Meet Taylor, Your Wellness Advisor

What motivated you to become a registered dietitian?

While I didn’t realize it at first, nutrition played a big role in my childhood. My two passions were sports and fashion. I was a high-level athlete, while working side jobs in the fashion industry. Both demanded a lot from me, but in different ways. Food, and ultimately nutrition, became a focal point of my every day.

On the one hand, I had to keep up my protein intake and maximize my energy to increase strength and endurance. On the other hand, the fast-paced nature of the fashion industry required me to be light on my feet and alert, and to keep my mood stable throughout the day. Ultimately, I found comfort by educating myself on nutrition until I found the right balance. I was eager to test out any recommendation and see for myself what worked and what didn’t. Over time, this desire to optimize my performance (in both respects) led to a broader curiosity about the wellness industry. The ability to work with others and grow this knowledge base led me to study nutrition at NYU and ultimately become a registered dietitian. I now get to live the best of both worlds, marrying my curiosity for wellness with my love of working with people. The fact that I can guide and support my clients to achieve more balance, no matter what they’re going through, is really fun and incredibly rewarding. 

What aspect of your job has surprised you the most?

Being a dietitian requires a strong understanding of nutritional science. But it also calls for an understanding of a client’s emotional relationship to the food they eat. It was when I first started working with clients that I really understood the level of trust needed to speak openly about food and its role in our lives. What we choose to consume is often very connected to how we feel. Uncovering that dynamic is fundamental to improving our habits. 

It’s also important to note that the reverse is also true - what we eat directly impacts our mood just as much as our mood influences our appetite. Nutrition is one of the biggest factors associated with chronic disease prevention. And yet physicians receive less than a semester’s worth of formal education on it. In learning this, I realized how important it is to establish a relationship with a client’s primary care doctor to offer a more complete picture of their health. That’s what’s so special about The Lanby: the three-person care team was designed to facilitate that relationship and make nutrition & lifestyle guidance fundamental to good primary care. 

What is your go-to first step for anyone trying to improve their habits?

Start small! Our habits are the result of tiny unconscious decisions made throughout the day. Aligning habits with your goals should begin with achieving 1-2 accomplishments in a short time frame. Think of your biggest goal. Then, break it down into smaller sub-goals until the smallest step is something very simple you can work on right away. These small habits will add up to the larger goal before you know it. 
What lifestyle tips do you swear and live by?

What lifestyle tips do you swear and live by?

TLDR: Be curious, honest, and consistent. And drink more water. And for the full list...

• Make sleep a priority and create a solid bedtime routine
• Hydrate properly
• Use deep breaths as “chill pills”
• Move your body in any way, often
• Become confident in the kitchen
• Don’t yuck someone’s yum
• Get curious about your health and habits
• Present with honesty
• Surround yourself with a community that aligns with your values

What’s one wellness trend you could do without?

The Master Cleanse and all off-shoot juicing trends. While some juices can deliver a powerhouse of micronutrients, the idea of a juice replacing a meal is unbalanced. Generally, juices lack fiber, protein, and enough energy to serve as a real substitute for a well-rounded meal.

Why The Lanby?

The consumerization of healthcare is long overdue. I've endured countless lackluster experiences at the doctor myself, and for someone who works in healthcare, it’s troubling to think that I still struggle to navigate the system effectively. While this shouldn’t be the norm, it’s fair to say that it is. More often than not, patients are not taken seriously, left confused and irritated, and forced to do their own research to get answers. The Lanby aims to address all of this by giving patients more time with their providers and simplifying every aspect of the patient experience. The Lanby is bringing in wellness advisors, like me, to leverage the latest research and evidence-based tactics to optimize our patients’ health beyond the scope of conventional medicine. I’m thrilled to be a part of setting a new standard for primary care, and I look forward to supporting my future patients in optimizing their health!