Ghazal came across the interview series and was happy to share more about what dietitians (RDs) do. I'm also excited to share her responses since two of her positions are brand new! She's another breakfast loving RD (we should have a club or something!) that's passionate about educating others. I love that she says we're not judging what you're eating, but you also shouldn't judge us - another moderation dietitian too!

Why did you become a RD?

Food and nutrition is part of everyone’s daily life. One of my previous jobs was teaching kindergarten and elementary school children about food and where food comes from. During this experience, I learned the importance of educating others about food and its origin. I wanted to enhance my own knowledge to be able to educate the public about food and help them achieve healthier lifestyles and that’s why I pursued this profession.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I work as a clinical dietitian and have covered a variety of different clinical settings and populations from children to seniors. I also work in a private practice setting helping clients mainly with diabetes management, heart healthy eating, achieving healthy weight and overall healthy eating.

How would you explain what you do?

In the hospital, I assess patients and consult with other health professionals to improve patients’ recovery. I also spend time educating patients if needed.

Through Hearty Dietitian, I provide nutritional counseling sessions for individual clients as well as corporations and spend time writing blogs.

I am also a consultant for a start-up company where I provide feedback from a nutrition perspective.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

My daily tasks include looking over patients’ medical history and illnesses. I spend time speaking with the appropriate health professionals regarding the patients and then use my nutritional knowledge and provide suggestions based on the clients’ or patients’ best benefits. I make sure patients are on the correct diet and are receiving the appropriate nutrition based on their estimated needs. If need be, I provide education to patients that are being discharged to carry on a certain diet at home. I also find the time to read new articles and keep myself educated on any new research.

As a private practice dietitian and consultant, I keep myself up-to date through social media. I spend time finding new information that I can share with the public through different platforms. As a consultant, I am consistently researching for information that would benefit my clients and start-ups. 

What has been your career path?

After internship, I started working in a variety of clinical settings in the hospital and have continued working there. I enjoy the environment and the continued learning experience.

I have always been interested in reaching out to the public and increasing their knowledge in nutrition. So I started Hearty Dietitian a few months ago to share information through blogging and other social media platforms with the public. I also started seeing clients and assisting them in reaching their lifestyle goals.

A few months ago, I started working with a local start-up company where I provide different nutrition feedback based on the information they are looking for to help with their business.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I obtained my Bachelors of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health first. Then I continued and obtained my Bachelors of Science in Dietetics. I have worked mainly with adults so far, but recently I started being trained in pediatrics and will be expanding my knowledge in pediatrics.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

I believe people and society have become more aware of their health and want to move towards a healthier lifestyle. Individuals are becoming more aware of their food and health. Dietitians are becoming better known by the public and the demand for dietitians to provide appropriate information is growing.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

Dietitians LOVE food! We are not here to judge what you eat. When you meet a dietitian, do not worry about what you are eating and most importantly do not judge us on what we are eating. We enjoy all types of food, even our desserts, as long as everything is in moderation :)

What do people think that you do for a living?

People think that my job is to help people lose weight. The patients and clients I see have different needs and those wishing to lose weight might be a fraction of those patients/clients.

What is your favourite meal?

Breakfast/Brunch! I love my eggs benedict.

More about Ghazal:

Twitter: @Ghazal_H

Website: www.heartydietitian.com

Email: ghazal@heartydietitian.com

Linkedlin: Ghazal Haghnegahdar RD

Thanks Ghazal!