EXCITING NEWS! Rachael Hartley Nutrition is growing! — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC

Exciting news to share today - Rachael Hartley Nutrition is growing!

I am so thrilled to share with you all the addition of Kate Bennett, a dietitian who will be working with my practice part time. Kate and I met when I first started my practice and she reached out as a dietetics intern who was passionate about intuitive eating and Health at Every Size, and wanted to learn a little more about what I do. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, and also work together on the board of our local dietetics association. So when I started to realize last year that I needed some help, I knew exactly who I wanted to have on board! Kate is such a lovely and compassionate person, and incredibly wise when it comes to intuitive eating, especially with it’s intersection with medical nutrition therapy. Let me turn it over to her to introduce herself!

Hi there! I’m thrilled to be joining the team and can’t wait to get to know you better. I’ll start by telling you a little bit about myself and my stance on nutrition as a dietitian.

I am a Registered Dietitian based in Columbia, SC. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University, then went on to complete my dietetic internship through Winthrop University. I currently work full time as a clinical dietitian in a hospital setting where I provide medical nutrition therapy to patients with a variety of medical conditions. I also serve as dietitian for a large summer camp for children and teens with Type 1 Diabetes. In my free time, you can find me in my kitchen baking treats (rarely the same recipe twice) or catching plays at our local theatre. I’m a sucker for game nights and coffee-walking dates.

My journey to become a dietitian began after taking a nutrition course in college that completely shifted my perspective on what the field of nutrition could be. I knew I wanted to be in health care, but at the time I thought dietitians simply told people what not to eat or dealt out meal plans. However, the professor for this course was different than any other nutrition professional I’d met. She didn’t tout herself as the food police or put the fear of weight gain into our minds. Instead, she saw eating disorders and diet culture as much larger threats to wellness than being in a larger body size. She was also the first to introduce me to the concepts of intuitive eating and Health at Every Size. After being inspired by her class, I had what felt like a calling to become a voice in the nutrition field to advocate for wellness that went beyond what the weight loss industry has warped it to be.

I choose to be a HAES dietitian because I believe this is THE way to provide client-focused care in an ethical and compassionate way. From working with people of all sizes, I know that size tells you very little about a person’s health. I stand against the “Thin Ideal” and diet culture because I know that it is relentless in stealing away the meaningful things in life, like quality time with loved ones, everyday life pleasures, and goals and aspirations. The obsession with size and perfect eating can make building deep bonds with people almost impossible when our priority is to maintain sizes we weren’t meant to be. For me, when I started to choose freedom from food rules and became an intuitive eater, I started to have life experiences where I was fully present and able to build incredible relationships, make personal goals, and find more pleasure in life around me. I believe by shedding food rules and the thin ideal and adopting intuitive eating, we can become truer versions of ourselves.

Rachael again! Kate will be helping me open up more evening and weekend hours, so I can limit my weeknight hours to just one day a week. If you’re west coast or here in Columbia and need evening hours, Kate is open for new clients, so feel free to contact me to set up a free 15 minute discovery call. If you’re a current client working with me, nothing will change! But Kate will be there to fill in for me in case I’m traveling or have limited evening hours. And if you’re a blog reader, stay tuned for some posts by Kate where she’ll be sharing her expertise and insight! I’m so excited for you to get to know her!

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