EVERYONE HAS A JOURNEY
My passion is supporting yours.
“Hi , I’m Sammi! My passion for making nutrition both simple and enjoyable came from (no surprise!) my own experience.”
During high school, I tried to eat as little as possible in order to shrink my body (please do not try this). By the start of my freshman year of college, because I had spent so much time trying to unnaturally manipulate my body, my metabolism totally backfired on me. I kept gaining unexplained weight and kept trying different restrictive, fad diets to no avail. Upset by my seemingly unexplained weight gain, I went to see a dietitian for myself, and that’s where my story begins.
I was amazed and pleasantly surprised by the simple concepts that I felt both my friends and I didn’t realize: we need to eat enough food. Flash forward from there: I became passionate about nutrition and teaching others this newfound, simple concept. I started eating all foods and transformed my own relationship with food. I wanted to help others worry less about food too.
I continued to study Psychology at the University of Michigan. After college, I went on to New York University to study nutrition and finally become a Registered Dietitian.
Since then, my views on nutrition have continued to evolve as I’ve learned so much about food, the body and eating behaviors. I now run my own private practice, where I meet with clients individually, work with different food brands on recipe development and spokesperson work, and wrote a cookbook, The Essential Vegetable Cookbook, that came out in Summer 2018. I’m so proud to also be a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor so that I can truly help clients with food freedom.
CREDENTIALS:
MS: Master’s of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics with a Clinical Nutrition Concentration
RD/RDN: Registered Dietitian/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (these are interchangeable!)
CDN: Certified Dietitian Nutritionist – this means I’m certified to practice in New York state
Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Michigan
Master of Science, Clinical Nutrition, New York University
Dietetic Internship, James J. Peters Bronx VA Medical Center
“These days, when it comes to nutrition I believe in 2 main points, which are the focus of my sessions with nearly all of my clients and the focus of my content on social media.”
1. Nutrition should be easy
I mean, flat out simple. We have to eat every single day – in order to make this process a seamless part of our day, it needs to be easy. What we eat shouldn’t add extra stress to our lives! I believe in very simple meals, common and well known ingredients, and no crazy superfoods or obscure trends you’ve never heard of. The most common feedback I get from clients now is “I can’t believe how realistic this is.”
2. All foods fit®
When I say this, most people are surprised to learn that I mean all foods really fit. Real, fried French fries; gooey, buttery cookies; and fresh, crunchy salads can all be a part of a healthy diet. In order to make your diet (defined as: what you eat) sustainable and enjoyable, it’s crucial that every single food is allowed. No restrictions, ever – that’s part of what makes this so realistic to do.
Natalie Baum, MS, RD, CDN
REGISTERED DIETITIAN
Natalie is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in New York City (but currently residing in Michigan, where she grew up!). She attended the University of Michigan where she majored in American Culture, and then moved to New York to pursue her passion in nutrition after graduating. Natalie attended New York University and received her Masters’ of Science in Clinical Nutrition. She completed her Dietetic Internship at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She then worked as a clinical dietitian treating general medicine and acute rehab patients at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC for 2 years.
Natalie’s journey to becoming a dietitian began in college. While adjusting to living away from home, Natalie began experimenting in the kitchen. She was getting tired of ordering takeout for every meal. It was expensive, typically unhealthy and made her realize how proper nutrition affected her body, mood, and energy. After that, Natalie knew she wanted a career where she could educate others to help them feel their best.
When it comes to her nutrition philosophy, Natalie believes that the “secret” to understanding a healthy diet is really that there’s no secret at all. We all need to eat foods from a variety of food groups – and that includes knowing that all foods can fit. Having the knowledge to understand why we need to eat all different types of foods is what Natalie believes will allow you to develop a healthy, balanced diet and a positive relationship with food.
As a new mom, Natalie loves working with other new moms and moms-to-be. In addition to the other specialties offered at Sammi Brondo Nutrition, Natalie also specializes in pre- and post-natal nutrition.
Fun facts: Natalie loves traveling and trying new cuisines, spending time outdoors, doing Pilates, weight training or barre, and spending quality time with her husband and 2 sons, Charlie and Henry.
DENI AMbrose
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Deni is a content creator, creative director and graphic designer who works in Advertising. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in Advertising and Art Direction, Deni’s had a lot of experience in digital and social creative, as well as more traditional outlets like TV and print. She’s obsessed with branding design and has a passion for creating logos. Deni’s covered everything from CPG to cereal to gourmet food to tech.
Fun facts: Deni can spot owls on any road trip, has quite a collection of doors and is an avid lover of music. Her favorite foods are frozen yogurt and sushi. Deni currently lives in Chicago.
Check out more of her work at deniambrose.com.
