Areas served: Lexington, VA and surrounding Rockbridge County
Lexington's nutrition and dietitian community serves a population balancing university health needs with rural healthcare access across Rockbridge County. Local registered dietitians provide services ranging from medical nutrition therapy for chronic conditions to sports nutrition for Washington and Lee and VMI athletes. Many practitioners maintain hybrid models combining telehealth with in-person consultations to serve both the town's 7,000 residents and surrounding county communities.
Genesis Health Solutions is a medically supervised weight management and neuropathy treatment clinic in Forest, VA, founded by Dr. Jeff Tanzar and Dr. Cindy Tanzar, both chiropractors with advanced certifications in functional medicine (PSC.D). They specialize in hormone-balancing weight loss programs that help patients lose 15-30 pounds per month without hormone replacement therapy, and advanced neuropathy treatments that address nerve damage at its root cause. With a 5-star rating from 575+ Google reviews, their team provides personalized, doctor-supervised care focused on sustainable results and reducing reliance on medications.
“Get Life-Changing Results with Genesis Health Solutions I cannot recommend Genesis Health Solutions highly enough! After struggling with my weight for years, I decided to give their program a try, and it has truly been transformative. In less than six months, I lost 40 pounds – a goal I never thought I could achieve. What sets Genesis Health Solutions apart is its incredible staff. From my first consultation to every follow-up appointment, I've been treated with kindness, respect, and genuine care. The team is knowledgeable, supportive, and always available to answer questions or provide encouragement when I needed it most. The counseling component of the program has been tremendously helpful. Having regular sessions to discuss not just the physical aspects of weight loss, but also the emotional and psychological challenges, made all the difference. My counselor helped me understand my relationship with food, develop healthier habits, and build the confidence I needed to stay committed to my goals. This isn't just a diet – it's a comprehensive weight management system that addresses the whole person. The guidance, accountability, and support I received made this journey not only successful but sustainable. If you're considering a weight loss program, don't hesitate. Genesis Health Solutions has given me my confidence back, and I'm forever grateful to this amazing team!”
— Janice Mclaughlin, Google Review · 5 ★ avg from 575 reviewsMetabolic Bootcamp, led by Dr. Tom, offers nutritional products and wellness guidance designed to support better sleep, energy, gut health, and fitness. The company specializes in metabolic optimization through supplements and nutritional strategies, with a mission-driven approach where proceeds support global health initiatives including clean water projects and human trafficking prevention.
Health Nut Nutrition is an all-natural health food store in Lynchburg specializing in organic groceries, professional-grade supplements, and natural health and beauty products. The knowledgeable staff curates products for various nutrition needs and lifestyles, offering items and brands not commonly found elsewhere. The business also operates Millie's Living Cafe on-site, serving plant-based and vegan meals, fresh-brewed coffee, smoothie bowls, juices, and salads for a complete wellness shopping and dining experience.
Genesis Health Solutions is a doctor-led weight management and peripheral neuropathy clinic run by Dr. Jeffrey S. Tanzar, DC, PSc.D and Dr. Cindy Tanzar. They offer personalized weight loss programs designed to achieve sustainable fat loss through hormone balancing, inflammation reduction, toxin removal, and metabolic optimization—without crash diets or deprivation. The clinic also provides advanced, doctor-supervised treatments for peripheral neuropathy targeting the root cause of nerve damage. Their approach emphasizes holistic life transformation with ongoing clinical support from certified health coaches and the medical team.
Essential Nutrition and Wellness offers personalized nutrition counseling and weight loss programs at Smith Mountain Lake, combining diagnostic biofeedback analysis with customized supplement protocols and ongoing practitioner support. They specialize in identifying food sensitivities, reducing inflammation, and addressing digestive and immune health concerns through a science-based approach that goes beyond diet alone. The practice provides personalized supplement prescriptions tailored to individual biofeedback results and health goals.
Kelsey Shaughnessy, RD, is a registered dietitian offering personalized one-on-one nutrition counseling in Roanoke and virtually throughout the U.S. She specializes in weight loss, diabetes management, women's health, heart health, and meal planning, helping clients learn to eat with confidence and manage their health long-term. Kelsey's approach focuses on personalization and behavior change, teaching clients nutrition fundamentals so they can maintain healthy habits independently.
Abundant Life Nutritional Therapy, led by Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Valerie Huston, specializes in Nutrition Response Testing (NRT) to identify root causes of health issues—including hidden allergens, toxic substances, and organisms—without drugs. The practice uses NRT to pinpoint underlying problems, determine precise supplement protocols, clear food and environmental allergies, and support clients through complete health restoration. They're ideal for people whose symptoms persist despite normal test results or failed treatments elsewhere.
Wendi Francis, MS, RD is a registered dietitian nutritionist with over 20 years of private practice experience specializing in nutrition therapy, weight loss, eating disorders, and food psychology. She holds a graduate degree in counseling and education, plus certifications in strategic life coaching, neuro-linguistic programming, somatic experiencing, and grief coaching. Her multi-faceted approach addresses the psychological and behavioral roots of eating patterns, using modalities including intuitive eating, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and mind-body connection work to create lasting transformation.
Roanoke Nutrition is a dedicated nutrition practice in Roanoke, Virginia, offering personalized dietary guidance and nutritional counseling to help clients achieve their health goals. The practice focuses on creating individualized nutrition plans tailored to each client's unique needs, whether for weight management, disease prevention, or overall wellness improvement. With a patient-centered approach, they work to educate and empower clients to make sustainable dietary changes that support long-term health.
Real Life Nutrition, Inc., run by Katherine Shaw, RD, CDCES, specializes in personalized nutrition counseling and diabetes management education in Roanoke. Katherine helps clients develop sustainable eating strategies tailored to their individual needs and health goals, with particular expertise in diabetes care and blood sugar management. Her approach emphasizes empowering clients with knowledge to take control of their health rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all diet.
Thrive with Evidence-Based Nutrition is an independent nutrition practice in Roanoke, VA dedicated to helping clients achieve their health goals through scientifically-backed dietary strategies. The practice specializes in personalized nutrition counseling that addresses individual health needs and lifestyle factors, with a commitment to using current research and evidence in all recommendations.
Courtney Bascom is a Registered Dietitian specializing in eating disorder nutrition counseling in Charlottesville. She provides patient-centered nutrition therapy for eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns, with a focus on building peaceful relationships with food and teaching intuitive eating principles. Courtney offers both telehealth and in-person sessions and has experience working with athletes navigating the intersection of sport and food relationships.
Vital Energy Nutrition is a holistic wellness practice in downtown Lexington that provides personalized nutrition counseling and dietary guidance to support overall health and vitality. The practice focuses on evidence-based nutritional strategies tailored to individual health goals and lifestyle needs. They help clients optimize their energy, wellness, and nutritional intake through comprehensive assessments and ongoing support.
“I have been having horrible gut issues and weird symptoms related to Lyme disease and Dr. Santa Ana has really helped turn my health around. She is so knowledgeable. She does a great job explaining how different nutrients react to your body and how diet plays a huge role in your health.”
— Amber Tucker, Google Review · 5 ★ avg from 2 reviewsCaroline Hackley, MEd, RDN, CDCES, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist coordinating outpatient nutrition and diabetes self-management education programs at Augusta Health in Fishersville. She provides individualized nutrition counseling and diabetes education to help patients manage chronic conditions through dietary intervention and lifestyle modification. As part of Augusta Health's comprehensive nutrition services, she works with a team of specialized dietitians serving patients across multiple healthcare settings.
Tina Renick is a nutrition professional serving the Roanoke area from her office on 3rd Street SW. She provides personalized nutrition counseling and dietary guidance to help clients achieve their health and wellness goals.
UVA Health Nutrition Counseling Center is staffed by registered dietitians who provide comprehensive nutrition education, counseling, and medical nutrition therapy to individuals and families. Services include personalized nutrition counseling, weight and stress management training, and diet plan development. As part of UVA Health, they integrate evidence-based nutrition care with your overall healthcare needs.
Jennifer Vargas, RD is a Registered Dietitian with 10+ years of experience specializing in diabetes management, weight loss, kidney disease, and autoimmune/anti-inflammatory nutrition. She offers personalized nutrition counseling using evidence-based approaches including intuitive eating, health at every size (HAES), motivational interviewing, and mind-body connection strategies. Jennifer works with clients across multiple states via virtual consultations and in-person visits, accepting most major insurance plans, and emphasizes creating sustainable nutrition plans that fit each client's lifestyle, preferences, and cultural values.
Cheryl Miller, RD, is a Registered Dietitian with Augusta Health's Clinical Nutrition team in Fishersville, VA. She provides comprehensive nutrition counseling for both inpatient and outpatient care, specializing in chronic disease management including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, weight management, eating disorders, GI disorders, renal disease, cancer nutrition, and more. Miller works as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team to deliver personalized nutrition interventions and education that help patients achieve better health outcomes.
Kelsey Brown is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who provides personalized nutrition counseling and dietary guidance through Rockahc healthcare system in Lexington. With expertise in medical nutrition therapy, she works with patients to develop sustainable eating plans tailored to their individual health conditions and goals.
Amore Vita Wellness and Nutrition, founded by Lindsay Demshar (BSN, RN, Naturopathy Practitioner, Holistic Nutrition Consultant), offers integrative wellness services combining personalized nutrition plans, naturopathic approaches, IV hydration therapy, nutrient injections, and wellness therapies like red light, PEMF, and sauna services. The practice focuses on uncovering root causes of health concerns rather than just managing symptoms, with services tailored to individual needs for conditions ranging from energy and immunity to chronic health issues and gut health.
Genesis Health Solutions is the top-ranked nutrition service in the Lexington area with a Lantern Score of 94.14/100. Founded by Dr. Jeff Tanzar and Dr. Cindy Tanzar, this medically supervised clinic has earned 5 stars from 575 reviews. They specialize in weight management and neuropathy treatment, offering programs for individuals struggling with yo-yo dieting, metabolic slowdown, hormonal imbalances, and peripheral neuropathy. Their approach focuses on sustainable weight loss and root-cause healing to reduce reliance on medications.
Seven nutrition and dietitian services in the Lexington area offer weekend hours. Metabolic Bootcamp is open Saturdays 6:40 AM–8:40 AM. Health Nut Nutrition operates Saturdays 9:00 AM–7:00 PM. Wendi Francis, RD offers extensive weekend availability (Saturdays and Sundays 7:00 AM–9:00 PM). Roanoke Nutrition is open Saturdays 7:00 AM–5:00 PM. Real Life Nutrition and Courtney Bascom Nutrition both offer Saturday hours from 8:30 AM–5:00 PM and 9:00 AM–5:00 PM respectively. Jennifer Vargas, RD provides weekend telehealth appointments on both Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 AM–9:00 PM.
Genesis Health Solutions stands out with 575 five-star reviews, making it the most reviewed nutrition service in the Lexington area. For additional highly-rated options with substantial feedback, Health Nut Nutrition (#3 ranked) has earned 4.8 stars from 93 reviews and operates as an all-natural health food store with knowledgeable staff providing expert nutritional guidance. Metabolic Bootcamp (#2 ranked) has 72 five-star reviews and specializes in metabolic optimization and wellness guidance.
Several registered dietitians in the Lexington area specialize in diabetes management. Real Life Nutrition, Inc. is run by Katherine Shaw, RD, CDCES (Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist), focusing specifically on diabetes and prediabetes management. Caroline Hackley, MEd, RDN, CDCES coordinates outpatient nutrition and diabetes self-management education programs at Augusta Health. Kelsey Shaughnessy, RD - Finesse Nutrition offers diabetes management as a specialty alongside weight loss and women's health. Jennifer Vargas, RD has 10+ years of experience with diabetes management as a primary focus, offering both in-person and telehealth support.
Yes, several nutrition professionals offer virtual appointments. Kelsey Shaughnessy, RD - Finesse Nutrition (#6 ranked, 5 stars, 15 reviews) provides personalized one-on-one counseling both in Roanoke and virtually throughout the U.S., specializing in weight loss, diabetes management, and women's health. Jennifer Vargas, RD (#17 ranked) explicitly offers telehealth nutrition support with weekend availability. Wendi Francis, RD (#8 ranked, 5 stars, 7 reviews) has over 20 years of private practice experience and offers extensive hours including weekends, making virtual scheduling highly accessible for clients seeking eating disorder support, weight loss, or food psychology work.
Abundant Life Nutritional Therapy (#7 ranked, 4.9 stars, 12 reviews) specializes in Nutrition Response Testing (NRT) to identify root causes including hidden allergies and toxins, offering drug-free health restoration. Essential Nutrition and Wellness (#5 ranked, 5 stars, 20 reviews) combines diagnostic biofeedback analysis with customized supplement protocols for digestive issues and food sensitivities. Amore Vita Wellness and Nutrition (#19 ranked) offers integrative wellness services combining personalized nutrition counseling, naturopathic approaches, and IV hydration therapy. Vital Energy Nutrition (#13 ranked) is a holistic wellness practice in downtown Lexington providing personalized nutrition counseling to support overall vitality.
A Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a credentialed healthcare professional who has completed a bachelor's degree in nutrition, supervised practice hours, passed a national exam, and maintains continuing education requirements. RDs can provide medical nutrition therapy, work in clinical settings, and often accept insurance. They're trained in evidence-based nutrition science and can treat medical conditions through diet. A Nutritional Therapist or Nutritional Therapy Practitioner uses a holistic, functional approach focusing on bio-individual assessment and whole-food nutrition, but this credential isn't regulated at the same level as RDs. Some practitioners combine both approaches—for example, Abundant Life Nutritional Therapy uses Nutrition Response Testing alongside nutritional guidance, while services like Wendi Francis, RD and Kelsey Shaughnessy, RD offer the clinical credentials of registered dietitians with personalized, holistic-minded counseling.
Professional nutrition counseling addresses the underlying factors that make traditional dieting fail, including metabolic adaptation, hormonal imbalances, emotional eating patterns, and unsustainable restrictions. Services like Genesis Health Solutions offer medically supervised programs specifically targeting metabolic slowdown and hormonal issues that sabotage weight loss. Kelsey Shaughnessy, RD specializes in helping clients break chronic dieting patterns through sustainable behavior change rather than temporary restrictions. Wendi Francis, RD integrates food psychology work to address emotional eating at its root. This comprehensive approach typically results in more sustainable outcomes because it treats weight as a symptom of deeper health imbalances rather than simply prescribing calorie restriction. Counseling also provides accountability, personalized strategy adjustment, and education about how your unique body responds to different foods and eating patterns.
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is evidence-based nutritional intervention provided by registered dietitians to manage medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, and cancer. It's often recommended when diet plays a significant role in disease management or prevention, and many insurance plans cover MNT when prescribed by a physician. In the Lexington area, providers like Caroline Hackley, MEd, RDN, CDCES coordinate MNT programs at Augusta Health for diabetes and chronic diseases. UVA Health Nutrition Counseling Center provides comprehensive MNT to individuals and families. Cheryl Miller, RD offers MNT for diabetes, cancer patients, and kidney disease through Augusta Health's Clinical Nutrition team. MNT differs from general nutrition counseling because it's specifically designed to treat diagnosed medical conditions with nutrition as a primary therapeutic tool, often as part of a coordinated medical care plan.
Yes, but it's essential to work with professionals specifically trained in eating disorder treatment. Registered dietitians with eating disorder specialization provide evidence-based nutrition therapy as part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach that typically includes mental health professionals. Courtney Bascom Nutrition (#12 ranked) specializes exclusively in eating disorder nutrition counseling in Charlottesville, providing patient-centered therapy for eating disorders, disordered eating, and athletes managing food relationships. Wendi Francis, RD (#8 ranked) has over 20 years of experience specializing in eating disorders and food psychology, helping clients address the emotional and behavioral components of disordered eating. Treatment focuses on normalizing eating patterns, challenging food rules, addressing nutritional deficiencies, and developing a healthier relationship with food—not on weight loss or restriction. This specialized care is crucial because general nutrition advice can be harmful without understanding the psychological complexities of eating disorders.
Nutrition Response Testing (NRT) is a non-invasive analysis system used by some alternative health practitioners to identify underlying stressors affecting the body's ability to heal, including nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, environmental toxins, and hidden infections. Practitioners use muscle testing and reflex points to assess the body's neurological responses and identify which organs or systems need support. Abundant Life Nutritional Therapy (#7 ranked) specializes in NRT to help clients whose standard medical tests show normal but symptoms persist. The practitioner then designs personalized whole-food supplement protocols and dietary recommendations based on the findings. While NRT isn't part of conventional medical practice and lacks extensive scientific validation, many practitioners and clients report positive results for chronic symptoms that haven't responded to traditional approaches. It's considered part of functional and alternative medicine rather than evidence-based clinical nutrition.
Consider nutrition counseling for gut health if you experience persistent digestive symptoms like bloating, irregular bowel movements, abdominal pain, food intolerances, or if you've been diagnosed with conditions like IBS, SIBO, inflammatory bowel disease, or celiac disease. Essential Nutrition and Wellness (#5 ranked) specializes in unresolved digestive issues using diagnostic biofeedback analysis and food sensitivity testing with customized supplementation. Amore Vita Wellness and Nutrition offers integrative approaches combining nutrition counseling with naturopathic services for chronic gut health concerns. Jennifer Vargas, RD provides autoimmune and anti-inflammatory nutrition support, which often addresses gut-related inflammation. A nutrition professional can help identify trigger foods, develop an elimination protocol if needed, recommend targeted supplements, and create a sustainable eating plan that supports digestive healing. If symptoms are severe or accompanied by warning signs like unexplained weight loss, bleeding, or severe pain, see a gastroenterologist first to rule out serious conditions before or alongside nutritional intervention.
Your first nutrition appointment typically lasts 60-90 minutes and focuses on comprehensive assessment. The nutritionist or dietitian will review your medical history, current medications and supplements, eating patterns, lifestyle factors, health goals, and any symptoms or concerns. Many practitioners use assessment tools—registered dietitians may conduct dietary recalls and calculate nutritional intake, while holistic practitioners might use methods like biofeedback analysis or Nutrition Response Testing. You'll discuss your relationship with food, previous diet attempts, cultural or religious food preferences, cooking abilities, and time constraints. The practitioner will then begin developing a personalized nutrition plan with realistic, actionable steps rather than overwhelming changes. Some services like Essential Nutrition and Wellness include diagnostic testing in initial visits, while others like Wendi Francis, RD incorporate food psychology assessment for emotional eating patterns. Come prepared with questions, a food diary if requested, and a list of current medications and supplements. Most importantly, expect a collaborative process—effective nutrition counseling works with your lifestyle and preferences, not against them.