Registered Dietician Ashley Koff

Being among the land of the ladies who are constantly on a diet, I feel as though I am always asking myself, “What am I doing wrong?” Starvation always fails, the no carb thing rarely works, and fat free seems to be a whole new dilemma in itself. So how do you turn your diet into a real success story? According to registered dietician Ashley Koff, it’s all about balance and the battle of good versus evil… foods of course!

As Ashley explains it people need to, “Learn about portion sizes, quality choices and nutrition balance.” To help women everywhere find this balance, Ashley created her site ashleykoffapproved.com. One glance at this site and you can clearly see that Koff’s intent is all about health, not selling you on the latest fad to get you the body of a movie star. The plan itself serves more as guidelines and a strategy for getting healthy than a draconian meal plan aimed at instant gratification. There are no “before and after” photos and no lengthy pitches to try to sell you something. In fact, the majority of Ashley’s plan is laid out on the website completely free of charge. From detailed nutrition plans, to her own AKA List (Ashley Koff Approved), you’ll have a world of nutrition knowledge at your fingertips without having to force those fingertips to dip into your wallet.
It is all these little differences that make Koff’s site so pleasant to explore. Unlike most diet websites, she actually evokes a sense of peace and a desire to be healthy opposed to hopping on the fad wagon and speeding into skinny town.

Koff explained that what she feels makes her plan so different is it’s really not about dieting per say, “My (plan) is based on the following elements: how the body works, taking into account the individual, their preferences and where they are at, and focusing on the link between what is best for the health of the individual and what is best for the health of our world.”

This healthy connection Koff speaks of mostly relates to changes in the foods we choose. She suggests switching from food products to whole foods, eating organic whenever possible, and reaching for water with lemon over sugary sodas. She also encourages women to take some time to focus on their emotional health as well as their physical health, as there is usually a connection between the two that we tend to overlook.

Koff also tries to educate women on learning about different types of fat. She says, “There is a difference between what type of weight you lose; fat versus lean body mass or both, and we need to work on gaining lean body mass and losing fat mass” To accelerate a woman’s fat loss, Koff of course encourages exercise. While she does not promote any certain type of workout, she is quite the advocate for cross training. As she explains it, we need change and variety to be successful. “I see the best results when people commit to getting active but don’t choose just one thing and obsess on it,” Koff explains. “It’s (exercise) like food; the body needs a variety and we need relaxation as much as we need intensity.”

So if you have designated this coming Monday as your day to “really get on track”, why not try focusing your efforts on health versus the quick fix? With a few meal changes, a quick switch to the organic lifestyle, and some time to get your emotional health in check, you just might be amazed by the results!

For more information on Ashley Koff or her meal plans, please visit http://www.ashleykoffapproved.com/

Skinny Mom Fact: Still not convinced to make a switch to organic? Think about this: Human waste is used as a fertilizer to grow crops in conventional non-organic farming. This contaminated sewage sludge may cause diseases as well as some food allergies. Ok, once your stomach has settled from that little fact, hop in the car and get to the organic section of your grocer… PRONTO!

Sian Bitner
Assistant Editor