Bonni London puts team effort in healthy living

Bonni London doesn’t used the “D” word.

“I tell everyone of course diets don’t work because a diet is something you do for a short period of time, and then what happens after that?” she said.

London has been a dietitian for 20 years and has been in private practice in Sarasota for seven.

“As I’ve been doing this for longer, it’s very clear for one thing — it’s not easy to get people to make long-term lifestyle changes,” London said. “So that’s how about over a year ago or so, I really decided to put together a more comprehensive, not just diet, but real lifestyle plan …”

London is in the midst of launching her Peak Performance Plan, a program that begins with a consultation to determine personal goals and create a personalized diet and lifestyle plan. That will be followed by regular consultations to keep the plan on track. London will send regular, supportive emails providing tips and strategies to maximize clients’ success.

Judy Martin has been meeting with Bonni London since January. Although she isn’t part of the Peak Performance Plan, London still constantly encourages her, which has made a difference.

“I just feel like I’m more confident,” Martin said. “I feel like I’ve kind of made a big change. I’ve almost amazed myself.”

That’s part of London’s goal. She wants her clients to feel like they have a partner, and to ensure clients have the tools they need, London has included a supermarket tour, professional organizing session, cooking lessons and social events in her plan. London said it can be scary, even for her, to go to the grocery store sometimes. So, a trip with an expert to the grocery store can get clients on the right track. Then a professional organizer will map out clients’ refrigerators and dry storage areas to make sure they can easily find what they need.

“When you come home and you’re hungry, if something is where you see it, it’s going to be a lot easier to make it happen,” London said.

“When you come home and you’re hungry, if something is where you see it, it’s going to be a lot easier to make it happen."

A professional chef will do two private cooking lessons with clients in their own homes using their own equipment. And, clients will also get a personalized CD to listen to while they sleep that will give them subliminal, empowering messages.

Each week of the program will have a theme. One week will be about sleep, another about goals, one about socializing, one about failing and so on.

London started her career as a personal trainer in New York, and when she moved to Florida she worked in long-term health care for nine years. Throughout those years, she took notes in her mind. She noticed that the lives those people led before being in a nursing home had a huge impact on how they got there.

The average life expectancy is 79, London said. However, that doesn’t mean people are living their best life for that long, and London wants to improve that.

“I guess, I’m looking for a few ... pioneers that want to be proactive in their own future, invest in their future health to live the best quality, and that’s my thing,” she said. 

London knows that a big part of that quality of life is socializing. So, she’s planning monthly events for clients enrolled in the program, such as yoga and happy hours.

London has been sitting down with local restaurateurs to discuss the source of their food. She’s been asking what oils they use, how they make their own dressings and sauces and what’s going on behind the scenes.

One of her goals is to have her practice’s logo, a green flower, put on local restaurant menus to signify a mindful yet nutritious and delicious meal. She’s already talked to Michael’s On East about the possibility.

“If I could inspire a few people to live a better quality of life, maybe that can trickle on to their family and friends and so on, and instead of just accepting the fate that you’re going to get tired and old and go from one doctor to another,” London said. “[That] is absolutely not true.”