What RDs Do: Natasha Haskey MSc, RD

NATASHA HASKEY

MICROBIOME/DIGESTIVE HEALTH DIETITIAN

for something nutrishus

It feels a little extra special sharing an interview of someone I know fairly well and who has also recently taken steps to pursue her passion in dietetics even further which is very inspiring. I have shared numerous meals (and some wine) with Natasha and while I didn't intern under her, I know the interns always valued her, and they're another reason this series exists!

Why did you become a RD?

Nutrition is something that has always been important to me. I have always believed that eating well was and is a key way to maintain health. Enjoying great food and taking time to prepare the family meal were values instilled in me at a very young age. I actually remember cooking with my father at four years of age!

What area of dietetics do you work in?

My love for life-long learning never ceases so I am now completing a PhD at the University of British Columbia with a focus on the microbiome! I also do some clinical practice on the side that focuses on probiotics, prebiotics and inflammatory bowel disease. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to complete more speaking engagements, specifically training colleagues about the fascinating area of nutrition and the microbiome.

How would you explain what you do?

At this point in my training, I lack routine which is very atypical from my previous work as an RD. I am doing a great deal of scientific writing, attending classes and running a clinical trial.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

Life is ‘atypical” right now as I try to embrace every learning opportunity that presents itself. For example, I am learning about various mouse models as they are critically important to understanding the mechanisms of how diet impacts the microbiome. I never thought in a million years I would be learning how to pick up a mouse, weigh it and monitor it for health conditions!!!

What has been your career path?

I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of areas of dietetic practice, that is why I feel I have had such a diverse, fulfilling career. My first job was in a small rural community in Saskatchewan, where I travelled out to various communities and provided one-to-one nutrition counselling. My next career move was working as a pediatric dietitian, which I loved because you could see that nutrition had such an important impact on the children. I then moved on to be the internship coordinator for the University of Saskatchewan Professional Practice Program where I had the opportunity to work with many amazing dietetic students over the years! Many of which have become great friends and colleagues.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I completed a Masters with a focus on prebiotics and probiotics in Ulcerative Colitis. I enjoyed my Masters work, particularly the research aspect so much that I decided to return to school and complete a PhD. Yes, at my age!

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

I would say embrace every opportunity that comes your way and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Some of the most amazing learning experiences I have had were in those moments where you doubted yourself the most. When you conquer that “thing” that you thought you could or would never achieve - it is an amazing feeling. Oh, and it is never too late to go back to school?!

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

My hope is that dietitians will truly find the respect they deserve. Based on emerging research on nutrition and the microbiome, perhaps dietitians will have the tools to administer personalized nutrition!

What is your favourite meal?

Tough question because I love great food – but I would have to say that some of my most memorable meals have been shared with family and friends over a great bottle of wine :)

More about Natasha:

Email: natasha.haskey@gmail.com
Website: Natasha Haskey, RD
Twitter: @nhaskeyRD

Thanks Natasha! 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: Pierrette Buklis, MHSC, RD

PIERRETTE BUKLIS

SENIOR MANAGER, HEALTH & NUTRITION

GENERAL MILLS CANADA

for something nutrishus

I am very pleased to feature Pierrette. She was happy to contribute, but aware that people are often suspicious of her since she works in the food industry (which I completely understand, as I work with commodity groups and brands too). This reminded me of a Practice Blog post from last year on embracing the role of industry dietitians.  I know where she's coming from in terms of trying to explain the broad scope of what she does - another reason I started this series, and I love how she answered the future focused question, so much good insight below - enjoy!

Why did you become a RD?

Honestly, being a dietitian wasn't on my radar through most of university - I was going to be a surgeon and join Medecins sans frontières. If I knew what a dietitian was, my understanding was limited to the clinical, in-patient area. I chose nutrition as my area of study because it was an amazing applied combination of biochemistry and physiology, both of which I loved. When I realized medical school was not going to work out for me, I was lucky to be in a U of T undergrad course taught by Dr. Magda Krondl entitled "Sociocultural Aspects of Nutrition", and I was fascinated. She opened my eyes to a broader world of dietetic practice that caught my interest and helped set my direction.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I have always worked in population health and health promotion, although my approach to it has changed with my different roles.

How would you explain what you do? 

The mission-statement/elevator speech evaded me for a long time because the scope of my area is quite broad, but lately I would sum it up by saying: I work to improve health through food for as many people as possible.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

One of the more exciting (sometimes frustrating!) things about my work is that one week can vary markedly from the next. Some weeks I address the theoretical, when I’m involved in health policy development, or the design and interpretation of research for policy development or for population education. Some weeks I’m more involved in communication to my peers – my business peers to help them understand the science, or my health professional peers, to share the insights I have from the global research and business communities in which I work. Some weeks I’m deeply involved in the more applied areas of crafting (hopefully effective!) health communication messaging to the public or providing nutrition-based guidance on the plans for specific food product development.

What has been your career path? 

I began my career in a public health department, and I have worked in public health, research, non-profit organizations and food industry.

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

In addition to the undergrad requirements for dietetics, I also completed a Master’s degree in health policy & communication. To be fair, this sometimes feels like it’s not enough, for some good and not-so-good reasons. On the good reasons side, I feel that business or law education could help me be more effective at some of what I do. On the not-so-good side, I feel that a PhD (as specialized as it is) is becoming a more important credential for legitimacy in the areas I play. This is unfortunate because it appears to be less based on what the education offers to your perspective and capability, and more a way to screen “qualified” candidates.

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

I wish I could be more optimistic, but I don’t think a lot can change in our sphere in the next 5 years – 5 years is not long enough for the kind of systemic change I believe we need. So my 5-year ideal would be that as a global society we are making meaningful progress toward: responsible communication of research results to consumers; appreciation by the general public that good health is a beneficial tool, not a higher-order virtue; and a perception of dietitians as important enablers of personal and population nutrition goals. An important key to success will be improved collaboration among dietitians, including active support of one another in a professional sense, even those of us in less traditional dietetic roles. (This blog is a fantastic piece of that puzzle!)

What are challenges you encounter as a RD? 

Honestly, the challenge I find the most difficult is internal to our profession. Some of our colleagues question the ethics and professionalism of those of us who work in/with the food industry. I hope we can reduce the barriers between us to see how our work can be important in various segments of society. It has never been more important that our peers remain active in the food industry, and it can be incredibly rewarding when a dietitian brings unexpected allies together to make healthful things happen for the millions of Canadians who shop for packaged food every day. Yet, many days it is a thankless task to stand up for what we believe is right, in the face of both our professional group and our workplace.

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

I love food and I love learning and I’m a very social person – I am so grateful that I have a profession that allows me to engage in all of that, every day!

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

Practice applied curiosity. It takes humility to admit you need to learn something new, or re-learn something old that has changed, or take instruction from someone who is not your peer or superior, but it demonstrates admirable professional integrity.

More about Pierrette:

Twitter:  @PiDietitian
LinkedIn: Pierrette Buklis

Thanks Pierrette! 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: Mandy Willig, PhD, RD

MANDY WILLIG
SCIENTIST, CLINICAL OUTPATIENT DIETITIAN

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Mandy was interested in the interview series to share her unique experiences and also to contribute to a valuable resource for future dietitians. She is an Assistant Professor and travels around the world for her research and work. She spends about 20% of her time at clinics for patients with HIV and diabetes, and 80% conducting research on health disparities and chronic disease risk. Even other dietitians don't really know what Mandy does, which is one of the main reasons I started this series!

Why did you become a RD?

Vocational education programs led me to dietetics. I always enjoyed cooking and learning about nutrition through 4-H and Family Consumer Science (FCS) classes. I also visited a dietitian when I was a child, so when my FCS teacher introduced me to the idea of dietetics as a career I realized it was the perfect chance to impact other’s lives in the same way that dietitian did for me.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I am a scientist at an academic medical center. I also provide outpatient counselling to patients a few days each month.

How would you explain what you do? 

I develop and conduct research studies to determine the best ways to help people follow nutrition and exercise plans. I am especially interested in which approaches will work best for people living with chronic infections, such as HIV. My research right now is focused mainly in the United States and Zambia. In my clinical time, I work with patients from urban and rural areas who have high cholesterol, diabetes, and poor immune function.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

Every day is different in science! About eight hours weekly are spent with patients. I work on completing research studies and interpreting results from those studies. I also develop manuscripts for journals, and presentations for colleagues and community members to share results from our research and learn how we can adapt clinical care based on the findings. I have to regularly read research articles in my field to stay up-to-date on the science. I serve as a dietetic intern (DI) preceptor in the DI research rotation, and guest lecture on nutrition and health for undergraduate/graduate students. I have also participated in community outreach through education programs and cooking classes. And, of course, in research I spend quite a bit of time writing research grants to move our science to the next level.

What has been your career path?

Following the dietetic internship, I became a corporate dietitian with a long-term care and rehab company, where I worked with the geriatric population providing long-term nursing home care and short-term rehabilitation services. I always thought that I had NO interest in research (seriously – none), but while completing my Master’s degree I fell in love with the area. I also became frustrated with how many younger adults were becoming disabled through diabetes and heart disease, and saw research as a path to address that. I now work as an Assistant Professor.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I have a PhD in Nutrition Sciences. I also received additional training in business and biostatistics - business and coding skills open up many opportunities to RDs!

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

I would love to see everyone in the United States have access to a dietitian before medical issues become an emergency. We consistently see the best results in our patients who are working with dietitians, and that expertise should not be withheld until people are at their sickest.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

I still hear the old phrase that dietitians are the “food police”, even though in 2016 food bloggers and “nutritionists” with limited/no credentials are more likely to judge and police what you are eating. RDs have invested many years (and dollars) into academic and internship training because they are passionate about helping you be healthy while actually enjoying your life.

What do people think that you do for a living? 

Honestly, even other dietitians don’t always know exactly what I do as a research dietitian. I would love for more RDs to consider research as a career path. We have valuable expertise to offer, and many research institutions will now advertise “RD preferred” for faculty positions because they see the positive benefit to their programs when RDs are educators and researchers.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

I am VERY invested in teaching other health care/business professionals about how valuable RDs are. If you want results, you can consult anyone. If you want GOOD results, consult the dietitian.

What is your favourite meal? 

My mom’s pot roast with carrots and potatoes always brings back my happiest childhood memories. My mom taught me how to cook, and watching her now share those skills with my child gives me hope that the pot roast recipe will survive for many more generations!

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

Never stop learning! You need to develop the skills to read and interpret research literature and counteract the rampant misinformation about food and nutrition. Plus, we all need to learn how to partner with science journalists and food journalists to get the right information out there.

More about Mandy:

Twitter: @MandyWilligRD
Linkedin: Amanda Willig, PhD, RD

Thanks Mandy! 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: Noura Sheikhalzoor, RD, MSc (candidate)

NOURA SHEIKHALZOOR
MSc CANDIDATE, RESEARCHER

for something nutrishus 

We are excited to feature another local Registered Dietitian (RD) today! I worked with Noura on our Nutrition Month campaign, but as you will see, she is very busy and involved in our community. She is both a student and a teacher; Noura is a Master of Science Candidate in Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan.

Why did you become a RD?

I have always been interested in health. I have a unique journey being a graduate from an overseas dietetics program in the United Arab Emirates. When I first started university, I did not know that a nutrition and dietetics major existed. Once I learned about it, it fired a big interest in me to proceed with nutrition and dietetics as my study and career path. I have always loved organic and biochemistry, biology, and physiology. During the university years, I loved all the science, food and nutrition classes and labs. After the completion of my four years B.Sc. program with a dietetic internship, I moved to Canada with my family. 

Becoming a Registered Dietitian in Canada was the second big step in my journey. My family first settled in Mississauga, Ontario, and there, I completed the Internationally Educated Dietitians Pre-registration Program at Ryerson University to be able to practise dietetics in Canada. 

Working with people in different settings, in issues related to their health has always been a motivator for me.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

Currently, I am working in research and in university teaching as these are the main parts of my M.Sc. degree. My research interests are: nutrition program planning and evaluation, food security, food environments and food systems. I am involved in teaching parts of some undergraduate nutrition courses at the university, graduate teaching and professional skills. I do some presentations and workshops on my own in academic and community settings on food systems, food and culture, general healthy eating, and on cooking skills. I also volunteer at a few health organizations such as the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Canadian Cancer Society, and food organizations such as the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre and Saskatoon Food Council.

How would you explain what you do?

In three word: interesting, new, and adventurous. My research lab is the community, which always brings new ideas and allows me to build new relationships. My research project is a program evaluation study, where I am using qualitative research methods to ask about the nutrition knowledge, skills, and behaviours of children after participating in an after school cooking program.

I love teaching and worked as a teacher for years before my M.Sc. program. At the University of Saskatchewan, I am working as a teaching assistant in several courses teaching some labs and facilitating discussion groups, where I enjoy the interaction with students and future RDs (as I love to call them).

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

As a researcher and a dietitian, I keep up-to-date with the nutrition information and news, so I typically start my day with a fast read of the nutrition and food news and research articles. I usually have several meetings during my day for event organization or with my research supervisor or students. I also work on tasks related to my research and teaching such as interviewing, reading, writing, preparing a presentation or a research poster. I attend many workshops and learning opportunities live and online on nutrition, health, teaching, and professional development. To do that efficiently, I do lots of planning and communication during my day, so I keep organized and work effectively with people.

What has been your career path?

My career path is unique, but not long. I completed an internship in the United Arab Emirates at one of the largest hospitals: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City – managed by Cleveland Clinic in the three main dietetic practice areas: food services management, clinical, and community nutrition. I completed my dietetics practicum in Ontario in a long term care home’s food service and public health unit, and in a complex continuing care rehab hospital. From these experiences, I found that I am very interested in health promotion and disease prevention through community and public health programs and policies. I started my M.Sc. studies in community nutrition to learn more about nutrition programs and policies to improve community and public health. During that time, I worked with programs such as Kids Kitchen teaching grades 4 and 5 how to cook, and helped with Dietitians of Canada’s nutrition month campaign in Saskatchewan.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I always seek learning and training opportunities. I have taken courses, attended conferences, and completed workshops and webinars on different topics related to nutrition, health, professional development, and teaching. I took some nutrition courses offered by Dietitians of Canada. I also completed cooking classes from programs: Start from Scratch, Demos for Dietitians, and Collective Kitchens Leadership. I am also working to complete my Master Gardener Certificate from the University of Saskatchewan. In my learning journey, I connect the dots between my different learnings. For example, I am learning about cooking and gardening to have better connection of the food system’s elements and better understanding of how they relate to people’s lives.

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

Speaking from my interest in food systems and experience, in five years I would like to see more dietitians involvement in food systems issues providing evidence-based knowledge and information in the communities to improve their food security status and health. I also see dietitians filling a variety of roles in improving the health of the community and the food system, where food is celebrated from farm to fork. I would like to see more dietitians improving current policies in food and nutrition and making new policies that make a difference in improving population health.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

There is misinformation about RDs in the community. Many people think that we work only in weight loss or that we are the food police. We do much more than weight loss meal plans. Our roles are diverse and we connect the issues related to food and nutrition on different levels: individuals, groups, communities, and nations. Dietitians are not the food police. We love food and that is why we work closely with it and keep talking about it. Many people think that dietitians don’t eat enough or don’t enjoy eating. In reality, dietitians eat all kinds of food and enjoy it as mindfully as possible. There are many foodie dietitians too (unfortunately I am not one of them, but I am always happy to see and know them)!

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

Any profession has its own challenges. Food is a sensitive topic and something that is very closely related to everyone’s culture and beliefs, so challenging pseudoscience and people’s beliefs in nutrition myths is really hard.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

I am passionate about all aspects of dietetics. I am passionate about food and health and human interactions with them and the everyday trends that we see. Specifically, I am very passionate about improving the food systems and community health and interested in upstream thinking. I am interested in health promotion and disease prevention through healthy eating and positive lifestyle changes.

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

No one can call themselves a dietitian or registered dietitian in Canada unless they have the proper qualifications. This means that our profession is regulated to protect the public, because RDs are evidence-based and they have a comprehensive understanding of science, food, and human behaviour. Also, RDs are much cooler!

What is your favourite meal? 

My favourite meal is breakfast! I feel really creative with it and look forward to it every morning. I like to include a protein, carbohydrate and fibre, and a healthy fat source. I use whole grains, dairy, and seeds when I eat hot or cold cereal in the morning or when I make a sandwich or an egg dish. Speaking of breakfast, I will show you a breakfast that is inspired from my cultural background. Here a Syrian breakfast, where people have a variety of small dishes that include: egg (hard boiled or scrambled), Syrian cheese, jam or honey, herbs blend (zaatar) with olive oil, fava beans or chickpeas, pickled eggplant with nuts, vegetables, and more. Syrians like to drink tea with that and they use pita bread to eat some of these foods.

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

I would like to give the readers the following tips:
· Eat food mindfully and enjoy the process of selecting, preparing, cooking, and eating.
· If you can have a food garden or grow some food or herbs indoor, do that.
· Learn about your food by reading and talking to people (or a RD) about it. Read food labels. Try new recipes.
· Learn about other people’s cultures and food. It could inspire you in so many ways.
· Keep working towards your career passion and keep improving your professional skills.

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

I always say that: everyone eats, so everyone is interested in nutrition and touched by food everyday multiple times a day, and that is why our job is very important. Always remember that RDs are always on your side!

More about Noura:

Twitter: @Nouraszoor
LinkedIn: Noura Sheikhalzoor
Instagram: @noura.szoor

Thanks Noura! Find out more about What RDsDo.

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

Day 18: So Much to Learn

In less than a year I have learned a lot from my daughter (too much to go through here). I thought I would be teaching her, but she is teaching me. Like my husband, she is also making me a better person. She causes me to slow down, drop what I'm doing and be in the moment; she helps me be mindful. She needs me to put her first. She teaches me patience, since things take longer when I need to get her ready, bring her along, stop mid-way through to help her, or completely abandon what I was doing when she wakes up. It's a new life! I do love it and I always wanted to be a mom, so I am very fortunate that I get to learn the role. I think it may be a lifelong lesson though.

Since I love quotes and don't have much time for this post, I figured I would include a few that speak to patience and learning from our mistakes. I have never really liked making mistakes (or asking for help), but I understand that they are learning opportunities. I hope I can help my daughter to see mistakes as opportunities or challenges to improve. We need to make mistakes to learn, so I am happy to have the chance to learn to be a mom (and learn to be a new version of myself). My perfectionist tendencies want me to succeed right away, but that isn't realistic, and sometimes good enough, is good enough.

I am grateful for: my daughter and all that she has taught me in her mere 11 months of life

What have you learned lately? (or what have you failed at and are attempting to learn from?).

Here's to personal growth and lifelong learning!

Steph Langdon, RD

www.nutrishus.com

Day 6: A Good Book

I love a good book. I never feel guilty buying books or reading material. I used to read piles of books in the summer (nerd? bookworm?). I still think I will find time to read between fulfilling all my adult roles (mother, wife, entrepreneur, etc.). I do have a few books on e-book (an attempt at minimizing), but I still like turning actual pages. I donate books from time to time, but I like to keep certain ones, and plan to go back through them (with all that 'free' time I have...haha). I would also say that I'm a slow reader; I try to retain it all!

Once I got more into my studies (the joys of growing up) I read less for pleasure as I was reading so much for school. I am still trying to get back into it and find a good balance. My husband wasn’t much of a reader until we backpacked through Costa Rica. We would trade our books for other used books or pay a small fee for the really good titles and then chill out on the beach or at our hostel and read. He read more to learn and continues to do that to this day. I still enjoy stories and non-fiction as a little escape (definitely my preference to watching television).

However, with my profession, my passion for wellness, and a thirst for knowledge, I also have lots of habit, nutrition, mindful, and personal development books. My husband also recommends books to me, so I have quite a long 'to read' list. I am optimistic that I will find the time. I'm also working on trying to prioritize my day and make use of my daughter's nap time to read books or research instead of checking emails or social media.

I am grateful for: literacy and having time to read for business or pleasure

I think it's funny when you travel and they ask "business or pleasure" possibly because I aim to love what I do for a living (so it's both). My business has evolved a lot over the last 5 years, and I know it will continue to as I continue to. I am more aware of other important things, and am trying not to work too much (as I type this at 9:30pm). Finding time to read feels like it will be a symbol of how I've structured my time to do the things I want to, which also helps me with various other goals.

____________

Just because: A few favourite books from my child- and adulthood include, but are not limited to: The Giver, Bridge to Terrabithia, Tipping Point, Habits, The Happiness Project, The Alchemist, Mindless Eating, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Harry Potter series.

Are you an avid reader or trying to be one? Do you have a long 'to read' list? I'd love to know what's on it. There are so many books in the world, so I find it useful to go off personal recommendations.

Happy reading!
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

6 Things I Learned From A Busy Month

I feel like I have at least a dozen blog post ideas in me as this month comes to an end. Some I have jotted down (as you may know, I love making lists) - hmmm, maybe I should make a few list related posts?! Too many ideas, and too little time - I must create an editorial schedule!

It's been a busy month that included a family trip to Quebec City so that I could attend meetings and a conference. This meant a lot of daughter-daddy time for my loves. Of course we enjoyed touring the city and eating great food, as well as the work that I did (*food tour post coming soon). Upon returning home, we received keys to our new home and the move began. We also celebrated father's day for the first time in our home, and I wasn't able to contribute to this month's Recipe Redux - so I'll have to be on top of that for July!

Now I look at the calendar and feel the need to reflect back on a few things that I have learned (or been reminded of) over the last 30 or so days.

1. My minimalist efforts helped with moving
I don't think many (or any) people enjoy the actual act of moving, they just want to reach the destination. With packing and unpacking, it did feel better knowing I had thinned our stuff in the last year or so, but it still felt like we had a lot (more work to be done). It's just a reminder that minimalism is a lifestyle, so I can continue to go through our house and thin things out so that I can spend more time enjoying life, rather than taking care of, cleaning, and organizing our stuff.

2. I don't want to be someone that "does it all"
This feels like a recent revelation. My husband would easily say that I try to do too much, analyze things to deeply, or get caught up in comparisons at times (another reason for me to unplug and get off social media more often). I think I always planned to be the type of mom that people would say, "how does she do it all?" until I recently realized that I'd rather be someone that people say "wow, she has a lot of free time" or "she's so happy" - not that I need people to comment at all, but it's taken me about 30 years to realize that I don't need to do what everyone else does, I don't have anyone's standards that I need to meet, and getting things done isn't what life is all about (although I thrive off a sense of accomplishment). This is probably obvious to a lot of people, but I think (I know) I'm too hard on myself because I expect too much at times. This revelation helps me to enjoy moments with my family or reading a "just because" type of book for enjoyment.
 
3. I enjoy unplugging
I recently shared a post reminding us to enjoy the weekend - not just photograph it, but live it. Last night I saw a commercial form Dixie - I like the underlying message to "Be More Here" and reduce distractions for family meals, etc. by going "Dark for Dinner". We know there are many reasons to eat together and be mindful in those moments. I sometimes feel like we're missing out on life by surrounding ourselves with screens. I will continue to aim for moderation with my use of media and electronics, as there is so much more I can do with my time.

4. I'm getting better at enjoying the little things
There are many components or dimensions to health and wellness - often people mention:

• physical
• emotional
• social
• intellectual
• environmental
• spiritual
• occupational
• etc.

Where we now live is almost like a new lifestyle. We have nature to look at (rather than a television) and I'm unplugging more, allowing myself more time for my hobbies/passions etc. which is all very important for overall health and stress reducation. We often think about eating well and exercise, but it's also important to find time for family and "me time". I hope my months ahead don't feel busy, but feel happy (and for personal contentment - productive in some way!)

5. I definitely value experiences over things
This relates to points above. I'm happy to have less things in my house and be able to spend more time enjoying the house and yard. We have some work to do, but a minimalistic focus will help us choose wisely and prevent us from filling our house with needless things. This should also help us save money for more trips, as we enjoy traveling and our daughter is pretty good at it so far.

6. Blogging helps me continue to learn about myself
I tend to post more about moderation, mindfulness, and minimalism or personal development and reflection with a bit of nutrition information here or there and a few recipes. I have high hopes/goals and ideas for the blog, but I still haven't nailed anything down yet. I know my lack of career goals at this point makes me feel like I'm wandering aimlessly at times, but I'm also still adapting to the new role as mom - a role I always wanted to play (you could say it's been my dream job). As much as I always wanted to be a mom and am grateful for the opportunity, I am still trying to figure out the balance of being mom, me, wife, and an entrepreneur.

How was your month?

Enjoy what's left of June!

Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com