I'm not like a regular dietitian, I'm a cool dietitian...
Do it with passion or not at all.
Danielle DeGroot, MS, RDN, LDN
I made the decision to start Dietitian Gone Wild because I’m passionate about wellness and about life. The “wild” for me encompasses eating wild (whole, natural foods), as well as, the wild in our spirits. We need to embrace our wild. What we feed our souls is just as important to our health as what we feed our bods and we can’t heal one and ignore the other. I had my own “spiritual awakening” of sorts, if you will, recently and it inspired me. I know that may sound hokey to some, but I believe in it so much now that I don’t even care. Through yoga and meditation and prayer I found a mindfulness and balance that extended into all aspects of my life, including nutrition, and inspired me to use my newfound wisdom to inspire and help others feel their best, too. Eating should not be a stressful, guilt-ridden experience! Eating should be a pleasurable experience that fuels our bodies to function optimally.
Hi y’all! I’m Danielle and I’m a Registered Dietitian and yogi teacher to be. Outside of dietitianing (technical term) and practicing yoga you can find me hanging with my two rowdy, adopted dogs, at a concert, traveling (something I’ve set as a goal to do more of) or attempting to be witty.
Don’t worry, I’m not a food “buzz kill.” I became a RD because I LOVE food and believe in eating whole, natural, REAL foods. I take a holistic approach when it comes to nourishing your bod. For me, life is all about B A L A N C E. I know how to make healthy choices most of the time and still find time to let loose and have a little fun.
It wasn’t always this way though… I remember as a kid my favorite food experiences being based around sweets and fast foods (I still dig doughnuts and pizza). At some point as I got older, I unfortunately, became aware of my body. And by “aware” I mean “self-conscious.” I tried different diets or pills that were almost positively not good for me from the local vitamin store (shudder). I succeeded at dieting and getting into very good shape as I approached college, but was so strict on myself that I felt trapped in my own diet. I desperately needed to be set FREE.
That’s when the lightbulb went on and I had the epiphany to change my major (from broadcast journalism at the time) to Nutrition and Dietetics and actually learn about nutrition as opposed to just reading the latest article in health magazines. I completed my B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics and then went on to complete my M.S. in Nutrition and Wellness and Dietetic Internship at Benedictine University.
Working as a RD, I always felt a pull towards wellness-based, holistic nutrition, but found difficulty finding work in these fields so I’ve tended to work in more clinical-based practice fields. And don’t get me wrong.. these jobs have been rewarding in their own ways. However, it still felt like a piece of the passion puzzle was missing for me. I began to get deeper into my yoga practice and meditation and achieved some level of clarity that I had something to share with the world and… why the heck not?!