access to the course as well as a 25% discount! 😍

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/blog/meal-prep-made-easy

A non-restrictive brunch, Vegas Style 🎲🎰🥂

Started out with a smoothie bowl, ended with a piña colada by the pool 🍹

It’s so freeing being able to enjoy a new place with amazing people without worrying about what I’ll be eating or drinking.

After a late night the night before my body was telling me I needed something with a bit more nutrition (the smoothie bowl). However, my soul was telling me I needed to celebrate my amazing sister-in-law/bride-to-be (hence the drink)! 🎉

You can have both without feeling left out, out of control, or like you have to worry about every bite or sip that goes into your mouth.

The reality is…

Getting to this place can take time. And work. And patience. And even more time, work, and patience.

But I’ve found that putting in the work is SO worth it. Being able to be present for my sister-in-law’s bachelorette weekend was SO worth it. Learning to listen to your body is SO worth it. ❤️

Along the way, I’ve found that having a solid support system and people I can go to when I get frustrated or down has been the key to healing my relationship with food. It makes my heart incredibly happy when I’m able to become this person for my clients (and even family and friends)!

If you’re looking to experience this kind of freedom around food, I highly encourage you reach out to someone you trust to be there for you along the way.

If you’re not sure where to start or simply want the additional support of someone who has been in your shoes, dm me! I would love to be that person for you! 😊

Do you dread the nightly question “what’s for dinner?” or pack the kids’ lunch boxes with the same pb&j every day? Are you at a loss when it comes to making satisfying and nourishing meals for your family and become so overwhelmed that you order take-out instead? Do you hate wasting money on food items that you aren’t quite sure what to do with and get upset when you find them moldy and rotting in the back of your fridge, completely untouched?

Do you want a simple, easy and enjoyable solution to making delicious and healthy meals for you and your family while reducing time in the kitchen, decision-fatigue, and grocery expenses?

If this sounds like you, our Meal Prep Made Easy course will help you solve all of these problems and more!

For more information about Meal Prep Made Easy or to sign up for early access (and to receive a limited-time discount!) follow the link below!

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/blog/meal-prep-made-easy

Bea Well Dietitian

Do you or someone you care about suffer from migraines? Are you curious about how your nutrition could be affecting your migraines and how you could begin to ease your migraines through the food you eat?

If so, this workshop is for you!

Join Bea Well Dietitian and I, two Registered Dietitian Nutritionists as we guide you through potential food triggers, migraine-friendly foods, and how to manage migraines with the foods you eat.

With this workshop you will also receive a FREE copy of our Migraine Solutions Mini Recipe Book, packed full of migraine-friendly recipes that are delicious, easy, and take the guess-work out of eating with migraines.

If you’re just looking for recipes, the Migraine Solutions Mini Recipe Book is also available separately! 😊

To grab your copy of the Nutrition for Migraine Solutions Workshop, follow the link below!

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/workshops/p/nutrition-for-migraine-solutions-workshop

It’s the most wonderful time of year again - strawberry season! 🍓

Not only are these small, red berries absolutely delicious, they hold a load of health benefits, too!

To highlight how amazing these little berries really are (and to satisfy my inner dietitian), I decided to make a nice, nerdy list of the health benefits of strawberries for you!

To find out what strawberries can do for you and your body, follow the link below and read my new blog post! 😊

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/blog/the-actual-health-benefits-of-strawberries

Happy strawberry season! 🍓

Don’t miss your chance to get both the Managing the Food Police and the brand new Heart Health workshops for 20% off now through June 5th! 🎉

If you want comprehensive and helpful guides packed full of information on how to manage and deal with the food police or how to implement heart healthy nutrition, these workshops are for you!

Follow the link below to grab yours before the sale ends! 😊

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/workshops/nutrition

Bea Well Dietitian

A lot of you have been asking what you can eat to support your mental health so I thought I would give you a few quick ideas!

Before you go crazy thinking that eating these foods will cure your anxiety or depression, I want to let you know that food alone likely won’t get rid of these issues.

There are many factors that influence anxiety and depression and if you’re struggling I would always recommend you visiting your doctor. 👩🏼‍⚕️

BUT you can use gentle nutrition to support your mental health and give your body a helpful push in the right direction.

I hope this gives you a few ideas and if you’re struggling, I feel you! The world is a crazy, stressful, and overwhelming place and there’s no shame in reaching out and asking for help! ❤️

A fun new recipe for my Wild Violet Jelly is officially up on the blog! 🌸

You can find it here: https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/blog/wild-violet-jelly-recipe

Are you in need of a quick yet delicious dinner? You’re in luck! 🍝

The recipe for this lovely Mediterranean Pasta is now up on the blog and ready for you to dig into! 😍

I’m telling you, do yourself a favor and make this. You will not regret it! 🤤

Follow the link below to head straight to the recipe!

I hope everyone’s having a great Thursday! ❤️

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/blog/mediterranean-pasta

Mediterranean Pasta — A Helping of Health - Nutrition Coaching and Urban Gardening Quick and easy Mediterranean Pasta recipe with whole wheat pasta, olive oil, feta, sundried tomatoes, basil, and white beans.

Who has started seeds or is planning on starting seeds within the next few weeks?! 🌱

If this is your first time starting seeds or you simply need a refresher before getting started, head over to the blog for a brand new post with step-by-step instructions on how to get started. Follow the link below to check it out. 😊

Let me know if this will be your first year gardening or if you’re a seasoned gardener! 👩🏼‍🌾

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/blog/seed-starting-101

Seed Starting Indoors — A Helping of Health Learn how to start seeds indoors for your 2022 garden! This is a straight forward and easy to follow step-by-step guide to help you start seeds indoors and get a head start on your garden.

Happy National Nutrition Month! 🎉

The theme of 2022’s NNM is “celebrate a world of flavors” and what better way to do that than to learn to make a dish from one of the most delicious and talked about cuisines in the world? 🌍

During March’s workshop we’ll do exactly that as well as talk through how to use pieces from the Mediterranean lifestyle in a fun way without making it into a diet or using it to form food rules (you had to know that I wasn’t going to just promote the Mediterranean diet, right? 😅)

It’s enjoyable and helpful to be able to incorporate gentle nutrition into your eating habits (when you’re fully ready) and to take bits and pieces from other cultures and cuisines 🥙 but always remember that just because a certain way of eating has been shown to have multiple health benefits doesn’t mean that you should only eat those foods or use it as a diet!

The Mediterranean diet may be deemed “the healthiest diet in the world” but what’s truly the healthiest diet is the one that allows you to fully trust and listen to your body without feeling restricted or following food rules. ✨

Bea Well Dietitian and I are super excited to chat about this thought process with you and teach you all how to make a fun and delicious Mediterranean dish! 🫒🍅

Be sure to follow the link below to join us live on March 31st! We can’t wait to see you there!

ahelpingofhealth.com/nutrition-services

Another exciting workshop is coming your way! ❤️

Join Bea Well Dietitian and I as we guide you in making heart healthy nutrition choices and combating emotional eating!

This workshop is for you if you:

1. want to make nutrition choices that support heart health but aren’t sure where to start

2. are seasoned in heart healthy nutrition but could use a little refresh

3. want to use gentle nutrition to honor your health and support a healthy heart

4. struggle with emotional eating and aren’t sure where to go from here

5. have someone you care about who struggles with emotional eating and want to learn how to better support them

We look forward to another fun night full of great tools, tips, and tricks to help you increase your knowledge of heart healthy nutrition and kick emotional eating to the curb! 😊

If you can’t make it to the live workshop, no worries, a recording will be available shortly after for you to snag and enjoy on your own time!

To sign up, follow the link below!

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/nutrition-services

A few years ago I would have used Valentine’s Day as an excuse to binge on all the chocolate, cookies, and candy hearts I could find until I was physically sick. 🤢

As a chronic dieter a holiday like Valentine’s Day meant a “cheat day” and I was determined to eat as much of the foods I had deemed “off limits” as possible. I wasn’t excited to spend quality time with a significant other or show myself a little bit of extra self-love, all of my focus was on food. Just food.

Flash forward to today and I find myself happily making these cute heart sugar cookies to fully enjoy with my husband, but without the need or want to gorge myself on every last one of them. Once I found intuitive eating and gave myself full permission to eat all foods whenever I wanted (including these cookies 🍪) I found that the novelty soon wore off. I no longer needed to eat cookies until I was sick knowing that my diet wouldn’t permit me to have them the next day.

Instead, I find myself eating a couple of cookies and leaving the rest for later, knowing that I can have more tomorrow if I’m craving them. I go through the day thoroughly enjoying quality time with my husband, enjoying the foods we love, and going to bed with a satisfied and happy tummy. 💕

If you’ve been stuck in this mindset around food I encourage you to try out a different approach this year. Instead of telling yourself you can’t have any chocolate or candy or whatever it may be after Valentine’s Day, give yourself permission to have it tomorrow. See if this simple change helps the way you view food today. ❤️

If you find yourself needing support or guidance and are ready to live a life free of food and diet obsession, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am always here for you! ❣️

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! 💝

It’s hereeee! 🎉

I’m so excited to announce that the Managing the Food Police Workshop that Bea Well Dietitian and I put on is available on my website! 🤩 If you weren’t able to make it to the live workshop, now’s your chance to get ahold of all of the information you missed out on!

This workshop includes:

🎥 A video recording of a live workshop hosted by two registered dietitians where you will learn easy and effective exercises, tips, and tricks to manage the food police.

❓A Q&A at the end of the live workshop that includes valuable information on managing situations with friends and family, finding food freedom without feeling out of control, and introducing gentle nutrition during the intuitive eating process.

📝 A reframe exercise worksheet to help put what you’ve learned into practice.

Ready to change your relationship with food and your body? Follow the link below to grab your copy of the Managing the Food Police Workshop! 🥰

https://www.ahelpingofhealth.com/workshops/p/managing-the-food-police-workshop

Managing the Food Police Workshop — A Helping of Health Many of us struggle with destructive thoughts and beliefs when it comes to nutrition and body image. I know because I’ve been there! We’ve had these beliefs ingrained into us through years of being exposed to diet culture and median and may have even been taught to diet or pick apart our bodies ...

Welcome!
I'm Aubrey and I am the owner and Registered Dietitian here at A Helping of Health! I'm passionate about helping individuals live a healthy, holistic lifestyle that is both enjoyable and maintainable. I believe in the power of providing our bodies with the most nutrient-dense and sustainable food possible through urban homesteading and intuitive eating practices and I love helping others do exactly that!
My main goal is to connect nutrition and overall well-being with sustainable living. As an RD I specialize in intuitive eating and am passionate about helping others break away from toxic diet culture. You will be sure to find plenty of nutritious and delicious recipes, wellness tips and tricks, and research-based nutrition information here as well as on the blog. I am excited to offer specialized 1:1 nutrition coaching services to those looking to improve their relationship with food, create healthy habits, and improve the health of their families.
I believe that going back to the basics of working with our hands, listening to our bodies’ signals, nourishing our minds and bodies with whole, home-grown ingredients, and doing our part to take care of the earth is the key to living a happy and healthy life.
Thanks so much for being here!