ABOUT US
Our founder, Erica Leon, has had a 35+ year career as a dietitian nutritionist.
- We are based in Westchester County, New York and our team members are located across the country.
- We are licensed to work with clients in the following states: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Vermont, and we are adding more each day.
- The Erica Leon Nutrition team is guided by the non-diet, weight-inclusive approach to health using the frameworks of Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size. ®
- This non-diet approach individualizes your nutritional needs and focuses on your overall health and well-being rather than focusing on your body weight.
Our philosophy when it comes to nutrition…
All bodies are worthy and deserving of care.
All foods fit and can be part of a balanced eating pattern.
Your relationship with food is as important (if not even more so) than the food you actually consume.
We want YOU to be able to distinguish between your reasons for eating – the “why”, “when”, “what”, “how” and “how much” – as the first step in learning to eat mindfully.
You may wonder how you will ever achieve a normal relationship with food.
The answers to your overall health and wellness include:
- Challenging your thoughts and assumptions about the definition of “normal eating.”
- Recognizing that food and weight issues aren’t always about the food.
- Approaching your body from a place of compassion rather than judgment.
As a team we strive to embrace these core values:
Honesty, Authenticity and Advocacy: Society encourages us to hide our struggles and put up barriers between ourselves and the rest of the world.
We stand up for what we believe and openly share our point of view.
We respect when others do the same. We want you to feel safe, and we want to meet you where you are. We believe that this is where healing starts.
As anti-diet clinicians, we are committed to dismantling oppressive systems and advocating for all individuals – especially those in marginalized bodies. We provide people of all ages, sizes, sexual orientations, genders, ethnicity, abilities, and socioeconomic levels with a whole-person, non-shaming approach to the mystery and miracle of living in a human body.
WHAT IS HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE®?
The Health at Every Size® philosophy promotes self-care — learning to eat according to hunger and fullness cues as well as satisfaction, choosing physical activities that are pleasurable, managing our levels of stress, getting adequate sleep and of course, having access to respectful health care. With better self-care, our bodies are more likely to stabilize at their own natural healthy weight.
Research consistently shows that trying to control or manage weight (through caloric restriction or dieting), may work in the short term but more often results in rebound weight gain. Our bodies can undermine efforts at weight control because the body is enormously successful at regulating its weight. It’s not something we need to “work at”—in fact, this “control” approach ends up being counterproductive.
MEET THE TEAM
Erica Leon
MS, RDN, CDN, CEDS
she/her
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Eating Disorder Specialist
Erica (and all practitioners at Erica Leon Nutrition) practices from a Health at Every Size (HAES®) lens. She is certified as an eating disorder specialist and is passionate about helping women at midlife, menopause and beyond to make peace with food and body image.
Erica is a highly sensitive nutrition therapist who takes the time to learn where you or your family are in the pursuit of health. Respectful of your individual needs and lifestyle, she will provide an honest assessment of whether or not we’re a good fit.
She prides herself on being down to earth, relatable, and a practitioner who understands her client’s struggles, having dealt with her own personal health issues over the years.
Rebecca Stetzer
RD, CD
she/her
Rebecca specializes in weight-inclusive nutrition therapy counseling for a variety of health conditions, but primarily eating disorders and disordered eating/body image concerns, gastroinestinal disorders, family and child feeding concerns, and cardiovascular conditions.
Diana Ushay
MS, RDN, CDN, CNSC
she/her
Diana specializes in working with clients with eating disorders, is certified as an Intuitive Eating Counselor, and is also certified as a Nutrition Support Clinician with the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN).
Diana has had varied work experiences, including working at MonteNido and Affiliates as an eating recovery coach and chef. She now incorporates recipes, cooking and meal planning into her counseling sessions to help spark the joy of cooking in all of her clients. Diana has been involved in two very important projects at Erica Leon Nutrition.
She has partnered with Erica to write a cookbook with Recipes for Recovery and she is providing meal support for individuals over the age of 18, who are looking to have additional group support.
Taylor Lucas
MS Nutrition & Dietetics
she/her
Taylor Lucas has been a valuable member of the team of dietitians at Erica Leon Nutrition since she completed her Master’s Degree in Nutritional Science at CUNY Hunter College. Taylor shares how she intends to use her passion for nutrition and community to make an impact as a registered dietitian!
“Food is often how we connect with our traditions, cultures, families, and even identities. That connection should be respected and honored.”
Taylor loves to share her passion for plant-centered, culturally competent nutrition therapy, particularly within the African American and Latinx communities. Taylor believes that even the smallest decisions can play a major role in the prevention and progression of chronic disease.
Simone Weingarten
MS, RDN, CEDS
she/her
Simone specializes in Sports Nutrition and Adolescent – Teen Eating Disorders.
She is a sports nutritionist who works with athletes of all ages and abilities, from recreational to elite, and is certified as an Eating Disorder Specialist with the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.
She brings with her experience working with teens and adolescents as an eating disorder specialist who has worked at Clementine Eating Disorder Treatment Center in Briarcliff Manor, NY.
Simone believes strongly in the Health at Every Size® approach and works with our clients virtually from her office in Texas!
Rebecca Rikon
LMSW, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor
she/her
“I am very excited to use my own lived experience and professional training to help others with their journey from professional dieter to a confident Intuitive Eater!”
Rebecca Rikon is a Masters Level Social Worker and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Rebecca has practiced Intuitive Eating since 2016 and with Erica’s help, has evolved from professional dieter to confident Intuitive Eater.
She is excited to use her own lived experience and professional training to help others with their journey. She is currently accepting individual coaching clients.
Guiding Principles/Core values of Erica Leon Nutrition and Associates
We Believe: At Erica Leon Nutrition & Associates, all of our dietitians take a non-diet approach, individualize your nutritional needs and focus on your overall health and well-being rather than focusing on your weight. We believe that difficult relationships with food and body image are barriers to people living life fully. We are passionate about helping our clients develop a positive relationship with food and increased confidence in making food decisions.
We are committed to an anti-oppression practice and providing people of all ages, sizes, sexual orientations, genders, ethnicity, abilities, and socioeconomic levels with a whole-person, non-shaming approach to the mystery and miracle of living in a human body.
As a team we will be striving to embrace these core values:
Honesty, Authenticity, and Reliability: Society encourages us to hide our struggles and put up barriers between ourselves and the rest of the world. We stand up for what we believe and openly share our points of view. We respect when others do the same. We want you to feel safe, and we want to meet you where you are. We strive to be reliable, as we believe that consistency is key to building trust. We believe that this is where healing starts.
We are licensed to see patients in: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.
FREE: INTUITIVE EATING GUIDE!
Are you ready to make peace with food and your body image? You CAN Get OFF that DIET Roller Coaster… for GOOD!
Enter your name and email below to download this free guide.
