Advice, tips, and general information about nutrition from Danielle Sobieski, MS, RDN, CDN
The weather is warming up, the sun is setting later and later, and winter, one of the biggest barriers to moving our bodies, is behind us. If you're living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), exercise isn't just about fitness or weight. It's one of the most effective tools you have to manage the condition itself.
So let's talk about it. Not in a guilt-tripping way, but in a practical, honest way.
Read MoreYou just got your lab results back and your triglycerides are flagged high. Before you panic, let's walk through the questions I think about as a dietitian when I see elevated triglycerides, and what you can actually do about it, including diet and lifestyle changes can are not only beneficial — they’re actually doable!
Read MoreNutrition is not only about what you eat, nourish, and fuel your body throughout the day. I’m probably not the first person to bring up how always eating on the go and rushing meals can affect your digestion and lead to decision fatigue. You can consistently create an eating environment at home and at work that sets you up for nutrition success and helps cut back on any decision fatigue you might have when choosing your meals. Here are some things you can decide in order to create a useful eating environment that works for you.
Read MoreOnce you’re further down your nutrition care path, you might be feeling something a lot of other patients struggle with once they’ve started figuring out routines and what they need in their diet: frustration. A lot of patients worry about how they’re making “progress.” But progress isn’t just a number on a scale or a lab chart. As a nutritionist, I also look for other markers that show me how a patient is progressing beyond their lab work results.
Read MoreNot only is winter a time when we want to eat comforting, warm meals on any given day, but the added pressure of holiday treats and rich foods becomes a veritable minefield. You should feel joy during the holidays, not added stress because you think you’re not eating “the right way.” You can still get your daily nutrients and allow yourself the freedom to actually enjoy a treat without the guilt. Here is what I recommend if you’re navigating this tricky part of the year.
Read MoreWhen most people think about nutrition, they focus on food choices — but sleep plays an equally important role in supporting health. Poor sleep can disrupt key systems in the body that directly influence how we eat, metabolize, and feel. Here’s why sleep is so important for nutrition.
Read MoreToo often, I meet patients who are overwhelmed, confused, or even frightened—not because of their condition, but because of how it was communicated. Maybe they had labs drawn and were given alarming interpretations. Or they received well-meaning advice that strayed far beyond the provider’s scope. The result? Misinformation, stress, and a burden that shouldn't be yours to carry.
Read MoreHere’s one big benefit to working with a nutritionist instead of trying to follow trends and fad diets: I always use lab testing to see where you’re not getting enough nutrients and get a more holistic view of what your body might need. This is essential to figuring out what works for you instead of assuming that trendy diet is right for everybody.
Read MoreMy blog last week was about books I’m currently reading and would easily recommend to patients as well. But then I realized, I have way more! There is a wealth of knowledge out there and these books offer people so much insight into whats going on in their brains and bodies. If you’re looking to expand your own knowledge, here’s what I’d start with.
Read MoreIf there is one thing I never recommend when you’re experiencing some health issues is to Google your symptoms. Getting advice from a trusted healthcare provider isn’t always easy, but it is one way to cut through all the noise and misinformation you can find on the internet. That said, there are a few good books out there that I, as al dietitian and nutritionist can at least say have science to back up their claims.
Read MoreA lot of patients will mark off hair loss as one of their nutrition impact symptoms, so I am constantly worried about why. What is happening in their bodies to cause hair loss, and how can I help them address it? But before you jump to just taking biotin to try to reduce hair loss, there are a few things I suggest patients address first.
Read MoreHigh cholesterol may not always be on your mind unless you’re predisposed to it. For some, being told they have high cholesterol can come as a shock, especially if they’re already trying to be mindful of their diet and avoiding saturated fats. How often have you been told to eat less red meat if your cholesterol is high, but you don’t eat red meat or not much of it? Saturated fat is NOT the only thing to think about when it comes to cholesterol.
Read More“The shot” is something on everyone’s minds thanks to our society’s (and by extension, the medical profession’s) obsession with weight and profiting off people’s insecurities. What was once a treatment for some has become seemingly ubiquitous, at least in perception, based on ads I see daily. Practically everyone knows someone using a GLP1. Here are my thoughts about these medications…
Read MoreThe advice around supplements is divisive –– to say the least. There are people and providers that effing love using supplements! There is also, of course, another camp of people and providers that think no one EVER needs supplements, no matter what, and that people should always be getting their nutrients from food alone. Well, the answer is actually somewhere in the middle and here’s why.
Read MoreMeal planning, cooking balanced meals, and getting all the nutrients we need is hard work, and some people don’t always have the means or time to do it. That’s why I think mail-order meal kits can be truly beneficial for a lot of people –– and your reason for using them is entirely up to you! There are lots of reasons to try them.
Read MoreAs a dietitian, I see one big myth that’s often pushed by influencers that I have to debunk for my patients. This myth is the basis of many fads and unsustainable diet trends –– usually in the name of weight loss, which (as I have written before) is a contentious issue because the number on the scale is never a good indicator of your physical health. This big myth: Carbs are the enemy.
I’m here to tell you that is simply not true.
Read MoreWhen we get cravings, I think it’s important to get curious and ask why and treat it more like a symptom of something that’s not working for you rather than as a “problem” to “solve.” Because the answer is not always simple and what works for one patient may not work for another.
Read MoreCooking for one has never been easy, but there are ways to make it work for you if you have limited space or aren’t crazy about monotonous meals that you have the reheat over and over again. If you’re a single person who is dealing with back-to-back meetings, multiple jobs, or you’re just too tired to cook, here are a few tips that I give to patients who have the same struggle.
Read MoreThere are two words that many people talk about when talking about nutrition and diet: goal weight. Whatever your reasons for wanting to lose weight, it’s a contentious topic that comes up in my practice and a lot of it centers around a certain number –– which usually causes more problems than anything else.
I’m here to tell you that a certain number is not an accurate measure of health.
Read MoreWanting to lose weight at the beginning of the year may inherently seem reasonable. However, it can be complicated. If you are one to make resolutions, especially this one, I encourage you to dig a bit deeper and do some more back-end thinking. You’ll be surprised that asking yourself these questions will change your mindset for 2025.
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