Laura Zillen

About Laura

With more than seven years experience in nutrition, Laura knows: most social food 'rules' are not grounded in evidence. Leave behind the "you should" and "if you just" mentality and embrace food freedom. This kind of flexibility can be scary! Laura's specialty is coaching people through nutrition changes they WANT to make, but haven't quite figured out HOW to do so. She focuses on balancing nutrition needs with wants, encouraging you to find joy in nourishing yourself. Let Laura help you take the stress out of nutrition, so you can enjoy more of your time, whether at the dinner table or out in the world.

Approach to care

Laura's approach to nutrition is science-backed, trauma-informed, and culturally appreciative. Nutrition is more than macros. It's also having the ability to feel safe eating good food without shame. It's choosing snacks that nourish your body and spark joy. It's feeling at peace with leftovers (whether in keeping them or not). You'll learn to understand what drives your attitudes and behaviors related to food, and how to feel more intentional and confident in your nutrition skills. Laura provides compassionate guidance as you make nutrition work for your needs. Life provides enough challenges; eating and feeling well shouldn't be among them. Even with dietary changes for medical reasons, you can still have a positive relationship with food. As a wise elder once said, "It's dangerous to go alone;" take a dietitian.

Your first session with Laura

In your first session, Laura will focus on getting to know you and understanding what you need/want from future sessions. Laura wants to know what is important to YOU, including your health priorities, cultural and/or favorite foods, previous experiences with managing nutrition, and when+where+how food fits into your life now. In following visits, you'll collaborate on a plan to practice specific strategies.

Location

📍 Ann Arbor, Michigan

Education

University of Illinois at Chicago

Hobbies

Reading, nature walks, her dogs

Licenses and Certifications