TODAY is Dietitians Day.
Local dietitians Judith Cahill and Simone Godde have spoken about their careers in the field in celebration of the event.
“In celebration of #DietitiansDay2022, I can honestly say I am proud to be an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD),” Ms Cahill said.
“Being a dietitian to me is all about helping people understand the abundance of nutrition information that is constantly bombarding us on the TV or on the internet.
“By sharing my knowledge about nutrition with people, I can see people begin to not only make changes to their diet for better long-term health but understand why it is important.”
Ms Cahill became a dietitian after working as a paramedic, where she found the workings of the body fascinating.
She then completed her Masters of Dietetics, and had placements in Darwin and Geelong where she learned about the clinical place for dietetics in both the wards of a hospital and in the hospital kitchen where the food is prepared.
“Medicine is a complex area, and many people struggle to understand disease and their medical conditions,” she said.
“Dietitians are able to help people understand the effect of food on their condition and we can help them understand how the medical team of doctors, specialists, pharmacists and allied health all have a place in their care.
“My ultimate goal is to continue learning and linking in with other APDs like my colleague Simone Godde and gut health experts like Joanna Baker, who has worked in the field of gut health for many years.”
Ms Godde said she too was proud to be an accredited APD.
“Nutrition is ever-evolving and I never stop learning about new ways I can channel my passions to make a difference,” she said.
“My patients inspire me to keep making a difference. Any lifestyle habit has multifactorial set of origins.
“Not to mention the overload of dietary information from the internet and social media. So it is a privilege to have extended one-on-one time to assist patients to break this process down into bite-size goals and practically translate this into menu plans, shopping lists and tasty switches that are also healthy.”
