Meet Alexandra Caspero. She’s a Registered Dietitian, cookbook author and founder of the nutritious website, Delish Knowledge. We got to meet Alex at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in October, and had the pleasure of working with Alex this year on a Unilever project this year. Her personality is as sweet as her recipes, so we thought she would be the perfect person to profile for this month’s Dietitian Spotlight.
Tell us a bit about yourself and Delish Knowledge?
I really, really love food. I grew up in a house where food was king; we were the family who was talking about lunch while eating breakfast. My mom instilled in me the importance of cooking and nutrition from a young age, and I knew I wanted to be a dietitian since high school. I initially started Delish Knowledge in 2010 as a way to share recipes with my clients. In meetings, I would constantly reference various ideas for meals, then end up spending so much time afterwards sending them out individually. So, an online recipe collection made sense. From there, it’s been the wildest ride! I spent the previous 6 years as a Wellness Director for a University and left that position last year to work on the blog and freelance projects full-time.
What’s your favorite part about being a dietitian?
I love being able to witness the diet breakthroughs that my clients have after adapting an intuitive eating style. Most of my clients come to me after years of cycling through diet after diet, lacking body, nutrition and cooking confidence. Seeing them become joyful about food, nourished by nutrition and finally at their happy weight is hands-down the most rewarding part of my job.
Describe what your typical week looks like?
Super cliche, but I don’t think there is such thing as a typical week. However, there is a loose structure that I try and follow
- Monday: I try and keep Monday as open as possible to allow time for emails, to-do lists for the rest of the week or any last-minute projects that landed over the weekend. Usually capped by a giant grocery store haul, if that hasn’t happened on the weekend.
- Tuesday/Wednesday: I try and keep open for recipe development/photography and other freelance projects. I’ve found that I work best doing several photoshoots back to back rather than stopping in between each one. Every other Tuesday, I do a cooking segment on a local TV morning show.
- Thursday/Friday: Writing, editing and client work. I try and schedule most of my clients for Thursday/Friday, if possible.
- Saturday/Sunday: If I’m not traveling, I use the weekend as catchup days for anything I didn’t get done during the week.
How do you find balance between work & personal?
I try and make it out for a run at least a few times each week. That’s my “me time” and I cherish it as much for alone time as I do the endorphin high afterwards. I always start my morning with meditation, which is a non-negotiable no matter where I am. Meditation is my life-blood; if I’m not in my practice, I’m much more anxious, stressed and unfocused.
Other than that, it’s a toss-up. Honestly, if I’m home, I’m working, which I’m OK with right now. There’s a lot to get done and most of the time, it’s really rewarding work. Thankfully, working for yourself also brings a lot of flexibility, which I take advantage with abundant travel. I balance a constant schedule by trying to get out of town at least once a month, even if it’s just for a few days.
What are 3 foods you can’t live without?
Avocado! (Is there a more perfect food?)
French lentils
Perfectly ripe strawberries.
For more delicious recipes and nutrition knowledge, follow Alex on her blog here. Also, make sure to buy her mouthwatering healthy italian cookbook today (we have a copy and love it)!
Diet is good. But, you need to make sure that you still get the right nutrition that your body needs because you lack of nutrition ca lead to many diseases.