Monica Reinagel (born 25 November 1964) is a licensed nutritionist based in Baltimore, United States.Kim Carollo, “Forget the Food Pyramid – a New Symbol Is Set to Take Its Place,” ABC News, June 1, 2011.“Eating Healthy on a Budget,” Forbes, August 18, 2011.
Early life Reinagel was born in Buffalo, New York, on November 25, 1964. She was trained as a chef at Maryland's L'Academie de Cuisine, and earned a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport.
Career
Podcasts Since 2008, Reinagel has been the nutrition contributor to the website Quick And Dirty Tips. She produces a weekly five-to-seven-minute podcast focused on food, nutrition and health.Mia Horberg, “Review: The Nutrition Diva Podcast,” Chicago Tribune. Accessed November 10, 2012. In November 2012, the podcast was one of iTunes' top 10 Health podcasts in the United States and Canada.“iTunes Store Top 10 Podcasts – Health,” Apple.com. Accessed November 10, 2012. In 2023, Nutrition Diva was noted by The New York Times as one of "12 Health Podcasts worth Listening To."Jancee Dunn,"Digestion, Love and Medical Bills: 12 Health Podcasts Worth Listening To" New York Times. Accessed April 29, 2024
In 2020, Reinagel launched the Change Academy, a podcast focusing on behavior change."Change Academy on Apple Podcasts" Apple.com. Accessed April 29, 2024.
Media Reinagel has appeared on television on The Dr. Oz Show,"The Life-Extending Power of Antioxidants, Pt 3," The Dr. Oz Show, January 14, 2013. CBS News,“Seen at 11: The Deliberate Technique of Calorie Cycling,” CBS New York, May 31, 2012. ABC Eyewitness News,“Seen on Sunday morning: July 20th,” ABC Eyewitness News, July 20, 2008. TodayDiane Mapes, "Which joe has the most mojo?" Today, March 14, 2013. and NY1,“Eating Green Can Help Your Diet And the Planet,” NY1, April 21, 2008. and in print and online publications including Chicago Tribune,Janet Helm, “Countdown to better health,” Chicago Tribune, January 7, 2009. Seattle TimesSam McManis, “Test your knowledge of sugary foods,” Seattle Times, September 23, 2009. and Washington Post.Jennifer LaRue Huget, “Better-for-You Holiday Beverages, Anyone?” Washington Post, December 9, 2008. and U.S. News & World ReportElaine Hinzey, Two of a Kind: Optavia and HMR Diet USNews.com, accessed April 29, 2024.
Beginning in 2011, she was a regular contributor to the Huffington Post as a part of their "Healthy Living" section, advising readers on weight loss and healthy eating.For example, Monica Reinagel, “How to Break Through a Weight Loss Plateau,” Huffington Post, March 16, 2012.
Between 2015 and 2020, Reinagel published a regular column on food and nutrition for Scientific American.Stories by Monica Reinagel Scientificamerican.com, accessed April 29, 2024. She has also been a frequent contributor to Food & Nutrition magazine (a publication of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics),For example, Monica Reinagel, “Today’s Contemporary Spice Cabinet,” Food & Nutrition, February 15, 2012. and produces a regular feature called Smart Nutrition for WYPR in Baltimore.“Smart Nutrition,” WYPR, September 26, 2012. She was the chief nutritionist for Conde Nast's NutritionData website from 2007 until 2010.Monica Reinagel, “Fresh starts, happy endings,” Self, December 30, 2010.
Professional Affiliations Reinagel serves on the Expert Advisory Panel for U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Diets” rankingsExperts Who Reviewed U.S. News Best Diets 2023 | U.S. News and on the Advisory Council of the True Health Initiative, a global coalition of health professionals advocating evidence-based lifestyle medicine
Nutrition GPA app
A novel smartphone app offers an alternative to diet tracking and promises to help you "upgrade your nutrition," by answering ten yes-or-no questions about what you ate each day. The app assigns a grade for the day and then averages your daily grades to track your "nutrition grade point average."Nutrition GPA app Apple.com. Accessed April 29, 2024Nutrition GPA app Google Play. Accessed April 29, 2024 In 2018, the Nutrition GPA app was noted by The New York Times as one of four "Best Food-Tracking Apps for you."Casey Johnston, "Fitness for Everyone" New York Times Magazine special section (print edition only), published June 3, 2018.
Speaking
Reinagel has presented keynotes and workshops at a variety of national and international forums of wellness and health professionals, including the 2025 IDEA/ACSM Health and Fitness Summit, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans 2023 Health and Benefits Conference and Expo,HBCE Educational Program Schedule.IFEPB.org, accessed April 29, 2024 the Association of Washington Cities 2023 Healthy Worksite Summit,Healthy Worksite Summit Wacities.org, accessed March 13, 2023 and IDEA Health and Fitness Association's 2019 Nutrition and Behavioral Change Summit.2019 IDEA World Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit. Ideafit.com, accessed April 29, 2024.
IF Rating
Systemic inflammation has been linked to an array of adverse health outcomes, and diet has a measurable effect on markers of inflammation as well as inflammation-related morbidities.
In 2006, Reinagel introduced the IF Ratings, a system that attempts to predict the inflammatory or anti-inflammatory potential of foods and mixed meals based on their nutrient composition. Reinagel cites peer-reviewed published research on the associations between various nutrients, food components, and dietary patterns on inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein as the basis for the unpublished formula used to produce the ratings. No analyses of the statistical validity of the IF Ratings or results of any controlled interventions have been published.
Similar to other proponents of anti-inflammatory diets, such as Barry Sears, Nicholas Perricone, and Andrew Weil, Reinagel recommends incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods such as fish, nuts, olive oil, non-starchy vegetables and spices, and limiting refined grains, sugar, and saturated and hydrogenated fats.
Weighless.Life
The year-long program called Weighless which Monica created with Brock Armstrong, combines nutrition and exercise science, behaviour modification, professional guidance, and community support to help you lose weight and keep it off long-term. The program was created out of a desire to help people reset their relationship with food and movement, rather than simply to help them lose weight. The catchphrase of the program "stop dieting and start weighing less" really sums up the program. Reinagel believes that we won't solve the obesity epidemic by inventing yet another diet, we will solve it by realizing that diets don't work.
Opera A classically trained singer,“Hopkins Symphony Orchestra: Monica Reinagel, mezzo-soprano,” jhu.edu, November 12, 2006. Reinagel has performed as a soloist with the Baltimore Opera Company, Ohio Light Opera, the Smithsonian Institution and Opera Lafayette, among others.“Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s next concert series on Saturday, Jan. 29 and Sunday, Jan. 30,” The Star-Ledger, January 24, 2011.Anne Midgette, “Opera Lafayette’s ‘Les Arts Florissants’,” Washington Post, October 21, 2009.
Awards 2019 Recognized by The Daily Record as one of that year's most "Influential Marylanders" 2011 Apex Award for Excellence in How-To Writing ("The Fun and Frugal Fashion of Home Canning" – ADA Times)“Awards & Highlights – Q4 2011/Q1 2012,” The Authors Guild. Accessed November 14, 2012. 2012 Gold Hermes Creative Award for Feature Writing, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ("Not Your Mother's Spice Cabinet" – Food & Nutrition)Hermes Creative Awards. Search: “Dietetic”. Accessed November 15, 2012. 2012 Podcast Awards Nominee: Health/Fitness category Podcast Awards. Accessed November 20, 2012. 2012 Stitcher Awards Nominee: Best Health & Lifestyle Podcast Stitcher Awards. Accessed November 20, 2012.
Bibliography
Hardcovers and paperbacks Secrets of Evening Primrose Oil (2000, St. Martin's Paperbacks) The Life Extension Revolution: The New Science of Growing Older Without Aging (2005, Bantam Books) – with Philip Lee Miller The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan (2006, McGraw-Hill) Nutrition Diva's Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About (2011, St. Martin's Griffin)
E-books and audio books Nutrition Diva's 5 Secrets for Aging Well (2011, Macmillan Audio) Nutrition Diva's Grocery Store Survival Guide (2011, St. Martin's Griffin) How to Win at Losing: 10 Diet Myths That Keep You From Succeeding (2012, St. Martin’s Griffin) Nutrition Zombies: 10 Nutrition Myths That Refuse to Die (2012, St. Martin’s Griffin) Quick and Dirty Tips for Life After College (2012, St. Martin’s Griffin)
References
External links Official website (Speaking) Official website (Nutrition) Change Academy (podcast) Nutrition Diva (podcast)