How Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Patients Can Optimize Muscle Growth and Recovery
EDS
Nutrition
Katie Mednick, MBA, RD

YOU CAN FEEL BETTER
Personalized nutrition counseling can get you there.

Katie Mednick
Registered Dietitian and EDS Nutrition Expert
Nutrition affects our mood, energy levels, joint pain and inflammation, ability to focus, digestive health, and so much more.
When I started applying what I was learning about nutrition to my own life, my symptoms improved more than I thought was possible. Fewer days spent icing my joints, less time needed to rest, and fewer (okay...almost zero!) stomachaches. Magic? No. Just good nutrition.
Now, as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I help fellow Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) patients with nutrition because everyone deserves to feel better.
Using my Feel Better Program framework, I work one on one with clients to:
Pinpoint nutritional issues
Provide manageable and targeted solutions
Support the habit change process
Increase quality of life and decrease symptoms
I can help you...
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Get relief from symptoms like chronic stomachaches, irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms, acid reflux, bloating, and nausea
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Build a nutritionally adequate diet that supports your Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome diagnosis
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Choose which supplements are right for you based on your diet and symptoms
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Find ways to optimize your diet to decrease chronic pain and fatigue
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I can help you sort fact from fiction when it comes to special diets and supplements
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I can provide strategies to make food preparation more accessible and manageable
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I can assess your nutrition status and diet to provide personalized recommendations
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I can provide accountability and approachable goals to help you meet your unique health goals
What can I do for you?
I see patients who...
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Have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, hypermobility spectrum disorder, and/or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
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Are confused about what they should eat and what supplements they need
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Have followed restrictive diets in hopes of feeling better, but end up with more problems
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Struggle to eat enough nutritious foods because of poor appetite, fatigue, or GI symptoms
My Approach
Just as every patient is different, every practitioner is as well! Here are a few areas that provide insight into how I approach patient care.
Piecing Together the Evidence
While there continues to be a lack of scientific research when it comes to nutrition’s role in directly managing Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I rely on existing research to inform my approach to helping clients manage symptoms associated with the disease. Luckily, research on chronic inflammation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gastrointestinal motility issues, etc. is available and provides adequate insight into nutrition strategies that can benefit people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I sincerely hope that more research is published in the coming years to continue to inform my treatment approach.
Giving You the Best of Both Worlds
As expected, I have thorough training in nutrition science. However, as many of us know, food is so much more than fuel for our bodies. Food is interwoven into our cultural traditions, daily habits, taste preferences, emotions, and social connections. As such, I am grateful to have training in several frameworks like the Non-Diet Approach and Intuitive Eating. This allows me to utilize a variety of strategies and perspectives with clients and promote healthful relationships with food.
Habits As the Key to Success
While many of us easily understand why a dietary change is important, we often struggle with how to implement and maintain this change. Because this is such a crucial component to making progress and feeling better, I embrace habit change strategies and tailored goal setting with each of my clients. I believe that it is my job to give you all of the tools you need to succeed under my care and learn how to maintain this progress for years to come!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take insurance?
Unfortunately I currently do not have the option to bill insurance for patient visits.
Do you work with patients that do not have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?
Occasionally I do see patients who do not have EDS or related health conditions. Feel free to send me a message so we can see if we are a good fit.
What's the difference between a nutritionist or nutrition coach and a Registered Dietitian?
Registered Dietitians are credentialed health professionals who have completed extensive coursework in standardized classes, have competently completed 1200 hours of supervised practice, and have passed the Registration Examination for Dietitians. There is no standardized education or verification of competency for nutrition coaches or nutritionists. Registered Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals who can provide Medical Nutrition Therapy - the practice of helping people manage diseases through diet modification.
Do you prescribe a certain diet that I have to follow?
I do not encourage my patients to follow any specific diet. No foods are off-limits, unless you are allergic to them or they make you feel awful. Instead, we look at your diet together and identify foods that might help you feel better and add these to your meals and snacks.
I am well versed in plant-based diets and am happy to help patients maintain this dietary pattern while working with me if that is a preference.