What RDs Do: Corinne Dobbas MS, RD

CORINNE DOBBAS
COACH; DITCH THE DIET. GET MORE.

for something nutrishus

I became a dietitian around the same time as Corinne and I too enjoy working remotely. I believe she's the first love coach in the series and will be adding a new credential soon. Corinne is a great example of finding a niche and the lifelong learning RDs are inspired to partake in. Often our own struggles, life stages, experiences or interests lead us down different career paths. I love how honest she is about how much she works and the long hours she puts in; those realities aren't always apparent when we view websites or social media channels. 

Why did you become a RD?

I became a RD almost eight years ago now. At the time, I would have told you I became a RD because I wanted to help people learn to eat healthier. But, in hindsight, I can tell you that I was working through my own relationship with food and my body, and I wanted to learn more. But the real root of my desire as a RD has always been to coach and to help others, because I believe people are resilient and often have all the answers they need right there inside of them.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I work in private practice in the coaching industry. More specifically, I work with women (from all over the world) struggling with body image and food fears, and who are looking to seriously get off the diet roller coaster and feel healthy and happy in their body and life. I do this through 1:1 coaching and my online course, Ditch the Diet. Get MORE. I also do love coaching, but that’s a whole other area! But the two really go together. If you can’t love yourself and your body, it’s hard to show up fully in a romantic relationship.

How would you explain what you do?

If I had to sum it up, I’d say I help kind, caring, compassionate women feel confident in their bodies, lives, and in love.

What are your ‘typical’ daily weekly tasks?

Well, I’m still learning. I’ve been fully in my own business for about 6 months now and typically, I do more task work in the morning, like answer emails, edit podcasts (I have an upcoming show you can find on my site by the time you’re reading this, CorinneDobbas.com). In the evening and afternoon, I focus more on my creative work, like writing, coaching clients, and working with the women in my Ditch the Diet. Get MORE. course. My days are also about to drastically change because I’m going back to school to become a MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist). I’m doing that so my current work can go even deeper with clients, and it’s simply the next step, so to speak, for myself.

What has been your career path?

My career path, as most are, has been interesting. I started off with a private counseling practice within a high-end health club and grew that for almost three years. As I began to notice that the clients I wanted to work with needed deeper work than a meal plan, I ended up leaving that position and taking on part-time consultant work for a company called hint water. I managed their social media, wrote their nutrition articles, and eventually, built and managed their customer service team. Also at this time, I enrolled in Wellcoaches and went through their program.

During this time, I was also testing my new way of working with clients - helping better their relationship with food and their body - through my 1:1 work. As I realized it worked, I then ran two small coaching groups over the next couple of years to test the material while working for hint. Throughout this process, my role for hint became full-time, but I was fortunate enough to work remote. Needless to say, during this period of my life, I worked A LOT.

Eventually, after almost four years, I left hint because I wanted something new and then took on a role as a General Manager for a fitness studio, while growing my own business. I was waking up at 4:30 am and typically working until 7 pm and within eight months, I burnt out and left the role. At this point, I was newly engaged and began to focus on my own business. But I’ve always been a fan of having a side income, where you knew a paycheck was certain. So I thought about what would be fun and remote (I love working remote) and remembered when my girlfriend got me to use a matchmaking service with her. I loved my matchmaker and decided to look if they were hiring. So I applied to be a matchmaker and after a serious interview process was hired.

I worked as a matchmaker then for about a year-and-a-half and that believe it or not took my coaching skills to a whole new level, as well as what I learned about relationships. After this stint, I decided to focus on date coaching. So today, I have my Single & Sane course, my Ditch the Diet. Get MORE. course and I offer 1:1 coaching in both the realms of food and body image and dating. But, as I mentioned earlier, this work has always signaled to me what I knew for a long time - to do more of what I really want to do - the (even) deeper inner soul work - I needed to go back to school to get a MS in Counseling Psychology. So, I’ll do that while running my current business today.

If you’re interested, you can hear more about my journey (and private life) with an awesome podcast interview I did with Heather Caplan here. (*Heather was featured on WhatRDsDo.com in June 2016!)

What advanced training or special education do you have?

I have a Masters in Nutrition Science. I’ve also completed the Wellcoaches Core-Coach Training Program, a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, and I’m going back to school to get a Masters in Counseling Psychology and become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Plus, I’ve worked with hundreds of women in both realms of food and body image and love. And to be honest, that 1:1 work and seeing what actually works for clients is priceless and the best training I could ever imagine.

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

I have a feeling not many people are going to like me for this, but to be honest, in the ideal world, I’d hope to see less Dietitians stomping around online proclaiming themselves to be the nutrition experts - not saying we’re not - but to rather focus on the doing. The doing to establish yourself as an expert and to help those who you are uniquely meant to help. And to focus on how you can help. I believe there’s enough for everyone and when we start working collaboratively and focus more on what we can do, we change lives. I also believe it’s up to you to act as an expert. And most experts I know don’t walk around saying they’re the expert, they’re simply confident in the fact they are. So in the ideal world, I’d love to see the industry focusing more on how we can help, not that we can and should be the ones helping, if that makes sense.

What do people think you do for a living?

I laughed out loud at this because I’ve had so many people wonder. Are you in the love industry? How do you help people with food? Getting these responses has actually allowed me to rebrand my site to have a more clarifying message that I help kind, caring, compassionate women feel confident in their bodies, lives, and in love.

What tips would you give to our readers?

Know that you’re going to make a lot of mistakes. And that’s OK. It’s a part of the process. And get really clear on who you’re trying to help so you don’t take on projects, work, or clients who really aren’t a good match for you, and it turns out being a poor experience for both parties. Also, if you’re doing your own thing, don’t be afraid to get a real job and build your business overtime. In fact, I recommend it. And find your person in the industry who you can talk with, so you feel less alone. You’ll need them!

More about Corinne:

Website: Corinne Dobbas

Instagram: @CorinneDobbas

Thanks Corinne! 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: Mary Purdy MS, RDN

MARY PURDY
ARIVALE & MARY'S NUTRITION SHOW

for something nutrishus

Mary is doing a variety of interesting things. She came to dietetics later in life and now works with both individuals and reaches a large audience via her show and podcasts. She's a great example of how dietitians turn research into practical advice. Like Mary, I jumped right into the private practice world, having never had a traditional job. I love the thought that went into her responses and am excited to read her book (since she kindly sent me a copy)!

Why did you become a RD? 

I have always been interested in food, health and nutrition since I was a little girl. I originally chose to become an actor but never lost my passion and zeal for broccoli and pomegranates. I started questioning this career choice in my early 30’s just as my dad was diagnosed with a very serious disease that wound him in a hospital where he received some very questionable advice from the dietitian there. When I began to realize that food actually had the power to help prevent and address disease I knew that I had to switch gears and do whatever I could to help people who may be in need of nutritional guidance. I was determined to heal the world one meal at a time!

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I work at the start up scientific wellness company called Arivale in Seattle, as a Registered Dietitian Coach and Clinical Education Lead. I also host a web series and podcast called “Mary’s Nutrition Show” with my husband, who is a videographer and lead producer, all around great guy and fellow broccoli enthusiast.

How would you explain what you do? 

I work with clients/patients over the phone providing diet and lifestyle counseling utilizing a personalized medicine approach which takes into account nutritional genetics, blood analyte biomarkers, microbiome and salivary cortisol. We take a long-term, integrative approach where we address diet, physical activity, stress, sleep, and supplementation. What is incredible is that we work with folks long enough to gather data that helps us to see how our intervention strategies have made a difference in their lives. I also act as an educator at the company, training our new hires and helping to build new trainings on a variety of topics for our current dietitians. For “Mary’s Nutrition Show”, we produce weekly shows either on Facebook Live or recorded for a podcast that provide easy to understand information on a myriad of food and nutrition topics that are usually sprinkled with a lot of humor to keep it fun and interesting for both listener and for me.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

Because Arivale is a start up culture, every day is incredibly different. I spend a lot of time reaching out to and speaking to, texting or emailing my clients keeping them accountable as well as inspired and encouraged, and fielding questions from them on a regular basis. I hold clinical office hours where other RDN’s can pick my brain about tough cases. I attend trainings about new data, go to meetings about company updates, group gatherings around both clinical or personal topics, drink copious amounts of tea and have brief chats with other RDN’s in our kitchen area, and read a lot of research. For Mary’s Nutrition Show, I brainstorm show ideas, stay current on social media, practice talking points, respond to comments and queries and go to the grocery store often where I can try new products that I can be confident recommending to my listeners.

What has been your career path? 

After attaining my graduate degree in nutrition and finishing my internship at Bastyr University, I decided it would be a good idea to hang my shingle and go into private practice, even with no real business experience. (I don’t recommend this!) I had never had a normal job, so the thought of a 9-5 gig was very unappealing. The internship schedule almost killed me. I wanted autonomy. I started off in what might be thought of as a utility closet at a gym and gradually worked my way to an office with windows and a couch. I also got a part time job for two years as an outpatient dietitian at a hospital in Seattle which filled in the gaps very nicely. I also started providing wellness presentations at local businesses and community centers and began to build my brand as a private practice dietitian.

While keeping my business going, I took on another wonderful role as a Clinical Supervisor at Bastyr University’s Teaching clinic for 5 years and became adjunct faculty teaching in both the natural medicine and nutrition departments for 3 years. When the opportunity came up to work at Arivale with a team of amazing clinicians and founded by one of the founding fathers of systems biology, Lee Hood, I decided to close my private practice and take a chance on this amazing-sounding start up. I have never looked back and look forward to every day that I get to practice integrative medicine and learn from other health professionals, and drink copious amounts of tea while chatting with other RDN’s in the kitchen. Over the past few years, I have been writing humorous personal essays about becoming and being a dietitian and finally compiled them all into a book called “Serving the Broccoli Gods”

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I am definitely a life long learner who for the past 10 years has listened to dozens of professional webinars and attended several different major conferences and symposiums every year that mostly focus on functional and integrative approaches to health. I took the Functional Nutrition Course through the Institute for Functional Medicine, and the Food as Medicine professional training courses through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. Being on the executive committee and now the Chair of Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine has also afforded me numerous opportunities to build my knowledge base. I will never stop pursuing learning opportunities especially when the field is so incredibly dynamic. I just hope my brain can hold all the info!

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

I hope the world of dietetics will be more aligned and less divided on a variety of topics. Or if the division still exists, I hope there is a cordial agreement to respect the others’ opinions. I also hope food policy won’t be so driven by food industry. I fear that decisions around our food – both access and quality – are often being made by organizations that may not always have the consumer’s health in mind. I would love for RDN’s to have greater respect overall in the medical community as an integral part of the health care picture. I also hope that more RDN’s feel empowered to take an integrative approach to nutritional counseling, incorporating other aspects of what constitutes “health” and come to understand the value of personalizing the strategies, and that not all research may apply to every single person in the same way. And I hope that this is taught and incorporated into nutrition school curriculums and in medical schools. Filling out the conversation with our patients to include sleep, stress, GI (gastrointestinal) issues, environment, genetics, physical activity, and the benefits or lack thereof of supplementation will inevitably make our ability to guide and improve health outcomes all the stronger.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD? 

I don’t think people, my friends and acquaintances included, or other medical professionals always understand the depth of our knowledge and training around food and disease and how strong our understanding is of how to prevent, treat and in some cases possibly even reverse chronic health issues.

What do people think that you do for a living? 

I think some believe that I sit there and tell people to stop eating fast food and eat more vegetables so they can lose weight. I don’t think they understand that food is information for our genes and helps to support our bodies’ biochemical functions, and that decisions around meals go way beyond calories in and calories out.

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

I am extraordinarily passionate about the potential that a food as medicine approach has in stopping chronic disease. I love the idea of thinking outside the box with strategies, with trialing options with patients and considering n=1 experiments as a way to determine if the intervention is right for that individual. When we start focusing on the root cause of disease and begin our guidance from that perspective, we have the ability to dig deep and understand how to get us out of the health crisis in which we have found ourselves.

What is your favourite meal? 

Do I have to have a favorite? It depends on the season, on my mood, where I am, but I do love a good Spicy Indian or Thai veggie curry over brown rice, or vegetarian chili bursting with veggies and a side of corn bread. But then I also go nuts for a massaged kale salad with avocado and walnuts and beets! Give me flavor, richness, spice and color. Can I have that many favorites??

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

Don’t NOT do something because you are scared or worried that you won’t be successful. Don’t stay too long doing something in the field that doesn’t fill your soul. Stay open minded about the possibilities of this field and keep up the dialogue with those who may have different philosophies from yours. This is a great way to learn.

More about Mary:

Website: Mary Purdy

Podcast: Mary's Nutrition show on iTunes

YouTube channel: Mary Purdy

Facebook: Mary Purdy RD

Twitter: @marypurdyhere

Instagram: @marypurdyrd

Thanks Mary! 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: Jorie Janzen RD, IOC Dipl Sports Nutr, CSSD, CCF

JORIE JANZEN
DIRECTOR OF SPORT DIETETICS

for something nutrishus

I know and have met Jorie in person (she is a human after all!). I filled a maternity leave and consult for the Canadian Sport Centre Saskatchewan, the province next to hers. She wasn't there when I played, but I would have worked with her in Winnipeg with the Canadian Women's Indoor Volleyball Team as well. Jorie has been working and mentoring in the field for almost 15 years in the areas of nutrition for sport performance, disordered eating and eating disorders, and in corporate health and wellness. This interview is just another way for her to give back and support others.

Why did you become a RD?

Because I needed to pick something to go into! LOL! Seriously. I was in second year just taking courses. I started to freak out because I did not know what I was going to do with my life. I decided to use the University counselling services and dietetics came up. I had no idea what this involved, so took a couple of courses and thought, what the heck! I have to go into something. Nutrition seemed pretty cool…but I still had no idea what a dietitian did until internship.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I currently work in sports dietetics as my full time area of practice as Director of Sport Dietetics at the Canadian Sport Centre-Manitoba. I also have a small private practice that includes workplace wellness and ED/DE (eating disorders/disordered eating) in athletes.

How would you explain what you do?

What do I do….always a question I ask myself! I think what I do is coach those willing to work with me in resolving a conflict they are having with themselves and food. Really, we as dietitians are conflict resolution specialists in our areas of expertise!

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

As with many dietitians, what is typical is that there is no typical. If I have to somewhat narrow down typical tasks it would be connecting with my ISTs (interdisciplinary support teams) around the athletes we work with to ensure we are all doing what is needed to support athletes, coaches and at times parents/significant others. Sometimes there are the mechanical things to do such as nutrient analysis, developing and modifying meal plans, grocery store tours, cooking classes, hydration testing, body composition testing, connecting with my colleagues across the country, presenting to teachers, coaches, parents…and I do a ton of mentoring! I am a huge believer that there is room for all of us and if we build each other up we will all be stronger practitioners/service providers because of it.

What has been your career path? What advanced education or special training do you have?

I went to the University of Manitoba and got my BHEc (major Nutrition) and completed Health Sciences Centre Dietetic Internship program. I did not start out full time in sport. Out of internship I started working at two long-term care facilities and eventually moved to a larger facility. Then, an amazing opportunity came up with the WRHA Surgery Prehabilitation Program where I worked with an amazing team of professionals getting patients healthy for hip/knee replacement surgery. All the while I kept a private practice on the side taking on team sport nutrition presentations for provincial teams, Canada Games preperations, coach workshops as well as co-chairing the DC SNN, sitting on the executive board for Sport Medicine and Science Council Manitoba and started the Manitoba Sport Nutrition Network.

I then completed the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition. Next up, my current position as Director of Sports Dietetics with the Canadian Sport Centre-Manitoba. As well I have added the CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) credential. I also did the ISAK Level 1 certification, but do need to take the course again to renew. I also attended several leadership workshops as well as one of my favourites for working with and dealing with clients; Molley Kellogg’s Intensive Motivational Interviewing course and became a Life Coach through the Certified Coaches Federation certification.

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

Wow. This is such a massive and possibly loaded question and I could likely fill pages upon pages around this one question. Working in sport I have experienced great joys and achievements and great sadness and failures. I will try to keep this to the point and positive with my hopes. In an ideal world, I would hope that the area of sports nutrition is seen as vital as any other area RDs practice. I hope that dietetic programs and internship programs start to value and provide higher-level education and practicum opportunities. Right now there is ONE course in the faculty devoted to sports nutrition at the University of Manitoba. I only get 2 interns a year for 3-weeks to mentor! And the reason is that interns need to gain experience in clinical or out patient or rural areas. Guess what?! A sports dietitian can easily provide such opportunities! Dietitians who work in sport deal with rehabilitation (concussion, surgery, other injuries), eating disorders and disordered eating, food intolerances and allergies, hematological issues, dietary restrictions or changes and so much more!

In five years I hope that the dietetic education programs has a greater respect for this area of practice. In five years I hope that sport medicine clinics, college and university sport programs and other organizations working with athletes see the value of having a sports dietitian as part of the full time staff/program.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

In the area of sports nutrition, I would like to clear up that we do not work with only healthy and motivated people. We work with human beings who happen to be athletes, dancers, or performers. These are human beings who are often very high achievers and need support from us. They fall prey to the same misinformation as the rest of the world because…they are human.

What would you like people to know about RDs?

Working in sport or working in research or in a clinical setting, we do amazing work every single day! We counsel, motivate, inspire and even save lives! We clear up myths vs. facts. We are also very human….my most favorite part!

What do people think that you do for a living?

I tell people what to eat. Others seem to think I can provide medical advice or diagnose ailments. The latter makes me laugh!

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

I am extremely passionate about clearing up false information and normalizing food. I love making fun of what people think we do! Gotta have fun with it!

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

Well, for one, we are regulated and accountable to a regulatory body. So, we have to be evidence based. And, generally, RDs are not all about the black and white way of eating. Every time I give a talk or meet with a client they feel relieved to not be judged.

What is your favourite meal? 

I love Thai and Indian food. But I always look forward to dessert.

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

No matter what area you choose to practice in, always surround yourself with other professionals who can support you and you support them – not just other RDs but other professionals. I have found that when you give, there will always be others waiting to give back.

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

Even though I do strongly feel that there is much growth to be done in sports nutrition practice in Canada…I always try to make the grass greener on my side! Life is more enjoyable that way!

More about Jorie:

Website: Jorie Janzen
Website: Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba
Twitter: @jjjanzen
Instagram: @joriejanzen

Thanks Jorie! 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: 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: Sally Twellman, RDN

SALLY TWELLMAN

LIFE & WELLNESS COACH

for something nutrishus

Like many dietitians, Sally focuses on health and happiness. This reminds me that we're not aiming for restrictive, but sustainable ways of eating and as Sally brings up, our relationship with food. Once again, she wants to clear up that we're not the food police! Where does that come from anyway? With experience in nutrition and coaching, it seems fitting that her blog looks at the 'pursuit of wholeness'. Her private practice came about due to changes in life circumstances (aka kids), which I can relate to.

Why did you become a RD?

To be honest, because I was obsessed with food; Eating it, controlling it and restricting it. But during my journey towards becoming a dietitian and after in my career, I healed my relationship with food and my body and now help others do the same.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

Private Practice: Health and Wellness

How would you explain what you do?

I help people change their relationship with food, love their body and create a healthy, happy life.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

My days changes, but typically I see about 2-5 clients in a day, create content for my blog and social media channels or do other administrative work.

What has been your career path?

I worked as a clinical dietitian for 5 years before deciding to stay home full time with my children. I stayed home for about 3 years, then decided to start my private practice, which is primarily online or phone consults.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

Besides getting my RD, I became a life coach to give me extra habit modification skills.

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

I want to see more RDs killing it in the online space. We are the experts in food and health and we should be leading the nutrition and wellness conversation.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

That we are the food police.

What would you like people to know about RDs?

That we are the most qualified nutrition and wellness experts.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

Not having a flexible mindset about helping people make real changes in their lives. When I first started my practice, I was stuck in the old expert mindset of change, aka telling my clients what to do. Then I found that my clients really started making more fundamental changes when I asked them questions, met them where they were and helped them make small incremental changes in their lives.

What do people think that you do for a living?

Help people lose weight.

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

We have a scientific knowledge and background.

What is your favourite meal?

I love having Pizza on friday nights with my family!

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

Start where you are now and focus on making small changes and build on your success. Whatever your goal is, become aware of one small thing you can change, and change that consistently for 1-2 weeks and then add to it. Also, every change must happen from a place of self love and self-respect, when you start there, the actions that will get you to your goal will fall into place.

More about Sally:

Website: www.sallytwellman.com
Facebook: Sally Twellman - Coach
Instagram: @sallytwellmanrdn
Pinterest: Sally Twellman

Thanks Sally! 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: Katie Proctor, MBA, RDN

KATIE PROCTOR

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE & BUSINESS COACH

 ELEVATE WITH KATIE

for something nutrishus

I 'know' Katie from a few facebook groups and you'll see below that makes sense! It's always great to learn about the journeys and unique backgrounds that lead dietitians to do what they do. Our jobs evolve and it's exciting to see all the different skills we have. Katie has done and is doing many things. I've been learning about running a business, marketing, etc. along the way the last 6 years, so I can appreciate where she's coming from, plus I know we'd enjoy sitting down to a meal together!

Why did you become an RD? 

I was one of those people who had 7 majors while I was an undergrad because truthfully I didn’t know what I wanted to do nor did I understand all of the opportunities out there. I don’t really have a glamorous “why” except for that I had been interested in food since high school and decided nutrition would be a great alternate career path when I decided med school wasn’t for me.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I have my own health coaching business and with my marketing and brand management background I also am a business coach for health, food and fitness entrepreneurs.

How would you explain what you do? 

On the nutrition side, I run monthly health and fitness-related online accountability groups to help busy women put themselves back on their to-do list.

On the business side, I work 1:1 with entrepreneurs who are looking to take their businesses to the next level. Each session is dictated by the individual’s needs, but some topics I address are finding a niche, content strategy/visibility, productivity/systems, creating an offer (what it is, how to price, how to deliver to target audience) and marketing strategy.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

For my health coaching clients, I post daily motivation in our app and encourage them to “check in” daily with their workouts and healthy meals. I also spend a lot of time on social media whether it’s managing my own Facebook groups, connecting with current and potential clients and engaging in other relevant Facebook groups. I write blog posts for my own site and guest posts on others and prepare for my 1:1 business coaching client sessions by hosting free discovery calls, reviewing client welcome packets, hosting our sessions and following up with action steps. I should also add that I have a part-time freelance role helping two well-known food bloggers launch a new membership site. I love what I do because no day is ever the same!

What has been your career path? 

From day one as an RD, I’ve been obsessed with business and marketing. I spent a lot of time as a student getting to know entrepreneurial RD’s I admired and believe those connections paid off heavily when I entered the profession. I was one of the co-founders of All Access Internships, a dietetic internship resource and coaching platform for students looking to stand out during the application process, when I was a junior in college and still actively coach students today.

After I graduated from my DI at Vanderbilt, I became an Account Executive at a well-known PR agency working on consumer and B2B (business-to-business) integrated marketing campaigns for food clients across the country. From there, I moved into digital marketing for the organic and natural division of General Mills where I managed all of the consumer touchpoints including social media, email, website and even copywriting for packaging. Most recently, I was the brand manager for a smaller organic food company and really got to hone my product development and traditional marketing skills that were more operations, sales and price promotion focused. I am so grateful for all of my experiences that lead me to where I am today. I worked my coaching business “on the side” for about a year when I decided I was finally ready to leave my full-time job and pursue my entrepreneurial endeavors full-time!

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I have an MBA and have also taken many online business training courses from Marie Forleo, Amy Porterfield and other high profile online entrepreneurs outside of our industry to learn the ins and outs of list building, sales funnels, offer creation and more.

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

I would love for business curriculum to be more commonplace in our undergraduate and graduate training and not just the information that serves more traditional roles such as foodservice or dietary management.

What do people think that you do for a living? 

I’m pretty sure my husband thinks I am a professional Facebooker ;).

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

I am passionate about helping other RD’s promote their services to more people online and not be afraid of selling. 

What is your favourite meal? 

Curry of any kind.

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

Make connections with people both inside and outside our industry whose career paths you admire. I had so many mentors help me along the way and I am always willing to give back to others because of this. Sure, some people may so no or not respond but you never know unless you ask.

More about Katie:

Website: www.elevatewithkatie.com
Email: elevatewithkatie@gmail.com
Instagram: @elevatewithkatie

*If you are an entrepreneurial RD, join my private Elevate Your Business Facebook group where we talk about all things biz and branding.

Thanks Katie! 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: Ellen Albertson, PhD, RDN, CD

DR. ELLEN ALBERTSON

PSYCHOLOGIST, NUTRITIONIST, WELLCOACH &

MINDFUL SELF-COMPASSION TEACHER

for something nutrishus

I reached out to Ellen on the advice of interviewee Jean Caton as she had recently featured her on her podcast. It was so great to hear about a dietitian/psychologist and learn all the amazing things she's done on the path to her current career. She has a unique niche looking at women's wellness and how we treat ourselves, not just the food we eat.

Why did you become a RD?

I was looking for a change in career direction and had always been interested in nutrition and love working with people to help them live healthier lives.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

Coaching/counseling, speaking and writing in a variety of areas including: weight management, diabetes and women’s health. I also specialize in helping women make peace with their bodies and food.

How would you explain what you do?

I take a holistic—body, mind, heart & spirit—approach to empower people to optimize their health & wellbeing. I help women achieve health, happiness and balance so they can reach their full potential quickly & effectively without stress.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

Social media (writing and posting), public speaking, counseling/coaching, networking and podcasting.

What has been your career path?

• Clinical dietitian (inpatient and outpatient)

• Nutrition/health journalist (I’ve writen for numerous publications including Self, Good Housekeeping & Better Homes & Gardens)

• Celebrity Chef - I was half of The Cooking Couple™ with my husband. We had a nationally syndicated radio show, wrote books and did product endorsements.

• Master Personal Fitness Trainer

• Online nutrition expert for Rodale (Men’s Health, Women’s Health & the Abs Diet)

• Wellness Coach (current)

• Writer/Podcaster (current) -just released my 4th book (The Diabetic & The Dietitian) and starting a podcast called, Wellcouples.

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I have a PhD in psychology, Certified Wellcoach®, Reiki Master, Mindful Self-compassion Teacher, Training in Intuitive and mindful eating and diabetes management, Certification in Adult Weight Loss Management, previous certs as personal fitness trainer.

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

Focusing on making healthy eating fun, easy, accessible & affordable. Improving the food supply. NO more dieting instead using mindful or intuitive eating. Acceptance of a variety of healthy body sizes especially for women.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

We’re not the food police. We can be flexible and work with you to create a healthier lifestyle

What would you like people to know about RDs?

Many of us are foodies and love eating.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

Respect from doctors. Moving clients who are stuck into action.

What do people think that you do for a living?

Help people lose weight.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

Helping women heal their issues around negative body image and dysfunctional eating. Ending dieting. Introducing RDs and other health practitioners to self-compassion as a motivational tool.

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

Solid, evidence based education. Our diversity. We do so many different things.

What is your favourite meal?

My husband’s barbecue!

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

Stop beating your body up because it’s not “perfect.” Replace the self-loathing with self-love/self-compassion. It’s much more effective. There are a wide variety of ways to live and eat to be healthy!

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

I’ve been an RD for 23 years and love it as a career. I continue to evolve and grow in terms of how I help people.

More about Ellen:

Twitter: @eralbertson
Facebook: Dr Ellen Albertson
LinkedIn: Ellen Albertson, PhD, RD, CD
Website: Dr Ellen - Empowering Women at Midlife
Website: SmashYourScale.com

Thanks Ellen! 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: Joanne Gordon, RDN, LDN, CLT

JOANNE GORDON

CLINICAL & CONSULTING DIETITIAN,

HEALTH COACH

for something nutrishus     

Joanne wears a variety of related hats in her career and has started to take more of a holistic approach to wellness in her practice. Nutrition and dietitians are only a piece of the puzzle and coaches can offer support in other areas. Whether she's working with her colleagues or a client/patient, Joanne is working with others to achieve goals.

Why did you become a RD? 

I have always had a passion for nutrition and health and was always interested in the relationship between food, the functions of the body and disease. A fun afternoon for me is perusing the local health food stores and farmers markets!

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I work in clinical as a per-diem dietitian. I work as a consultant dietitian with an integrative medical practice and I have a health coach/private practice business.

How would you explain what you do? 

As a clinical dietitian, I provide medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for patients at a local hospital. I review patient charts and assess patients' nutritional needs, develop and implement nutrition intervention and evaluate and document according to their nutrition risk. Diet education is also provided to the patients.

In the medical practice, I work one on one with patients and provide appropriate medical nutrition therapy based on their diagnosis/s. I work closely with the doctor to provide adequate and appropriate care for the patients. I personalize all care plans based on patient’s nutritional needs.

In my coaching/private practice, I also provide nutrition therapy based on their health history and diagnosis. I also work with the client to help them achieve lifestyle and health goals. I take a whole-body or “holistic”, approach to wellness. We discuss shopping, pantry and meal planning based on their needs. I am a certified LEAP therapist who specializes in food sensitivities. If a client comes to me with potential sensitivities, I offer this service.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

I spend time gaining an understanding of the patient’s current status and health/nutrition history. I review patient medical history, labs, etc. I sit in at meetings or “rounds” to discuss patient’s progress and intervention, provide medical nutrition therapy, monitor patient’s progress, review and discuss meal plans, problem solve, document, educate, design handouts and implement nutritional programs.

What has been your career path? 

I have been working more toward the holistic path over the years. I’ve taken programs to improve my knowledge and credentials. I expect to offer more health coaching services to help people “holistically” improve their lives with the consideration of total wellness; sleep, stress, food, fitness, etc. I believe that nutrition is the foundation to wellness, but if the other pieces are neglected, the body cannot be at its optimal state of health.

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

A certified LEAP Therapist and Holistic Health Coach. I am currently enrolled in the ACE health coaching certificate too.

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

More coaching and nutrition being offered at all medical practices. More coverage for nutrition services. It will be recognized as a necessary component of health care.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up? 

We don’t work in the kitchen and are not responsible for food service issues. We are well educated and do more than put people on diets.

What would you like people to know about RDs? 

That we are the nutrition professionals and there is a very big difference between an RD and nutritionist.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD? 

Respect for our knowledge and expertise. Lower paid salaries.

What do people think that you do for a living? 

Monitor food trays at the hospital. Review patient meal plans.

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

Food's relationship to our health.

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

We are qualified by having a 4 year degree or higher and have taken a national exam which we have to maintain through continuing education.

What is your favorite meal? 

I truly “practice what I preach” and eat very healthy, but one of my favorite meals is Pad Thai with shrimp. I am also pretty easy to please and enjoy a simple salad with grilled veggies topped with grilled chicken with a balsamic vinaigrette. My favorite snack is homemade popcorn that I pop on the stove.

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

Don’t believe everything you read on the internet or the advice a friend gave you. Seek out the professional in food and nutrition. Eat a lot of vegetables (they really are good for you) and stay hydrated with purified water. People underestimate the importance of hydration!

More about Joanne:

Website: Your Personal Nutritionist
Twitter: @JoanneGordonRD
Pinterest: Joanne Gordon, RDN, CLT
Faebook: Joanne Gordon, Your Personal Nutritionist

Thanks Joanne! Find out more about What RDsDo.

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