



3 full months of educational content and daily activities to help you put what we're learning into action.
Take the confusion and overwhelm out of modern nutrition information. We keep it simple.
Understand how different foods affect your metabolism, your hormones, and how you FEEL.
Learn the root causes of metabolic illnesses and how to manage them.
Make small changes over time. You don't have to change everything tomorrow!


Learn how your thoughts control your desires, actions, and results.
Manage cravings with fast, easy thought adjustments and techniques.
Shift ideas and beliefs that control urges with our proprietary ROOT Technique.
Manage stress and build resilience to stress through various stress management methods.
Unlike other programs that use huge Facebook groups and call it "Community", we keep groups small, aiming for 30-50 per class.
We use a platform called Mighty Networks, so your course material, classmates, and interaction is all in one online space.
Our community is secure - free from ads, spammers, and bots.
Encourage and support one another as you reach your individual health goals.


Physical Planner mailed directly to you.
Harness the power of making decisions ahead of time.
Planning takes the stress and guesswork out of your day's food choices.
Build confidence over 3 months by following your plan and having your own back.
YOU CHOOSE what you eat each day. Melissa provides you with guidance, and you develop a plan that works for you, your likes and dislikes, your cooking abilities, and your lifestyle.
It's okay to eat out and attend food-centered events! We teach you how to manage these without the drama.
Physician founded, physician taught (more about her below!)
20+ years of biology and medical education and expertise at your disposal.
A lifetime of her own wellness challenges and weight loss journey.
Melissa is present in every Rhize group.
Get personalized guidance, support, and have your questions answered directly from the doctor herself.

Developed or led by "coaches" with no formal training or backed by online certificates.
Tell you what to eat and when to eat. Behavior based without equipping you to make decisions for yourself based on your lifestyle.
Weigh, measure, track, count.
Calories, calories, calories!
Don't allow room for life to happen, such as parties, weddings, dining out, etc.
Push drugs that make you sick, supplements you don't need, and "magic" shakes, bars, pills, patches that cost a lot of money but don't help you long-term.
Meal replacements or items you can only get from specialty "health food" stores.
Confusing, overwhelming, or conflicting information.
Developed by a physician with years of education and practice experience.
Rhize is NOT A DIET. It's a Nutrition Education Program that will help you make lasting change for better health.
No weighing, measuring, counting, tracking, points, etc. That's exhausting and no one sticks with it.
We learn fast, easy tips to meal plan, grocery shop, portion control, eat out, and entertain.
There are no drugs, meal replacements, supplements, exercise programs, bars, shakes, patches, or pills.
We just eat real food you get from your local grocery store.
We make complex information easy to understand and apply to our own lives.

My name is Melissa Stroud. I'm a 40-something wife, mom of two teenagers, and physician.
Like most humans these days, I struggled with my weight and my health most of my adult life. And like most women, I thought it was all about the scale.
But I couldn't figure it out. Nutritional dogma tells us it's all about the calorie... and that you need to focus on whole grains (which don't actually exist in a grocery store) and "lean" protein. Heaven forbid you eat butter or a steak. Have some sugar-laden fat-free, chemical-laced, "fruit" flavored yogurt.
Since 2013, I've been on a discovery journey learning more about nutrition and how our "Standard American Diet" is wreaking havoc on our metabolism and our health.
But it wasn't until 2022, shortly after this photo was taken, that I greatly shifted my focus. I was diagnosed with a form of arthritis in my spine. Everything hurt. Not only was I 100+ pounds overweight, but it hurt to move. My mobility began to be affected. It began to impact my life.
I stopped worrying so much about the scale, and started to pay attention to which foods caused inflammation. Spoiler alert... it's all processed food. The biggest driver of inflammation and disease in Western civilizations is sugar, specifically fructose and high fructose corn syrup. And HFCS is in everything. Even that previously-mentioned fruit yogurt.
I started eliminating processed food. My rules are pretty simple. I only eat things that grew in the ground or on the ground, had a face, or came from something that had a face. Ya know, just real food.


Within a year, I'd drastically improved my arthritis and my inflammatory labs. But other things began happening, as well. I slept better and woke rested. My GI junk (probably would have been diagnosed with IBS had I complained about it) disappeared. My eczema and rosacea went away. And I dropped 80 pounds that felt effortless... not because I wasn't trying, but because it was no longer my gauge for success. I simply focused on how I felt, and let the scale take care of itself.
This approach to health is simple. But that doesn't mean it's easy. I searched for help along the way. And I participated in several different programs, but none were a good fit for various reasons. Mostly, they were too stringent, took too much time, were too behavior-focused (white-knuckles and all), or just cost too much.
I read books, attended seminars, listened to podcasts, and did a lot of trial-and-error. And over the past year, I have decided to put my process and what I've learned together in a simple, easy-to-follow course and help others who are struggling like I was. Rhize Journey was born in January of 2024, and here we are.
If you are where I was, feeling overwhelmed frustrated, I'm here to help. Join me!
Anyone who is ready to take control of their health through nutrition.
People who are tired of the diet rollercoaster and overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutritional information out there.
People who are willing to put in 10-15 minutes per day toward their health and their future.
People who can engage in a small community, encourage and support their peers, and ask for help when needed.
Real, whole natural food. In short, this is meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and dairy. There is some meal planning and cooking involved, but we offer tips and tricks to save you time and money.
We learn about hormones, what metabolism really is, and how different food groups affect our hormones, metabolism, and how we feel.
We use the emerging field of Neuroplasticity to examine our thoughts, make adjustments where needed, and actually change the way we think. Don't worry... there is no hypnosis or voodoo involved.
We learn how cravings work, how to manage them without drama or white-knuckling.
We learn how to make simple changes that fit into our lives and lifestyles, without a strict, regimented food plan.
We look at causes of chronic stress and inflammation and talk through how to manage these and make ourselves more resilient to our stress-laden culture.
Anyone looking for a "quick-fix", lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks crash diet.
Anyone looking for weight loss drugs or procedures to make it all "easy". There is nothing easy about that.
Keyboard Warriors or Trolls. We don't do mean. If you get your jollies from battering people online, this is not the place for you.
The next class is ope now and enrollment will close November 15, or when it is full. We cap groups at 50 class members. If you join between now and 15th, you'll have a little catching-up to do, but it's manageable.
We may also be including an alumni group in the future. More to come as those courses take shape.
Things like drinking alkaline water. Give that a good search.
And it's BUNK.
There are also some online meal kit programs that will deliver meal ingredients and recipes ready-to-cook to your doorstep. Some of these are Rhize-compliant. They do tend to be pricey if you're cooking for more than one or two people, but those are good options for a single person or a couple who have limited time to meal plan, grocery shop, and cook.
There is a lot of evidence that a whole-foods diet low in processed food can improve symptoms of metabolic disease and even help decrease reliance on medications
for some people.
That being said, there is no promise or guarantee that joining Rhize Journey or the Rhize Roots Program will treat or cure any diagnosis.
I am A doctor. I am not YOUR doctor. I highly encourage you to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new program or dietary changes.
Some medical parameters, particularly blood sugar and blood pressure may need to be monitored more closely as you make dietary changes. You should work together with your healthcare provider to make any necessary adjustments.

The information provided by Rhize Journey, LLC, (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is for general informational purposes only. All information in the program(s) and affiliated site(s) is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information.
This is not a Medical Practice and does not provide a Medical Service.
No interaction with any of the staff of Rhize Journey, LLC, shall constitute a doctor/patient relationship.
Rhize Journey, LLC, its program(s) and affiliated site(s) cannot and do not contain medical advice. The nutrition information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL WE HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE PROGRAM(S) OR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED THEREIN. YOUR USE OF THE PROGRAM(S) AND YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.