I wanted to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner long before I became a dietitian. My path took a different route—but the questions that first drew me to this work never went away.

I grew up in a larger body, surrounded by messages that eating less and controlling my weight were the answers. Later, cancer, hormonal concerns, and digestive challenges pushed me to ask bigger questions. What did my body actually need? Was pursuing health the same thing as pursuing weight loss? And why did so much nutrition advice focus on restriction rather than nourishment?

Discovering traditional foods changed how I understood nutrition. I began cooking differently, questioning food rules, and paying attention to how my body responded. Over time, my relationship with food and aspects of my health changed—even without a dramatic weight-loss transformation.

I went from trying to control my body to learning how to nourish it.

That experience led to years of independent study, teaching what I was learning, and eventually becoming a registered dietitian. My formal education added clinical knowledge and challenged me to examine nutrition from multiple perspectives. It strengthened my commitment to understanding the why—not simply accepting a recommendation because it was familiar.

Now, as a student with the Nutritional Therapy Association, I’m returning to an early interest with the experience and clinical foundation I’ve gained along the way. NTP training builds on the whole-person approach I already bring to my practice.