In their own words.

How we worked together

Ryan came to me as a 23-year-old US college baseball athlete looking to increase his weight and lean muscle mass while supporting a demanding schedule of throwing, strength training and conditioning.

Rather than simply increasing calories or protein, we built a personalised sports nutrition strategy around his training. His intake was periodised so that harder training days received more energy and carbohydrates, while high-quality protein was distributed throughout the day to support muscle growth and recovery. We also worked on improving his overall diet quality, moving away from a reliance on highly processed foods towards balanced, substantial meals that were still realistic, enjoyable and easy to fit around college and training.

Within four months, Ryan reached his target weight of approximately 210 lb, while seeing muscle growth in the areas he wanted to develop and becoming leaner in the areas he wanted to reduce. Just as importantly, he reported having more energy to train and feeling healthier and better overall.

As his body composition and training schedule evolved, so did his nutrition. We moved from an active muscle-gain phase into a maintenance and performance-focused plan, adapting his calories and carbohydrates to his new workload while keeping protein high, increasing meal volume to manage hunger, and continuing to support further muscle development.

How we worked together

Following the discovery of several significantly narrowed arteries and subsequent surgical treatment, Enrico wanted to understand what he could do nutritionally to better support his cardiovascular health and healthy ageing.

We started by reviewing his recent blood work alongside his usual diet, identifying areas where small but meaningful changes could improve the overall nutritional quality of the way he was eating.

Using the principles of the DASH dietary pattern, we developed a personalised plan adapted to Enrico’s tastes, lifestyle and nutritional needs. Rather than introducing a completely unfamiliar way of eating, we focused on practical changes he could sustain: more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes; healthier sources of fats and protein; and greater awareness of saturated fat, sodium and highly processed foods.

The objective wasn’t simply to give Enrico a list of foods he could and couldn’t eat. It was to help him understand why certain choices mattered and give him the knowledge and confidence to make heart-healthy decisions independently.

Since making the changes, Enrico has lost some weight, feels more energetic and, most importantly, feels confident that his everyday nutrition is supporting his health.

How we worked together

Maria Vittoria came to me after realising that her weight had gradually increased and that she had lost sight of some of the everyday habits that previously supported her health. She was also experiencing frequent abdominal bloating and wanted to feel more comfortable in her body.

Importantly, she found the idea of “going on a diet” daunting. She had limited knowledge of nutrition fundamentals and worried that improving her diet would mean calorie counting, weighing everything she ate and giving up the foods she enjoyed. So we took a very different approach.

We started by reviewing her existing diet and lifestyle and focused on small, realistic changes rather than restriction. Instead of counting calories or constantly weighing food, I taught her a simple hand-portion technique that allows her to build appropriately portioned, balanced meals wherever she is.

We worked on introducing a proper breakfast, building complete meals around quality carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and vegetables, improving hydration and increasing everyday movement. We also kept foods she genuinely enjoys within the plan, so healthier eating could become part of her lifestyle rather than something she needed to endure temporarily.

Education has been a particularly important part of our work. Rather than simply telling Maria Vittoria what to eat, we have worked on the fundamentals of nutrition so she can understand how to build a balanced meal, recognise appropriate portions and make confident choices for herself, including when eating away from home.

We have also introduced a simple bloating diary to help identify potential patterns between her food choices and digestive symptoms, rather than unnecessarily eliminating foods from her diet.

How we worked together

Following a recent diagnosis of spondyloarthritis, Tyler was also experiencing recurrent acute gout attacks which his medical team identified as being connected to his inflammatory condition. He wanted to understand how nutrition could complement his medical treatment, help reduce dietary triggers for gout and better support his long-term health.

Tyler was already eating a relatively healthy diet, so our work wasn’t about starting again. Instead, we focused on making his existing habits more targeted to his needs.

We identified foods and dietary patterns that could contribute to gout attacks and worked on practical alternatives, while increasing foods rich in nutrients associated with a healthy, anti-inflammatory dietary pattern. We also began gradually shifting his diet towards a predominantly plant-based way of eating, with greater emphasis on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and other nutrient-dense whole foods.

Importantly, the objective wasn’t to create a long list of restrictions. It was to give Tyler a clear understanding of what he could eat, what was worth limiting and how to build meals that supported his overall health while remaining enjoyable and realistic.

Within the first month, Tyler reported a slight improvement in his overall pain and a noticeable reduction in the recurrence of his gout attacks. While nutrition forms only one part of managing his condition alongside his medical treatment, these were encouraging early changes.

Most importantly, Tyler now feels much more confident about his food choices. Rather than wondering whether what he eats could be working against his health, he feels reassured that he understands how to nourish himself in a way that supports his condition and his wider long-term wellbeing.