Nutrition Wise: Bridging Science and Wellness
Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN, is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian and Certified Health Coach based in New Paltz, New York, with over 25 years of experience in private counseling and consulting. Specializing in diabetes, glucose control, and gut health, she provides personalized nutrition guidance for individuals of all ages while also supporting businesses and healthy brands through her media expertise. With a focus on practical, sustainable wellness, Vicki combines medical nutrition therapy, integrative supplements, and proven coaching strategies to help clients achieve lasting optimal health. DeliveryRank finds out more.
You’ve maintained a private nutrition counseling practice in Hudson Valley for over 25 years. How have your methods and client needs evolved during that time, and what core philosophies have remained consistent in your approach to nutrition and wellness?
My practice has evolved to be more supportive and sensitive of what my clients need along with maintaining the most research-based effective solutions. When I got out of graduate school with my Masters in Nutrition, it was “Here’s a diet for Diabetes! Here’s a diet for elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.” Now I work with a CardioMetabolic Food Plan that addresses all these issues. Then I individualize it as needed. Everyone needs a heart-healthy food plan that supports good glucose balance.
My core philosophies for Client support are:
kindness, empathy and providing research-based programs with individualized recommendations. I meet my clients where they are and guide them to take steps to improve their health.
How are you doing Nutrition-wise? When I work with a new client, I start with a comprehensive eval of their medical history, family history, lab work, food and supplement intake. When I review a client’s labs, I help explain a bit more about what’s going on inside.
I help my clients visually understand how food works in their bodies with a colorful diagram. This helps us understand better what’s going on metabolically and can help reinforce the changes that need to take place to get healthy. With the greater expansion of many insurance plans that cover Medical Nutrition Therapy, I can provide Support and Accountability. My clients can then take steps towards their health goals.
Your practice emphasizes "Food is Medicine"—how do you practically integrate this philosophy into both your one-on-one counseling and your business wellness consulting programs?
My tagline is literally “Bridging Healthy Brands with Informed Consumers.” If I’m going to work with a brand, it must promote health and be backed with research. When I’m working with clients, I provide support and information on how to integrate healthy foods into their regular habits. Is that food/brand healthy? Let’s look at it! Then we go to the website and look at the nutrition facts label and ingredients. This helps create more informed consumers who know what they’re looking for.
When I’m working with a brand, I can communicate what consumers are struggling with. This helps a brand fine-tune the message. Bring these together and te result is that Food is the Medicine to help improve Health!
As a media-trained nutrition expert, you provide services such as brand collaboration, public speaking, scientific writing, and toolkit development. Can you walk us through how you tailor your nutrition messaging across these different platforms and audiences?
When I’m collaborating with a brand, I’m always mindful of who I’m speaking to.
If I’m developing a toolkit, it’s a deep dive for a health professional. What does that healthcare professional need to know about the product for their clients/patients to benefit from it? I can help develop handouts that an RD can give to their clients. These can include meal plans and recipes. If it’s a product with a probiotic, I can develop information sheets about how probiotics work.
With scientific writing, I might be consolidating the research of an ingredient to be used in other brands. Or it could be for a presentation. If it’s public speaking, am I speaking to consumers through the media about the brand or to health professionals as an expert at a health conference or webinar?
Brand collaboration can also include behind-the-scenes consulting about best ways to position the brand to fill a need for the consumer. Because I know how my clients can struggle, this can help the brand to know how to stand out with its benefits. I also consult on best ways to present to other health professionals like Registered Dietitians. There are many focused practice groups in the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics like: Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine, Diabetes, Sports, Pediatric Dietitians and other specialized areas. There are many focused ways to communicate with RDs. I help brands navigate these.
You offer a wide range of consultation topics—from gut health and diabetes to integrative medicine and children's nutrition. How do you balance this breadth of expertise while delivering personalized and effective support to each client?
I’m learning all the time and building on my expertise. I love fitting in webinars to learn the latest. When I’m building a foundation of support with my clients, we first come to an understanding of where the client is starting. We may need to tackle one area of concern at a time. For example, if someone comes in with elevated lipids, is overweight or obese and has a strong family history of diabetes, we can start with one new habit at a time. I don’t want to overwhelm! I often say with gentleness: “The next step to take is to have compassion for yourself! You’re here! You’re looking at this!” It gives people a chance to breathe. Step by step! Add more vegetables! Include more protein. Aim for leaner and more plant-based! And I will show them how.
In 2021, during the pandemic, I became prediabetic. Chalk it up to my usual habits changing by staying home and increased genetic risk. I modified my habits and brought it back to normal! My own experience gives me the compassion to continue to inspire others to improve.
In a rapidly changing wellness industry, what trends or shifts—such as telehealth, digital wellness tools, or corporate wellness demands—do you see having the most significant impact on dietitian-led services moving forward?
I see that Telehealth and Online communication is here to stay. Often, a new client may want the first visit to be in-person. Then we can integrate Telehealth for follow-ups. I’ve had clients work with me who are over 2 hours away! (New York is a huge state!) Telehealth allows someone more flexibility to continue to work the rest of the day and still move forward with one’s health.
Online communication allows me to meet with brands eye-to-eye vs. emails and calls. Webinars, meetings, and networking all work very effectively online as well. It is a helpful trend to provide support for clients and get information out to more people. However, there are plenty of scams of quick fixes and questionable health schemes offered online. The key is providing research-based solutions that are grounded in science. Show me the research! Working with an experienced Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who understands what it takes to improve one’s health can help communicate a powerful message! Food is Medicine!
If you would like to find out more about Nutrition Wise, please visit https://nutrition-wise.com/individual-wellness/