Why Gelato And Pizza Are Daily Diet Staples For This Registered Dietitian

Valerie Agyeman, RD, registered dietitian and founder of the wellness website Flourish Heights, was 15 when she knew she wanted to do something professionally related to nutrition. “Growing up, I struggled with my body image and didn’t have a good relationship with food,” she tells Women’s Health. “I wanted to change my hair, skin complexion, and body size to ‘fit in’ with my peers,” she says.

To do this, she exhausted herself physically and mentally. “I was working out excessively, eating less than what my body needed and desired, and searching for ways to change my natural hair texture and skin. I was never satisfied.” So she began to research nutrition and the connection it has to the body. She found she was intrigued by how food impacts how you feel, look, and function. “Nutrition is a science, and I was craving to learn more,” she says.

A decade later, she’s providing credible advice to people in a world filled with nutrition and health misinformation. “One of the biggest misunderstandings women have when it comes to nutrition is thinking that there’s a one-size-fits-all approach. Each woman is unique and has specific nutritional needs. Just because something worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you.”

With that in mind, here’s what Agyeman typically eats to feel like her best self and fuel her busy days. (Spoiler: She loves Epic beef bars and gelato.) Consider it inspiration to find the right balance of foods to help you feel great, too.