Why I Started My Own Nutrition Consulting Business
This past year I completed a dietetic internship in various locations- schools, outpatient offices, a hospital, and a local YMCA. One full year of delivering nutrition education to individuals of various backgrounds, ages, and interests. During this I found myself expressing more creativity than I ever had. I’ve always said, “I am not a creative person”... until I had to be. And when I had to be, I actually liked it! The unfortunate part was right as I got the ball rolling and had so many ideas for an organization, my rotation would come to an end and I was on to the next placement, in a completely different field, doing completely different things. The exciting part was, I was offered jobs at all the places I found myself to be the most creative and in roles that otherwise didn't exist. My preceptors and I saw such immense value in the work I was able to do and the ideas I brought to the office but had no time to do on their own. These were school food service directors, wellness directors at fitness centers, and Registered Dietitians in outpatient offices who just didn’t have the bandwidth (rightfully so, they’re so busy!) to add on the extra “fun” projects I was doing as an intern.
Fast forward one month after completing all my rotations, I found myself having no job in the nutrition field. If you didn’t know, there’s a lot of documentation and time spent waiting for credentials after all that! And, although I was offered positions with these organizations I loved working for, I moved from Upstate New York (where I interned) to Sanford, North Carolina (where I knew no one) literally one day after finishing my internship. It was time to take things into my own hands. I knew I had to do something with my time but also tap into the creative energy I scratched the surface of while interning. And thus- CVP Nutrition is born!
I wanted to emphasize the importance of bringing nutrition education into the community. Students, fitness center members, people living their every-day lives in every-day places deserve nutrition education! WHY? Let me pose this question to you- have you ever heard two (or three or four) very different opinions on what you should be eating/drinking/meal planning/not eating? Right, everyone has an opinion and unfortunately we as humans are more interested in getting our nutrition information from an unqualified friend, family member, or influencer than going to nutrition counseling with a dietitian. While I totally get it, not wanting to deal with yet another appointment and co-pay, they are the experts. Here’s where I come in! While I wait my time for the credentials (it’s coming soon- promise), I want to be the middle man. The girl who brings the information to you and your people in your space making it easier to access qualified health information in a fun and exciting way that improves the wellness of communities!
I emphasize that the work I do is fun because people want nutrition to be fun and encouraging, not boring and rigid. We live in a culture where what and how we eat is actually a very big part of our lives, especially with such an emphasis on diet culture. Rewiring society to place less value on altering their bodies and rigidity around food and more value on nourishing their bodies and enjoyment of food starts with how we teach nutrition.
At CVP Nutrition, it is my goal to help clear up the confusion about diets, help people nourish themselves and make informed decisions based on scientific evidence so that they can live their healthiest lives without sacrificing the joy of eating.
Email me today at camillev.patten@gmail.com for more information!
