The Growing Popularity of Andrea Mathis: Not Your Average Wellness Influencer

Andrea Mathis — the dietitian and popular social media maven — said that weight is not the sole determinant of health. Proper nutrition education is also key, she said. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)
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By Javacia Harris Bowser | For The Birmingham Times

Andrea Mathis — the popular social media maven behind @BeautifulEatsandThings — wants to share a message about wellness many may not know: their weight is not the sole determinant of their health, a message she learned from personal experience, she said.

After getting frustrated with her doctors urging her to lose weight, Mathis started asking questions about her cholesterol, her blood sugar levels, and other health indicators. She learned they were all in a normal, healthy range.

“So then I started thinking, ‘I guess they just want me to lose weight so I can appear to look healthier to other people,” Mathis told The Birmingham Times.

After realizing her body was healthy as it was, she became committed to a message of body positivity.

“I’m not against weight loss by any means, but I do want people to understand that you don’t have to pursue a super-thin body in order to be healthy,” said Mathis, also known as Andy.

Andrea Mathis says that weight is not the sole determinant of health. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

The registered dietitian is not your average health-and-wellness influencer. She didn’t garner her 200,000+ Instagram followers, 117,000+ TikTok followers, or opportunities to write for Eating Well and Food Network magazines by hopping on the latest weight-loss trends or fad diets. Instead, she shares recipes for dishes that are both delicious and nutritious and offers food advice backed by science on her social media platforms and her blog “Beautiful Eats and Things.”

Be Kind to Yourself and Your Body

“I want to be a representative of living a healthier lifestyle but still remain in a body that’s, I guess, not the typical dietitian body,” Mathis said. “I’ve never been a small person. I think my body is meant to be a larger size.”

Mathis proudly calls herself a “body positive dietitian” at a time when it’s not as popular to do so. As weight-loss injections become more and more accessible, conversations about body acceptance are beginning to fade from social media and beyond.

“Not a lot of people are talking about body positivity right now,” Mathis said. “That message is kind of sliding under the radar. So, I’m going to continue to talk about it. If you stay true to yourself, I feel like that’s how you can stand out from others.”

While diet promotions seem ubiquitous at the beginning of a new year and Body Positivity Month is celebrated in February, Mathis said the key is self-compassion and being kind to yourself and your body.

“Instead of getting caught up in weight-loss messaging, focus on the factors that contribute to your overall health — whether that’s nourishing meals, joyful movement, or simply resting when you need it,” she said. “Surround yourself with supportive people and messages that lift you up, not tear you down. Prioritize feeling strong, happy, and healthy in ways that work for you.”

Healthy at Any Size

Mathis’ message is simple: It’s possible to be healthy at any size. She hasn’t always believed this, though. When she was younger, she was constantly searching for ways to shed pounds. In fact, it was this quest that led her to pursue a career as a dietitian.

“I’ve always been heavier than my family and friends, so throughout my years, I’ve always been trying to figure out what diet I can go on to be smaller,” said Mathis, 40, a Birmingham native.

While a student at A.H. Parker High School, from 1998 to 2002, she learned that her home economics teacher was a dietitian.

“I was like, ‘OK, this sounds like something I would like to do,’” Mathis recalled. “I initially thought it was just about putting people on diets. I thought that being a dietitian, I can help myself lose weight and help others.”

Mathis soon learned that being a dietitian was about much more. It was also about helping people gain access to proper nutrition education, which was her focus when she would later work as a clinical dietitian at Gadsden Regional Medical Center, in Gadsden, Alabama.

“I fell in love with the public-health aspect,” said Mathis, whose resume also includes working as the director of nutrition at Greenbriar, a long-term care facility based in Birmingham.

Sheena Gregg, who currently serves as the director of Health Promotion and Wellness at the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, first met Mathis in 2009, when both worked as dietitians for Gadsden Regional Medical Center.

“What makes Andy so special is that she is intentional with those small details,” Gregg said. “That’s what makes things really beautiful.”

Gregg believes this intentionality — along with Mathis’ warm personality — has helped her blossom in the blogosphere and beyond.

“I love that I can share Andy as a resource,” said Gregg, who not only shares Mathis’ blog and social media accounts with clients looking for approachable recipes and nutrition advice but also with students interested in pursuing a career in dietetics.

“I think that that’s so beneficial to students who are looking to pursue this career but maybe have been misinformed about needing to look a certain way or come from a certain school system or certain socioeconomic background or anything else,” Gregg said. “As someone who is a fellow minority in the field, I really love that I can use Andy as an example for other individuals who are interested in being a dietitian, too.”

Mathis, who has a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in dietetics and a master’s degree in Health Studies and Health Promotion, uses her knowledge and work experience to educate thousands via her blog and social media platforms.

Beautiful Eats and Things

Mathis became a social media superstar in the health-and-wellness realm, even though she never set out to be one. It was her love for makeup that led Mathis to build an online platform.

“I was a makeup artist. I worked for MAC [Cosmetics] for several years and loved it, so I wanted to be a makeup YouTuber,” said Mathis, who started the social platform @BeautifulAndyMUA in 2011.

By 2016, however, her love for cooking had taken over: “I started posting recipes, just stuff that I cook for my family. And people started asking, ‘Where’s your blog?’”

At the time, Mathis didn’t have one. But in 2017 she launched Beautiful Eats and Things, where she would pair her recipes for her favorite dishes with personal stories.

“I started the blog, and it just kind of took off from there,” she said. “I had no idea about blogging. I didn’t know that was a career path. I didn’t know anything. I was just posting consistently.”

Not only did she quickly build a loyal readership, but Mathis attracted the attention of food-related brands, too.

“I started to be approached by brands that wanted to pay me to create recipes,” Mathis said. “I was like, ‘Is this a thing?!’”

Mathis also looked for opportunities to write for various publications. Her recipes, food photography, and writing have appeared in several magazines, including EatingWell, Taste of Home, and Food Network, as well as on their websites and others like The Kitchn. She’s also been featured on major media outlets, such as Good Morning America, PopSugar, Shape, and Essence magazine.

In 2018, one year she after started her blog, Mathis was able to leave her job at Greenbriar to work on her Beautiful Eats and Things brand full time. Asked for her secret to building her platform so quickly, Mathis simply says, “Prayer.”

Family Matters

Being a full-time content creator has given Mathis, who lives in Trussville, Alabama, the freedom and flexibility to spend more time with her husband, Christopher, and her sons C.J., 10, and Caden, 8. Her boys love to join her in the kitchen and can even whip up a few dishes on their own. Eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches are their specialty.

Family is a top priority for Mathis, but she knows that for some people family can also be a source of body shame as relatives sometimes make disparaging comments about weight or size or give unsolicited health advice.

“You’re going to continue to get the chatter,” Mathis said.

Her advice is to try to change the subject when a family member or friend tries to discuss weight: “If they are persistent, I start asking questions, like ‘Why are you so concerned?’” Mathis said. “Some people are just projecting their own insecurities.”

Beautifully Social

Mathis is always seeking ways to expand her brand. Last year she launched a product line of clothing and accessories that all boast uplifting messages. This year, she’s starting Beautifully Social, a social media and branding course designed to help nutrition professionals, health experts, content creators, and entrepreneurs build their platforms.

And she will keep amplifying her message of body acceptance, too, no matter what weight loss trends may arise.

“The whole world is shrinking,” Mathis said. “You may see some of your favorite celebrities and people that you know shrinking. People need the message that it’s OK if you don’t desire to be thin. I’m now even more passionate about putting my message out there because I see that it’s really important.”

Andrea Mathis can be found online at BeautifulEatsandThings.com and on TikTok and Instagram @BeautifulEatsandThings.

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