REVIEWS

The following reviews have been submitted with consent.

Breanna

I came to Samina for help with digestion, IBS, and bloating. Samina was knowledgeable and compassionate. Her involvement with my food journal really helped keep me on track and helped me not give up. Samina has a very free, compassionate and optimistic outlook towards food and nutrition. This outlook was just what I needed to stay compliant without the guilt. Even after just one month working with Samina I've seen more results than 10 years worth of doctors visits and medications and I feel like I have achieved greater freedom in my relationship with food.

Jen G.

I started working with Samina because I was suffering from extreme bloating and pain. I did not know what was causing my symptoms and started eliminating foods to try to feel better. I was miserable and knew I needed help. I was nervous about starting this journey to understanding my symptoms. As someone who has suffered from eating disorders for many years, I knew I needed to work with someone who would be sensitive to my experience. Samina is clearly very knowledgeable about eating disorders and always made me feel heard. My first session brought tears to my eyes because I was so relieved to finally discuss my symptoms with someone who didn't ignore my concerns about food restriction. I am so glad I took the plunge and starting working with Samina. I am now able to eat my "trigger" foods without symptoms and I know how to manage any symptoms when they do arise. I could not recommend working with Samina more!

Nora F.

After wrestling for 7 years with IBS symptoms, various health professionals, and self-guided research for any relief, I was directed to Samina via my efforts to make my Instagram feed more positive and helpful. Her posts led me to believe that it was time to work with a RD and find better help. I have suffered with negative body image, dieting mentality, a large amount of supplements to aid in symptom suppression as well as weight loss, and at least 3 different elimination diets that were not guided well and left me in fear of food and feeling completely hopeless in my health. The first thing Samina did was recognize ingredients in my probiotic and my granola bars that are known to aggrivate IBS and immediate elimination of those brought more relief than I had ever felt. She then guided me through the reintroduction of my major "no foods" that I had eliminated believing they were the cause of my flare ups. Over the course of my time with Samina, I have reintroduced all foods back into my diet! I enjoy eating again, even at a restaurant or a friend's, without fear of getting sick! I have learned that managing IBS has more to do with having a full toolbox of resources to help when I am having symptoms rather than taking things away forever. I am still wrestling with my negative body image, but Samina's approach is so encouraging, knowledgeable and non-judgemental that I can more quickly reject the negative thoughts and affirm that I am nourishing my body, listening to my cues and reaching a new place of peace and understanding with my body. I just turned 40 and am more hopeful that this decade will feel much better than all the others before!

Lindsay

Before working with Samina I struggled with digestion and migraines. Starting my sessions with Samina, I quickly realized a lot of the ideas I had about health were outdated. I originally sought out a dietician to learn how to lose weight as a vegetarian. What ended up happening was so different than what I expected... in the most positive way possible.

Samina knows her stuff and presents it in the most consumable way. The way she explains things and writes up the protocols made me comfortable approaching thinking differently. Starting from a place of compassion, I learned that this was an opportunity to get in touch with my body and tune into my own internal cues.

There was a quick shift. Truly focusing on fueling my body to take on activities that bring me joy and prioritizing behaviors and choices that promote overall health... It's so funny how simple it seems now, but through information, allowing conversations to flow and questions to arise in a comfortable setting - I was empowered to be vulnerable. Health myths demystified, nutritional questions answered, and a deeper understanding gained... all in a matter of weeks.

The lessons I've learned from Samina will last me a lifetime - I think differently every day (no exaggeration) because of my time with her. The term "health-promoting behaviors" along with the nutritional advice and knowledge has truly shifted how I think about food. Thank you!!

Claire L.

I've been working with Samina and it has been amazing. She not only helped me with my eating/healthy lifestyle, but made me feel comfortable throughout this journey, I was able to regain control of my body and the food I eat. Previously I struggled with nausea, and diarrhea, and feared eating food.

I started her program because I was emotionally eating and eating unhealthy in general. I tried a lot of things myself but it didn't work and I knew I had to change my lifestyle asap. I was serious to make the changes needed.

Samina provided me with guidelines and things I should work on and I followed through. She answered my questions promptly and really helped me to find what works for me and what I can do. It wasn't difficult, since it was tailored to my schedule. Now I rarely crave junk food, I found better food alternatives, I don't stuff myself anymore, and I am in a much better place with food. I don't get bloating, diarrhea, or digestive problems much and I feel more active with energy.

I feel very thankful for her and I am proud of myself as well!

Chelsy P.

Before working with Samina I really struggled with managing IBS flares during my long work hours, fearing food, and binge eating. I found that my eating habits were impacting my digestion and that eating more during the day helped with that a lot. I would recommend Wholesome Start and I would say that it helped me get through some disordered eating and to find foods that I enjoy eating that are also healthy for my body. The best thing is how I feel so much better now than I did. I appreciate the new skills. I really enjoyed this. It has helped my food anxiety tremendously!

Stanley W.

After years of struggling to self-manage a number of digestive issues, I turned to Samina for her professional guidance.  In less than a week I began to reap health benefits from working with Samina to better manage my IBS-C.  Samina is a non-judgmental and attentive listener who understands her client's nutritional needs, deficiencies and goals.  I look upon Samina as my food or diet coach and credit her with accurately formulating a personalized nutritional plan focused on helping me succeed in achieving my optimal health.  I wholeheartedly encourage anyone considering working with a nutritionist to reach out to Samina.  I only regret not having made my decision sooner.

R.S.

I really struggled with my digestive health for a long time. Samina gave me multiple recipes and ideas to start and continue my plant-based diet.  She also helped me to recognize which foods/drinks might trigger my acid reflux. After meeting with her, I was confident about her knowledge and used the tools and advice that she gave me. I feel confident and happy about eating again. I also have not had any reflux symptoms during the month I met with Samina and I have continued on that path. I was appreciative that Samina took the time to really listen to what I wanted out of our sessions and provided feedback on those issues.

Cole S.

I needed help with navigating the low FODMAP diet after being diagnosed with IBS. I would highly recommend Wholesome Start's nutrition services to anyone looking to learn more about, understand better or change their dietary habits. Samina is easy to work with, extremely responsive, understanding & open-minded and gives you tons of information/resources to guide you through the process. Samina is an A+ dietitian and person.

dani

I have learned how to really gauge my hunger and fullness levels. Samina has given me a lot of valuable information as well as validation and normalization to my feelings. She has also shared recipes with me and has challenged me anyways that causes me discomfort and in the end helped me grow.

Kelly

I have always struggled with my relation with food and craving unhealthy things and needed guidance on how to get back on the right track. I didn't want to do a traditional diet but rather something that I needed. I learned how to snack and how to have a balanced plate at each meal as well as water intake. I love how I feel each day now and not have to think, "how is this going to make my body look if I eat this or that." Or even "well I ate badly at lunch so I can't eat that for dinner." It's all about the balance. Samina was amazing through my lifestyle journey! Not only did she help with my eating habits but with my relationship with food and how I view it! No doubt that I would recommend her to anyone because she does something different for each person! Very personal and is always willing to help!!! Thank you!

A.K.

Samina really dug into my specific daily habits to give tailored advice to me, and she gave suggestions on tweaks to make to my routine to set me up for success. She has been an invaluable accountability buddy and helps me set realistic goals, and reminds me of evidence-backed solutions. Samina is a real person. She understands that life is complicated, and that people are in different places when it comes to health and wellness. She would never recommend something that would be a complete 180 degree change to someone's life. She focuses on small, sustainable changes that set her clients up for success, and guides her clients towards choosing their own goals over imposing unrealistic expectations on them. I would absolutely recommend Samina to anyone interested in working with an RD. She puts the work in to give 100% to her clients, she will customize plans for you that mirror your exact goals, and she is a great listener. You should hire her. That is all.