Today we’d like to introduce you to EA Stewart.
EA, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My present-day story actually started after my kids (now 15 & 16) were born. Prior to having children, I had always been active and healthy, but after my first child was born, I started having health issues. Long story short, after seeing multiple doctors, I was finally diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that’s actually relatively common, but virtually unheard of. While common/typical symptoms include extreme dry eyes and mouth, my symptoms were neuropathy, muscle pain, flu-like symptoms, rashes, and extreme fatigue. Sadly, most of the doctors I saw offered little support, other than to suggest medication.
Fortunately, my background in nutrition (and parents who brought me up to take charge of my own health), lead me to research integrative nutrition options for Sjogren’s and other autoimmune diseases, and I ultimately discovered that a gluten-free diet helped me regain my health. This made me passionate about starting my own integrative nutrition practice to help others who are dealing with similar health issues, and who want to pursue a more holistic treatment. Note: Although a gluten-free diet helped me, it is not the solution for everyone, so I encourage others to work with a dietitian or integrative health care provider who can help provide individual solutions. I firmly believe that there is no one diet that works best for all!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My biggest challenge as an entrepreneur is finding my focus on a day-to-day basis. I love my family, I love my job, I love hiking and being outside in nature. There are so many things I enjoy, which is definitely a good thing, but my to-do list as a working mom can get pretty long, and I definitely struggle with getting everything done that I want to do. I always like to say that I’m a work in progress and as long as I prioritize my goals, and keep the big picture in mind, I’m probably right where I need to be.
My advice to other women who are struggling with this too is to go with the flow and prioritize what your focus needs to be, at this point in time. As much as I tried to keep my life perfectly balanced in the past, it never happened. This doesn’t mean I still don’t strive for balance, but I also am A-ok having days (sometimes weeks) where I exercise less, work more, or don’t plan out my meals.
Oh, and one more tip! Instead of just having a “to-do” list, it’s also really important to have an “i-did-it” list where you can keep track of all the awesome things you HAVE accomplished!
Please tell us about Spicy RD Nutrition.
About half of the time, I do nutrition coaching, both in my home office in Del Mar, as well as virtually. My focus is on wellness nutrition, IBS and GI health, and autoimmune disease. It’s really such a wonderful feeling when my clients start feeling good again, or they finally ditch the diet mentality, and start enjoying food again!
The other half of the time, I’m doing a lot of different things I really enjoy, namely creating gluten-free recipes for my blog, The Spicy RD. I also do recipe development and photography for food brands, sponsored posts, speaking engagements, freelance writing, and more. I truly love what I do!
I also recently started offering in-home cooking classes, and it’s always so much fun, whether it’s one-on-one, with a mom’s group, with parents and their kids or with empty nesters. I love how cooking and eating brings people together, and while I enjoy eating out myself, I think one of the best things we can all do to improve our health is to cook more meals at home, focusing on mostly whole foods based meals, with room to enjoy your favorite treats.
My nutrition philosophy is simple… no one diet fits all, but a healthy diet is built upon the whole, fresh, minimally processed ingredients, with room to enjoy your favorite foods. Life’s to short not to eat the damn cookie!
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I’ve been a dietitian nutritionist for over 20 years now and while there are many opportunities for female leadership (because it’s a female-dominated field), salaries are still relatively low for women (and men) who pursue traditional careers such as working in a hospital or food service setting.
Fortunately, there are SO many more opportunities in the field of nutrition for women today, that you really can have the career of your dreams. Through networking and social media, I’ve met so many fabulous women who are doing amazing things in the field of health and nutrition!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eastewart.com
- Phone: 858-353-3922
- Email: spicyrdeastewart@sbcglobal.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespicyrd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespicyrd/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thespicyrd
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