Meet Your Dietitian - Renee Little
I wrote this article to introduce myself to you! I want to share what my values are, who I am as a person and a few of my favorite things in life. One of the most frequent questions I get as a Dietitian is "What do you eat?" I eat A LOT of different foods and I have shared some of my favorite dishes with you below.
The work I do with my clients has been cultivated from years practicing as a dietitian. I know weight loss dieting does not work for most people so I am offering a kind, compassionate and positive alternative to improving health without dieting.
"The work I do with my clients has been cultivated from years practicing as a dietitian. I know weight loss dieting does not work for most people so I am offering a kind, compassionate and positive alternative to improving health without dieting."
I offer online telehealth as an option because then I can be there for my clients when they are having busy weeks at the office, at home or even when traveling. I am also from a small town in Northern Alberta where services were limited and not accessible. The work I do with clients is important and I want to be accessible from anywhere they are at from all across rural and urban areas.
Who am I?
Personality:
I am a kind, quiet and introverted person. This is one of the reasons I find online counselling with my clients to suite my personality and lifestyle. I enjoy working in a quiet and private environment at home.
Mindful Movement:
I LOVE yoga, hiking and rock climbing because I can move in a way that I feel benefits me at that moment. I feel yoga reveals my emotions, my stress level and allows me to be a much more level headed person. When I'm on my yoga mat I'm in complete control of how little or how much I move my body each practice. Climbing and hiking give back so much to me as well including a fun way to move my body out in nature.
"When I'm on my yoga mat I'm in complete control of how little or how much I move my body each practice."
Passions:
I have a huge passion for hiking, camping and being out in nature. It's a way to enjoy time with my spouse and friends, spend time outdoors exploring. I find hiking to be helpful for my mental and physical health. I also love exploring our local parks Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, Kananaskis, Jasper and areas.
I'm a board game enthusiast!
Hobbies:
When I'm having some downtime I love playing board games with my spouse , family and friends. I'm definitely a self described board game enthusiast.
Career:
I've been a Dietitian for over 18 years and I'm still learning new things everyday! I have a huge thirst for knowledge and this past few years I have been so fortunate to study with Evelyn Tribole a co-author of the Intuitive Eating book (see my review here). I completed Evelyn's certification program and hold a certificate in Intuitive Eating Skills Pro. I now work with my clients in a way that is consistent with a Health at Every Size(TM) value system and approach nutrition using the Intuitive Eating philosophy.
What are my values?
Accountability
Adventurousness
Calm
Compassion
Curiosity
Elegance
Empathy
Fitness
Making a Difference
Practicality
Selflessness
Thoughtfulness
Support
What are my Favorite Foods & Recipes?
Breakfast:
A typical breakfast for me is either a smoothie, yogurt with fruit and cereal, oatmeal or sprouted grain bread with peanut or cashew butter and jam/fruit spread
Smoothie recipe: 1 cup frozen fruit, 2 tsp of frozen avocado, 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder, 1 tsp maple syrup, soy beverage or cows milk, 1/4 cup Kefir
Yogurt: Greek Yogurt, berries or raisins, dried cereal or granola and sometimes chopped nuts or chia seeds or hemp seeds
Toast and nut butter: a yummy fresh loaf of bread , nut butter like peanut butter or cashew butter and whole made chia jam (jam smashed with chia seeds) or a store bought jam
Overnight oats: put oats ~ 3/4 to 1 cup + 1 cup milk + 1-3 tbsp chia seeds + 1/2 cup frozen fruit in a jar and store in refrigerator overnight. I eat this cold most of the time but occasionally I will heat it up. I usually add some brown sugar to the top and cinnamon.
Lunch:
I usually prepare my lunch meals for the week on Sunday or Mondays depending on how my weekend goes. In the summer my husband and I are away most weekends to the mountains so Sunday prep time is just not possible. So instead I use Monday evenings to prepare for my week!
I use one recipe for about 2-3 lunch meals and here are some favorites:
Buddha bowl - mix of quinoa, kale, avocado, black beans, roasted red peppers, tomato cubes, purple cabbage. I sometimes make my own dressing of tahini and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar/maple syrup/oil
Soup - tortellini soup
Open face avocado toast with bread, tomatoes, avocado and 2 poached eggs
Dinner:
My husband and I usually decide what to eat together and both value not cooking too many times in one week. We usually cook a large quantity to have leftovers for at minimum 3 nights.
Our favorite dishes include:
Pork tenderloin with apple, green beans or Brussels sprouts, roasted carrots and potatoes.
Pho - broth of oyster sauce and siraccha, add in veggies like carrots, celery, spinach or kale, broccoli and sprouts, whole grain rice noodles with medium tofu added in cubes.
Home made chicken fingers - cubed chicken coated with panko (whole wheat) and spices baked in the oven and served with veggies.
This is me eating Crème Brule and enjoying Sangria. I think all foods fit into our diet but I didn't always approach food in such a free and satisfying way. I gave up diet culture , dieting and embraced intuitive eating and you can too!
I hope you enjoyed a little "sneak peak" into my life & personality! Visit my Facebook page for recorded videos. or join my IG community.
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