Reflections from practice on eating disorders, nutrition, mood, psychopharmacology, and FDA-approved hormone therapy. 114 posts, 2014–2025.
A Historic Week for Women’s Health and NP’s This week is already monumental for two reasons close to my heart. First, it’s National Nurse Practitioner Week (November 9-15), celebrating NPs as “Trusted…
Read →About six months ago, while pursuing ongoing research into how I could help patients even further with hormone therapy, I learned about a short, non-hormonal procedure with very little downtime. This procedure…
Read →Healthcare is more than my profession—it’s a calling. For me, helping people isn’t just what I do; it’s who I am. My thirty-year journey in healthcare has been driven by an unwavering…
Read →In the fall of 2019 I had the great opportunity to meet Johanna Kandel, founder of The National Alliance for Eating Disorders when we were invited to speak at the same conference. Johanna graciously joined…
Read →After about 40 years, I got up on water skis on a first try this summer. This was a big deal for me not just because of my age (52!) yet because…
Read →Does a consultant with lived experience to learn and understand levels of care and the varying types of programs available for eating disorder treatment exist? What kind of healing is available for…
Read →Earlier this year I posted on National Registered Dietitian (RDN) Day suggesting what I would have shared with my younger RDN self as I celebrate 30 years as a registered dietitian nutritionist…
Read →‘You can have it all and not all at once.’ Have you heard this phrase before? I first heard it when I was 32 years old, newly divorced and a single parent…
Read →There was a little girlWho had a little curlRight in the middle of her foreheadWhen she was goodShe was very, very goodAnd when she was bad, she was horrid The above nursery…
Read →I have a love hate relationship with social media. Often I find it too stimulating and full of comparisons. Most of the time, it makes me miss my communities rather than feel…
Read →K and I met in 2016 as a referral from their therapist after a mild unplanned weight loss. In our years of working together, through different adjunctive levels of care, K has…
Read →A conversation happened at my daughter’s summer camp in August of 2022 between Eve and another camper. This conversation gave her pause so we talked it through and continue to have open…
Read →This year I learned to embrace wins in my life. I even have a special journal titled ‘Robyn’s WINS’. Taking note of my wins has been a harder task for me occasionally…
Read →I don’t know about you, but when I meet folks who are similar to me in very specific ways, it sparks excitement and connection. In this first podcast of our new season,…
Read →We have big news this month and can’t wait to share it with you! Here’s a hint – our practice is growing – read on to get details! Starting February 22nd, Emily…
Read →During patient consults, we talk about “the usual,” such as medication regimen, nourishment and movement. Depending on the patient, we might also discuss certain events in their life pertinent to these questions…
Read →I’m excited to continue to share new episodes of The NPRD podcast with you! There are several new episodes that you can tune into here, and they include: Are You Experiencing “Compassion Fatigue?”…
Read →The inspiration for The NPRD podcast occurred following my interview with Olympic skier, Jessie Diggins. Jessie sought treatment for her own ED; she shares her inspiring and powerful story here. I was…
Read →If you’re like me, it’s not easy to get a warm dinner on the table after work five nights a week so when I found a local, sustainable and affordable way to…
Read →1. Nutrition Mentor is now…The NPRD! My new name and brand incorporates much more of where my practice has been flowing and certainly the direction of continued growth. As a nurse practitioner…
Read →I recently read Jessie Diggins’ book, Brave Enough, which is about her life, sport and recovery from an eating disorder. I have been captivated by her story ever since, which led me to want…
Read →When you flipped the calendar to 2021 – how did that change feel to you? You may have felt relief. Hope. Perhaps even unsettled as the first week of January evolved. However you…
Read →Massachusetts Nurse Practitioners Are Granted Full Practice Authority! We did it! As a Nurse Practitioner, I am excited to share that on January 1st, 2021 Governor Charlie Baker signed into law, An Act…
Read →1. Kids really are resilient This year my son, currently a junior in college, and my daughter, currently a 3rd grader, went fully virtual for their education. Perhaps your children did the…
Read →Sharing a picture of Ivy and me on a walk at World’s End in Hingham, MA. Ivy and I have been taking a lot more walks in new places that allow dogs…
Read →I recently had an article published on the topic of the best levels of omega 3s for cardioprotection, in conjunction with the Global Organization for EPA and DHA (GOED). The article was…
Read →There was a little girl Who had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead When she was good She was very, very good And when she was bad, she…
Read →Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a mental illness in which a person is preoccupied with an imagined physical defect or a minor defect that others can not see. These individuals spend up…
Read →Alexandra Babcock, Dietetic Intern at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is a guest writer and past intern of Robyn’s. Alexandra’s diverse interest in nutrition spans multidisciplinary experiences in clinical dietetic practice, sustainable food…
Read →I’m hosting a giveaway! For National Nutrition Month 2019 please make sure you’re following me, Nutrition Mentor, on two out of these three platforms: Facebook (professional page), Twitter or Instagram (professional account).…
Read →A couple of weeks ago in a session with a patient, I started to wonder if we could stop referencing the scale as a touchpoint, or a point of reference. While we…
Read →MEDA, the Multi-Discipline Eating Disorder Association, is a national organization, but local to Boston. We are more than fortunate to have this amazing resource so close to us! Here are all of…
Read →Towards the end of last year I was intrigued to read and see many blogs, posts, and images reminding folks how many days we had left in 2018 and suggesting we end…
Read →If you know me at all you know that I get really excited about food and cooking. Right now I am all in with my Phillips Air Fryer. For the first few…
Read →In 1993, I came across the piece, Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann, and it has been one that I have re-written in many journals ever since. I think the words can relate to…
Read →Self-Compassion-Based Eating Awareness Weekend January 11-13, 2019. Concord, MA What: Group training in overcoming overeating with psychotherapists Jean Fain and Elise Hoblitzelle. When: Jan. 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Jan. 12, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.;…
Read →I know and believe it takes a village to raise one or many children, but what about a private practice or small business? I wrote about Belinda, Tracy, and Jenna a few…
Read →I left FNCE this year with three main questions. Read me out and let me know your thoughts – I’d love to hear from you! Imagine rows and rows of food brands.…
Read →This year at the Food Expo portion of FNCE I came across some cool food brands and kitchen ‘essentials’. Former intern, Jenna Gorham, now consults for Simple Mills, a gluten free baking…
Read →Time does fly! I am so proud of our oldest, Jared, who headed to NYU for his freshman year of college a few days ago. He boarded at The Governor’s Academy for…
Read →Marci Evans and Deb Schachter are offering another body image workshop this fall in the Boston area ‘Making Your House a Home: A Body Healing Workshop‘. In this workshop they will explore…
Read →Remember the Don Henley song, ‘ The Boys of Summer’? In appointments with clients around Memorial Day each year, nearly everyone talks about their worries of wearing less clothing and bathing suits…
Read →My dear friend & colleague, Molly Delehey, recently launched her website and new workshop. I am so pleased to share more of it here. Unstuck: A Workshop to Get Your Creativity Flowing…
Read →Since I attended the Body Image Workshop with Marci Evans and Fiona Sutherland a few weeks ago I have been churning ideas, thoughts, and processes in my head non-stop. I’ve been wondering,…
Read →Three amazing clinicians and I have put together a collaborative practice called Greater Boston Wellness Collaborative. Karen Chinca, Dana Greene, Lauren Manasse, and I met through sharing clients. We will be keeping…
Read →The year I ran the Boston marathon, 2007, the race was nearly cancelled because of a Nor’easter. If you don’t live in New England this means a big windy storm with lots…
Read →Eating your fruits and veggies is a great thing despite nonsensical ‘reports’. About this time of year the Dirty Dozen is published by a group called the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Several…
Read →For years I have written on the theme of National Nutrition Month in March. This year I wanted to include words from some the most amazing in our field on RDN day…
Read →Heidi Schauster, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, is yet another RDN who is also a supervisor in the field of eating disorders (and in the Boston area!). Her new book, Nourish: How to Heal…
Read →This week I had a potential new client ask me ‘As a mid-40 year old woman, I just don’t know what to eat?!?’ My response to her was ‘You do. You know…
Read →As a nurse practitioner in private practice (and a registered dietitian – I do both), I have an MD who is my ‘collaborating’ go to. John Sharp, MD and I have been…
Read →Last week I posted a question across my social media platforms ‘Imagine if we obsessed about the things we love about ourselves…?’. Right? Resolutions come from a place of needing to change…
Read →Twenty three years ago I counseled my first client with an eating disorder in an outpatient setting. I used the same definition of normal eating then that I do now by Ellyn…
Read →One of my clients this week let me know that our one year anniversary of working together was coming up in January. She went on to tell me the appointments and our…
Read →Going back through the year I came up with the nutrition and body image related things I have in my own ‘tool kit’. They include a 6 Quart Instant Pot, my A5…
Read →I have often suggested clients not use these words around food or their bodies: good, bad, sorry, should, and can’t. We don’t need to ‘should’ on ourselves. Calling a cookie ‘bad’ is…
Read →What if you could get a video a day (FOR FREE!) helping to keep you on track with body positivity and intuitive eating for a month starting now? Look no further and…
Read →It’s been awhile since I shared some of my clients’ own stories. To me, fall is another reset time. Summer has ended, days are longer, and eating and activity patterns change yet…
Read →Every year for the October e-newsletter I write about the Teal Pumpkin Project. Here are the links to two of my past e-newsletters on this topic. One also includes ideas on what…
Read →Every parent I know looks for recipes for back to school (and recipes for everything else). I don’t usually spend too much time on lengthy recipes unless they are for specialty baking…
Read →My new favorite water bottle is amazing. It fits in my briefcase without water (nice and light) for when I walk from my car to my office. I then fill it up…
Read →Weeks, even months, leading up to summer, we’re bombarded with headlines on getting ready for bathing suit weather. 5 months after we set our New Year’s resolutions, we’re back at it again…
Read →Poor coconut oil. Taken down off its pedestal. It must feel very badly about itself knowing, again, for a fact, it’s a saturated fat. If you followed the science you knew this!…
Read →A few weeks ago I was quoted on Fox News about my thoughts on red meat. You can read it here on their website or on my media page here. Like a…
Read →By now you’ve all heard about the Starbucks Unicorn drink… A few clients have asked me what I think and I decided to share a colleagues posts that hit the mark. As…
Read →There was a little girl Who had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead When she was good She was very, very good And when she was bad, she…
Read →Again, this year’s theme for National Nutrition Month is ‘Put Your Best Fork Forward’. Here is the link to the Academy’s website full of tools, games, recipes, and solid science based information…
Read →I have written about Nutrigenomix testing in the past, back when the test was originally released. At that time, the test was specific to seven determinants of our genes. You can see…
Read →While I may be a few days late for the holiday of love this month, Valentine’s Day, this cocktail recipe is certainly delicious anytime. This recipe of A POM Fleur is my…
Read →Whatever your intentions are for 2017, do they include kindness, laughter, taking risks, creativity or finding failure fascinating? What I’m referring to here is seeing these intentions in relation to food and…
Read →Looking to learn how to be more kind to your body? I’d highly recommend registered dietitian nutritionist, Rebecca Scritchfield’s new book, Body Kindness. This book is divided into four easy to read…
Read →Last December, I was infatuated with Foodie Dice, and I still kind of am. They give us an opportunity to roll with it, literally, and choose meals based on combinations of interesting,…
Read →Last Friday I was overwhelmed with professional pride having been able to get together with both Alice Rosen and Jean Fain. Two local Concord, MA, therapists who are just amazing in their…
Read →A few years ago when I took the plunge to redesign my website (for the third time), little did I realize I would be embarking in a longer and much more fruitful…
Read →I refer to Thanksgiving as the ‘food holiday’. Between now and Christmas I often see what you could call an ‘uptick’ in clients’ relationships with food and their bodies. One piece I…
Read →Do you know what orthorexia is? The current definition is ‘obsession with eating the right food.’ It’s a form of disordered eating and the definition is still a work in progress. The…
Read →Like most holidays, Halloween focuses on treats. My take on Halloween is to have the kids enjoy 1-2 smaller pieces of candy a day for a month. Once Thanksgiving rolls around, we’re…
Read →I have not yet sighed any relief from our kids being back in school. We’re still adjusting to three different school schedules in three different towns for our four children. What I…
Read →With everyone heading back to school this month and fall sports beginning, I wanted to feature an article written by the former quarterback for the UConn football team, Casey Cochran. Through his…
Read →In July I was privileged to speak for the second year in a row at the National Nurse Practitioner Conference in Keystone, CO. This year’s topic was “Putting the 2015 Dietary Guidelines…
Read →Sharing a colleague’s upcoming seminar being held September 23-25 titled, ‘Self-Compassion-Based Eating Awareness Training’. The seminar teaches you how to curb overeating, feel your hunger, trust your taste buds and become deeply…
Read →How can a mentor help you with nutrition goals? In my experience, there are four main reasons: Why Reinvent Yourself? Clients have big goals during their initial appointments. They come to me…
Read →For nutrition and reading lovers we have two books to recommend for summer that are very different and just amazing. Kara Lydon RD, LDN, RYT, released her e-book, Nourish Your Namaste, this…
Read →In 2007, I ran the Boston Marathon. It was a cold New England winter, as usual, and I was a single Mom at the time finding help from the village I counted…
Read →This month we wanted to feature two new products we’ve recently tried and loved: Ella Bella Baking Mixes and Kitchen Table Bakers™ ParmCrisp The ParmCrisps are handmade in small batches and slow…
Read →This month Jenna, Katie and I are sharing ideas about National Nutrition Month. For even more information, please visit the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics website. Eating right doesn’t have to be…
Read →With my private practice growing by leaps and bounds it might sound crazy, but I’ve decided to expand my services further. As you know I practice as both a dietitian and a…
Read →These phrases seem to be pertinent to Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2016 (EDAW)…. ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ – Know that we all have imperfections. But despite what we may consider to be our…
Read →Jenna Gorham, dietetic intern, is currently reading Making Peace with Your Plate by Robyn Cruze and Espra Andrus. The book alternates chapters with one chapter written by a woman who struggled with…
Read →I wait until later in the month to get my January e-NL out to keep myself distanced from fads or trends with no nutritional scientific credence. So far, the most curious trend…
Read →In season recipes are some of my favorites as are make ahead anything. With seasonal oranges and grapefruit, this Mandarin Chia Pudding is delicious and easy to prep for breakfast or dessert.…
Read →I came across this gift and have singled out a few foodie friends as recipients! Foodie Dice offer 186,000 possible combinations for a meal. If you’re scrambling for a holiday gift idea…
Read →In recent client appointments we discuss a lot about self-love planning around the holidays. Get-togethers for Thanksgiving often revolve around family, which is wonderful for many, but for others can be quite…
Read →A few years ago I was privileged to meet Susan Nicholson, a registered dietitian nutritionist with tremendous experience in her syndicated weekly column of dinner menus, recipes, and grocery lists to match.…
Read →Imagine 10,000 dietitians and those involved in our field descending on a city. I have just arrived back after attending such an inspiring conference and expo and would love to share some…
Read →With October and Halloween, how do we handle food allergies? Last year, I was made aware of the Teal Pumpkin Project through the FARE (Food Allergy Research Education). The campaign began only…
Read →Nutrition buzzwords are everywhere – Paleo, gluten-free, weight loss, GMO-free, natural, slow-food, vegan, low-sodium, juicing, organic, raw-food – you get the idea. There was even a photo of ice cubes on a…
Read →Since 2010, August has been designated “Kids Eat Right” month by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Consumers can go to the Academies specialized website on kids nutrition for resources targeting children…
Read →While enjoying the last few weeks of summer I received some great news! In July, I again earned re-certification as a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics through the Academy of Nutrition…
Read →If you know me well you know I love the game of tennis! A friend who plays and also coaches reminded me a few days ago during our doubles game to be…
Read →Even though I ask both male and female clients about supplements it’s usually the men who are the most interested in protein. When we look at protein intake we generally think of…
Read →I may never get of tired writing about gluten or wheat until there is a new diet fad which takes over. Click here to read my latest article complete with all the…
Read →Each time I meet with any client for an initial nutrition session one of the questions I ask are what supplements they take and why. While supplements need to all be individualized…
Read →In January I was invited to serve on the Health Advisors (HPA) Panel for the Egg Nutrition Center. ENC is the research arm of the American Egg Board. The aim of the…
Read →Nutrigenomix is a DNA test, which utilizes a sample of saliva to determine the bodies’ responses to vitamin C, folate, whole grains, omega-3 fats, saturated fat, sodium and caffeine. Only RDN’s are…
Read →Last week’s report from the DGAC suggested a few new key pieces of information for consumers to consider. The report suggested that we keep drinking coffee, eat more eggs, eat less sugar…
Read →During this time we are reading and seeing many pieces that suggest a greater knowledge of this complex disease. In my experience treating eating disorders and disordered eating for over 20 years,…
Read →In 2014, I followed two friends, Stephanie and Colleen, as they chronicled running 14 races within twelve months. They called it #14in14 and I thought the idea was amazing. Inspired by running…
Read →For many folks Thanksgiving can be a holiday of overeating a little too much and even perhaps the beginning of a few pounds of weight gain between November and the New Year.…
Read →Where can you find the best, most authentic food and nutrition information on the web and in your mailbox? Here are two places: Food & Nutrition Magazine and FoodandNutrition.org http://www.foodandnutrition.org This magazine…
Read →This year at the FNCE conference, one of the mainstays in walking through the expo were foods that are gluten free and GMO (genetically modified ingredients) free. When I first attended FNCE…
Read →The Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo included a large exhibitor’s room to sample new and tried true food brands. Below are 5 that caught my attention for taste, nutrition, and ease.…
Read →This summer I was extremely privileged to attend a Wheat Safari sponsored by the Wheat Foods Council, with 25 other food and nutrition professionals in the plains of North Dakota. My colleagues…
Read →Start Your Day Off Right! September is National Breakfast Month, a good time to dedicate personal and or family efforts to having breakfast each morning, as many folks…
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