1. Tell us a bit about yourself? I’m a Registered Dietitian, wife, new mama and owner of Carrots and Cake Balanced Nutrition Consulting. My interest in food was sparked when I was a little girl. I would often spend time in the kitchen admiring my mother’s touch with Indian cuisine but it was the time I spent working at my family’s convenience store that eventually lead me to pursuing a career in Dietetics. In 2013 I decided I really wanted to work one on one with clients to offer nutrition counseling. Some days this is exhausting, but I’ve never looked back!
In our home we eat everything: I’m not a vegan, a lacto-ovo vegetarian, not a raw foodist nor do I follow a particular “diet”. In our home, we enjoy eating meat and we do our best to eat locally. Even still, we chose not to eat meat a few times during our week to encourage a higher intake of legumes, lentils, and plants. In the summer time you’ll catch us nibbling on fish here and there. And eggs – eggs are a staple in our home (and yeah, I eat the yolk too).You’ll find very few packaged and processed foods tucked away in my pantry. I do my best to prepare fresh meals but when time is my worst enemy we don’t mind a bowl of Kraft Dinner with a fizzy Coca Cola.
2. What’s your favorite part about being a dietitian? I think my favorite part about being a Registered Dietitian is also what happens to be the most frustrating: nutrition research is always changing and evolving. While it can be challenging to stay on top of current trends and recommendations I also find this aspect of my career fuels me in some way. It keeps me hungry. I’m constantly learning new information on a daily basis–talk about professional growth!
3. Describe what your typical week looks like? A typical week for me often starts with a Sunday meal-prep session. While many of my clients and peers find this part of their week the most frustrating, I crave this time. It’s me, my slows jams and trust me, I get all the feels when I’m in my kitchen. I’m a huge believer of strategic design. When we moved into our home I did my best to create a kitchen that was going to be a reflection of me; a place that I could enjoy my time. This way, food preparation doesn’t feel like a task, it’s something I want to do.
Right now, the rest of my week is spent seeing a few clients through my private practice and also part time work at a long term care facility where I specialize as a Clinical Dietitian in geriatric care. If you asked me 10 years ago, I never imagined myself working in geriatric care but I absolutely love it. I love the challenge of working with seniors that are nearing end of life care. It’s humbling and keeps me compassionate. While work has been a priority for years, I have taken a step back to enjoy motherhood. My little babe is 9 months old and currently the centre of my attention these days. Hello play dates and tummy time!
One more important fact: I go to the grocery store way more often in one week than I should. I just can’t resist.
- Keeping an agenda
- Learning it’s okay to say “no” to people/events that don’t fulfill me
- And lastly, recognizing that regardless of how I evolve as a Dietitian (professional life) I’m still fundamentally “me”, Nita and I need to honor that. So I make sure to do things in a week that I love like listening to my favorite music, going on dates with girlfriends and enjoying regular physical activity.
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