My name is Kelsey, and I am thrilled to be a part of Human Integrated Performance! I am a Registered Dietitian with a passion for all areas of health and wellness.
Nutrition has always been one of my passions in life! At HIP I currently accept a broad range of clients, focusing slightly more on areas such as:
· Nutrition for sport and personal fitness
· Weight management
· Allergies/intolerances
· General nutrition
I am a “no diet” #dietitian and believe all foods can be part of a healthy diet that nourishes your body and mind (exceptions include medical complications that impact what foods you can eat, such as food allergy). My passion is helping you develop a healthy relationship with food that is #guiltfree and #sustainable.
Being active is just as nourishing to my body and mind as eating foods I truly enjoy. I spend nearly all my spare time outdoors during the spring, summer and fall, going for walks, hiking, camping, and gardening. I also enjoy strength training a few days a week. There’s nothing I love more than noticing how much easier those weights are getting or making it up that hauntingly steep hill on my bike. Pushing my body and mind by seeking out challenges keeps me feeling fulfilled.
My Journey
So how did I end up here? Good question. Since I was little, I always loved vegetables and fruit. Early on I developed an interest in nutrition and the role food had in health and wellness. Sounds like it was meant to be, right? Maybe. But “meant to be” doesn’t always mean easy!
I have a genetic condition known as Albinism. How the characteristics of albinism are displayed varies from person to person depending on where the genetic mutation is, but the general characteristics are:
· Minimal pigmentation of the skin, hair, and eyes
· Low visual acuity not correctable by glasses
· Nystagmus (uncontrollable eye movement)
· Strabismus (abnormal alignment of the eyes)
· Photophobia (increased sensitivity to light)
I was born legally blind with ice blue eyes and virtually no pigment in my skin and hair. My eyes were very sensitive to light, to the point where it was nearly impossible for me to see outdoors. As I got older, I got more pigment in my hair, skin, and eyes, and I am so blessed and thankful to say my vision has improved substantially, and I am not nearly as sensitive to light. I still have moderately low vision, and that has added some challenges to my journey.
School was always a challenge. I strained to see the board despite sitting in the front row. My notes were full of missing words and diagrams that I couldn’t make out. But school wasn’t the only challenge. Unless I know someone very well, it can be difficult for me to recognize them from a distance. Sometimes I worry people think I’m being rude because I might be looking right at them but not acknowledging them. In situations like that, I just can’t recognize them, and so I carry on doing whatever it is I’m doing (talk about awkward!). I also don’t drive, so I am limited in my freedom to go where I want, when I want. There are certainly far more challenges than I could express here, but I fought through them. There was a hope inside me that never died. I can be quite stubborn when I want something, so I simply refused to give up, regardless of how beat down I felt most of the time.
To overcome challenges in school I would listen carefully to my teachers and furiously write down everything they said to supplement the often-incomplete notes I took from the board. I would read textbooks word-for-word to look for clues that might fill in the blanks in my notes. Needless to say, studying took forever! I schedule my days in advance to make sure I can get to where I need to go via public transit. It takes patience, planning, and determination, but with these key elements, you truly can perform at your best!
Overall, there have been few obstacles I haven’t been able to overcome. I am who I am today because of the challenges I face daily. I learned what it takes to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. I truly believe you can achieve Anything with the proper mindset and support. I’ve learned to view “obstacles” as fun opportunities to challenge my own perceptions of what I can and can’t do. I grew up as my own worst enemy, putting limits on myself before even attempting something new, often telling myself “I won’t even Try that because I Know I won’t be able to do it.” If I had just one piece of advice for you, it would be: don’t do that, don’t tell yourself you can’t. Don’t be that person to yourself or anyone else. Do not limit yourself. Tell yourself only positive things!.I promise no one will know!
Challenges are truly just opportunities to reflect, learn, and grow. Even if you don’t succeed, or you think you didn’t succeed, maybe you weren’t meant to. Maybe the challenge was put there to teach you a lesson and to help you grow, which is still a win in my books! I’ve learned patience, strength, and perseverance from the challenges associated with low vision, and I want to help You overcome your own challenges around nutrition, performance, and body acceptance, and to find the strength that I know is within you to achieve your goals! I understand how scary it can be to try something new and take a risk – we’re only Human. So, as part of the #HIPcommunity let’s make this dietary leap together!
