I was first introduced to dietetics at a careers evening at my school when I was in Grade 9. I met a dietitian there and after hearing about what she does, I thought it was the perfect job for me – I get to help people and talk about food all day! After practicing for 23 years, I still love what I do. My career started at the end of 2000, 2 days after writing my final exams, I flew over to Switzerland where I worked as a private chalet girl, preparing menu plans, doing budgets and cooking 3 course meals for up to 20 guests. I did that for a couple of winter seasons and in the summer and for the 8 years that followed, I worked in the NHS in the UK seeing inpatient surgical patients and outpatient clinics working with obesity, weight loss, diabetes, gastroenterology. After many grey rainy days in the UK, in 2008 I moved to sunny Spain and had a private practice working alongside a surgeon who was practicing Bariatric Surgery. I loved this field of medicine as it was a marriage of my two loves – surgery and diseases of lifestyle. It was there that I started to specialize in bariatric surgery. I moved back to South Africa in April 2010 and joined an internationally accredited bariatric center. I’m an anti diet dietitian - I don’t even have a scale in my office. You wouldn’t think that with my specialities! I like to focus on overall health, centimeters, gut health, sleep and energy ensuring you can live your best life. After working with so many different people over the years, and acknowledging how hard it is to change lifestyle habits, I have put together a 12 Fixes to Healthy group challenge. Small changes, made over a 12 week period are sustainable in the long term and will help improve overall quality of life, energy levels, concentration, boost gut health, loose centimeters and age well. So get some friends together and look out for those starting days! My other loves are my two kids, Maya (5) and Jordan (2), my husband Jono who is my #1 cheerleader, triathlons, mountain biking, travelling and of course all things food! I’d love to hear from you,
Nicola
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