Going from a massive kitchen renovation straight into a pandemic I definitely lost my mojo for preparing healthy home-cooked meals. I really fell into the habit of eating whatever was around, and whatever was easy – which mostly meant it wasn’t very good for me. It’s been a stressful few years to say the least, and my eating habits, and prioritizing taking care of myself, have definitely suffered as a result.
If you think you could use the support and guidance of a registered dietitian and you’re curious to know how it all works, today’s post is for you! In this post, I’m sharing my first-hand experience with the Shoppers Drug Mart Online Dietitian Services, and hopefully it’ll provide you some insight on what to expect!
DISCLAIMER: This post is in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart; however, all opinions expressed are my own.
I definitely need to preface this by saying, I have always maintained I’ve never been the type of person to deprive myself of anything, if I want something, I eat it! I don’t subscribe to any kind of diet and or “diet culture”.
In fact, one of the things I really loved about this experience is that it was all about adding foods rather than subtracting. So instead of asking me to cut things out, the approach was “have you tried this…” or “have you considered doing ….”
A BIT ABOUT WHERE I WAS AT WITH MY EATING
I LOVE my job, to the point that I’m known for losing track of time. I’m sure a lot of creative folks can relate, but I’ll work and work, only to realize it’s 3 or 5 pm and I haven’t eaten a single thing all day. (Much to my dismay coffee, while delicious, is definitely not a food group.) If I’m being honest, I really was not prioritizing my health over my work, and that’s never a good place to be. A healthy Kayla is a successful Kayla and the same is true for each and every one of you <3
WORKING FROM HOME CHALLENGES
Working from home does have its challenges. While you’d think it would be easier because my kitchen is always available, and I technically could be eating all day long (and some days I do lol), what I learned from my sessions with my dietitian was that my days were lacking structure and routine. Because I love what I do, I’m never looking at the clock thinking “when’s my lunch break?” or “when is my shift over?”Ultimately it really made me realize my hours are kind of like my eating habits: all over the place. I’m sure, with so many people working from home now, many of you can relate.
Call it what you will, divine intervention, fate, coincidence?? I had been thinking about seeking support because I knew I was severely off track, but I really wasn’t sure what it was I actually needed. It was serendipitous that Shoppers Drug Mart reached out to collaborate because it was the perfect opportunity to try out their dietitian service! Honestly, I couldn’t have been more excited for this journey. I had all my goals mapped out before the dietitian ever even called me. I’D BEEN READY.
MY GOALS FOR MY DIETITIAN EXPERIENCE
Most importantly, I was really just looking to fall back in love with cooking again, learn some strategic tips for meal prepping and food storage (for our small condo, this can prove to be difficult). Also, my partner and I eat a lot of different things, so preparing meals for one without getting tired of eating all the leftovers was seriously challenging for me. Thankfully my Shoppers dietitian Danielle had all the tips, and it’s been SUCH A GAME CHANGER.
I know it sounds strange to meal prep when you work from home, but I am definitely of the mindset that if you “fail to plan you plan to fail”. I really wanted to get myself organized, set myself up for success, actually EAT and eat well. Additionally, I was really looking to manage my chronic pain by eating better, while also incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR APPOINTMENTS
Over the last few months, I’ve had several sessions with my dietitian strategically spaced out to allow for me to put my goals into practice. Having completed a few now, I am seriously SO HYPED. We chatted both over the phone and virtually, and it was so easy because I didn’t even need to leave my house!
My Shoppers dietitian was so lovely and didn’t make me feel bad about my current situation, but instead worked with me to find actionable realistic goals that made sense for my lifestyle, so I could get started right away.
I’m very happy with my experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with my dietitian. Recently we just did a pantry refresh (highly recommend) and I’ve never been more pumped to go grocery shopping.
Sometimes you just need help shaking up the routine. Discovering new foods and storage tips has been incredibly motivating. It also helps when you know you have someone with a wealth of knowledge backing you up. Everything about our sessions was about adding things, not taking things away. I really appreciated this positive spin – especially with so much toxicity surrounding food and diet culture, this was really refreshing to say the least.
If you think you could benefit from talking to a professional about your own food and nutrition needs, you can learn more about the Shoppers Drug Mart Virtual Dietitian Services by popping over to the Shopper Drug Mart website or click here to book a full-length intro session or a free 15-minute consult with one of the Shoppers registered dietitians!
During your session you can focus on the following:
✔️Healthy eating and grocery shopping
✔️Prevention and management of chronic disease
✔️Creative meal planning ideas
✔️Your specific nutrition needs and goals
Everything is super customizable, that’s what’s so great about these virtual sessions. Oh right, did I mention you don’t even need to leave the house?? Heck you don’t even need to be on camera if you don’t want to, you can absolutely do your sessions over the phone if you feel more comfortable. I can’t emphasize enough how easy and effortless this all was. I definitely recommend!
Thanks so much to my dietitian Danielle! I honestly feel like a new person and thank you to Shoppers Drug Mart for making help and support so accessible. Well done!
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