Medical Disclaimer

The short version

Everything on Satisfying Plate is educational. It is not medical advice, it is not a diagnosis, and it is not a substitute for care from your own doctor or a registered dietitian who knows your history. If something here contradicts what your healthcare provider tells you, listen to them, not to us.

Who writes this site, and who doesn't

Satisfying Plate is written by Shelly Heinrichs, a certified holistic nutrition and low carb coach who has lived the sugar-craving struggle and come out the other side. That is real experience and real training, and it is also not a medical licence. Shelly is not a physician, a registered dietitian, or a psychologist, and nothing on this site should be read as if she were.

The site does not offer coaching. Reading an article, taking the quiz, or using a tool here does not create a coaching, medical, or professional relationship of any kind. You can read more about Shelly's background on the About page.

The quiz is not a clinical assessment

The craving quiz is a self-reflection tool. It is designed to help you notice your own patterns and put language to them. It does not diagnose anything, it is not scored by a clinician, and a high result is not a medical finding. If your results concern you, that is a good reason to talk to your doctor, not a reason to panic.

Talk to your doctor first if any of these apply to you

Most people can eat more protein and fiber and less added sugar without any trouble. Some people genuinely need medical supervision before changing how they eat, and this matters more than most healthy-eating sites admit:

• You take insulin or other blood-sugar medication. This one is important. If you cut carbohydrates while your medication dose stays the same, your blood sugar can drop too low. That is a real risk, not a theoretical one, and your dose may need adjusting. Talk to your prescriber before you change your diet, not after.
• You have diabetes or prediabetes. Our content about insulin resistance is educational background, not a treatment plan for your case.
• You have a history of an eating disorder, or you're in recovery from one. Content about restriction, food rules, and cutting things out can be genuinely harmful here, even when it's written gently. Please talk to your treatment team before using this site as a guide.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. Your needs are different and they change. Get individual guidance.
• You have kidney disease, liver disease, or any condition affecting how you process protein. The protein targets in our macro calculator are general population figures and may be wrong for you.
• You're taking any medication at all that you're unsure about. Ask. It costs you one question.

The tools give general estimates, not prescriptions

The Macro Calculator and Plate Builder use general population formulas and published guidelines. They know nothing about your bloodwork, your medications, your medical history, or your body. Treat their numbers as a starting point for a conversation, not as a target handed down by someone who examined you.

About the research we cite

We cite published research where we can, and we try to represent it honestly, including when the findings are mixed or the evidence is thinner than we'd like. Nutrition science changes, studies get revised, and averages across thousands of people are not predictions about you specifically. If we get something wrong, we'd genuinely like to know. Tell us on the Contact page.

No promises about results

We don't guarantee that you'll lose weight, that your cravings will ease, or that anything on this site will work for you. Bodies differ. What worked for Shelly and for many other people may not work the same way for you, and that isn't a personal failing.

If you need more than this site

For some people the pull toward sugar runs deeper than cravings, and honest educational content isn't the right tool. We keep a Resources page with specialists, books, and support lines for exactly that situation. Going there is not giving up. It's using the right tool.

If you are in crisis, or you're having thoughts of harming yourself, please contact your local emergency services or a crisis line right away. In Canada and the United States you can call or text 988 for the Suicide Crisis Helpline.

Questions

Shelly Heinrichs Coaching
Manitoba, Canada
hello@satisfyingplate.com

See also our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.