Jill Merkel

About Jill

I am a Registered Dietitian specializing in body image, disordered eating, and sports nutrition. I’ve worked in a variety of settings including collegiate athletics, private sports performance, for a professional sports team, and private practice. I aim to help you find freedom from food rules and restriction and I help athletes and active individuals fuel their bodies without obsession.

Approach to care

I practice from a weight-neutral, HAES perspective, which means I believe all bodies are good and everyone deserves respect, care, and acceptance. You are the expert of you. I am here to support you and help you figure out what feels best for you, in your body. My anti-diet nutrition coaching incorporates Intuitive Eating principles and focuses on health-promoting behaviors, rather than weight outcomes.

Your first session with Jill

I typically ask a lot of questions, offer support and encouragement, provide facts and SO MUCH MORE. One way to think about it is therapy focused on food, nutrition, and body. There are so many reasons why we choose the foods we do, behave the way we do, and engage in certain behaviors and not others. That’s a LOT to unpack and cannot be done in a single session. It’s important to develop a good rapport with me as your dietitian and that we are a good fit for one another, as you would a therapist. Oftentimes, I talk with my clients about things that seemingly have nothing to do with food or nutrition but it’s all connected! Health is so much more than just what you eat and how much.

Location

📍 Nashville, Tennessee

Education

Master of Science, Nutrition; Bachelor of Science, Dietetics; Bachelor of Science, Psychology

Hobbies

Running, reading, traveling

Licenses and Certifications