November 1, 2017
Who or what inspired you to become interested in integrative and functional nutrition?
As far back as I can remember I’ve always been fascinated by the ‘food as medicine’ movement and the concept of personalized nutrition. It was only after I had applied for graduate school and arrived in the States last year from the UK that I came across the DIFM DPG group on the Academy’s website. It was great to find a community of other nutrition students and Registered Dietitians that share similar values to myself and embrace the integrative medicine model. Another reason that I was drawn to the field of integrative and functional nutrition was the emphasis on incorporating mind-body modalities such as yoga, meditation and tai chi into patient care. I trained as a yoga instructor after graduating from college, and I still use the postures and breathing exercises that I learned all those years ago to help me feel calm and grounded.
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?
My primary interest is in mental and gastrointestinal nutrition. I first became interested in mental health after attending a conference and hearing Patrick Holford, a well known Dietitian in the UK, speak about the mind-food connection. My interest in gastrointestinal nutrition stems from clinical courses during my Masters and an internship I completed at a private practice in New York where I worked with an RD that specializes in the area. The evidence supporting the brain-gut connection is compelling, and I would love to combine these two areas through research or working with patients in a hospital setting. I also believe that nutrigenomics will be a key part of the future of dietetics, so I hope to gain more knowledge in that area and provide personalized nutrition for patients. I plan to learn as much as I can about these areas during my dietetic internship next year and perhaps enroll in advanced training courses offered by the Academy.
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?
Over the summer I completed the first module of the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certificate of Training Program. I’m now half way through the second module on gastrointestinal health, which I’m finding fascinating. I also recently took an online course with the Institute for Functional Medicine on methylation strategies in the clinical management of depression and cardiovascular disease. I’m delighted that I was awarded the professional development stipend for student members by DIFM only a few weeks ago! I plan to use the stipend to attend the Integrative Healthcare Symposium Annual Conference in February next year in New York where I’ll be listening to a number of experts discuss nutritional solutions to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Following the conference, I will be writing an article for the DIFM newsletter about my experience and how other dietitians can integrate this research into their practice.
What advice would you give other students interested in learning more about integrative and functional nutrition?
My advice for anyone interested in learning more about the field would be to attend as many conferences and courses in your spare time as possible. Completing the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certificate of Training Program is a great way to broaden your horizons and learn more about opportunities in the field. Good luck!