In 2021, Brittany Carpenter had an unusual problem for a woman with a newborn.
“I was on maternity leave and my daughter was a great sleeper, so I had all this time on my hands,” she said. “My husband had 12 weeks paternity leave. That postpartum period is weird and you are like, ‘Who am I on my own?’”
Carpenter is a dietitian and has a master’s degree in functional medicine. She started posting as “Dietitian Brittany” on Instagram and quickly amassed a following. Many of her followers on social media suffered from gut health issues, hormone imbalances and exhaustion. They wanted her help.
In 2022, Carpenter started offering virtual services. There was a waiting list and she had to hire other dietitians to help. Today, Carpenter has a team to provide functional medicine and tailored nutrition plans for women with gut and hormone issues. They are completely virtual and see people across the nation. With more than 41,000 followers on Instagram, she posts tips, recipes, lots of videos, supplements she likes and more.
“We want to fix your health, not just your problem,” she said. “Everything about how you live your life plays a part in your health.”
New business focuses on nutritional services
In April, Carpenter opened the Nutrition Studio, 1911 S. National Ave. Suite 105 in Springfield, across National Avenue from Mercy Hospital. Carpenter said she missed seeing patients in person and there is a big need in southwest Missouri for nutritional services.
The local business is not functional medicine, it’s nutrition for weight loss, IBS, cholesterol, pediatric and family nutrition. She customizes each plan with the goal of sustainable health.
“If you come here, we are not going to recommend keto if you don’t like meat,” Carpenter said. “Instead of trying to fit into the mold you think you should be doing, we make a personal plan to cater to your life. If you can stay consistent with health changes, that is where the health benefits come in.”
The value of evidence-based nutrition
A Cape Girardeau native and graduate of Missouri State University, Carpenter has worked at Hy-Vee and Pyramid Foods, and was a professor at Cox College before setting up her own business.
Something she talks to her clients about is the need to consult with a dietitian when taking increasingly popular weight loss injectables.
“There are long-term complications that can happen,” Carpenter said. “It can make it hard to lose weight in the future. People think, ‘Cool I am not hungry’ and lose weight, but the problem is you lose muscle mass and if you lose muscle mass, your metabolism is slowing. Of course, you are going to regain the weight when you stop taking them.”
People need good evidence-based nutrition because there is so much conflicting information online. Carpenter provides personalized nutrition plans, something you won’t find online. Sure, people can ask ChatGPT or Google and get answers, but AI doesn’t know you, your family or your schedule, she said.
Carpenter can work with families whose children are athletes, so they are on the road a lot and end up grabbing fast food.
“We create a plan that is realistic,” she said. “We don’t give you set meal plans because that is not helpful. Once you get bored of those meals then you haven’t learned anything.”
Instead, she drills down into a patient’s lifestyle, their passion or dislike for cooking and their schedule, builds upon strengths in their diet and helps them work around challenges they face.
Starting business an interesting change
At the Springfield clinic, it’s Carpenter and two other dietitians. She does not accept insurance. Nutrition Studio offers a four-month package which includes a monthly session and unlimited chat support for $225 a month. A single appointment is $180.
Starting the local business has been an interesting change.
“My first business I had an audience before I had a business, but this is different,” she said. “I have a business and am trying to capture an audience. I believe so strongly in what we are doing.”
‘No one is going to change their life in an hour'
With online clients, Carpenter doesn’t offer one-off appointments. She sells packages because “no one is going to change their life in an hour.”
Taking a holistic approach, she looks at nutrition, movement, sleep, hobbies and stress management. Most of her Instagram followers are interested in gut health, which she is passionate about. Carpenter even posts photos of her own bloating. Sometimes she’ll peruse the yogurt aisle at Walmart and offer tips on the best yogurt to buy.
When you have debilitating gut issues it really stands in the way of you leading your best life, she said. If you can’t go on vacation because you can’t be in a swimsuit or don’t want to end up running to the bathroom, it affects everyone.
The staff for Dietitian Brittany’s online services includes three dietitians, a certified nutrition specialist, a doctor of clinical nutrition, a certified holistic health coach and an assistant. They offer unlimited chat support so people can reach out and get answers right away. There’s a five-month package for people with gut issues for $3,450.
She recently created a course called Functional Foundations and it’s a 10-week self-guided course designed to help people clean up their diet. That option is $397.
Easy, sustainable changes have paid off for one client
Carrie Miller, a Republic resident and occupational therapist, signed up for Carpenter’s five-month plan last year. She heard about Carpenter from a physical therapist. Miller teaches at Cox College and while their employment did not overlap, people at the college spoke highly of Carpenter.
Miller was experiencing irritability and exhaustion, and thought it was hormonal. Her doctor ran a few tests and her numbers came back in range. So, she started following Dietitian Brittany on Instagram.
“I believe in a holistic, evidence-based approach and I wanted to be sure what she was doing was based on science,” Miller said.
After a few months, in August in 2023, Miller signed up for a five-month plan. After a host of tests, Carpentered recommended supplements, pro and prebiotics, diet changes and more. It was 100% customized, said Miller, and she saw results after a month. Miller saw improvements in her skin, bowel health and energy, and had more patience.
“I only followed 50% of her plan because I am really busy, but even that changed my life,” Miller said.
The changes were not hard and have been sustainable. She loved the holistic approach.
“I am a believer now and refer anyone who will listen to me to Brittany,” Miller said.
Find it: The Nutrition Studio, 1911 S. National Ave. Suite 105, across from Mercy; (417) 319-1380; or visit their website
FYI: You can also follow Dietitian Brittany on Instagram. Carpenter points out that these are totally separate services. One is local and focused on nutrition, the other is virtual and a holistic approach that often deals with gut health issues.
