EnlightenU Nutrition, Vinings, GA (2026)

12/30/2025

I have not been as active on social media lately - it's just how I find peace and calm in the midst of midlife and menopause.

However, it seems that every time I check in, I encounter versions of the statement, "A calorie deficit still works." Given that I see this content shared by clinicians who also advocate non-diet approaches to health, I wanted to comment on this recommendation being shared with women.

People will say and believe what they want. But this is not evidence-informed care - or at least does not carefully consider the risks of prescribing a calorie deficit to midlife women, athletes, (or anyone for that matter).

Also, being a dietitian who has worked with hundreds of women who have "tried" a calorie deficit multiple times in their life (not counting those who are trying to recover from a life-threatening eating disorder because of this type of messaging) - let's just collectively say IT DOES NOT WORK!

The content I've shared here is just the tip of the iceberg. Countless research articles, papers, and books explain why a calorie deficit is problematic for overall health.

I wish you health and well-being in the new year. One of the best ways to improve health is to disconnect from the noise and chatter on social media. Additionally, I encourage you to be mindful of your body. You deserve (and are worth) being adequately nourished and cared for in 2026!

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m aware of all the “feels” that come with Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season. If you are wrestling with something related to anxiety, sadness, loneliness, or discontent, I encourage you to find a quiet place to reflect and pray for peace during this time.

The Charlie Brown Christmas album by the Vince Guiraldi Trio is my absolute favorite for today and the holiday season. I think it’s the soothing music that helps dial down any anxiety and stress.

I’d love to hear what helps to ground you and how you find peace during the holidays 😉

Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you and your family 🦃🍁❤️

11/02/2025

Hold your space - and for some of you, take back your space or reclaim taking up space.

Start by showing up for your own life. If not now, then when? What are you waiting for?

Say “no” to the things that are not an absolute “yes” and take on AGING as a gift and a call to be “fully present, all in, fully alive” (even when we may not be fully awake - lol) 😬

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween! I have such fond memories of this holiday with my kiddos - and the fun traditions of costumes, people opening their doors to each other, and the treats!

I hope you can enjoy the spirit of the holiday—not as something to fear, but rather for the simple traditions of having a little fun, enjoying some treats, and trying not to let anyone trick you out of your treats 🍬🥳👻

🎃

10/30/2025

There are a lot of things stirring up fear these days - especially when it comes to aging, menopause, and nutrition. 👻 😱

I’m not here to minimize the anxiety and stress that results from fear and I also want to acknowledge that fear can serve an important purpose of protecting us from harm.

What I want to highlight is that sometimes we need to do the opposite of running away from the discomfort (or staying stuck in the discomfort) especially when the underlying fear is due to aging and change at this stage of life.

And, I say this from a place of compassion as I’ve been paralyzed by fear in my past - but learned that I was able to face my fear (with the help of listening to countless Zig Ziglar cassette tapes 😂) and from the guidance of other people in my life as well as my faith.

If the fear of food, eating, aging, weight, menopause, or body changes has you paralyzed, shutting down, or running, I’d love to help. Feel free to message me or email val@valschonberg.com.

If you are a clinician trying to help women navigate these fears and changes, I’d love to invite you to consider joining my Menopause Consult and Journal Club. More info at the link in my IG bio or email val@valschonberg.com

Peace ❤️

10/29/2025

I really thought we had moved beyond the "eat less and exercise more" narrative, but I guess not. Maybe it's just me, but lately this message has been noisier than ever.

The problem is that it's been packaged as a "solution" to women's concerns about perimenopause and menopause health, which is incredibly misleading and frankly conflicts with everything we know about the impact of malnutrition or undernutrition, low energy availability, and restrictive eating disorders.

Adequate nourishment (and physical activity) is vital for aging. Chronically eating less (for any reason) could be detrimental at a time when there is already an increased risk of nutrient deficiencies and a reduced ability to fight disease.

You can focus on food quality without being on a diet (or restricting your calories). I get it that this may not result in weight loss, and that feels frustrating and confusing in today's weight-centric culture. But doubling down with the "eat less" message is not a more effective approach.

The downside of a very low-calorie diet is significant—and potentially irreversible. But, I really don't think any of us want to be counting calories in our 80s or suffering the consequences of chronic undereating in our 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

10/20/2025

Intermittent fasting has attracted attention among many people (including researchers and healthcare providers) as a simple option for weight loss. However, whether there is some magical metabolic switch for improving health and longevity with these diets has not been demonstrated in the research to date.

However, we do have years of studies in other scenarios of low energy availability and restrictive eating, such as anorexia nervosa (and other eating disorders), diet/weight cycling, female athlete triad, and relative energy deficiency in sport.

The pursuit of weight loss and the pressure to prevent weight gain in midlife and beyond is palpable for many women. Prescribing diets that have long-term consequences (such as muscle and bone loss, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, brain fog, cravings, and weight regain/fat overshoot) - and frankly are not sustainable - is not only aggravating to midlife women, but contributes to more health concerns long term.

I've summarized some of the research in a blog I wrote about intermittent fasting and menopause. If intermittent fasting works for you, that's fine, but let's not misrepresent the research.
https://valschonberg.com/lets-talk-about-intermittent-fasting-and-menopause/

10/18/2025

In honor of World Menopause Day, I thought I'd toss out some fun questions (maybe thought-provoking) related to this year's theme about nutrition (and lifestyle).

The International Menopause Society founded World Menopause Day in 2009 to raise awareness of menopause and improve the experience of women around the world. Hard to believe that was 16 years ago - a valiant mission proving to be quite successful, given that everywhere you look in 2025, someone is talking about menopause!

This year's theme is about supporting health at this stage of life with lifestyle choices that include "healthy eating, physical activity, mental wellbeing, avoiding risky substances, restorative sleep and nurturing healthy relationships." There's a lot to unpack with this theme, which I will attempt to do over the next few weeks.

Coming up next week is the Menopause Society Conference in Orlando, which I look forward to every year! It's a conference packed with information and a great opportunity to learn from the experts in the field.

I will be leading a round table on nutrition at this year's conference. So, if anyone will be attending, please stop by my table on Friday morning!

Happy Menopause!

10/05/2025

I am so excited for my next professional menopause course that begins on October 29, 2025!

✨ Designed for dietitians who want to help women navigate menopause and midlife body image concerns, this group provides an opportunity for clinicians to build menopause expertise grounded in a weight-neutral, evidence-based approach to women’s health.

✨ Meets bi-monthly for 7 sessions with recordings available

✨ Approved for 9.25 CEUs!

🗓️ Begins October 29, 2025
🕔 5:00 to 6:15 pm ET on select Wednesdays
📍 Virtual via Zoom
👥 Group size limited

Also…opportunity to join my monthly “coffee with colleagues” for ongoing research discussion and case consultation’s

📧 Email val@valschonberg.com for more information and to register

06/25/2025

I’m super excited to be a part of the Emory Sports Medicine Female Athlete conference once again this year! My presentation is “Protein and Creatine: Separating Health from Hype for Female Athlete Health and Performance.”

Check out all the great topics listed here from our wonderful group of female athlete sports medicine clinicians in Atlanta.

Date: August 16 from 8 am to 4 pm
Where: Virtual and in-person options at Emory University
Sign-up: Emory healthcare.org (link in story)
https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/orthopedic-spine-center/womens-sports-conference

Who Should Attend?

Healthcare Professionals
(Educational credits available):
Physicians
Physicians Assistants/Nurse Practitioners
Physical Therapists
Athletic Trainers
Nurses
Dietitians (Hours of Instruction)

Community Participants:
Athletes (youth and adults)
Parents
Coaches
Educators and Administrators
Health Professional Students
Community Residents
Fellows

Hope you can join us!

06/20/2025

The noise and chatter about midlife/menopause weight change is palpable these days. As an eye-witness to menopause messaging for the past decade, I can attest to this issue only getting more confusing when the goal was for women to feel a sense of confidence and clarity at this stage of life.

One of the problems I’ve seen is the confusing message that weight loss can be achieved simply by addressing “healthy habits” while ditching the diets (so “non-diet”). I’m completely on board with “undieting” and a non-diet approach to health and helping with behaviors that support health.

Here’s the problem. This message feels like an intentional “bait and switch.”

Many many many women “do all the things” and still gain weight (or don’t lose unwanted weight). So, when a “non-diet” clinician promotes weight loss through “healthy habits” it sets up an idea that there is “something they know” that you have been missing out on.

Then, these same folks admit that “a calorie deficit still works…not a drastic deficit, just a moderate deficit.” (From a recent post I saw) or “you need to cut out carbs/sugar, eat more protein…” Hello - this is dieting. But also, you’re assuming that midlife women are overeating and need to eat less (aka “diet”) which is often not the case.

Look, if you change some behaviors and that results in weight loss - fine. But, I’m here to tell you that I see women all day long who are: “exercising regularly, lifting weights, eating enough high quality protein, meal prepping, eat lots of veggies, are not overeating, don’t over consume sugary beverages or alcohol… all the things” and still gain weight or notice their body composition change.

So, can we stop gaslighting women and recognize that weight change at this stage of life can be a natural and normal thing. And that, it’s our fat-phobic culture that stigmatizes any weight or body change as “not healthy.”

Midlife and menopause is a great time to reassess your health status and regroup around health-promoting behaviors but it doesn’t mean you have to panic about fixing your body or your weight.

05/28/2025

I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Margo Mountjoy speak at . Anyone who knows anything about sports medicine knows who Dr. Mountjoy is. She’s a “game changer” when it comes to changing the landscape of how we care for athletes.

This quote makes me think about areas where we as women need to have the courage to defy status quo. I have many ideas! But, I hope this inspires you today to:
Think outside the box
Pursue what stirs an inner fire and passion in you
Push past the resistance to change
❤️

EnlightenU Nutrition

12/30/2025

11/27/2025

11/02/2025

10/31/2025

10/30/2025

10/29/2025

10/20/2025

10/18/2025

10/05/2025

06/25/2025

06/20/2025

05/28/2025

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