Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaleigh Eastep.
Hi Kaleigh, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My passion for nutrition comes from nearly losing my father to a massive heart attack in 2013. At the time, my daily diet of donuts, chocolate milkshakes, and fast food didn’t strike me as unusual or risky – but after nearly losing my Dad, I had to re-evaluate a lot of choices I was making on a day-to-day basis. I started doing research on what can cause heart attacks and learned about the strong correlation between diet and heart health. From there, I switched my major to Dietetics and Human Nutrition and fell in love with the field.
Throughout high school, I had always been a theater kid. I loved being on stage, acting, and performing in front of a crowd. Being able to share nutrition education in an “easy-to-digest” format (get it?) via social media has allowed me to combine my love for performing with my love for nutrition in my adult life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. When you start out as a dietitian – nobody talks about the lack of respect and low-pay we receive compared to other healthcare professionals. Coming out of college, I had to pivot pretty quick to find a more sustainable path in the field. Unfortunately, so many RD2Be’s find themselves in a similar situation of being undervalued and overworked and burn out pretty quickly.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer specializing in Women’s Body Recomposition. I’m most known for my fun trending reels on Instagram that highlight nutrition mis-information and faults in the diet industry. I try my best to make nutrition “easy-to-digest”, short, and sweet to keep folks’ attention.
I’m most proud of the mental growth I see on a regular basis in my clients. Not only do they see positive changes in their bodies reflective of their goals – but they have an improved relationship with food, more confidence, and a better mental health overall.
I’d say the route I’ve taken as an RD in general sets me aside from others in my field. Often, Dietitians will work in a hospital setting and don’t realize the reach they could have on social media (or they let doubt and fear cripple them and keep them from posting). Being able to use humor to connect with people from all walks of life on the internet has greatly improved the impact I’ve been able to make in my field.
How do you think about happiness?
Being present, slowing down, and enjoying the little things makes me happy. I spent more than half of my life feeling stuck and “in a cage”, so to say. Since late 2021, I decided I wanted to spread my wings and finally fly. I made big decisions, moves, and huge changes and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I can finally live in the present moment and feel at ease, as opposed to fantasizing about what I wish life were. Enjoying these moments with my boyfriend, Cal, and my cat, Rory, in beautiful California is all I’ve ever dreamed of.
Contact Info:
- Email: kaleigheastep@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshkale.rd/
