Have you thought about getting nutrition coaching?

When most people think about seeing a nutritionist, they picture being handed a strict meal plan, told what to stop eating, and sent on their way with a list of “good” and “bad” foods.

At Ayla Health, we do things differently.

Our nutrition coaching isn’t about control, restriction, or quick fixes. It’s about partnership, personalisation, and progress, one habit at a time. If you’re curious about nutrition coaching but not quite sure what to expect, this article is for you.

Let’s walk you through what happens in a coaching session with us.

Step 1: Getting to Know You

Your first session is all about you. We start by asking a lot of questions about your goals, lifestyle, medical history, and current food habits. We want to understand the full picture of your health, lifestyle, values, challenges, and goals.

This part of the process is key. It means your coach can tailor the support to what you actually need, not what worked for someone else.

Step 2: Understanding What You Want to Work On

Once your coach has a clear picture, they’ll reflect back what they’ve heard and identify areas where you could focus. These might include things like:

  • Building a more consistent eating routine
  • Navigating symptoms of a health condition like PCOS, IBS, or ADHD
  • Learning how to feel satisfied after meals without guilt or overthinking
  • Organising your food shopping and prep with less stress

You can decide where to start, or your coach can suggest a focus point. Either way the direction is collaborative.

Step 3: Learn, Plan, Practice

Here’s where the magic happens.

No two sessions are the same, but most involve one or more of the following:

Learning: Your coach might explain how a condition affects your nutrition, why a certain approach might work better for your body, or how to rethink unhelpful food beliefs you’ve internalised.

Planning: You might work together to create a realistic plan for the week ahead, whether that’s tweaking your snack routine, finding easy lunch options, or figuring out how to stay nourished during a stressful period.

Building awareness and skills: This could include understanding your hunger and fullness cues, identifying non-hunger eating triggers, improving your body image, or exploring new coping strategies that support your long-term health.

At the end of every session, you’ll leave with a clear action plan that feels achievable and personalised. We call this “doing the doing” and it’s the heart of our approach.

What Makes Ayla Health Nutrition Coaching Different?

At Ayla Health our approach is grounded in compassion, evidence, and flexibility. Here’s what sets us apart:

  • Incremental change: We help you make small, manageable changes that build over time, not an overwhelming overhaul.
  • Education without judgment: We share frameworks and tools, not rigid rules. You’re encouraged to think critically and make choices that fit your life.
  • Skill-building focus: We help you develop the skills and confidence to make food decisions that serve your health and values, now and into the future.
  • Collaborative, client-led care: You’re the expert in your own life. We’re here to support you in discovering solutions that actually work for you.

And importantly…

  • We don’t add moral value to food or promote restriction.
  • We welcome and support all body sizes, identities, eating histories, and health goals.

Our Areas of Expertise

Our team of experienced, university-qualified nutrition professionals can support you across a wide range of concerns, including:

  • Diet culture & disordered eating recovery
  • Feeding toddlers, kids, and families
  • Gut health and IBS
  • Women’s health: PCOS, endometriosis, fertility, menopause
  • Mental health: ADHD, anxiety, depression
  • Heart Health: cholesterol and blood pressure
  • Diabetes and chronic disease
  • Eating for active lifestyles and sustainable performance

Our Holistic Eating Framework

Our nutrition coaching process involves us working with you on ALL the elements of eating. It’s not just about WHAT to eat. It’s about HOW, WHY, and WHEN you eat as well.

Nutrition education: Evidence-based nutrition information that is individualised and tailored to you to help you address your long-term health concerns.

Skill Building: The building of food skills to help you consistently put the above nutrition advice into practice: meal planning, organisation, shopping, cooking, other food prep, building a balanced meal, understanding habits and behaviour change, etc.

Self-Awareness (self-efficacy): Learning to listen to the body’s hunger and fullness cues, understanding non-hunger cues to eat and how to manage them with your routine, mindful eating, body image, self-compassion, and mindset shifts.

Underpinning this process is that we change habits ONE AT A TIME.

How Long Does Nutrition Coaching Last?

Every person is unique, which means every coaching journey is unique as well. Some people work with us for 3–4 sessions, while others work with us for 6–9 sessions. Some individuals check in monthly or seasonally for long-term support.

There’s no right way, only your way.

Still Not Sure?

That’s okay.

We know starting something new, especially when it comes to food and health, can feel daunting. That’s why we offer your first coaching session completely free.

It’s a chance to meet your coach, ask questions, and explore whether our approach feels like the right fit. No obligation. No hard sell. Just support.