What first sparked your interest in nutritional medicine and why did you choose to study at Endeavour?
I’ve always had a bit of an interest in food but my interest in nutritional medicine began after having my first child. She was ready for solids and I wanted to give her the best start to life, so I started researching and looking into how to support her through food and nutrition. I then had a second child and found myself feeling a bit lost and like I was looking after everyone in my family, but not really looking after myself. I desperately needed something that was just for me, that was also interesting and stimulating. I saw an advertisement for an Endeavour open day, went to the open day and immediately knew that I needed to enrol into the Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine). It just felt right.
What does a usual day in your life look like as a clinical nutritionist?
As I am a mother to a tween and a teenager, my morning usually starts with helping them get ready for school. I then take my puppy for a walk and we drop my son at school on the way. When I get home, I normally make myself breakfast which is usually leftovers, eggs or homemade granola, yoghurt and fruit. I then start my working day and will either head to one of the clinics I work at for face-to-face consultations or I work from home doing online consultations. I normally have lunch around 1pm and am generally back home around the time my kids get home from school. I tend to check in with them and see how their day went, then I might have another one or two online consultations. Around 6pm I start getting dinner ready, then help my kids get ready for bed. Once they are in bed, I like to watch Netflix with my husband, or I finalise treatment plans from the day’s appointments. And by 10.30pm I am in bed.
Are there things you now do in daily life that you hadn’t anticipated when you first became clinical nutritionist?
I didn’t anticipate the amount of marketing and social media work that is required to promote myself and my business as a clinical nutritionist. At times it feels like I need a marketing degree as well!