Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Gonzalez.
Amy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In college I took my first nutrition course and I fell in love immediately. I was particularly fascinated by how nutritional deficiencies could manifest as illness and disease. After the first week of my intro nutrition course, I changed my major to nutritional sciences and took the route to become a Registered Dietitian.
However, once I became a dietitian, I started noticing that many of my clients were following all the nutrition “rules” yet were still suffering with the same health complaints and were tried, frustrated, and were left feeling hopeless. Meanwhile, I became pregnant with my son. When he was born, we had a rough start to our nursing relationship and discovered he had a tongue and lip tie. Being a researcher, I quickly found the correlation between mother’s diet pre-conception as well as some other factors on the risk for tongue and lip tie. Of course, this made me even more excited about the tremendous role of nutrition on our health — not only for ourselves — but for our kids!
This personal discovery led me to furthering my study in to functional nutrition. This is not your calorie-counting, one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about supporting the body’s proper physiological functioning through whole foods and targeted nutrition. Our diet and lifestyle can turn on or off our risk for disease; so, our choices on a day to day basis matter!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nutrition is one of the most controversial topics behind politics, sex, and religion! There is so much confusion and misconception because one day coconut oil cures all and the next day you’ll die from a heart attack if you eat it. Our great grandparents ate a certain way but now we’re being told something else. No wonder we’re all confused.
Studying nutrition is a life-long journey for me. I always make a point to stay on top of the latest research and further my study. In such a rapidly evolving field, it’s a requirement! But more than that, my desire is to educate my clients on how their body works and understand the basis as to why they may be feeling a certain way after they eat certain food(s). What works for one person may not work for the next. This is why finding out what works for YOU is so important. This is something you won’t read in any study!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Holistic Dietitian – what should we know?
I work with women and families to tailor a nutritional protocol specifically to their needs. I see women looking for general wellness, weight rebalance, or nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, or nursing. I also work with children who are working through gut health, food allergies and sensitivities, and skin issues such as eczema. We look at biochemical make up, genetics, environment, lifestyle, and health goals to develop a personalized plan. Food is our medicine and my passion are to help those who are tired of surviving to live out their full potential!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’m a listener! I listen for the small details, the subtleties, as my client discusses their health story with me. Often these little details go unnoticed but may reveal some connections to current health. I’m also big about addressing emotional health and the relationship surrounding food. The mind-body connection which can be just as important as the foods you eat!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theholisticRD.com
- Phone: 817-909-8558
- Email: amy@theholisticRD.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/theholisticRD
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theholisticRD
Image Credit:
Lane B Photography (http://lanebphotography.com/) (picture of my son and me cooking and the picture washing basil in the sink)
Lindsay Klatzkin (headshot in striped shirt)
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
