Nice to meet you!
Before I was ever a dietitian, I was a patient first…
Diagnosed with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis in 2012, I never received an answer to the question, “So what can I eat?”
This left me feeling like my concerns didn’t matter, but hindsight really is 20/20, and I now understand that this happened for a couple of reasons:
1. Lack of research. Nutrition-focused research in Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis was only JUST starting make waves, so there was no solid scientific guidance for patients.
2. Accessibility. Where were the dietitians who knew anything at all about IBD beyond a faulty print-out? Who could doctors trust to provide highly-specific nutrition care for their patients? Could patients even afford nutrition services if they did exist?
These 2 deficits fueled me to take notes during every doctor’s visit; every infusion, and every surgical consult since 2012:
1. How can I help make nutrition research for IBD practical for real life?
2. What can I do to make nutrition counseling more collaborative and accessible for people with IBD?
And that’s why I’m here!
Being a patient means that I speak the same first language as other patients, but we are all unique, and no person’s IBD nutrition or medication regimen looks identical to the next.
This means you can expect me to understand and help move you into a place of action safely.
– I know how malnutrition and anemias feel in my body while also trying to work through a 12-hour hospital shift..
So let’s monitor your nutrition-related labs before anemia starts interfering with your quality of life, shall we?
-I know how hard surgical recovery can be while malnourished; I know how easy surgical recovery can be while nutritionally optimized…
So I help you to collaborate with your surgical team to ensure you have the most effective nutrition resources, and you can enter the OR feeling prepared.
-I know how it feels to leave surgery, lost in a new body with little support, unsure of what to eat safely…
So I will help you transition confidently into eating again with your new-found anatomy.
-I know what it’s like to feel really good with ulcerative colitis, run multiple half-marathons, work full-time, and to still have no idea where to begin when it comes to nutrition…
So I help you find an eating pattern that works best for you and your lifestyle.
I know what it’s like to fall through the cracks of a broken healthcare system, so here’s a safe place to land, wherever you are on your journey with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, you’re welcome here!
My values:
-Data-driven approaches. No blind-supplementation using companies that aren’t 3rd party tested. No profiting off of vitamin companies.
– Individualized nutrition. I will keep your diet as expansive as possible, but I also understand that there’s a time and place for medical diets. I match the approach to the patient; I won’t squeeze your life into more long-term restriction, because your quality of life matters.
– Clinical collaboration. I will communicate with your care team, and I will help you to optimize your existing systems so you’re not normalizing symptoms and at risk of getting left-behind in the undertow of systemic gaps (ahem…insurance).
– Accessibility. You’re welcome to ask about young adult discounts (<26 years old), or sliding-scale offerings, since this practice is self-pay. I work to fund this private practice through other avenues so I can offer services affordably as often as possible.
