Spring is officially upon us and it’s the perfect time to reboot your health and wellness habits. Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is a cornerstone of overall well-being, but it’s not always an easy path to navigate.
A Registered Dietitian can be a game-changer if you’re ready to take charge of your health, whether you’re looking to lose weight, manage a medical condition, optimize your sports performance, or simply improve your eating habits.
Every day, our Registered Dietitian, Janyce, empowers individuals of all ages to make informed food choices to support a healthy lifestyle. Let’s learn more about Janyce and her compassionate and non-judgmental approach to her profession.
Q. What exactly is a registered dietitian?
A registered dietitian (RD) is a healthcare professional with a minimum of a graduate degree from an accredited dietetics program who has specialized training in nutrition and diet. Registered dietitians are credentialed after completing a supervised clinical internship and passing a rigorous exam. They apply evidenced based advice to help educate clients to improve or manage health conditions.
Q. Why did you choose this industry?
Becoming a dietitian is a second career for me. I chose to go back to school to become a dietitian after my father died from a heart attack at the age of 49. He was making plans to retire early and pursue his passion, albeit too late. I had always been interested in health, fitness and all things food, but his death shook me into seeing that I wasn’t following my interests or passions. I no longer wanted to spend my time working in a career that was not fulfilling. I love being a dietitian and can’t believe I get paid to do what I love.
Q. What are some common fears & misconceptions about working with a dietitian?
1. Working with a dietitian will be time consuming.
I work with your schedule and what is convenient for you, and I offer telehealth services – which means we can meet virtually!
2. We will give you a strict meal plan that includes food you do not like to eat.
We do not provide rigid meal plans. We focus on providing education that helps each person make the best food choices that fit their lifestyle and goals, and we can help you make space for your favorite foods while providing suggestions for how to include all the foods you like while helping you reach your goals.
3. Working with a dietitian will be expensive.
A benefit of working with a Registered Dietitian is that medical insurance plans may cover most, if not all, of the costs associated with your appointments. The process is simple, and we take care of all the logistics to find out what you qualify for even before your first visit.
Q. Let’s debunk myths about working with a dietitian.
Myth: We judge people on how they eat.
Truth: Our main goal is to help people; judgment is not part of the process.
Myth: We focus only on weight loss.
Truth: While some people do work with an RD to help lose weight, there is much more to nutrition counseling. We help people fuel for sports performance and create and improve conditions such as gastrointestinal issues and high cholesterol. Nutrition counseling is individualized to each person.
Q. What is the number one nutrition tip for someone who wants to improve their nutritional health?
It’s hard to pick just one tip, but I would encourage everyone to include a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to their meals and snacks. Fruits and vegetables provide the body with vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help support good health. Start small, try one new colorful fruit or vegetable each day.
Janyce has over 20 years’ experience with all ages from pediatrics to geriatrics, working in the areas of weight management, intuitive eating, digestive disorders, diabetes care, cardiac rehab and more. She has certifications in Health Coaching and Wellness Coaching, and she provides an integrative approach to recommendations, goal setting and habits-centered health coaching. Her recommendations are action-based, with practical tips and realistic steps offered to help people create a healthy relationship with food and make sustainable progress toward their health goals.
Are you ready to the guesswork out of healthy eating? Set realistic goals, create an action plan, get started off on the right foot and receive guidance along the way.