Merkle Wellness Solutions

06/03/2025

Three years after planting strawberries, we’re finally getting a harvest big enough for jam! 🍓

Today is the one year anniversary of posting about the business on Facebook (also my birthday). 🎉

As of yesterday I am now in network with Aetna to be able to work with clients who have an Aetna insurance plan. 👩🏻‍🌾

Thankful for all the forward momentum over the last year and excited to see where the next one will go, thankful for all of you who have followed this page and are following along on the adventure 💕

05/13/2025

Coming up two weeks from today is the third kids in the kitchen nutrition class. I am so excited to be hosting the event at That Guy's Family Farm where we will be learning more about where our food comes from and how to read those tricky nutrition labels at the grocery store.

As a dietitian over the last 10 years and a mom for 8, I've learned that introducing the topic of nutrition to our children and teaching them how to cook can be a daunting task. The heart of these classes is to introduce nutrition topics and cooking skills to students in a fun and creative way to spark their curiosity. If you have questions please don't hesitate to reach out via Facebook, phone or email.
Ph: 513-239-7186
Email: Rachel@merklewellnesssolutions.com

Send a message to learn more

05/13/2025

A dietitian is a member of the healthcare team who can help navigate a variety of health related concerns from a nutrition perspective.

Doctors send referrals and clients reach out to work with a dietitian for a variety of reasons. On a regular basis, I work with clients who have fatty liver disease, weight management concerns, diabetes, autoimmune diseases (celiac disease and diabetes) and tube feedings.

Some dietitians specialize in certain areas like eating disorders or oncology and only see those types of clients. I personally consider myself to be a generalist but most of the time am working with clients in the weight management and diabetes space.

If you're wondering if a dietitian can help you navigate a nutrition concern don't be afraid to send me a message or comment below, I'd love to help out!

05/07/2025

One year ago, I filed paperwork for Merkle Wellness Solutions to become an LLC, an official business, I am so thankful for clients I have had over the last year, especially the client who started it all, check out the kind words from my first ever private practice client in the post photo.

It is my goal to continue helping clients achieve the amazing transformation this client has in the last year. Through a variety of avenues: education, a listening ear, recipe ideas, meal planning, etc. I am here to walk side by side with my clients to meet them where they are and help them achieve their goals.

05/06/2025

Coming up at Merkle Wellness Solutions this week:

Tonight! Free diabetes webinar at 7pm, learn about the different types of diabetes, common symptoms and how a dietitian can help you navigate living healthy with diabetes.

Thursday and Saturday: 1 on 1 appointments are available. Free 15 minute consultations are always available to learn more about how I can help you as a dietitian. It is my goal to help clients cut through the noise of diet culture and confusing nutrition information to help them build a nutrition and lifestyle pattern that benefits their health.

Click the link to sign up for the free webinar or an appointment! https://secure.gethealthie.com/appointments/embed_appt?dietitian_id=1404305

04/30/2025

In short - macronutrients are the key driver of what gives your body energy and they come in three forms: Carbohydrates (carbs), fats and proteins.

Last week in our Kids in the Kitchen Class, I introduced macronutrients, so I thought it would be appropriate to introduce them here to!

You've likely heard about all three of these macronutrients. All three play an important role in how our body functions. Sometimes one macronutrient is "cut" while others are praised as being a key driver to overall health, but in reality all three play an important role in how our body functions day to day.

Over the next week or so, I'll be diving into each macronutrient specifically to hopefully clear up any confusion or misconceptions you may have.

If you have a specific health concern, you can always schedule a free 15 minute consultation with me and we can discuss how a dietitian can help you personalize an eating plan for you for optimal health.

Scheduling an appointment is easy through my website, merklewellnesssolutions.com or you can contact me directly:
Phone (call or text): 513-239-7186
Email: Rachel@merklewellnesssolutions.com

04/25/2025

It was a fun week at Merkle Wellness Solutions with group classes on Tuesday and Thursday!

Tuesday I hosted the second Kids in the Kitchen Nutrition and Cooking Class, in this session we learned how to make pizza from scratch!

We had a lot of fun and students expressed their creativity in what they topped their pizza with (including some odd toppings like strawberries). Students also learned how to make yeast dough from scratch and got to bring home fresh dough to share their new skills with family.

In addition to the cooking skills, I introduced the topic of macronutrients and how each macronutrient impacts our bodies when we eat them. We tied macronutrients into the food groups we learned about in the first session and identified macronutrients present in our pizza (dough = carb, pepperoni = protein and olive oil = fat).

Overall it was a really constructive and fun class but photos were lacking this time, whoops!

On Thursday, I had the privilege to be asked by a local weight loss group to attend their meeting. They specifically wanted to learn about carbohydrates and how they impact weight loss/healthy eating patterns. We spent the beginning of the session talking about all of the macronutrients then spent the second half of the session talking about carbohydrates specifically. This group was so much fun to work with and I am thankful for the invite to join their discussion.

Looking forward to additional group classes coming up in the coming weeks with diabetes and pre-diabetes informational webinars on the next two Tuesdays and the third Kids in the Kitchen coming up in late may. Check out the events on my page for more information or message me directly if you have a nutrition question I can address.

04/21/2025

April is flying by!

This week I am excited to be teaching a Kids in the Kitchen Class on Tuesday and joining a private weight loss group for a talk on Thursday.

Availability for 1 on 1 appointments is still there if there is a nutrition concern you would like to address!

Scheduling is online and easy through a heath portal called Healthie. My availability is loaded and you can schedule the appointment time that works for you.

As always, free 15 minutes consultations are always available to anyone wanting to learn more about how a dietitian can help you improve your health through the power of food.

Check out the website to learn more or schedule an appointment, or contact me directly: https://www.merklewellnesssolutions.com
Ph: 513-239-7186
Email: Rachel@merklewellnesssolutions.com

04/20/2025

He is risen! Happy Easter everyone!

04/13/2025

We have an early morning tomorrow, so spending 5 minutes to prep breakfast the night before was a no brainer!

Here are the highlights:
- start with 1/4 cup ground chia seeds in a large nutribullet blender cup
- add 1 cup half and half
- add yogurt until blender cup is full
- sprinkle pumpkin pie spice and a dash of vanilla on top
- stir to combine
- fill bottom of 4 mason jars with frozen fruit
- divide chia seed mixture between mason jars
- cover and done!

Check out my website https://www.merklewellnesssolutions.com/recipes/very-berry-parfaits for the recipe in detail. This version here is the dump and go version. The “real” recipe is more involved and will net you a smoother consistency chia seed pudding and a fruit sauce vs. melted frozen fruit. Both versions are good and sometimes the 5 minute no dishes version is what I need!