Ruby Oak Nutrition

06/24/2026

Conversation doesn’t always come easily when someone is stressed or anxious about food. A person who’s in the midst of eating disorder recovery might not have the bandwidth to start a mealtime conversation, so you can make things a bit easier by taking the reins. This doesn’t mean you need to force deep or interoceptive moments; neutral or even silly questions can help to take pressure off the meal. Sometimes, talking about anything BUT the food is the best way to help.

Having a “go-to” list of conversation starters to pull from when you come up short can make things less awkward. Below are 50 different conversation starters that spark connection and curiosity during a meal. Feel free to jot some of these down to keep on the table in flash card form and gamify the flow. Use this as inspiration to get your creative juices flowing and add your own.

Connecting with loved ones over a meal is one of life’s simple pleasures. But when you’re in the midst of eating disorder recovery, mealtime can be stressful,

06/18/2026

If you're struggling with difficult PMDD symptoms, our dietitians can help! So much of the nutrition advice out there is restrictive, expensive, and sometimes downright harmful. Our nutrition experts get to know you and your symptoms, then work collaboratively with you to develop an eating and lifestyle plan that's actually realistic and sustainable.

At Ruby Oak Nutrition, you can schedule regular visits with your dietitian whenever you need to, virtually or at our Raleigh office. Most of our clients have their visits fully covered by insurance!

This blog post mentions sensitive topics such as suicidality and nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior. Take good care when reading. If you or someone you love

06/09/2026

Every year, messages about getting a “summer body” start showing up everywhere. Social media, advertisements, and wellness influencers make it seem like summer is a deadline and that losing weight is the price of admission for swimsuits, vacations, pool parties, and beach days.

If you’ve ever thought, “I should lose a few pounds before summer,” you’re definitely not alone.

But here’s the thing: you don’t need to lose weight for summer. And the pressure to achieve a so-called “summer body” can do more harm than good.

Let’s talk about why.

Around this time of year, I like to remember one of my favorite pieces of internet wisdom: 

05/13/2026

Do you need a fitness tracker? Ruby Oak dietitian Cherisse Chaney outlines the pros and cons of wearable health tech like Apple Watches, FitBits, and continuous glucose monitors.

If you've ever questioned the risks and benefits of these popular gadgets, this article can help you figure out whether or not you might benefit from one.

Do you get excited every time you close the activity rings on your Apple Watch?

05/05/2026

Social media is marketing.
Sometimes the marketing is really obvious; you might see a protein powder ad, a supplement, a fitness program.

Other times, it’s subtle. Instead of selling a product, influencers sell a lifestyle, especially around health and nutrition. You’ve probably seen posts like: "My 5am morning routine!" "What I eat in a day as a wellness girlie!" "Habits that changed my body!"
Or the classic “that girl” routine: wake up early, drink my lemon water, journal my gratitudes for the day, work out, then eat my perfect smoothie bowl… and all of that before most people even have coffee!

But these routines are usually highly curated, impractical, unhealthy, or unbalanced for most people.The underlying message becomes:
If you do these things and eat this way, you’ll look like this, feel like this, and have this life.
That’s when nutrition stops being about personal needs and starts being about performance or appearance. Today, “optimizing your routine” has almost become its own genre. Morning routine, workout routine, productivity routine—all designed to show discipline.

To learn more about what our clinical director Deidra Sisk, MS, RD, thinks about wellness content on social media, read the full post on our blog:

https://rubyoaknutrition.com/wellness-culture-is-just-marketing/

04/27/2026

Constantly hungry, cranky, or tired? Raleigh eating disorder dietitian Abby Turpen explains that undernourishment can show up in lots of ways, and doesn't always lead to weight losss.

If you feel like something is "off" with your body or your energy levels, check out these signs of undereating to see if your food intake might be the culprit.

And if you're looking for personalized support, nutrition counseling might be the key to unlocking better health and a less stressful relationship with food. Our North Carolina intuitive eating dietitians are experts in helping you make slow, sustainable changes to your eating habits that improve your health without feeling overwhelming. We're in-network with BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, Meritain, and the NC State Health Plan. Most of our clients work with us for free through insurance!

There's so much fearmongering out there about eating "too much," but plenty of people go about their days not eating enough. Their eating habits might not

03/31/2026

Walk into any pharmacy or scroll through social media and you’ll see endless ads for vitamins, powders, and “miracle” capsules promising better energy, immunity, and overall health. But do you actually need them?

Probably not. Our dietitians can help you figure out your nutrition goals and how to reach them — and save you tons of $$ by skipping useless supplements. We're in-network with several major insurance plans, so most of our patients work with us for free!

https://rubyoaknutrition.com/do-i-really-need-a-supplement/

03/26/2026

It’s late March, which means that more than half of the folks who set goals on January 1st have already given up on them. There’s no shame in that, but it might be because these goals and resolutions aren’t built to be sustainable.

If you’re someone who likes to set goals (New Year’s or not) but doesn’t usually achieve them, you might benefit from the SMART goal framework. In our nutrition counseling and health coaching work at Ruby Oak, we use this evidence-based strategy to help our clients make slow-but-lasting change, one step at a time. At everyone’s initial appointment, we spend about an hour going over health history, lifestyle, and health challenges, and then we spend the last few minutes talking about what the person’s long-term goals are. Then at the next few appointments, we spend time breaking those long-term goals down into smaller, more manageable short-term goals.

Head to our blog to read more about SMART goals, then book an appointment directly through our website for individualized support (covered by insurance!): https://rubyoaknutrition.com/how-to-set-smart-goals-for-nutrition/

03/24/2026

If your digestive system could talk, it would probably ask for three things during eating disorder recovery: consistency, enough fuel, and a whole lot of patience.

Most people know that when we eat, our body breaks food down and uses it for energy and nourishment. What far fewer people understand is how many systems must work together for digestion to happen comfortably and efficiently. The digestive system relies on coordinated communication between muscles, nerves, hormones, enzymes, and blood flow. It is responsive, adaptable, and constantly adjusting to what the body experiences.

When you’re eating too little, not getting enough variety in your diet, or going long periods without eating (or a combination of all three), your body’s systems don’t work as well as they should. This throws off and slows down your digestion, among other things. Then, when you start eating “normally” again, it takes some time for your digestive system to catch back up.

Read more on our blog: https://rubyoaknutrition.com/digestive-issues-during-eating-disorder-recovery/

03/18/2026

The question we hear the most from clients, readers, and friends is: Can you use intuitive eating for weight loss?

The short answer? No, not really. Why? Because the whole point of intuitive eating is to stop using food as a way to change your body. To separate food from weight. Intuitive eating means making food choices based on your own physical cues and cravings, NOT based on restriction.

To learn more, check out our blog post: https://rubyoaknutrition.com/you-cant-use-intuitive-eating-for-weight-loss/?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com