Category: About Me

The stories I hear in public spaces tend to be more negative than positive. I get there will be seasons when we are not feeling that great about what we are nourishing ourselves with or the exercise we are choosing or not. This current situation (2020) has really made us think more creatively about movement and an exercise routine, as well as the meals that we prepare for ourselves and possibly our families. (More reflection on that later.) However, I believe in inspiring and providing consumers with a different way of approaching their relationship with food and movement and this will require some flexibility, some intentionality, and rethinking our priorities.

For example, recently on a flight a mom was with her two daughters, who were eating cheeseburgers from Burger King. Mom said “Those look so good, better than what I had”, which was a kale and quinoa salad from CPK. Now I have no idea mom’s situation with food, but it felt laced in deprivation. Kale and quinoa salads can be awesome and flavorful, but If she really wanted the cheeseburger have a cheeseburger. Don’t be drooling over a fast food cheeseburger, because you have been unfulfilled with a grab and go salad.

Another time I was talking to a friend (many friends) that have had babies. Guess what? Babies make our bodies change and they will never be 100% like they were before the babies. Some of us carry the extra weight differently. For some it takes years to get closer to prepregnancy weight. For some it never happens. For some a new relationship with movement is formed and one may take up a new sport or workout and feel better than before baby or babies. The same act could have occurred during a season of depression or challenge with our mental health. Whatever the cause for your body to change in shape, size, etc., it is important to be accepting of what makes sense for you may not work for others; others you work with, live with and are friends with, etc. You need to find what works for you!

For my two pregnancies, I had different weight gains and different time periods of getting back to fitting into pre prego pants, etc. I am active and I had C-sections! So my activity was decreased in the 8 weeks after pregnancy. I had an April baby and an October baby, weather looked very different in the weeks and few months after these two little angels (ha!) arrived. I always ran and biked a lot and now my activity looked differently. My runs became walks, my long runs became short runs, my “workout” became a walk pushing a stroller at the mall or Target! I did some light weights and push-ups and sit-ups throughout the week to build back strength and tone (only if I made it a priority.) Some days I was annoyed, because I couldn’t even have a few mins away from my kids to do anything for myself. And I also started to change my perspective about this time in my life. If taking a long walk pushing a stroller outside on a gorgeous day and getting to see my sweet boys face as he got excited about a tree, squirrel or truck was my workout and I felt good then guess what I won. I will never have these moments back and in the future I can get in some different workouts or movement breaks that don’t include the stroller, but guess what?…I am not just worrying about myself anymore, I have to take care of others who rely on me, so I got to make it work!

And that is what “showing up” for your health is all about … you can make health a priority, but you need to “show up” today for yourself, rearrange how you spent your time if you don’t like it, ask for help, and intuitively search for what movement and nourishment (kale salad or cheeseburger or both!) make you your best self. These and other tips and tricks I can help you with on your journey to rediscovering or discovering a healthier relationship with food and movement! Let’s go.

Too often in my 16 plus years as a dietitian and chef, I have had the opportunity to listen, empathize and guide others in learning about the power of food and nutrition. Our experiences and relationships with food can provide pleasure, enjoyment, comfort, creativity, connection, socialization, nourishment, and emotional (both negative and positive) ties that begin in childhood and continue to shape and evolve as we become adults.

Whether on a train, plane, hanging with friends, at the grocery store, eating out, in the classroom, in the hallway, in a meeting, listening to something on tv…you fill in the blank, I am listening to the dialogue around food and nutrition. Often there are conversations or side conversations about food, nutrition, and exercise layered with excitement, questions, deprivation, lack of knowledge, weight, diet trends, labels, ingredients, lack of time, social media posts, you name it our world is a food, exercise, weight, and body image focused society.

In the last 16 years, many of these conversations and observations have changed. When I first started my career, social media was not present. Now everywhere you look for better or worse, someone is showing their online world what they ate (some of these pictures are gorgeous! and there is excitement around food), weight changes, the newest diet they are on, and the list goes on. There are some great articles and inspiration shared, there are some great things posted, however what social media and constant strolling does is allow us to compare our world to everyone’s highlight reel (this isn’t the first time you have heard this!). And this comparison lends itself to feeling not good enough, deprived, wishing we were this, that or the other. As well, a lot of this information is not based in science, is backed by an influencer (not a licensed health professional – such as a dietitian), and what works for one may not work for another.

So thus, a continuous cycle of not focusing on what you need, but what others may be doing and may not work for you. The same thing goes on in those above spaces I chatted about … the plane, train, meeting, classroom, etc. Consumers are not always knowing where to look for evidenced-based info that can help them. Remember one size does not fit all, so the answer or lifestyle approach for you may not be as clear as what is posted on social media or a billboard screaming “Hey, look at me!” The answer is in you somewhere and in being intentional and showing up for you and your health, you can discover the movement and nourishment that works best for you. In doing so, you can begin to build a healthier relationship with both!

I became a dietitian in 2003. I worked for the first two “ish” years A LOT! I was working various jobs and getting my feet wet. I also realized I didn’t know anything about food. Dietitians learn about nutrition science. It is rigorous. It is challenging. But we take about two foods classes as part of our curriculum. Some programs have changed since then but most require about 2-3 food classes. So when I went in to talk to “low sodium diet” guy, I thought ok I can talk to him about his blood pressure, diet changes, and some meal prep alterations he can make at home, but after a few minutes chatting I literally told him and his wife to use “Mrs. Dash” and provided them with some free packets I had received from the diet office. Seriously! I remember walking out of there like what was that….lame, is what it was.

I was determined to get more skills in that area. I knew the science, I knew what better options for disease prevention were but I did not know how to navigate the kitchen, I was helpless when it came to that.

I had grown up in a very loving family, with family meals and home cooked meals as much as our schedules allowed. I had done some cooking but it was simple. I lived by myself in Chicago(2001-2003) and was on a tight budget since I was getting paid 7.93/hour in 2002, while going to school. So there was frozen meals and reheat and some basic meal prep, but not a lot in my studio apartment. This was what my early 20s were supposed to be! I was livin’the dream.

I had to learn how to cook, how to be more comfortable in the kitchen, how to understand the functionality of ingredients…and I thought how to build kitchen confidence.

And so I did…I worked my butt off from 2004-2006. I went to a 6 month program at BU for a certificate in culinary arts. I slept on my friend’s couch and learned the culinary world and had a wonderful experience with 12 diverse individuals from all over, at different stages of their life, wanting to learn to cook and experience the power the food has to offer. (This could have been a reality tv show back in 2006!). I loved it. I even received the “Fire in your belly” award out of all the students from Escoffier…. And now 14 plus years later and many experiences later and after building additional culinary skills, concepts and resources while at JWU – Denver, I am helping others build that same kitchen confidence that I once yearned for.

Whether you are a health professional, a stay at home mom, an empty nester, a widow, a college student, a curious child or family, you can build this kitchen confidence as well. It is a way you can “show up” for your health! It has helped facilitate an even healthier relationship with food which is my wish and hope for others too.

The world and all of our over consumption has spread like wildfire in the past 15 years. Let a nutrition professional and culinary professional guide you through the chaos. You got this!

Email me at bommer26@gmail.com to hear more about how you can build kitchen confidence.