I have a pretty non-traditional career path, as I started out in another field altogether and changed careers in my 40s. I think being a second career dietitian has made me very savvy in terms of business and entrepreneurship and knowing how to present and market myself. I also have a strong sense of who I am and what I have to offer. After graduate school, I worked as a dietitian in a community health center and was quickly promoted to lead the entire staff of dietitians across the organization. I don’t think this would have happened without my previous experience in management and leadership from my prior career.
Read MoreAs a dietitian I educate and empower people to make choices that better serve their health, so they can look and feel their best from the inside out. In addition, I educate those wishing to do the same through the lens of direct sales knowing that health and wellness is about more than just food, but also the full environment in which we live.
Read MoreParents have the responsibility to feed and nurture a child for 18 years and if we have more educational supports available to educate families on feeding maybe the rate of chronic disease will eventually decrease because we have treated it on the front end. Registered Dietitians need to be leaders in teaching all families how to feed and nuture their children for a healthy future. It would be great if everyone were entitled to see a dietitian yearly (kind of like for a nutrition check-up) to see what is going well and what could be improved. The way the current system works patients are referred to dietitians when there is a problem and it would be nice to have a more proactive approach.
Read MoreExplaining what a registered dietitian does can be difficult. My goal is to be a blessing in the lives of the people I serve. There are both ordinary and extraordinary challenges that people face with nutrition. Finding a way to use my knowledge and skills to be a blessing and help create joy or alleviate suffering is my primary aim.
Read MoreI think people would be surprised that RDs are more open minded then we are given credit for, especially as we have adapted a holistic approach in our practice. Science is always changing, so being able to interpret what is credible and not is a skill that we are trained to do
Read MoreI started in addictions, as a clinical dietitian at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. After my mat leave, I decided to switch gears and create my own job in an area I’ve become very passionate about, pediatrics. I’m still working in my private practice in this area. As someone who has always liked to try new things, I’ve recently started working casually as a clinical dietitian with the BC Cancer Agency, which has proved to be incredibly interesting and meaningful work.
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