Hi everyone!
As this is my first blog, I thought I would give a bit of an introduction to who I am and why I chose to be a dietitian.
I have always been interested in nutrition and general health and wellness since a young age but have never followed any specific diet which I am extremely grateful for. I studied dietetics at Stellenbosch University where my passion for dietetics grew exponentially. Studying in Stellenbosch was a huge adjustment for me as it was the first time being away from my home, family and school friends, but it was an incredible opportunity to grow and it helped me become the woman I am today. During my university career, I really started enjoying cooking and continued exercising regularly whether it would be going for a run, hike, walk or going to the gym. I have always been a sporty person, playing tennis, squash, hockey, netball and golf during my school days.
Healthy eating and exercise truly helped me get through the stresses of university and it is amazing to see what a huge difference nutritious food consumption has on all aspects of your life. Once I began focusing on balanced, healthy eating and regular exercise, I noticed how much it helped enhance my energy levels, stress relief, skin and overall general health.
I have come across so many clients and friends who have been very restrictive in terms of their diet and cut out certain foods or whole food groups completely, which can be unhealthy. I have seen them get so disheartened because they haven’t lost any weight on such restrictive diets. Unfortunately, there are several factors that influence weight management and often through following such restrictive diets, they tend to develop cravings which can lead to binging on unhealthy food items. Therefore, I have often found that balance and moderation is a much better approach for weight management and a healthy mind. It is my passion to show society that restrictive diets and FAD diets where one has a poor relationship with food is not the way to go, but rather healthy balanced diets. Having a good relationship with food will be beneficial for not only health, weight management, general health and wellness but also a healthier mind.
I have found that exercise, healthy eating, balance and moderation is the secret to living a happier and a healthier lifestyle. When I followed this approach, I lost those extra kilos that I wanted to lose from varsity without even focusing on it. There are several factors that play a role in your health and a lot of people do not truly understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet.
It has been my aim to open my own private practice since I decided to study dietetics and I can finally say that my dream has come true. I hope to enforce more body positivity in my clients and help my clients live a healthier lifestyle in order to help in disease prevention, live a life of longevity that is full of energy, happiness and reach their goals without having to follow unhealthy restrictive diets.
There are a lot of nutrition blogs out there and a lot of nutrition courses, but by going to a registered dietitian you know that we have all the scientific evidence supporting the advice we are providing. Dietitians in South Africa have had to study for four years to get their degree. The advice dietitians give to their clients is not any information you can find on google, it is a holistic, client-centred approach based on scientific evidence and an individualised approach is taken for each client. Dietitians play many roles in society, but in my blogs to come, I hope to introduce you to all the vital roles we play in society.
I hope that this blog will provide you with some inspiration. As a dietitian, it is my job to keep up to date with all the latest nutrition research and all the recommendations that I give will always be based on credible research. I hope you watch this space for my future blogs.
Keep healthy.
x
Comments