Qualifications
Natalie Walsh, RD
Natalie graduated from the University of Toronto with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Physiology. With a good base for a career in healthcare, she decided to become a dietitian. She completed her dietetic internship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. She took a special interest in the root causes of disordered and emotional eating, and qualified to become an Intuitive Eating Counsellor. She was trained by Evelyn Tribole, a dietitian who pioneered the concept. Wanting to help people uncover their intrinsic motivation for dietary change, Natalie also studied motivational interviewing through Dietitians of Canada.
Natalie is licensed with the College of Dietitians of Ontario and is a member of Dietitians of Canada. She also belongs to the Consulting Dietitians Network and the Functional and Integrative Dietitians Network.
History
Even before graduating from university, Natalie informally helped family and friends improve their health by suggesting dietary changes. The results made a lasting impression on her about the importance of good nutrition, but also highlighted the discrepancy between where she was and where she wanted to be in her career. As a Masters student in a research lab, she was surrounded by efforts to design drugs for chronic disease management, and decided that she would rather use food for that purpose (as well as for prevention). She knew the next step in her training would be to quality as a dietitian.
Now in private practice, she uses nutrition to help clients prevent or manage a variety of health conditions. She takes a collaborative approach to help people discover their own authentic health, to motivate them to reach their goals, and to remind them how far they’ve come.
She uses her professional memberships to stay informed about new research and trends that are relevant to her practice. A recent area of interest is mid-life women’s health (perimenopause and menopause). Considering the amount of misinformation currently being promoted to women at a vulnerable time in their lives, Natalie knows there is a need for nutrition professionals to help steer women away from predatory schemes and potentially dangerous products. She believes in empowering clients with evidence-based information and teaching them that small, achievable changes to diet and lifestyle can make a big difference.
✓ Virtual nutritional counselling
✓ In-person nutritional counselling