Hello! Welcome to my webpage. If you want to know a little more about me, keep reading!
Becoming a registered dietitian
I thought I wanted to be a chef when I grew up and moved to Vancouver to attend cooking school. Fortunately, my dad gave me some good advice and recommended that I get a job working in a restaurant before starting school. It WAS good advice because I quickly learned that while I loved cooking at home, working in a restaurant wasn’t my calling. Fortunately, my sister was studying to be a nurse and had come across a profession I had never heard of – dietetics. After a google search, I was intrigued and signed up for my first nutrition class. The rest is history. I completed my undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia and became a registered dietitian in 2008.
My clinical practice
I have spent the majority of my clinical practice working in renal and diabetes outpatient clinics. I love working with chronic disease as I get to form meaningful relationships with my patients. The best part – I can see what nutrition interventions are working and which ones aren’t. I firmly believe that each of my patients bring their own experience and expertise when it comes to managing their health. I see my job as helping them grow their expertise and confidence to help them move toward their health goals.
My life at home
I spent the first part of my career working in a variety of hospitals around British Columbia and with HealthLinkBC. In 2013, we moved to Alberta and in 2023 back to BC. In 2014, we welcomed our first son. This was quickly followed by the arrival of our second son in 2016. Becoming a mother quickly taught me that despite knowing what was inside those childhood nutrition textbooks, feeding a family could be a real challenge! I also saw, first hand, that the families around us also struggled. I saw my friends and families worry about how their children were growing (either too fast or too slow) and saw caregivers reinforcing food habits that can erode a child’s natural abilities to regulate how much to eat. I have a passion for helping kids eat better and learn to trust their bodies – though certainly feel the weight of the daily struggle of figuring out whats for dinner? as mom who works full time.
Getting my PhD
In 2023, I completed my PhD in Human Nutrition from the University of Alberta. A significant component of my research focuses on knowledge translation. This is a fancy way of saying that I am interested in how results from scientific studies are translated into nutrition guidelines and subsequently conveyed to the general population.
Prior to completing my PhD, I will admit that I was really struggling with finding meaning in my clinical practice. I often felt that I what I was doing wasn’t working and felt under-appreciated by the health care team and the health system in general. I started working on my graduate degree as I was looking for a way to get out!
Surprisingly though, it was through working on my PhD and getting a deeper understanding of the complexities of nutrition in human health that re-ignited my love for clinical nutrition. Now – I LOVE my clinical practice and I want you to as well. Check out my registered dietitian section – as my goal is to help RDs find the joy and meaning in their work by giving them the tools their need to deepen their assessments to find nutrition interventions that work for their patients.
My kids book
After completing my PhD, I became inspired to write a children’s book series about how to create healthy meals that foster healthy kids. Being a working mom, I recognized that reading books with my children was an activity we all cherished. Moreover, I understood the influential role books play as educational tools for both parents and kids. While I had come across nutrition books that aimed to teach WHAT to eat, I noticed a gap in resources that focused on teaching HOW to eat. This motivated me to write stories that addressed this aspect. By emphasizing the creation of healthy meal environments that nurtures children’s innate abilities to judge how much to eat, the task of determining what to eat becomes easier.
My book released in January 2024 and carries the Ellyn Satter Institute seal of approval. Get your copy on Amazon!
Want to connect?
Sign up for my email list or send me an email at contact@kellypicard.com