Testimonials

Talena has undergone a nutritional transformation, learning about her daily nutritional needs while searching for a lifestyle of healthy eating that fits her extraordinary weight loss goals. She has discovered the meaning behind her eating habits, and the benefits of medical nutrition therapy, as she adjusts to eating healthfully inside and outside her house.

"Lauren's encouragement from the first visit was a factor that kept me coming back to her. Her practical approach has been very helpful, and it is a lot of fun to work with her. I can actually keep foods in my house now that I eat only occasionally… something I could not do before.

After a huge weight loss (200#), I hit a plateau, and was having a weight fluctuation problem…15-20 # I really wanted to keep off. I have since lost 35 more pounds with Lauren's help and am moving closer to reaching my long term goal. She took what I was already doing on my own and helped me adjust my food plan to fit my daily needs and continued weight loss goals.

I never met a nutritionist like Lauren before-and I have seen several in my life. Through my counseling with Lauren, I have developed a discipline and an ability to resist the temptation to binge. She has helped me to put things in a more balanced perspective. Now I have a more balanced nutrition based food plan that really works. I am not alone in this, and Lauren is ever encouraging."

-Talena Mara

J.S. wanted to lose weight while training properly for her first marathon. She realized that fueling her marathon training, while achieving her desired weight loss, required a delicate nutritional balance, and was unhappy with her experience with nutritionists in the past.

"My biggest goal was to lose weight while training appropriately for my first marathon. I've gone to other nutritionists in the past, but Lauren is different. She can relate to me and she understands my needs. I hadn't met a nutritionist before that had run multiple marathons, done triathlons, and was as in tune to the needs of an athlete until I met Lauren. She was really approachable and knowledgeable about athletics, health and nutrition.

Nutrition has been a huge part of my training. I feel very safe because I know I am doing everything right. Lauren helped me shape everything and create a whole picture for my nutrition and athletic needs. I couldn't have done it without her.

She is easy to talk to…even about tough issues, like weight. We have fun, we laugh during our sessions. Lauren's positivity at each session fuels me to be positive.

I would refer her to others in a heartbeat.

I have no plans of stopping my nutrition counseling. The future will bring more races, weight maintenance, and continued healthy eating plans, and I plan to work with Lauren after my marathon to continue balancing my nutrition needs and workouts."

- J.S.

Tony is an athlete who played soccer on a competitive level in college and then in Portugal and the Czech Republic, and is now working on his transition to triathlete. He was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol, and has sought nutritional counseling for both reasons. Since beginning his work with Lauren, Tony has decreased his total cholesterol 25 points, decreased his LDL cholesterol 20 points and successfully completed his first ½ Ironman triathlon and full marathon.

"I didn't pay much attention to nutrition at all in the past. Recently, when my Dr. told me I had high cholesterol, I started to pay more attention to nutrition and what I am putting into my body. Lauren has taught me to roll up my sleeves and get a better grasp of my cholesterol. I have been changing my eating habits, consuming less cheese and beef and more soy, fish and almonds. Working with Lauren is my time to step back and reflect on what I am doing to improve my eating.

I also chose Lauren because she has a sports (nutrition) background and is an ironman triathlete. I needed advice on my cholesterol...and sports nutrition, so it was a way of killing two birds with one stone.

She was a lifesaver for me for my 1st Half Ironman this past July, and for my 1st Marathon (New York City 2004). Nutrition was a big part of the race for me. It was one of my biggest worries. Lauren took me step by step through what I needed (nutritionally) for each part of the race. She even calculated specific numbers-such as how many calories I need per hour, how much water I would lose and what I would need to replenish (during training and racing). The whole plan gave me a high level of security, knowing that my nutrition plan was right on target.

Nutrition is something that many triathletes don't think enough about. By planning ahead with Lauren, my nutrition plan helped me achieve a successful finish. I am paying a lot more attention to what I am putting into my body now. I am eating healthier now, which is a good feeling."

-Tony Claudino

Shannon needed help working through ongoing and debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms, while making the shift from fueling her life as a professional athlete to creating a sound nutritional plan for her everyday life. She used her nutritional assessment and counseling to create not only a physically healthy lifestyle, but also a mentally strong mindset for the future.

"When I first started with Lauren I had horrendous stomach problems and was undergoing invasive tests for stomach diseases, pain and diarrhea. I was losing weight when I wanted to gain, and needed compassion and understanding-which I got from Lauren.

It was the toughest thing I've ever gone through. Because we eat all day, every day, stomach and digestive problems affected me all day every day. I was so confused before I started my sessions. I used to be afraid to eat. Lauren was really thorough about telling me exactly what I could eat every day. We went through every spice and food, and I found that I really needed the nutrition education. It is nice to have freedom in what I eat again…I can go out to dinner again now. She was a really good support system for me, both on the phone and during sessions… she even told me I could call her with questions when we finished our sessions.

Through working with Lauren, I gained a whole new outlook on eating. I finally achieved elimination of my pain and chronic stomach problems. Now I feel good and eat healthfully. I don't think I could have gotten through it without her.

I was willing to pay out of pocket to continue my nutritional counseling (after my health insurance ended), to keep my treatment consistent. I was no longer confused and on my own to solve my (stomach/gastrointestinal) problems. Lauren gave me the whole picture that I really needed, and even helped me incorporate workouts with food and lifestyle changes.

Any person with a stomach problem would benefit greatly from seeing a nutritionist like Lauren. I recommend my friends to Lauren. They all call me for advice now and I tell them that Lauren can help them set up a realistic diet and functional meal plan just for each of them."

- Shannon Dinota