More about my practice

  • In addition to expertise in human physiology, metabolism, and medical nutrition therapy, as well as practical food knowledge and skills, I do my best to listen well, with no judgment. I aim to simplify and communicate clearly (and enthusiastically) the science of nutrition and your body, to help you navigate all the confounding nutrition advice, to inspire and empower you to set goals and make sustainable changes that lead to balance, energy, vitality and ultimately improved health and brighter life. I am happy to discuss the dietary trends du jour that you are intrigued or tempted by. However, I favor a more sustainable approach to eating that draws on my expert knowledge and perspective on the field for over 25 years. My goal is to coach you on your path, helping you discover how your body works best within the life you live, as you refine your approach to eating and wellness. I do all this while offering lots of positive support, guidance, and motivation along the way. One thing that sets me apart from other nutritionists is my extensive food knowledge and skills. I hope you will experience our work together as purpose-driven, supported, joyous, and transformative.

  • When you work with me, you allow me to join you on your wellness journey so that we can collectively explore your questions, the challenges or barriers you face, and the roots of any persistent struggles you might have.

    During our 1:1 or group virtual (telehealth) coaching or therapy sessions through HIPPA-compliant video, we discuss your eating habits, food behaviors, food culture and values around eating, along with your lifestyle patterns and habits, and concerns specific to your body and stage of life. Then we discuss tools you need to pursue balanced eating and lifestyle habits on your journey of wellness. I aim to provide a safe, non-judgmental space, where you can deeply explore, with curiosity and self-compassion, your beliefs, and feelings about food, eating, your body, and health.

  • I believe that wellness is not a destination but a journey. It requires a growth mindset, intentionality, consistent practices, and self-compassion. Our bodies are ordered, complex and harmonious and we are multi-dimensional beings that are more than our bodies. I see the daily practice of feeding ourselves fundamental to nurturing not only a healthy body, but also a strong mind and a flourishing spirit. Food is medicine and so is movement and all the things that nourish your soul and help you root deeper.

    My approach is grounded in my expertise in human nutrition and relies on science and evidence-informed recommendations (from the latest scientific research), and also on lived experience and intuition. In addition, my work is based on the principles of functional and integrative nutrition. What this means is that I take a holistic approach that considers multiple aspects of your life, beyond what you eat, that might affect your well-being and health, including parts of your medical and family history, eating patterns, personal preferences, as well as factors that could affect your food choices, such as your stage of life, activity level, sleep, stress, environmental exposures, and the presence or absence of chronic disease. And I also aim to uncover and address the root causes of your health concerns or challenges. 

    Most approaches to nutrition dwell on numbers: on your plate, on the scale, in your blood. Numbers can be important, but we are whole beings and there is more to health and wellness than numbers. I coach my clients to create a balanced, rooted, content, and healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun, and free of absolutes, extremes, food denial, restrictions, and rigidity. We all are unique individuals and I consider your individual needs as I guide you to find the food and lifestyle choices that best support you and your life. My intention is for you to be empowered and actively involved in your wellness as I help you to make gradual, sustainable, and lifelong changes that best serve your unique body’s needs and functioning and enable you to reach your current and future wellness goals so you can discover your best health.

  • I am passionate about helping people experience wellness despite challenging circumstances or health-related limitations. I do not sell any products, recommend bogus tests, endorse magic bullets, or promote any of the latest food and health fads that will likely set you back on your wellness journey.

    I am passionate about exploring the abundance of food available to us, but doing so mindfully and sustainably. I am passionate about cooking and see it as not only an essential part of the wellness journey, but also as an important aspect of self-care.

    I am passionate about humans connecting with each other, experiencing community, and helping one another grow. And tiny beautiful things.

  • All RDNs/RDs are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are RDs. Anyone can call themselves a “nutritionist”. But in order to earn the RDN/RD credential, one must complete a rigorous education and training program at the university and post-baccalaureate levels, and not only pass a comprehensive registration exam, but also complete continuing education regularly in order to maintain the credential. An RDN/RD is qualified to provide personalized medical nutrition therapy based on scientific, evidence-based research. Lastly, the CD designation signifies that a dietitian is certified by the state of Washington as having met all state regulations for nutrition health professionals delivering services to the public.

  • Nutrition coaching is rooted in self-discovery by raising important questions and helping expand how you think about food, your relationship with food, and wellness. It enables you to identify obstacles, limiting beliefs about food, your diet, and your lifestyle choices as well as discover skill and knowledge gaps. As your nutrition coach I can help you develop and set relevant goals and action steps to reach your personal nutrition and health goals and to build new skills, while keeping you accountable and on track. Ultimately, I hope our coaching work can empower you to take action, discover new ways of eating and being that enable you to refine your wellness journey.

  • Nutrition therapy, also known as medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a personalized approach to help you manage specific health conditions and improve overall well-being through tailored dietary and nutritional interventions, including customized nutrition plans. It goes beyond “healthy eating” principles and assists you in eating in a way that specifically meets your unique health needs and goals. Nutrition therapy is an ongoing process that can help manage chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, digestive disorders and aims to improve symptoms and health outcomes. It can help you achieve personal weight goals safely and effectively. It begins with a comprehensive assessment of your health history, lifestyle, dietary habits, and nutritional needs. Based on this assessment, together we create a customized nutrition plan that fits your lifestyle and health goals, and we monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed, while I provide support and guidance to help you succeed.

  • Nutrition therapy typically provides education and tools to help you manage existing medical conditions such as high cholesterol (dyslipidemia), high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes/prediabetes, or overweight/obesity. This work is usually covered by most insurance plans when provided by a credentialed nutrition professional such as me. I am certified to provide nutrition therapy in Washington State.

    Nutrition coaching or counseling is broader and focused on prevention. It addresses general eating patterns, overall wellness and improved quality of life, and chronic disease prevention. Many insurance plans include nutrition counseling as a preventative (not medical) benefit provided outside of an existing medical diagnosis. And although there are many nutrition coaches out there, few are adequately trained and credentialed to provide this service. I can provide nutrition coaching to any adult around the world but am limited to certain states if insurance benefits are used.

  • Yes! I am a preferred provider with Premera and Regence (Blue Cross Blue Shield), which means my services are considered in-network for insurance plans with these. I use a third-party platform to provide services to clients insured with other companies (e.g. Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare). If you have insurance with any of these, you can expect my services will be at $0 out-of-pocket cost to you. If you prefer to pay yourself, I can easily provide you with a Superbill for each qualifying session with me that you can submit to your insurance company for out-of-network coverage and that can go toward your plan’s deductible, if applicable. Last but not least, most of my services are also HSA- and FSA-eligible.

  • No, you don’t! In addition to seeing (and billing for) clients in the state of WA, I can see and bill for clients in AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, HI, ID, IL, IN, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WI, and WY.

  • If you need to reschedule a session, please do so at least 48 hours in advance. For appointments cancelled or rescheduled within 24 to 48 hours of the appointment time, you will be assessed a $100 fee or a fee equivalent to 50% of the listed appointment fee for self-pay clients. No shows or appointments cancelled or rescheduled less than 24 hours in advance of your appointment time will be charged a $150 fee or a fee that is 75% of the listed appointment fee, if a self-pay client.

    For late cancellations only, the fee can be waived if we are able to reschedule your appointment for the same Mon-Fri week and you complete that appointment.

    Please note that if you arrive late to our session, it may require us to shorten or reschedule your appointment. I will work with you to reschedule as soon as it is possible for both of us.

  • I am committed to protecting your privacy and required to do so under HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Your personal information and records can be released only with your written consent, except as may be specifically required by law. My full notice of privacy practices will be shared with you at the start of our work together.

Why Kaleidoscope Nutrition?

Kaleidoscopes are curious things. After each shake, their pieces change colors and shapes, falling in and out, but always seeming to, as if by miracle, land in the right place, creating something beautiful. 

We can be shaken by life’s circumstances, and even parts of us destroyed. Yet if you take the time, look inside, and hold yourself up to the light, you will see something not only new and different, but equally, if not more, beautiful.

To me, the kaleidoscope represents the idea that as life changes and things may fall apart, we are continuously challenged to put the pieces back together again, in new ways, achieving delightful patterns and sustaining the beauty inside us.

Welcome to Kaleidoscope Nutrition!

You have landed in the right place. Step into the light.

Meet your coach

Hi! I am Danni Gheleva, Ph.D., R.D.N., C.D.. I have been a nutrition professional for over 25 years and along with my passion for all things food and sustainable eating, I have deep knowledge of nutrient metabolism, human physiology, nutrition therapy for chronic cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative disease prevention and management, as well as nutrition and wellness for active people throughout the lifecycle.

I have a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics from Texas Christian University and received a Doctorate in Human Nutrition from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I have been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist since 1997.

Food and nutrition are my life’s passion and vocation. I have taught nutrition at the college level for 18 years, training future dietitians, nurses, physical therapists, fitness coaches, and other healthcare professionals. I worked for 4 years as a nutrition scientist with a major food company. I have led experiential learning experiences in Mediterranean food culture and sustainable food production in Italy, was a visiting scholar at the Mediterranean Diet Foundation in Spain, and was the founder of the first college-based Teaching (Community) Kitchen in Washington state. I am a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society for Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.

I am thorough and detail oriented. I have the knowledge, expertise, and skills to help you reach a place of contentment when it comes to your nutrition status and well-being and assist you in making long-term lifestyle changes through support, accountability, and education. Lastly, I am not interested in promoting a narrow definition of health, or trendy diet plans that capitalize on the thrill of newness, and I am not focused on thinness and appearance. I may not always get things perfect, but I promise to be authentic and put you first.

I can’t wait to meet you.

“Eating with the fullest pleasure - pleasure, that is, that does not depend on ignorance - is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world. In this pleasure we experience our dependence and our gratitude, for we are living in a mystery, from creatures we did not make and powers we cannot comprehend.”

― Wendell Berry


On a personal note

I grew up in Bulgaria and have fond memories of spending my summers in the countryside, seeing my grandmother tend to her vegetable and flower gardens, watching her create amazing food from humble ingredients, and helping her with endless rows of jars as we canned the harvest of summer. We took long walks in the hills, stopped for picnics and naps by the river, and gathered wild plums, berries, and herbs. I have since lived in 5 different countries and although the US is my home now, I very much feel like a citizen of the world and am deeply affected by the discord at large.

As a long-time vegetarian (pescatarian) and whole foods eater, I am passionate about culturally-inclusive plant-based eating. I believe food is medicine and it was my desire to help others experience the power of food to transform, that led me to become a nutrition and wellness coach and therapist. We humans are intricately connected with the natural world, so I am an advocate for sustainable food systems and lifestyles that honor not only our bodies, minds, and souls, but also the earth and everyone else in it.

I am a nature lover, an urban dweller, bike commuter, and an adventurous traveler. I love to move, and especially to hike/trek/backpack, do yoga, lap swim, and poke around our small backyard garden. I love mountains, jazz, miniatures, poetry, sun-ripe tomatoes, a good cup of tea, home cooking, and time with friends and family. I am a curious, authentic, and resourceful human who is ever seeking growth, balance, and joy. I am also a solo parent of two young children and as a working parent I get what it is like to juggle things daily and the challenge of time and creating space for quieting your mind.

Chris van Tulleken

“In the modern world, eating lunch at a table is a sign of health and a good life.”

Wendell Berry

“Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup.”