For many, navigating food choices feels isolating and overwhelming, especially after the Holiday season. Whether combating digestive issues, health concerns, or the demands of dieting, many face a maze of dietary rules and restrictions. Simple meals and snacks become a source of stress and social gatherings, where food is often central, may feel like emotional obstacles rather than opportunities for connection and comfort.
Even Karen Riggs, a Decatur-based Registered Dietitian, understands these struggles personally. “For years, I could not figure out what to eat to keep my stomach happy and my joints pain-free. I felt alone as no one else around me seemed to have any trouble eating. I loved being with others during mealtime but dreaded the aftermath.” So, adopting a “heal thyself” mentality, Riggs obtained a Master of Science in Nutrition to gain a deep understanding of the relationship between food and health conditions and founded Riggs Nutrition to help others. Riggs provides a nutrition counseling service designed to help people rebuild their relationship with food and improve their body’s functions.
Riggs’ approach rejects restrictive dieting and instead fosters freedom and fulfillment, helping people find the foods they can eat, and liberalizing their choices.
Riggs frequently sees both men and women caught in a cycle of diets that overpromise and underdeliver, as well as those who restrict themselves out of fear, unsure which foods might be causing harm.
For many, this cycle swings between extremes—eating strictly in isolation at home to throwing caution to the wind during holidays, vacations, or celebrations. Then they return back to strict eating rules, criticizing themselves and other behaviors like overexercising to make up for the “overindulgence” of the holiday. Exhausted by fearing foods and “failing willpower,” so many feel trapped in a cycle that drains the joy from eating. Riggs helps her clients break free from these extremes.
Listening to Your Body
Health begins with tuning into your body’s cues and needs. Are you feeling energized? Sleeping well? Free from persistent discomfort? Are your labs trending in the right direction? Are you aging well and able to move or exercise in ways that bring you joy? These are key indicators of alignment between your body and nutrition.
Unfortunately, many of us adapt to feeling "off," accepting fatigue, digestive discomfort, or stress as normal. Riggs encourages her clients to take a daily inventory of their overall well-being. It’s not about following a rigid plan but creating a personalized, sustainable approach to health that supports living fully.
“Ultimately, health should feel empowering – a way of living that enhances your life rather than restricting it,” says Riggs. “True health isn’t about chasing quick fixes or adhering to rigid rules. It’s about making intentional, sustainable choices that support your long-term goals and unique needs and asking yourself, ‘How do I feel?’ and ‘How can I keep showing up for myself?’”
Reclaiming Joy Through Community
As we enter the New Year, positive food messaging gets muffled in the aggressive “New Year, New Me” noise but Riggs reminds her clients that “healthy eating” does not have to come with strict rules and isolation. Health is about balance, where food is a tool for nourishment, providing sustenance and connection.
Karen emphasizes the importance of community and accountability. Whether it’s a simple, budget-friendly meal or an elaborate celebration, coming together transforms eating into something intentional. Even for those who live alone or feel isolated, creating opportunities to cook with others and share meals can foster connection and dismiss the loneliness that often accompanies food decisions.
Partnering with Karen
Karen’s clients often describe working with her as life-changing – not just in health outcomes but in their overall mindset. They rediscover confidence in their food choices, find energy where they once felt fatigued, and learn to love what they eat without dread. Whether your goal is addressing a specific health concern, finding balance amid conflicting advice, or simply reconnecting with food, Karen Riggs prioritizes building a relationship with clients based on understanding and compassion. Working with Karen is an opportunity to begin healing and reconnect with the joy that food and community can bring.
Food isn’t just sustenance—it’s a language of care, a way to connect, and a source of healing. Let’s reimagine health as something that brings us closer to others and helps us live fully. Gather around the table, join together in the experience, and rediscover what food is meant to be: nourishing, joyful, and shared.
Learn more at riggsnutrition.com and reach out at karen@riggsnutrition.com
“Ultimately, health should feel empowering – a way of living that enhances your life rather than restricting it.”