My name is: Mia Rigden.

I’m known for being: Nutritionist, cook, author.

I’m talking about: How to feel your very best in your body and love what you eat. And my cookbook, Foodwise, which comes out on January 3rd, 2023. 

Before I started this work (for myself and others), I was:

I’ve always loved food and knew I wanted to work in that world from a young age. After graduating from college, I moved to New York to attend the French Culinary Institute (now part of the Institute for Culinary Education) and started working in restaurants on the operations and PR side. I am an enthusiastic person about things I’m passionate about and believe in. I used to be a restaurant hype girl, but now I’m the hype girl for my clients and community. I want anyone who is working with me or reading my book to feel better about themselves afterwards. I want them to feel motivated, excited and confident that they can make a positive change for their life. 

My interest was sparked when:  

To work for the best restaurants in the best city in the world was beyond exciting, but all the dining out didn’t feel great. To combat the heavy dinners and late nights, I developed a passion for nutrition and fitness—this was the beginning of my quest to find that mythical place where I could feel good while enjoying all the foods and experiences I wanted to have. It seemed impossible at the time; I would oscillate from fancy dinners and nights out with friends to juice cleanses and bootcamp workouts. After years of self-experimentation, I decided to go back to school, first to be a health coach and later to pursue a master’s in nutrition. The more I learned about nutrition and my body, the less restrictive I was and the better I felt. It was truly liberating. Now, in my client work and through my book, Foodwise, I hope to help others find the intersection between nutrition and pleasure. I genuinely believe it has made me and others happier, healthier, more joyful people. 

The idea behind it is: 

Foodwise includes a 21-day reset program which is designed to help you discover the best foods and routines for your body, while giving your body (and mind!) a much-needed break from the stressors of daily life. The program allows for a consistent 21-days of nourishing food, good sleep and true self-care. The book comes with 100 exciting recipes that are anything but diet-y (think chocolate avocado mousse, fresh crab and arugula spaghetti and za’atar crusted chicken cutlets). We remove common food triggers like alcohol, added sugars, processed foods, gluten and dairy, so you can take a break and re-evaluate your relationship with that food, while finding alternatives you love. After the program is complete, you are encouraged to reintroduce these foods and monitor how you feel. The results are astounding—your body was engineered to heal itself, sometimes we just need to get out of the way—and The Reset will give you the space you need to do that. I have been doing a version of this program for over a decade and can say wholeheartedly that it has changed my life, my health and my relationship with food. 

My favorite lesser-known detail is:

More than the physical benefits of The Reset, many people experience profound mental and emotional benefits: decreased stress and anxiety, increased productivity and focus, less irritability and more.  

It’s so important to focus on learning more about yourself rather than always changing because:

There is an insane amount of nutrition information out there, but the true answer is within you. You just need to give yourself the space to find it and the tools to be able to listen to it. You are the master of your body. No one knows you like you do. Tap into your inner nutritional wisdom, so you can align your choices with what your body needs. 

Constant exploration and evolution is so essential because:

We are always changing and evolving, so it’s important to have a strong relationship with your body and your nutrition needs, so you can adapt to those changes and nourish yourself in the best way possible. 

It can help you become:

More intuitive. 

The words I live by are:

When it comes to nutrition (or anything, really), if you don’t like it, it’s not good for you. 

One truth that is so important, but people don’t always realize is:

Nutrition is about joy and happiness, not perfection or dogma. You have one life—it’s meant to be enjoyed. Food is an important part of that, but, if you’re eating something that makes you sick, anxious or unwell, it’s not really enjoyable, is it? Foodwise is about finding your sweet spot, where you love what you eat and it makes you feel great.