Are you looking to conceive, or are you pregnant or postpartum? If any of those scenarios describe you, then you definitely need to check out Alex Gardner Nutrition. You will greatly benefit from Alex’s extensive expertise as a dietician and nutritionist with so much education and resources in her toolbox. From meal planning, to 1:1 counseling, group sessions, video education, hormone testing, food sensitivity testing and more, Alex will guide you step by step through the nutrition process with her “Small, Sustainable Shifts” method to reach your nutrition goals! Read more about Alex Gardener Nutrition below!
Tell us about Alex Gardner Nutrition! How long have you been in business?
Alex: I’ve been in business for 2 years now. I knew ever since I started undergrad that I wanted to be in private practice. So throughout my dietetic internship, I started laying all the groundwork for my business and the day after I passed my national credentialing exam I officially started Alex Gardner Nutrition.
What made you want to work with parents & families?
Alex: My dietetic training was heavily focused on the maternal and child health population. I completed an extensive rotation in the WIC program in Denver Colorado and loved it so much that they hired me on as a WIC nutrition educator until I completed my internship, then they hired me on as a WIC dietitian. This is what ignited my passion to work with mamas and babies. It was my passion to further my education in public health, so I decided to enroll in the University of Tennessee’s Master of Public Health Program the following August. I was offered a position as a Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Leadership Trainee funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. So while I completed my MPH, I was enhancing my knowledge of maternal and child nutrition as well.
What is the philosophy behind your company?
Alex: My philosophy is providing a space for moms where a provider actually takes time to sit down with them and listen to them. All too often in our medical field, women will go to the doctor’s office only to be rushed in, maybe getting 5-10 minutes with their doctor to ask whatever questions they can think of at that moment, and then being rushed out. If they ask about nutrition, they likely get the generic “eat more fruits, veggies, and whole grains” answer and that’s it. And it’s not that doctors aren’t great, they are! They just don’t have the time in their incredibly busy schedule to sit with you for an hour and dive into what is going on and how you can apply strategies to meet your goals based on your personal barriers and lifestyle. My philosophy behind my counseling style is “Small, Sustainable Shifts”. If you try to make a lifestyle change in one day or one week, it’s not going to work. That’s what our current and harmful diet culture preaches. I’m an advocate of making small, sustainable shifts. Because if you make small shifts each week for 3-6 months and look back over that time, you’ll see that you made a big change that is actually going to stick! You also learn a lot about yourself during the process, and having someone to walk along side of you during that time is invaluable.
What are your strengths compared to other nutritionists?
Alex: Something that a lot of people don’t realize is that ANYONE can call themselves a nutritionist. Nutritionist is not a protected term, so someone could complete a one week course and call themselves a nutritionist. On the other hand, a Dietitian is a health professional with extensive training and regulations. Dietitians must complete an accredited undergraduate degree in nutrition that dives into how nutrition impacts the body on a cellular level in both a healthy body and a body with different disease states. We must also have a Masters degree. Then we must complete a year long supervised practice dietetic internship rotating through all aspects of the field. Finally, we must pass a national credentialing exam and, depending on the state, obtain a license to practice medical nutrition therapy. So when you work with a dietitian, there is substantial weight behind that credential. It’s very important that you work with someone who is qualified because what you do or do not put in your body has a direct effect on you and your developing baby. Now, every dietitian is not the same. We specialize in different areas of the field. Some will work with patients with cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, heart issues, and even athletes. The reason we specialize is so that we can understand the body in a particular stage of life in detail. So if you are trying to conceive, are pregnant, or postpartum, it’s important to work with a dietitian like myself who specializes in this area and spends all her free time honing her skills in perinatal nutrition. Just like you wouldn’t want your knee surgeon doing your brain surgery – they are both surgeons, but specialize in different areas.
What attracts parents to work with you?
Alex: I’m one of the only dietitians in the state that specializes in prenatal and postpartum nutrition outside of WIC. In addition, I’m one of the only dietitians in the state that specializes in fertility nutrition. Most fertility dietitians don’t even have a dietitian on staff or one they even refer to! I’m one of the only providers that will sit with you as long as you need me to so that all of your concerns are addressed. I’m also one of the only dietitians offering hormone testing and food sensitivity testing. This is especially helpful for women struggling to conceive or recovering postpartum. In addition, all services are conducted via telehealth so that you don’t even have to leave your house.
What are some cool new and innovative trends you’ve seen in the area of nutrition?
Alex: Fertility nutrition is an emerging science. Most fertility clinics don’t even talk about nutrition when nutrition has SO MUCH to do with not only female but also male fertility. It takes about 3 months for sperm and egg to be optimized. So what you are putting in your body no is what is effecting you 3 months down the road.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about Alex Gardner Nutrition?
Alex: I provide a variety of services based on the goals and needs of clients. Services range from one on one sessions, group session, customized meal plans, video education, hormone testing, food sensitivity testing, and more.
Thank you so much to Alex for sharing all about her company, Alex Gardner Nutrition! Mamas, I hope you take advantage of Alex’s services for your nutritional needs! Follow Alex over on Instagram here and book a time to chat with her!
