What RDs Do: Teryn Cook Buchanan, RD

TERYN COOK BUCHANAN

INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION SOLUTIONS

for something nutrishus

While many dietitians are team members, Teryn's private sector team may be a little bit more non-traditional (or even controversial for some). It doesn't seem surprising that mental health or psychology still plays a role in her nutrition practice, considering her initial university direction. Dietitians continue to show that we like to keep ourselves busy and are always learning or seeking out certifications/additional education in our areas of interest and practice.

Why did you become a RD? 

I always knew that my life’s work would revolve around helping others, I just didn’t quite know what that looked like. In college, I had declared that I would major in Psychology, however in my freshman year of college I took a General Nutrition course and that changed the path of my professional life for good. I was in love with studying nutrition and though I truly did not know what a Dietitian was, I knew that as long as I got to connect with people over discussions of food, that that was what I was going to do with the rest of my life. 

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I work both in the private sector as the owner of Integrative Nutrition Solutions, a private nutrition consulting company, as well as in long term care in multiple skilled nursing facilities. At Integrative Nutrition Solutions, I work inside a naturopathic wellness center, Fresno Holistic Medicine, where I collaborate with a Naturopathic Doctor (ND), holistic psychologists, and a chiropractor. We are a team of practitioners who truly focus on an integrative approach to healing. 

How would you explain what you do? 

I meet with clients with different health ailments and try to find the root cause of their disease, bad habits, and/or barriers to reaching optimal wellness. We not only focus on the foods they put in their bodies, but also dive into their mental state, environment, support system, sleep patterns, and physical activity. I have adapted a mind-body approach to assessing my clients because health is dependent on so much more than the foods we eat, one must take an integrative approach to understanding the other factors that play a role in our physical state. 

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

Right now, I shift my days and tasks between my two roles. I start my day in long term care by performing medical nutrition therapy (MNT) to our residents and supporting them through their healing, then I switch my hats and meet with my clients on a one-on-one basis in my office, all the while trying to squeeze in some time for my yoga practice. I am also the President Elect for the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Central Valley District and focus on ways to enhance the field of dietetics and support our members by providing them continued education and community involvement. 

What has been your career path? 

I started out in the private sector as a degreed nutritionist, once I became a registered dietitian, I landed a job in skilled nursing as an in-house RD. After a year or so, I was promoted to a corporate dietitian who traveled between facilities to perform medical nutrition therapy as well as audit and prepare the facilities for their annual state/medicare recertification survey. At the end of 2017 I decided to return to the private sector but on my own terms. My experience in health care was the driving force to opening my own practice where I could support clients in ways I felt was lacking from traditional health care. 

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I have been trained by the Center of Mind Body Medicine in Food as Medicine. I am also currently training in Integrative and Functional Nutrition through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics via the Center for Lifelong Learning. I am a member of the dietetic practice group, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine, and attend conferences and webinars that broaden my knowledge of integrative health. 

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

I hope to see our health care system focus more on finding the root cause of illnesses and practice more preventative care to prevent chronic disease. 

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

I am most passionate about digestive and emotional health and how they play a role in one another. I always try to touch on any symptoms of depression or anxiety with my clients because what we put in our bodies can either support those symptoms or make them spiral out of control. 

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

Give yourself grace and always focus on self-care because this is the only body that you get in this life. 

More about Teryn: 

Facebook: @integrativenutritionsolutions 

Instagram: @holistic_rd 

Email: integrativenutritionsolutions@gmail.com

Thanks Teryn! Find out more about What RDs Do.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Sabrina Bovee, RD

SABRINA BOVEE
CARE HOME MANAGER 
& SENIOR ADVOCATE

for something nutrishus

I know Sabrina from my undergrad years, although we haven't stayed in touch; earlier this year she appeared in the post Where are they now - a special feature on my dietetics classmates. I've been aware of her passion for aging with dignity and elegance and am always happy to share non-traditional roles. I'm sure you'll see her dedication shine through her responses. 

Why did you become a RD?

I grew up with European immigrant parents who highly valued nutritious foods. Although I had sometimes wished my parents would send me with the wonder bread and cheese whiz and fruit roll-ups that my class-mates had, instead I was sent with rye bread and European deli meat sandwiches with fresh fruit. I can now appreciate how it instilled a love for good tasting healthy food.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I am currently working as a manager of a 15 resident (and 1 respite bed) long-term care (LTC) home. So, I am in a non-traditional dietitian role. However, I am able to lead our 8 department team in excellent dining enhancement initiatives and potentially help flag resident nutrition concerns sooner than the monthly or every other month visit by the consulting clinical dietitian. I accepted this role with the desire to work towards improved life for seniors, and from a nutrition perspective, I want to prevent malnutrition and improve the food culture for our residents and communities. I found that with the regular nutrition assessments there were, at times, barriers to follow-through, or that when residents presented with what seemed like a lack of appetite solely based on a bad dining experience I could not change that with my recommendations. I thought that if the root cause was a poor life environment (unfriendly staff, lack-luster dining room etc.) no care-plan that I would create would really get down to the root cause of the problem. I was also not the one in charge of the “b” word- budget.

I began this new role a year ago, and since that time, one exciting initiative that we have started is a hydroponic indoor garden. Saskatchewan has a short gardening season so we have been fortunate to receive a donation of a 5 foot tall indoor garden unit that we will utilize to grow greens, herbs, strawberries and any other produce or plants that our residents feel like growing. We are able to allow our residents to give back (personal growth) via the nurturing and caring of these plants, as well as we are fostering partnerships with the school students who will be able to bring their science students over to learn about pollination (remember- there are no bees to do this for us in the care-home). Additionally, we will have a better variety of options for our menu, potentially the ability to sell produce to our staff and community and to raise money for the resident council. Lastly, we will be potentially reducing our food costs so that we can help to balance our over-all budgets and create a long-term sustainable health care system.

How would you explain what you do? What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

I am a part-time manager and I manage 8 departments: laundry, housekeeping, food and nutrition staff (cooks), nurses, care-aids, recreation and maintenance. With approximately 50 staff in my portfolio, human resources- recruiting and retaining staff along with labor relation concerns and ministry mandated projects including safe transfers, hand hygiene, etc. take up the bulk of my time (and more!)

However, I have carved out time to work on building an engaged team and a vision for our community health center. I believe that only when staff feel valued, cared-for will they be able to work towards greater improvements for the residents. We have had organizational and learning events and I have taken a baseline survey, a few months into my position, to measure improvements in morale, support from myself team work. We are seeing significant improvements and measurements such as an 8/10 for happiness by most respondents, show our readiness to move into other important areas of change. Beyond the staff, and the most important area is creating a person-centered care-home. Since I began, we have been dedicated to regular resident council meetings. Residents and their families meet to discuss and plan on all areas related the care-home. Menu and food choices are often at the fore-front. Recently, we have changed the “cooks choice” on the menu to “resident choice” and we have gathered a variety of menu ideas to further our personalized menu to meet our dynamic resident needs.

What has been your career path?

I started my career in community dietetics- with a focus on diabetes management and weight management. Then I moved into long-term care and worked providing education to care-home staff, as well as individualized nutrition care-plans for residents.

On the side via The Grazing Goose, I have given some mindful eating workshops on my farm (we raise pasture-raised poultry, heritage pigs, and grass-fed beef; a whole other area of my life that I could speak to). Our future plan for the farm is on-farm stays so while only locals can purchase our products anyone traveling down the number one highway in the next couple years will be able to have the opportunity to vacation on our farm!

In the past 3 years I’ve also have the privilege of giving some public presentations to dietitians in Ontario (Gerontology network) and in British Columbia for dining enhancement work their multidisciplinary team is doing.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I don’t have any specialized management training. My main strategy for success and survival (some days such as a lay off or termination notice days are awful) has been to pick good mentors. I have one dedicated mentor that I connect with, even for 30 minutes every few months. I also surround myself with positive, individuals that support me and believe in the work that I am doing. Many of these individuals are not health care professionals. However, they have a vested interested (as do we all!) in changing the culture of aging.

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

In an ideal world, in 5 years from now, we will have solved all the underlying causes that lead to poor dining experiences for seniors. For example, staff will be happy, healthy, empathetic and engaged in their work so that they can truly be present and facilitate an amazingly satisfying dining experience for our well-deserved seniors. Basically, we will have created an environment where by which even a dietitian that walks into the home says “wow! I want to eat here!”.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

I am currently battling and challenging the misinformation in terms of the capacity of what a dietitian can do in management. Traditionally it has been Registered Nurses managing long-term care, and although there are now managers with a background as paramedics and social workers, a dietitian managing other health care professionals, at least in our province is extremely rare a thus new territory.

Anything else you’d like to add that you feel would be valuable:

I developed a mealtime educational tool for educating staff. It is free and available on YouTube or google “mealtime management video”. It’s a foundational educational tool for all staff working with seniors. The content is relevant to LTC, community and event acute-care.

I hope that you will join me in improving the future of aging for all of us!

More about Sabrina:

Website: sabrinabovee.com
Facebook: SabrinaBoveeSeniors
Email: sabrina.bovee@gmail.com 

Website: The Grazing Goose
Instagram: @thegrazinggoose
Facebook: The Grazing Goose

Thanks Sabrina! Find out more about What RDs Do.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Mark McGill, RD, CSG (soon)

MARK MCGILL 

LONG TERM CARE & HOME CARE

for something nutrishus

Mark was recommended as a great male to include in the series, and as you'll see below, there are many reasons for that! You'll find Mark active on twitter as he enjoys helping people sort through the quackery and sees the need for dietitians to be in on social media conversations. He is also going to add a new and unique credential to his name soon.

Why did you become a RD?

I developed a passion for nutrition after stumbling upon it, really. I was studying Environmental Science at the University of Waterloo and I took a health elective that nicely fit my schedule. There was a nutrition component and soon, I found myself studying more about nutrition than my major. That Fall, I was enrolled in Nutrition and Food at Ryerson University in Toronto.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I currently work in long term care (geriatrics) and home care.

How would you explain what you do?

I help people be at their best through food and a healthy lifestyle.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

Meeting with residents and their families at the long term care homes and going into clients’ homes for my home care job. Developing and implementing care plans based on individual needs. Meeting with other health care professionals with the common goal of improving the health of those we care for.

What has been your career path?

After completing my internship at the Ottawa Hospital in 2008, I worked in long term care and home care. I’ve come full-circle with positions in hospitals, family health teams and private clinics along the way.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I am going to be Board Certified in Gerontological Nutrition (CSG) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (*I wrote it but failed and will take the exam again. It's a tough exam. It was a good experience and I get another shot at it, so I’m not broken up about it.)

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

Less influence, lobbying by the food industry e.g. at conferences.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

Men can be RDs too! (I have had contracts where I am referred to as “she”; “her”)

What would you like people to know about RDs?

We are not judging what you have for lunch last Tuesday at work in the staff room.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

People often feel the need to explain themselves if they are eating something unhealthy in front of me. I try and reassure them that a healthy diet includes all foods, even unhealthy ones!

What do people think that you do for a living?

People often assume I am a chef because of my nutrition expertise. Nope.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

The use of social media to brand ourselves as the trusted nutrition experts.

What makes RDs unique/different from other nutrition/wellness professionals?

We have standards that we adhere to/are regulated by a professional college.

What is your favourite meal?

Ham, scalloped potatoes and corn is one of my favourites. Bacon, eggs and toast is also wonderful on a Sunday morning. I could go on…I love a lot of different foods/meal combinations.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

Keep an open mind in terms of what area of dietetics you may end up working in. Gerontology was not an area I thought I would be in back in university and during my internship.

More about Mark:

Twitter: @markjmcgill
Instagram (just started with this): @markmcgillrd

Thanks Mark! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Nathan Diaz, MS, RD, LDN

NATHAN DIAZ

NUTRITION FOR PERFORMANCE
& LONG TERM CARE

for something nutrishus

Nathan came across the series on Instagram and of course, we're happy to share another male interview! He's a new dietitian, but as you'll see, he's very passionate and we wish him success in putting more smiles on people's faces. RDs have their work cut out for them when it comes to misinformation, but I do continue to wonder why everyone thinks we're judging them?!

Why did you become a RD?

I became an RD to showcase the power of food. After many years of sifting through the plethora of false information out there on the topic of nutrition, I decided to take on this challenge as a profession and deliver the real facts backed by the latest scientific research that can help people become better versions of themselves. I incorporated cooking into my overall nutrition philosophy because I truly believe cooking is a powerful skill set that has been lost and can really help people adopt a healthier lifestyle. I also believe cooking brings people together and coupled with my knowledge in nutrition, I hope I can bring people closer together.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I am all over the place when it comes to the areas of dietetics that I am involved in. On one side of the spectrum, I work in the private practice sector where I deal primarily with younger adults as well as athletes of various ages. When I am not meeting with clients privately, I work as the sole dietitian for a long term care facility dealing primarily with the geriatric population. When I am not in the nursing home or in my office counseling clients, I am cooking and developing recipes to showcase for potential personal chef clients. 

How would you explain what you do?

Whether I am counseling a client, meeting with a resident at the long-term care facility, or in the kitchen cooking for people, what I do is very simple. I put smiles on people’s faces through food. When I am counseling a client and they meet their food and nutrition related goals, their smile lights up the room. When I sit with an elderly resident and personalize a menu that meets all their dietary needs and tastes delicious, their smile lights up the room. When I cook for a group of people or an individual person, and the food is nutritious and tastes delicious, their smile lights up the room. Making people smile is what I strive for.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

Let me start by saying every day and every week brings different challenges and task. This is what I love about the dietetics profession. Twice a week, I work at the long-term care facility. There I am seeing new residents, following up with residents, doing quarterly and annual evaluations, or just popping in and saying hi to the residents during breakfast and lunch. I also sit with the interdisciplinary team and talk about high risk residents and or those that have had significant changes. After doing my MNT (Medical Nutrition Therapy) duties, I meet with the food service director and go over anything on the food service side. This includes, updating resident’s preferences, tray testing, or simply brainstorming ways to be more efficient.

Typically, my weeks start with following up with all my clients. This is done via phone, email, text, or in person. Throughout the week, I strategize with my marketing team and see new clients. Recently, I partnered with a couple of colleagues and created our first seasonal cookbook. This required hours of picture taking, editing, and actually putting the cookbook together. I work on different side projects in order to add value to the people out there that follow me on social media or are frequent visitors of my website.

What has been your career path?

I became an RD in February 2017, so my path has just begun. When I started looking for job, there were not many full-time positions available. I knew I needed to start somewhere so I started as an independent contractor with a physical therapy and fitness center. This structure was new to me because for the first time, I was my own boss. Moving to a new city (Boston), I had to start from scratch, start new relationships, build up my reputation, etc. At the beginning, I had extra time, so I decided to apply to a new long term care facility that needed a dietitian. This would allow me to maintain my MNT skills as well as give back to a population that is dear to my heart. Currently, I am still working at both place. 

What advanced education or special training do you have?

This year, I received my ISAK certification for anthropometry. As a certified anthropometrist, I accurately measure and analyze body composition data for my clients. This has been very successful with motivating my clients by giving them objective data to trend.

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

The field of dietetics is growing exponentially. Areas like sports nutrition have been growing by the day. People are realizing the importance of nutrition and how it plays into one’s overall health and performance. In 5 years, you will see dietitians everywhere and we will be known exclusively as the nutrition experts across the entire healthcare field. People will recognize what a registered dietitian is, and the capabilities we have to help them reach their health related goals.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

WE ARE NOT THE FOOD POLICE. We do not sit there and judge and penalize you for what you eat. Many times, I find clients come into a consult and list all the “healthy” foods they have eaten over the past 24 hours but fail to mention the “unhealthier” options. We are here to help you and in order for us to do so we need the whole truth. Do not hold back. We will not judge you. I promise.

What would you like people to know about RDs?

We are truly passionate about nutrition and own the title of being nutrition experts. We have the knowledge and skill set to help you achieve any nutrition related health goal. We also wear many different hats. For example, I wear the counselor hat, food service manager hat, accountant hat, chef hat, leader hat, motivator hat. Our fields of practice require us to juggle many different jobs.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

Getting people off the “quick fix” mentality and accepting the fact that behavior change takes time and to embrace the process.

What do people think that you do for a living?

Many people think I just design meal plans and send people on their way. As many dietitians out there know, it is much more than that.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

My main passion is helping someone who is truly struggling reach their optimal potential, physically and mentally. Physical health along with the mental health aspect of behavior change is what I am most passionate about. It does my clients no good if they are fit and healthy but their mental state is shattered. I feel this is what leads people back to their old habits. I strive to achieve both types of health with my clients.

What makes RDs unique/different from other nutrition/wellness professionals?

We went through some rigorous years as students and interns, mastering our craft as nutrition experts. We have a toolbox filled with effective behavior change assessments and tactics that many other wellness professionals may not have. We have the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) as our gold standard of practice. AND has a plethora of resources that many other wellness professionals do not have access to.

What is your favourite meal?

This goes back to my roots. In the Latin culture, roasting a whole pig with your grandfather is something that is done year round, if not multiple times per year. It is a tradition that gets passed down generations. So, I would have to say my grandfather’s slow cooked pork with a side of ‘arroz con gandules’ (rice and beans). The Latin flavors get me every time.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

People say finding balance and moderation is key. That is definitely easier said than done. When you are changing your dietary habits, you have to remember, you are trying to change lifelong habits. That is not easy to do! Utilize a dietitian to help you obtain that happy balance and remember, happiness is a full body feeling, both physically and mentally. Do not get discouraged when you fail on your journey to a better and healthier you. Embrace the failures, learn from them, and get back on your feet. It is only a failure if it is repeated over and over.

More about Nathan:

Website: Nutrition For Performance

Blog: Nutrition For Performance Blog

Instagram: @nate_thechefboyrd & @nutrition4performance

Thanks Nathan! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Susanne Suchar RD, LD/N, CNSC

SUSANNE SUCHAR

CLINICAL, COUNSELLING & LONG TERM CARE

for something nutrishus

Susanne responded to my Facebook inquiry about dietitian credentials, since she has some unique letters behind her name. She has a very interesting career path, having worked in numerous settings, in numerous countries. Working as part of a team and collaborating comes through as a consistent theme and something that is important with regards to the unique knowledge and skills dietitians have to offer.

Why did you become a RD?

While weighing my options for an interesting major, having made some changes, I took a class in introductory nutrition. I loved the practical information, so useful in my daily life, as well as the inspirational teacher, who convinced me of the many opportunities the career offered.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I currently do not work, as my family relocated to Panama, where the profession can be practiced only by citizens of the country. I have spent the last several months on numerous online dietetics-related courses to reactivate my Florida dietitian license, and practicing my Spanish. I am also contemplating my future endeavours, which are likely to include certification as a specialist in gerontological nutrition (CSG) in 2018.

How would you explain what you do?

When I practice dietetics, I always strive to provide the best nutritional care possible for my clients and patients, whatever that implies for the person. You can say I assess the client’s nutritional needs and do my best to address them within the available parameters.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

Depends on the setting.

What has been your career path?

Right after graduation I worked at an acute care teaching facility in Miami, Florida, where I was exposed to acute care, rehabilitation, psychiatric care, and my favorite, intensive care. I took CNSD (Certified Nutrition Support Dietitian) certification to be able to work with the Nutrition Support Team, which consisted of the RD, a pharmacist, and a physician, writing most the of TPNs (Total Parenteral Nutrition) in the facility. I preferred working with this team, as it was evident that the team approach improved the nutritional status of the patients, and the RD was a respected part of the team.

After 4 years I transferred to a different acute care hospital, where I continued my intensive care and acute care path, in addition to outpatient care in the Cancer Center and the Diabetes Center. I obtained CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) qualifications and enjoyed witnessing the effect that my work had on the quality of life of my clients.

As my family relocated to Israel, I had the opportunity to work at a facility specializing in Complex Continuing Care, including ventilation units for adults and children and inpatient dialysis, in addition to rehabilitation for all ages. It was a great experience to practice in a very different type of setting and in an environment where the RD was highly respected; no nutrition related changes could be made without the say of the dietitian.

After some time, I also found my way to Home Health Care, visiting homebound clients and working on improving their nutritional status. It seemed that I was often the only health care worker visiting, and I felt that I addressed more than just nutritional needs. It was extremely fulfilling to see the impact my advice had on the quality of life of my clients and their caregivers, even though it was difficult to see the end of life cases that could not be saved with nutritional care.

After another relocation, this time to Toronto, Ontario, it took me some efforts of networking and volunteering before I was lucky to start Nutrition Counselling over the phone for an EFAP (Employee and Family Assistance Program). While I was frustrated by cancellations and no-shows, I enjoyed those clients that really wanted my advice and saw positive changes in their health. One of my volunteer stints developed into casual employment at a combined Long-Term Care and Complex Continuing Care facility, where I enjoyed working with a diverse and experienced RD staff. At the same time, I did some work at a hospital-affiliated Rehabilitation Center, which I found through a nursing agency.

My most recent job was as a contract dietitian at a Long-Term Care home in downtown Toronto, overseeing nutritional care 3 days a week. Funnily enough, having always consciously avoided this health care setting, I found it remarkably rewarding, being part of the daily lives and seeing the direct impact of my work on my residents.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I am certified as a Nutrition Support Dietitian/Clinician (CNSD/CNSC) since 2004, a specialty I have kept current over the years. I certified as a Diabetes Educator (CDE) in 2008, but was unable to keep it up as I left the country and could not obtain the hours needed to re-certify. I also took the ADA (now AND) Adult Weight Management Certification in 2007.

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

I would love to see the RD being accepted and respected as the expert on nutrition, and that being reflected on salaries and job opportunities. In clinical dietetics, having Nutrition Managers that champion their RDs is a must in this respect, and not often seen in my experience.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

Having a positive impact in the lives of my clients/patients and their families/caregivers. I have been lucky to find this in several settings over the years, and I look forward to finding my way back there in the future.

Anything else you’d like to add that you feel would be valuable:

Regardless of the setting there is always a need to collaborate with other disciplines, including SLPs (Speech-language pathologists), doctors, nurses, OTs (Occupational Therapists), PTs (Physical Therapists), social workers, family members, and more. It took me a while to realize the marked improvement in the care given when everyone is on the same page.

Being on the same page also means that the client/patient must agree with the plan of care for it to be successful. I can recommend changes up and down the walls, but often see myself having to compromise for the sake of client buy-in and cooperation, and ultimately, success.

More about Susanne:

Email: susannesuchar@gmail.com

LinkedIn: Susanne Suchar

Thanks Susanne! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Dallas Odgers, RD, CF-L2

DALLAS ODGERS
COMMUNITY - OUTPATIENT & LTC,
GYM OWNER/PRIVATE PRACTICE
for something nutrishus

As a fairly new business owner, we will have to keep our eyes on Dallas as I'm sure he'll do amazing things as he gets more into private practice. It seems that he has 'entrepreneur' written all over him. His is another story of a day job and a night job due to passion related to the field of dietetics and helping people with lifestyle changes. I love seeing the passion in our profession and it seems that Dallas has also come across that.

Why did you become a RD?

I grew up thinking Kraft Dinner and Pizza Pops weren’t THAT bad for you. Even though playing sports every day, my body did not reflect how athletic I was. After my first year of cross country and long-distance running, I was able to see the importance of modifying your diet to improve your performance. After having a really successful season (in comparison to the first year), I was hooked on my new healthy lifestyle. I kept the days of pizza pops and mars bars in the past. Later in high school I developed an interest in health care as a potential career choice because I thought it was something that could favour a guy who geeked out on science. I then found out about nutrition/dietetics and thought it was the perfect fit for me, but I was nervous about getting into a program that accepts less than 30 people.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

My ‘daily-grind’ is working as a community dietitian in the rural area around Maidstone, SK. I do mostly Outpatient and long term care (LTC) work in a bunch of communities around North Battleford/Maidstone.

My ‘night-hustle’ is working as a gym owner/private practice dietitian. Two years ago I opened up North Battleford Strength & Conditioning/CrossFit North Battleford, which gives me a great platform to work with people as a dietitian. With a large focus on developing our space, and fitness programs, I am ready to start working a lot more on private practice dietetic work and I am super excited about it.

How would you explain what you do?

I usually try to focus on describing the type of people I help and the value that I can bring them. For example, a common description would be that I help people manage their diabetes through education, goal setting, and accountability—this would be the majority of my clientele.

As my business grows, it will more likely be something like this: I am a private practice dietitian that offers strength and conditioning coaching, community, and nutrition education for long-term lifestyle change.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

It’s crazy.

Hit the road at 6:30-6:45 AM to Maidstone SK, where I could then be traveling to Cut Knife, Turtleford, St. Walburg, Neilburg, Thunderchild, or Edam. I usually see 5-6 clients per day, typically a joint appointment with a Diabetes Nurse Educator. From there I could have a LTC client, on a referral basis. Weekly I will often have meetings with the Health Region dietitian team and often provide education sessions to staff in facilities.

At about 4:30 PM I hit the road again and arrive at my other job at 5:15 PM. Here I will jump in on a class and then coach 1-2 classes an evening. I will book nutrition clients as they come up and touch base frequently through email, phone, or briefly after training sessions. I also do a lot of non-dietitian work on the business end to keep everything running as smoothly as possible.

What has been your career path?

After internship I started working in an Outpatient and LTC maternity leave, where I started my first (unsuccessful) business. I started an organization called Wild Youth Sports Management that hired collegiate level athletes to coordinate sport camps/activities with youth throughout Saskatchewan. Our first summer had me employing over 15 Huskie Athletes and providing sports training for over 2000 kids in Saskatchewan.

I realized I wanted to open a training facility as I had become passionate about Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit in University. When I moved back home I had nowhere to train. I had worked for a couple years in conventional and CrossFit gyms, so thought I would give running a CrossFit affiliate a shot and it has gained traction quickly in North Battleford. Just a year ago having about 20 members has grown into a program with over 120 participants currently.

While opening the gym I also completed a pilot project to incorporate a Primary Care Dietitian into the Prairie North Health region, which now provides dietitian services in 3 medical clinics in the Battlefords Area. Now I hold a full-time community dietitian position, as mentioned before.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

• Precision Nutrition Level 1 Graduate
• Olympic weightlifting coach (NCCP Level 1 In progress)
• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
• CrossFit Level 2 Trainer

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

Ideally, in my mind, health care overall would start placing more focus/energy and funds towards prevention rather than treatment, by having better access to exercise programs, diet education, and mental health support. I feel like the dietetics industry will start to see more and more private practice dietitians that are developing niches and specialties. I hope that this will continue to build awareness that dietitians have a huge and powerful influence to help people achieve their goals.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

That we only provide education on using Canada’s Food Guide (CFG). I have had doctors assume that I would just be giving out CFGs when I started to work in their office—something they apparently did not stand for. I don’t have an extreme hate towards CFG, and it does ultimately incorporate balance that the majority of people trying to improve their diets should work on, but it’s not a tool I regularly use in practice.

What would you like people to know about RDs?

They are relentlessly hard workers. I have met so many RDs with extreme work ethic. I have seen them shutting down the library as nutrition students. Now I see them addicted to learning and finding new online courses, books, and journals when they get into practice. I see them constantly networking and communicating amongst other dietitians and health care professionals. I have seen so many RDs become addicted to the process of working on becoming the best dietitian they can be.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

I find, with most of my clients I may identify a ton of things they could work on, but more than 1-2 actionable items are usually going to overwhelm them. I read a book once, The Compound Effect, which lays out a pretty simple formula: small/simple changes + consistency + time = success in achieving your goals. This is a good approach, where we choose 1-2 actionable items so that they can experience success and want to actually continue to work with me rather than avoid me because I laid out a plan that was very unrealistic for them.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

Lifestyle change. I get just as excited about watching someone do their first pull-up or hitting a PR on their back squat as I do when someone drops their A1C to target from diet changes with my advice. I think that is one thing that keeps me going for my 12-15 hour work days is that I get to continuously see people make positive lifestyle changes that I have some small part in!

What is your favourite meal?

Greek chicken BBQ’d on a small charcoal grill, couscous, and veggies served with an questionable amount of Tzatziki on top.

More about Dallas:

Instagram: @crossfitnb
Website: North Battleford Strength & Conditioning/CrossFit North Battleford

Thanks Dallas! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Amanda Hamel, RD

AMANDA HAMEL
RENAL DIETITIAN & 
NUTRITION TOUR LEADER
for something nutrishus

Intuition brought Amanda to the field of dietetics and she now works with clients of all kinds and in a variety of settings including right in the grocery store.  She is getting into the world of private practice, which more and more dietitians seem to be doing - hopefully it will help with the access that she mentions below. 

Why did you become a RD?

Have you ever had that ‘fish-out-of-water’ feeling? Imagine the feeling of being in a room full of people, and all the lights are off except for one hot, glaring spotlight that’s pointed straight down on you. That was me in my first semester of Pharmacy. I remember so clearly being in a packed classroom, with many of whom were close friends, yet I felt like I simply did not belong. It was a crushing, almost out-of-body experience, and I knew in that moment that something wasn’t right. I couldn’t tell you why or what, but my gut (always trust your gut!) was telling me that I needed to be somewhere else.

That ‘somewhere else’ was in the field of nutrition and dietetics! I always had a keen interest in health, wellness and disease-prevention, so I took a risk, made the switch, and have never looked back. Side note: I recently cleaned out my old notes from high school and found a career report I did in Grade 10 on none other than ‘The Dietitian’! It was a sign.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

Like many dietitians I know, I wear many ‘hats’. I currently work in an outpatient hemodialysis and chronic kidney disease clinic. Once per month, I travel to a rural northern reserve, where I practice LTC (long term care) nutrition at their beautiful PCH (personal care home). I also have a contract position as a Nutrition Tour Leader with Save-On-Foods grocery stores. I am also dabbling in private practice on the side, just to shake things up a bit. I love that all of my current jobs cover different aspects of the nutrition continuum, enabling me to maintain and learn new skills!

How would you explain what you do?

Because I work in many different areas, my ‘go-to’ statement is, “I help people of all ages make healthy and balanced food choices”.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

In a nutshell - Renal dietitian by day, Nutrition Tour Leader by night! I work with an interdisciplinary team on the hospital dialysis unit and counsel patients one-on-one at the bedside. When I conduct grocery tours, I show people how to shop for healthy food to fit their lifestyle needs. Sprinkle in a few private practice clients, and I’d say it’s a healthy mix!

What has been your career path?

Another risk I took was moving far north, away from my friends and family, straight out of internship for a full-time, permanent position. I lived and worked for over two years in northern Manitoba in LTC clinical nutrition and menu planning for the regional food service system. I learned a lot and quickly embraced the small community feel. To rejoin the fam, I moved back to Winnipeg to continue working in a number of term positions in LTC. Fast-forward to today, and I have a part-time permanent renal dietitian position, along with my contract positions.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

Since LTC nutrition is near and dear to my heart, I have special training in dementia care called P.I.E.C.E.S training.

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

Like many dietitians, I dream of walking down the city streets and seeing stand-alone dietitian offices. I hope that people can have improved access to our services. I’d also like to see a greater focus on mental health promotion, as I think it greatly affects many people’s overall health and nutrition outcomes.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

I love meeting new people and learning about their own food traditions and cuisines. While I am passionate about helping people make healthy and balanced food choices right in the grocery aisle, I believe there is so much to be learned from others. It’s one of the many reasons why I love being a dietitian!

What is your favourite meal?

Shakshuka. It’s fun to say and fun to make! You can throw in leftover items from your fridge for a quick and healthy meal.

Anything else you’d like to add that you feel would be valuable:

Stay positive and open-minded, as you never know where it may take you one day!

More about Amanda:

Twitter: @AmandaHamelRD
Instagram: @amandahamelrd

Thanks Amanda! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!