Dietitian Spotlight: Denine Rogers

1. Tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi, ya’ll from Douglasville, Georgia (the suburbs of Atlanta, GA)! I am Denine Rogers an integrative functional registered dietitian, herbalist and aromatherapist enthusiast who has a passion for improving the health and quality of life of my clients in different stages of life. As I am getting older, I am finding different ways to age gracefully, healthy and happy. As my health and life are changing, I decided to start a wellness consulting business where I discovered the healthy and positive side of eating and living while developing a confident self-image. My wellness company Living Healthy has allowed me to provide for my client’s evidence-based practices and recommendations in the areas of nutrition, herbal medicine, and aromatherapy. My purpose is also to provide a patient-centered counseling approach that is focused on functional foods and integrative nutritional medicine to aid in support of healthy and positive outcomes from chronic causing diseases.

I work my business Living Healthy part-time and my full-time job is being a telemedicine nutritional consultant with Anthem. I also am an integrative functional dietitian preceptor and lecturer for Life University’s dietetic interns. Along with all of this, I volunteer as a Master Gardener for the State of Georgia, Secretary of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – Dietitians of Integrative and Functional Medicine Group (DIFM) and Second Century Liaison with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – National Organization of Blacks in Dietetics and Nutrition (NOBIDAN).

2. What’s your favorite part about being a dietitian?

Having a career that is changing continuously and never dull. There is a lot of opportunity in this field. It is a wide-open field that you can pursue anything you want to do. Being a registered dietitian makes me feel that I can help change the lives of my clients. It is truly a rewarding field to be in!

3. Describe what your typical week looks like?

My usual week consists of working my FT split-shift job at Anthem in the morning, and late evening in the afternoons I go to my office and see clients for 4 hours. One day out of the week I go to a doctor’s office in the morning and see clients there for about 5 hours and then I go home to work my regular job in the evening time. It is a long day, but I do enjoy what I do. During my off time which is usually after 9:00 pm, I write articles, work on my blog, and work on medical billing and documentation for the clients I saw for that day or week.

4. How do you find balance between work and personal?

It can be difficult to find balance, but it can be done. I make sure that my weekends are my time with no work at all. I may do a little gardening at a local community garden, which is relaxing to me. Also on the weekends, it gives me time to hang out with my husband and play with my dogs. I have been using a meditation app in the mornings before starting the workday. I also try to get some walking with my dogs in the mornings and do AM yoga. My dogs keep it lively when I work at home, so there is never a boring day. 

5. What are 3 foods you can’t live without?

1. Salmon! I love salmon, and it can be prepared in so many ways. I am a pesco-ovo- lacto- vegetarian which is a person who eats fish, eggs and some dairy… along with starches, fruits, and vegetables. It’s complicated! 
2. Black Beans! I do not know why I love black beans so much, but I do. It could be a burger or a salad or with rice as a side dish. Yummy and tasty!
3. I know that water is not food but I rely on it throughout the day. It gives me that invigorating start that I need for each day! 

To learn more about Denine, check out her website!