The culture of healthy eating, delicious cooking, Mediterranean, seasonal and local products is something that follows me from the first memories of my childhood. Growing up in Kefalonia with a dad owing an oil press and a mom working as a teacher, I learned from an early age that nutrition is not a univocal word, but it hides different meanings.
On the one hand, “nutrition” consists of goods- the products- each one of which has a specific composition, action, and function in our body; on the other hand, it consists of elements of education and culture that allow us to put the goods into our daily lives. These two principles are the main pillars of nutritional therapy and help us to achieve goals in our diet. This is the philosophy that I follow during the clinical practice so that, in an individualized way, we can unite the goods that surround us with the right education and achieve change. At the same time, remembering my grandmother's large family gatherings, I can not exclude from nutrition its unifying role and the social dimension that food takes on in the lives of all of us. Ultimately, the space of the session, physical or online, and its time constitute a discussion aimed at combining all these roles of nutrition in life, so that the dietary habits of the dieter come in line with their goals (health, appearance, well-being, work).
Through the strengthening of our NQ, of our own nutritional intelligence, we come closer to a more complete, healthy, balanced, and happy relationship with our diet.
I graduated in November 2019 from the Harokopio University of Athens with a grade of "Very Good". As part of my studies, I completed an internship at the 401 General Military Hospital of Athens, where I gained experience in a number of clinical cases, as well as in the Palliative Care Unit "Jenny Karezi", during which I collaborated with the multidisciplinary team to support people with cancer and chronic diseases. I also completed an internship in the flour industry and learned about flour chemistry and products.
Wanting to expand my knowledge and gain additional experience, I was accepted for a six-month internship at the University Hospital of Padua, Italy. There, I worked at the Center for the Study and Integrated Management of Obesity, where I focused on Obesity and Bariatrics, as part of an interdisciplinary team. Specifically, I had the opportunity to attend sessions with patients, and to participate in sessions with groups of patients right after the bariatric surgery, but also long after the operation. At the same time, I collaborated with my colleagues in the Clinical Nutrition Department, dealing with a variety of cases, including Diabetes, Eating Disorders, Liver Diseases, Pregnancy, Kidney Disease, etc. Today you will find me "back to school", as I attend a master's program on "Diabetes and Obesity" at the Medical School of Athens.
My interest in gynecology and the role of nutrition in the female body started during university, so I proposed a research thesis with the title "Study of the relationship between dietary habits and primary dysmenorrhea in a sample of young women", which was graded with 10/10. I undertake, among other cases, the nutritional support of women who face conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, dysmenorrhea, reproductive problems, who are pregnant, lactating, menopausal, etc. The constant involvement and study of women's issues led me to my current collaboration with Omgyno, a company that offers valid information, telemedicine, and other services for women.
I have worked in an important sports nutrition center in Attica as a Marketing Manager and Dietitian-Nutritionist, enhancing my knowledge in the field of sports nutrition, sports supplements, and fat loss. Apart from the scientific interest in sports, I also have a personal interest: I love to study the synergistic relationship between exercise and diet and their effect on health but, above all, it is my "pill", so do not be surprised if you see me exercising in a gym, walking in Athens, cycling in Lixouri, dancing Latin on a terrace or traditional dances in a circle at a festival, etc.!
Since November 2021 I have office in Ηolargos, Attica, the "NQ-Nutritional Intelligence", with the aim of accompanying people on a road of nutritional self-improvement. I speak English and Italian with professional proficiency.
This makes necessary an individualized approach, firstly in terms of diet composition to match the individual's biological-physiological-medical needs; secondly, in terms of nutritional behavior, in order to restore the relationship with the food itself. Of course, the motivation for the change of the individual is always evaluated, so that the action plan is not "in front" of the dieter, but "next to" them. The nutrition action plan is the dieter.
In simpler terms, NQ captures exactly what I try to do with people who trust me with their diet: to cultivate their judgment, their intelligence, and their knowledge about their own diet, which is tailor-made, according to their particular profile, their way of life, their health, their body, their history, their perceptions. Every person is different and wants to achieve separate nutrition goals. So I call this Nutritional Intelligence and I believe that, like any intelligence, it can be developed and follows us for a lifetime.
The "contract" and the type of communication:
the dietitian is the "coach", who is by your side to help and guide you
a secure environment that facilitates open discussion of concerns, obstacles, or worries confidentiality
In short, what we will do together:
we will evaluate your situation at the present
we will explore what the goals are
we will evaluate the goals, according to your desires and scientific recommendations
we will develop a personalized nutrition action plan to achieve them
In summary, what a session involves (may vary depending on the individual and the goals):
Anthropometric evaluation
Getting your medical record
Evaluation of laboratory tests
Getting your diet history
Setting goals
Consulting
Education
Applicable and practical ideas & solutions (eg recipes, daily routine, organization)