Jeannie Versagli and Ashely Boyer are our Registered Dietitians that are available to coach individuals in every aspect of nutrition and health. Look for their input on nutrition and dietetics throughout this month as we are featuring their responses to topics of interest to our members and the general public.
We hope you find their responses enlightening, informative and motivational, to enlighten your path to wellness.
Why did you become a Registered Dietitian?
I started my career with a focus in Food and Business with the intent to work in the Food Industry. Soon after I started in this direction, I realized that I had a need and desire to help others with improving their health. The question now became what and how would I full fill this desire I had. Nutrition was a subject that in many ways intrigued me. My background covered many of the necessary course work to forge a career in this field. So, from that point on I decided that I would pursue a career as a Registered Dietitian. Today, I have been in the field of Nutrition for over 35 years and it never ceases to amaze me how nutrition influences our health. It is very rewarding for me to see clients making changes with their lifestyle practices and nutrition resulting in improved health.
Hippocrates said it quite well with his famous quote………
“let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
As time has evolved over the years research continues to validate that Nutrition is our path to wellness.
What’s your take on calories in vs. calories out? Does the type of calories factor in? If so, how?
It may not be as simple as we thought. Weight loss may not be a perfect math equation as once thought. For example, obese individuals may find themselves losing weight and body fat relatively fast, yet lean athletes may find it more challenging to get below their set-point weight. If you have less fat to lose, your body will try to conserve energy in many ways such as hormonal shifts, basal metabolic rate, and adapted thermogenesis. There are many ways our body adapts to conserve energy,
The type of calories are extremely important for overall well-being. A high-quality diet helps to fend off inflammation and illness! No medicine is as powerful as a healthy diet paired with an active lifestyle!
