Hey there, Mamas and families!
I’m so excited to spend some time in your world with Des Moines Mom! I’ve been a fan of this team for a while and I love learning more about how other amazing parents succeed in so many areas of life. My hope is that I can connect with you, our community, and give back by providing education and support as you raise little ones. As parents, it’s our job to provide food for our children and it’s their job to decide if they want to eat that food. It’s also so important to be able to take care of ourselves. I’m here to help make it easier for you, while having fun at the same time!
Des Moines has always been my home. After an enlightening trip to India, I realized I wanted to refocus my energy from my career in human resources to one of my true passions: nutrition. During my early to mid 20s, I learned that what I put into and asked of my body had a huge impact on my mood and daily energy. I wanted to help other people find that as well.
I made the decision to go back to school to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in 2012; I started back slowly, and then transitioned to a full-time program. In 2017, I graduated from Iowa State University (again!), got married the next weekend, completed my dietetic internship and passed my dietetic exam shortly after. What a year! It was an amazing ride, and although it was an extreme challenge for me, I’ve never looked back.
For the past five years, I was fortunate to be a part of the Hy-Vee Dietitian Team. During my time there, I truly loved my job as I worked with a wide variety of customers and clients. I learned so much and had fun while I was doing it! Recently, I took on a new role as the Nutrition Coordination Director with the State of Iowa. As the Nutrition and Aging Resource Center, our team works to create a new standard for senior nutrition services. Additionally, we provide guidance to grantees as they implement innovative practices in health promotion and disease prevention for aging populations throughout the country. With this transition, I’ve been presented with new challenges and opportunities to grow as a person and as a Dietitian.
Onto my amazing family. My husband Jeff has the kindest heart, is my biggest supporter, and pushes me to be my best. We are quite the opposite of each other and I think that balances us out.
The past couple of years we have become even more of a team as we have grown our family. Our daughter Veda is almost three years old. She is a smart, funny and sweet social butterfly. She was born right when COVID hit. Although it was a weird time to become new parents, it taught us to be stronger together. Our other daughter, Estelle, is seven months old and has a contagious smile. She has taught us to be more patient and take everything in, as we know time goes by way too fast.
Becoming a Mama has truly rocked my world. Everyday it amazes me to see these two little babies we created. We get to watch them grow and become their own. It has also challenged me to make changes I didn’t anticipate; to slow down, to accept that we are in a season of life where things aren’t always going to get done and that my routine may not always be consistent.
As I continue to work through these changes, it’s comforting to know I’m not alone with a community of other Mamas like me. As I try to incorporate staying active, traveling, and recipe hunting in my “free” time, I am a true yogi at heart. I’ve been practicing yoga for over ten years and have taught at Power Life for almost eight. Yoga is an extremely important piece of my life. It grounds me and reminds me to be in the present. I’m not sure where I would be without it.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what 2023 has in store for all aspects of my life and I’m excited to grow with all of you throughout the year as we embark on this journey together!
