Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Wright.
Diana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my dietetics career while completing my Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition at New York University (NYU), but I think the journey of how I got where I am today has been a life-long process. Like so many of us, I grew up surrounded by many different “black and white” messages surrounding food and body image. Food was love, but also eating too much was “bad.” Being in a thin body was “good” and defined health; any other bodies were “wrong.” These messages are inherent in our society, culture, and media. I entered into the weight loss industry positive that I would be helping people in every area of their life. However, I saw negative consequences such as significant preoccupation with one’s body, increased food anxiety, challenging dietary power struggles, and ultimately weight regain. I realized that our country’s multi-billion dollar diet industry was not resulting in health and that our relationship with food was much more complex than just being told rules about which foods to eat.
When I graduated from NYU, I began counseling clients at a private practice in Manhattan that was also an eating disorder treatment center. It was during these few years that I reevaluated everything I had been taught about nutrition and diet culture. I did a tremendous amount of self-growth work, moving away from black-and-white nutrition messages and towards intuitive eating, which refers to an eating approach that relies on internal cues, instincts, emotional awareness, and conscious food choices, versus external food rules routed in guilt and shame.
I then moved to California and directed a nationwide eating disorder treatment program. While my private practice, Life Inspired Nutrition (LIN), was founded about 10 years ago and was always a side project, it has become my main focus for the past three years. LIN is a weight-inclusive practice specializing in eating disorder prevention and treatment focused on the intuitive eating model and Health At Every Size ® (HAES) principles. HAES ® is a social justice movement centered at ending weight discrimination and oppression. It focuses on celebrating diverse body sizes and supporting health holistically via principles of weight inclusivity, health enhancement, respectful care, eating for well-being, and life-enhancing movement.
In addition to my work and life experiences, I have completed additional training in the eating disorder field and am now a certified eating disorder registered dietitian (CEDRD). I ensure to stay up-to-date in the field by attending continuing education seminars, conferences, and webinars as well as being an active member of the San Diego ED RD group, the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians (IFEDD), the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). I also enjoy giving back to the field and regularly contribute to various ED resources, training, lectures, presentations and interviews as a featured RD expert.
Great, 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?
So many aspects of my career path have been smooth in terms of things falling into place right when they were meant to be, but this does not mean it was a path without a struggle. I had to learn to let go of and/or redirect some of my controlling tendencies so that I could let my practice and my clients’ work evolve organically. Additional struggles came during the expansion of the practice over the last 3 years, including navigating hiring on employees, moving into a larger office suite, and continually learning more regarding business finances, marketing as well as technology. However, these challenges have kept me engaged in the business in such new and exciting ways!
Please tell us about your work.
LIN is a weight-inclusive practice specializing in eating disorder prevention and treatment focusing on the intuitive eating model and Health At Every Size ® (HAES) principles. Our services include intuitive/mindful eating counseling, eating disorder treatment and medical nutrition therapy. We work with clients of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and genders. We offer in-person and virtual consultations for individuals, couples or families. Since each client has individual needs, we cater our services to best support the client and work at a pace that promotes progress without pressure. We take the time to truly listen to our clients and use evidence-based interventions to help them meet their goals.
An aspect that sets LIN apart from other nutrition private practices is our applied services, including meal/snack support, restaurant outings, office or in-home cooking exposures, and grocery shopping support. We are creative in providing these services because evidence demonstrates positive outcomes related to exposure work. While talking about nutrition can be very helpful, many people also benefit from support in actually making the behavior change. We also provide consulting services and nutrition group curriculum for mental health and eating disorder programs.
I am proud of the array of services we offer, as well as hiring an associate dietitian, Jaren Soloff RD CLE, who offers a wealth of knowledge and an incredible skill set in treating individuals struggling with disordered eating. Jaren is also a certified lactation educator and has a special interest in maternal and child health. She provides evidence-based, compassionate and effective nutrition therapy. I am so proud of our collaboration and am lucky to have her on board at LIN!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is making dinner salads with my mom. I would harvest vegetables from our garden and she would help me chop them. I remember the earthy smells of lettuce, the loud chopping of celery, the sweet taste of tomatoes and the love we put into it. These are the beautiful, meaningful, connecting aspects of nutrition that I highlight in my work with clients. Our relationship with food is incredibly important and can be a metaphor for our relationship with ourselves and the world. Moving away from the guilt and shame inherent in our diet industry and towards an ability to honor food preferences as well as our individualized nutrition needs can open up a world in which peace exists within our nutrition and body image.
Contact Info:
- Address: 100 East San Marcos Blvd, Suite 400
San Marcos, CA 92069 - Website: www.lifeinspirednutrition.com
- Phone: 520-360-5737
- Email: diana@lifeinspirednutrition.com
- Instagram: Life_Inspired_Nutrition
- Facebook: Life Inspired Nutrition
- Twitter: @DianaRKW
- Yelp: Life Inspired Nutrition
Image Credit:
Pixie Vision Photography
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