In today's interview, we delve into the world of data-based nutrition coaching and find out how innovative tools such as the Hello Inside Coaching Suite support coaches and clients in making healthy choices. Our Head of Nutrition, Marie-Luise Huber, nutritionist & dietician, talks to Eileen Mönnich, an experienced nutritionist at Medical4Fitness.
Marie-Luise Huber, Head of Nutrition @ Hello Inside
Eileen shares her exciting career, gives insights into her everyday coaching life and shows how she uses the Hello Inside Coaching Dashboard to give her clients data-driven, individualized recommendations to achieve even better results.
Eileen Mönnich, nutritionist @ Medical4Fitness
The interview
Marie- Luise:
Hello and welcome! Thank you for joining us today. My name is Marie Luise, I am Head of Nutrition at Hello Inside. Today I'm pleased to introduce Eileen, nutritionist at Medical for Fitness. She will give us an insight into how she goes about coaching using the Hello Inside Coaching Dashboard and Suite. Thank you for joining us today, Eileen! Would you like to tell us about your background and your journey into coaching?
Eileen:
Yes, with pleasure! Nice to be here and thank you very much. My coaching career didn't start in the traditional way. I tried many different jobs and was looking for the right one for a long time. At some point, I started to focus on fitness and health and first became a trainer. After three and a half years, I realized that I was becoming more and more fascinated by nutrition. I started watching videos about it and thought: "This is exactly my thing!" So I studied nutritional counseling, trained intensively and found my passion in it. After my studies, I ended up at Medical for Fitness - a great team where I feel totally at home.
Marie- Luise:
That sounds great, and I think it's great that you've found your way to nutrition. As a nutritionist, I know how important this is - especially because everyone has an opinion on this topic. What are the most important insights you have gained in recent years?
Eileen:
That's a good question. I've often been asked what the bottom line is from my studies and my experiences. I would say that variety is key. Many people forget how many different types of fruit and vegetables there are - or even nuts! It's about eating unprocessed and integrating plant-based foods more. Another important point is sugar. Sugar is hidden in so many products that many people don't even realize how much they are actually consuming. I think if we focused on this, we would have fewer health problems and our blood sugar levels would also be more stable.
Marie- Luise:
These are really exciting findings, especially on the subject of sugar. At Hello Inside, we use our app to make patterns like this visible. How do you use the Hello Inside Coaching Suite and the dashboard in your practice?
Eileen:
Almost all of my clients now use a blood glucose tracker. We always schedule a mid-term appointment to look at the data in the dashboard together. The exciting thing is that we not only analyze the blood sugar curves, but also how certain foods, drinks, exercise or stress affect them. I find the option to enter ingredients for meals particularly helpful. This allows us to see which foods trigger specific reactions and compare the meal scores. This enables us to respond to customers individually and make targeted recommendations.
"Almost all my clients now use a blood glucose tracker. (...) This allows us to see which foods cause specific reactions and compare meal scores. This enables us to respond to customers individually and make targeted recommendations."
Marie- Luise:
Super, super exciting. You've already mentioned the topic of the blood sugar curve. Are there any other features of the coaching suite that you feel have a big impact on your clients?
Eileen:
Yes, absolutely. One of the biggest advantages is that customers can see the effects of their diet live. For example: they eat an apple and immediately see what happens to their blood sugar curve. Or they can see whether their morning coffee has an impact on their values. This gives them direct feedback. Another big point is that customers learn to maintain healthy intervals between meals. Many snack in between meals or feel like they have to eat all the time. With the help of the suite, they quickly find out whether the last meal was really filling or whether it could be put together better.
"One of the biggest advantages is that customers can see the effects of their diet live. For example: they eat an apple and immediately see what happens to their blood sugar curve. Or they can see whether their morning coffee has an impact on their values. This gives them direct feedback."
Marie- Luise:
That sounds like real added value. It's really fascinating that customers can see for themselves what effect their habits have.
Eileen:
Yes, it motivates them immensely. Especially when they get scores for their meals and days through the app. Nobody wants to end up in the red! This automatically leads to them eating more consciously and trying out different tips - for example, drinking a glass of water with apple cider vinegar or going for a walk after a meal. There are so many helpful recommendations in the app that customers are enthusiastic about.
Marie- Luise:
You also touched on the topic of motivation, which I find really exciting. How has your coaching changed through the use of real-time data?
Eileen:
Coaching has changed enormously. We used to use food diaries, which was very time-consuming. Now clients enter what they eat and drink directly in the app, often even with approximate quantities. This makes my job easier because I can not only see what they eat, but also when. I can also deal directly with issues such as sleep, which often have a major impact on blood sugar. For example, if a customer sleeps badly, we look at what they have eaten or drunk in the evening. You can also see alcohol very clearly in the curve.
Marie- Luise:
That's really interesting, especially that you can use so much information directly.
Eileen:
Yes, exactly. The suite automatically maps many aspects that I would otherwise have to ask about individually. This allows me to start the conversation more quickly and make targeted recommendations. It's important to suggest small steps to customers - small changes that have a big impact in the long term. For example, instead of cutting out food completely, I recommend alternatives. This ensures that the change is more sustainable and that customers also enjoy it.
Marie- Luise:
Super cool. You've also said that the suite is sustainable and fun. That brings me to another question: is there a success story that you particularly remember, where you would say the suite really helped you to give customers an aha moment?
"There are also the typical cases where someone says: "Oh, that little bit of chocolate a day or the energy drink - that's not a problem." But then when we look at the curve together, there are often wide eyes: "Oh, so that's what happens." It helps customers to see in black and white how their diet is affecting them."
Eileen:
To be honest, I can't think of a single specific story - but I can think of countless little moments of success. These click moments are incredibly common: when customers see what happens when they eat something just before going to bed in the evening, drink alcohol, eat large portions or hard-to-digest food - or even eat nothing at all. We also have a lot of customers who eat too little, and this shows up wonderfully in the blood sugar curves.
There are also the typical cases where someone says: "Oh, that little bit of chocolate a day or the energy drink - that's no problem." But then when we look at the curve together, there are often wide eyes: "Oh, so that's what happens." It helps customers to see in black and white how their diet affects them. Many are familiar with the midday slump after a big meal with dessert. Once they can clearly understand this, they try to change something themselves.
I find it particularly exciting how important meal intervals are. When we analyze this, customers immediately see what a difference it makes to eat a regular and varied diet. It's about encouraging small changes - and having a discussion after a week to see what has worked better. This regularly leads to aha moments that motivate customers.
Marie- Luise:"You can also show customers something that is often difficult to grasp in nutritional advice. With the app, I can show them directly: This is the difference your choices make."
That is really impressive. It also speaks to how versatile the suite is. If you had to give the coaches watching this interview advice on why they should use the suite in their practice - what would you say?
Eileen:
I mentioned many points earlier, but for me the suite is above all a huge relief. It provides a solid basis for immediately seeing how customers are eating - and at what intervals. You can also show customers something that is often difficult to grasp in nutritional advice. With the app, I can show them directly: This is the difference your choices make.
Sometimes it's like this: If I move a lamp from left to right, I see the effect immediately. But when it comes to nutrition, it often takes longer to notice noticeable changes. This makes it difficult for us coaches to show clients how important their decisions are. The suite closes this gap by providing direct visual feedback. That's exactly what makes it indispensable for me.
Marie- Luise:
Super exciting, and I also think the comparison with the lamp is wonderful - I'll have to remember that. Finally, another question: What was the biggest challenge for you when you used the dashboard for the first time and tracked your blood sugar? And how did you overcome it?
Eileen:
I think the biggest challenge was really interpreting and reading the data. Blood glucose levels are incredibly individual - each person reacts differently. Of course, there are general recommendations that can be given to almost everyone, but the details are often complex. Understanding this well and drawing the right conclusions was not easy at the beginning. But you really gave me great support. Through discussions and tips, I got better and better at it and was able to apply and pass on the knowledge directly. Whenever I had a specific case, I was allowed to ask questions and was given helpful suggestions. It didn't take long for me to feel confident and I'm now coping really well.
Marie Luise:
This is really valuable. Thank you very much, Eileen, for sharing this experience with us. It is important to us that our coaches are never left alone. If there are any questions, we are of course always available. It's also exciting to see what we can learn from you and your customers - this gives us valuable insights to further develop our app and in turn provide you with better support. Together we can learn from each other and build a community. Thank you for supporting this.
One last question: What advice would you give to coaches who are just starting out with Hello Inside?
"In short: just get started! You don't have to understand everything perfectly to get started. The data provides a solid foundation and you can quickly grow into it."
Eileen:
That's a good question. In short: just get started! You don't have to understand everything perfectly to get started. The data provides a solid foundation and you quickly grow into it. We regularly offer Zoom calls in which we look at curves together - this not only motivates the customers, but also helps us coaches to better understand what is happening. Sometimes we use anonymized curves to explain to everyone what certain patterns mean. This often arouses interest and shows other clients what is possible.
I think the most important thing is not to let perfectionism slow you down. There are always curves that are not 100% explainable - humans are a marvel. Just try it out, gain experience and get in touch if you have any questions - that's how you quickly become confident in using the suite.
Marie Luise:
Great, then I say thank you very much, Eileen. Those are wonderful closing words: "Man is a marvel." Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all my questions in such detail. Take care!
Eileen:
With pleasure. Thank you very much!
The 5 top insights from Eileen
2. data as a motivation booster: Customers are thrilled when they can see live how their decisions - such as meals, snacks or sleep - affect their blood sugar levels. These direct insights motivate them immensely.
3. efficient coaching through clear data: Instead of laboriously analyzing food diaries, the suite provides me with all the relevant information at a glance, from nutrition and exercise to sleep. This saves time and allows me to concentrate fully on providing advice.
4. small changes, big impact: Thanks to the visual feedback in the app, customers quickly recognize which small adjustments - such as meal spacing or alternative ingredients - can bring about big improvements.
5. an indispensable tool for coaches: The suite makes my work much easier, makes coaching data-based and modern and creates trust with my clients. I can no longer imagine my practice without it!
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