What a Nutrition Coach in Zurich Actually Does (and Whether You Need One)
- Jun 9
- 6 min read
It started with losing a job...and finding myself
A few years ago, I lost a job I cared about.
The circumstances were not ideal, and honestly, it stung a little.
Nothing dramatic, no crisis, no disaster, but enough to make me pause and ask myself a question I had not really considered before: without a job title, who am I?
I was lucky. I had the time and the stability to sit with that question rather than rush past it. And I am aware not everyone gets that luxury, which is why I share this lightly, as my own small experience rather than any kind of universal story.
But here is what I noticed: when we meet someone new, one of the first things we ask is "what do you do?" As if our profession is the most revealing thing about us.
I had always introduced myself through my work, the companies, the roles, and the career I was building.
And when that chapter closed, I found myself genuinely curious about what else was there.
So I started introducing myself differently. Instead of a job title, I listed the things I loved. Cooking. Food. Talking to people. Understanding how what we eat shapes how we feel. Movement.
I started filling my days with those things, not as a distraction, but as a real exploration of what lit me up.
That period quietly became one of the most useful of my life. And it brought me here.
How I found nutrition and how it found me
I am what Italians call "golosa", someone who genuinely, deeply loves good food.
The pleasure of a meal, the act of cooking, and the way eating together connects people. Food has always been one of my great joys.
And yet for a long time, I was also afraid of it.
For years, I had a difficult relationship with what I ate and how I saw myself. I loved food, and I feared what it would do to my body. I never truly loved the reflection I saw in the mirror, and for a long time, I believed that a number on a scale was what stood between me and being happy, being well, being enough.
I told myself: "When I reach that number, then I will feel good. Then I will feel beautiful. Then I will like what I see".
I exercised obsessively, not because movement made me feel alive, but to burn what I had eaten. Training was a punishment, not a gift I gave my body.
Then I found a nutrition coach. And slowly, everything shifted.
She did not give me a list of rules. She gave me knowledge, the foundational understanding of how food actually works in the body, how to listen to what it needs, how to eat in a way that supports energy, health, and longevity rather than fighting against yourself every single day.
She showed me the value of the work we were doing together, and she made me want to share that with others. She is a large part of why I became a coach myself, and I'll always be truly grateful.
What changed? The famous "cheat meal" stopped existing in my life, because every day I eat freely, meaning I eat what I want. I learned to listen to my body, to recognise true hunger and real fullness, to stop labelling foods as good or bad and start making choices from a place of knowledge rather than fear.
I threw away the scale. I stopped counting numbers.
Because here is the truth I had to learn for myself: a number does not define you. Not your weight, not your dress size, and, coming back to where this story started, not your job title either. What defines you are your values, your actions, the way you choose to show up for the people around you. People will not remember what you weighed or what your CV said. They will remember how you made them feel, the laughter you shared, and the things you built together.
That belief runs through everything I bring to my work as a coach.
So what does a nutrition coach actually do?
A nutrition coach works with you on the habits, behaviours, and practical skills that shape what you eat every day. The focus is not on prescribing a rigid meal plan or diagnosing a condition but helping you build a sustainable relationship with food that works in your real life.
In practice, that might look like learning how to structure meals to support your energy levels across the day, understanding how to read a food label without feeling manipulated by marketing, planning a week of meals that is realistic given your schedule, or finally making sense of why certain foods leave you energised while others leave you depleted. And, if you work with me, you also get tons of recipes and cooking tips!
What a nutrition coach does not do is replace your doctor, dietitian, or specialist.
Coaching operates within an educational and behavioural framework; it is about building skills and awareness, not treating illness. If there is a clinical component to your situation, a good coach will tell you honestly and point you in the right direction.
What makes coaching different from just reading about it online?
There is no shortage of nutrition information online. Articles, apps, podcasts, meal plans... the content is endless. And yet most people who consume all of it still feel confused, inconsistent, or stuck.
The reason is simple: information alone does not change behaviour.
Knowing that vegetables matter does not make it easier to cook them after a 10-hour day. Understanding macronutrients does not automatically translate into knowing what to buy at Migros or Coop on a Tuesday evening.
What coaching adds is structure, accountability, and personalisation.
It is the difference between knowing something and actually living it consistently, in your own kitchen, with your own schedule, your own preferences, and your own history with food.
For expats and international residents in Zurich, there is another layer: navigating a new food environment. Different supermarkets, different seasonal rhythms, different cultural norms around eating. Having a coach who understands both the international experience and the local landscape makes that transition genuinely easier.
My approach: evidence-based, practical, and rooted in real cooking
My coaching is built on the Precision Nutrition methodology, one of the most rigorously researched approaches to nutrition behaviour change available.
It focuses on habits rather than rules, progress rather than perfection, and long-term sustainability rather than short-term results.
But methodology alone is not enough. I grew up in Italy, where eating well is not a wellness trend; it is just how life works. Seasonal ingredients, simple preparation, and long family meals. That foundation runs through everything I do with clients.
A session might involve working through a grocery shop together, learning how to build a balanced plate without counting anything, or exploring how your life stage, trying to conceive, pregnant, postpartum, navigating hormonal changes, is affecting your appetite, energy, and nutritional needs.
You can read more about the methodology behind the work on the Why It Works page
Who this kind of coaching is a good fit for
Coaching works best for people who are ready to make gradual, lasting changes and are willing to show up consistently over time.
It tends to be a good fit if you:
Feel like you know what you should eat, but struggle to make it happen in practice.
Are going through a significant life transition and looking for support and guidance: fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, or menopause.
Want to build a genuinely healthy relationship with food rather than follow another diet.
Are new to Zurich and want support navigating a new food environment.
Are interested in eating in a way that is better for you and better for the planet.
