Today we’d like to introduce you to Arella Fields-Collins.
Hi Arella, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Career-wise, my story began as a young mother who decided to accept a dual position as a dietetic intern and graduate student at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. There, I also secured a neonatal nutrition fellowship at the local children’s hospital, receiving additional training in caring for infants in the intensive care unit. These experiences fostered my love for working in clinical and community nutrition environments.
Upon graduation, I stayed in Houston and got my first job helping older adults and children in nursing and psychiatric facilities meet their nutritional needs, respectively. After a few years, my daughter and I moved to San Francisco to continue my work in nursing facilities until I got the opportunity to work solely with children at the local pediatric hospital in Dallas, Texas.
I couldn’t deny the connection between parents’ beliefs and behaviors about nutrition and how they influence their children. Thus, I started seeking a space where I could work with both parents and their children to collectively impact their nutritional outcomes. This landed me in private practice, where I decided to form my own company, allowing me to be as creative as I wanted in helping families lead healthier lives.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course, there were some struggles along the way. The challenges I faced back then seemed colossal and made me uncertain if it was the right time to pursue my career, especially moving out of state with a toddler as a single mother while managing a full-time coursework load plus internship responsibilities. It was a lot. Not to mention the subtle and not-so-subtle battles I faced as a woman of color.
But God is good, and my struggles only drew me closer to Him, kept me humble, and were a reminder that I rely on Him for everything, not my own works.
We’ve been impressed with Food&Nutrition by Arella, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I run a nutrition education and counseling practice, specializing in nutrition care related to pediatrics, menopause, weight management, and diabetes management. Utilizing the all-foods-fit and Health At Every Size approaches, I enjoy helping others define or redefine what healthy eating looks like to them.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I would like to credit my favorite undergraduate college professor, Dr. Edralin Lucas, who instructed my first nutrition course. She was one tough cookie who never lost her sweetness. Dr. Lucas took me under her wing, hired me as a research assistant, and became a source of encouragement in trying times. I hope she is happy and well.
Pricing:
- Various private insurance plan
- Various Texas Medicaid plans
- Self-pay
Contact Info:
- Website: https://foodnutritionbyarella.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/food_nutritionbyarella/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodnutritionbyarella/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/food-and-nutrition-by-arella-dallas
- Other: https://profile.berrystreet.co/?appointmentTypeId=122252&providerId=7077626&_gl=1*1o1g1tk*_gcl_au*MTcwOTUyMTA0Ny4xNzM2NzgyODc1*_ga*MTMzMTUxMTgxNC4xNzM2NzgyODc1*_ga_HPGTP9HECQ*MTczNjc4Mjg3NS4xLjAuMTczNjc4Mjg3NS42MC4wLjA.&_ga=2.92148127.427449540.1736782875-1331511814.1736782875#f3a0db2c-1ce4-4f6e-a5d6-95653b350bb0
