October 5, 2017
DIFM is elated to highlight our first Featured Student Member, Anita Davila. Anita completed her didactic program in dietetics and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Food and Nutrition from the University of Alabama in 2015. She has spent time volunteering for a hospital near her home in Chicago, IL, where she assisted the clinical nutrition manager with various tasks. Recently she has started volunteering for the North Suburban Academy of Dietetics located in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, handling portions of their social media and public policy. She is now the student member services co-chair for DIFM DPG and also helps with the Instagram portion of the marketing committee. Anita will be taking the dietetic technician registration examination this year to obtain the NDTR credential and potentially work as a diet tech while she applies for, and secures a dietetic internship spot.
Who or what inspired you to become interested in integrative and functional nutrition?
A series of events over a period of time is what led me to DIFM DPG. I think I first was exposed to the word “functional” when I took a research course in undergrad that required a textbook on Functional Foods. Reading about all the different added health benefits of many food components made the concept of “food as medicine” really sink in. Another thing that sparked interest was learning about nutrigenetics and epigenetics. I really loved the idea that nutrients can alter genetic expression. Then I started becoming curious about the power of herbs and supplements, which traditional dietetics training doesn’t really cover much of. But lastly, what really made me want to look into a more integrative approach was my disagreement with the 3500 kcal = 1 lb rule for weight loss. Seeing how difficult it is for most people to lose weight, and feeling disheartened by the the “x-number-of-kcal meal plan and out-the-door” approach, I knew I needed to look outside the box. I knew well that weight gain/loss (and health in general) are multifactorial. You cannot remedy it by merely calories in and calories out. We are not robots. There are a myriad of things that are at play: hormones, genetics, stress, environment, psychology, etc. I realized that I wanted to become a dietitian who will honor all of these things and addresses them in her practice. The word functional rang a bell again when I was looking through the list of DPG’s a couple of years ago, and when I looked into DIFM it just clicked; this is where I belong.
What area of practice do you plan to go into and how do you plan to secure a job that utilizes integrative and functional nutrition?
At this point I’m very open to things. Retail dietetics seems fun to me as a starter job, but some clinical areas, such as oncology and renal dietetics, also interest me. At this point I believe my dream job would be to be a part of a large private practice or health center where a team of Integrative and Functional Medicine practicing RDN’s, MD’s, and other health care providers come together to care for patients and clients. I'm not sure how I'll eventually get there, but I'll start by gearing towards that path by networking as much within our DPG, attending conferences, and obtaining further training in Integrative and Functional Medicine.
What education or training in integrative and functional nutrition have you completed or what education or training in integrative and functional nutrition do you plan to complete in the future?
I haven't completed any specific training in IFM yet, but my first stop will be the Online Certificate of Training Program in Integrative and Functional Nutrition offers red through the Academy’s Center of Lifelong Learning. Once I become an RD and maybe find my niche, I might look into specific IFM trainings, such as advanced hormone/endocrine training.
What advice would you give other students interested in learning more about integrative and functional nutrition?
My first suggestion would be to join DIFM, if they haven’t already; for only $20 per year we get a wealth of resources and opportunities to learn, network, and become involved with the profession. The Integrative RD, our quarterly newsletter is a great member benefit resource where even DIFM newbies, such as me, can get a good sense of what Integrative and Functional Medicine in dietetics practice is all about.
Thank you so much, Anita, for offering us more insight on the student's journey with Integrative and Functional Nutrition!