Leah Papazian
Specialties:
Age Group(s):
Patient Populations:
About Leah
I knew from an early age that I wanted to help people. Growing up my mom always made sure we had healthy balanced meals and she really lit the spark for my interest in nutrition. In high school, I took a foods and nutrition class and from there I was hooked! I knew that nutrition was the field for me. I was lucky enough to get into Cal Poly, SLO where I completed my Bachelor’s in Nutrition. I have worked in a variety of areas in the field of nutrition but my passion is to help people feel better and live happy and healthy lives!
Get To Know Leah
Favorite cultural dish or comfort food: Latkes
Go-to morning beverage: coffee with a splash of Natural Bliss creamer
Favorite thing to purchase at the farmer’s market or grocery store: Heirloom tomatoes
Sleep ritual I never forget: Tell my husband l love him before we fall asleep
What I listen to for inspiration: I am a country music lover!
Favorite recipe: Panko Crusted Salmon
Favorite nutrient-packed snack: Greek yogurt with fruit
Fave book/TV show/movie: Favorite Movie is The Notebook, TV show- anything on the Food Network, Book- Tuesdays with Morrie
Grocery shopping tip: Buy one new thing you haven’t tried each time you shop!
What’s one small thing someone can do today to work toward a balanced eating pattern/lifestyle? Pick a small goal that is meaningful to you and make sure that it is something you feel is approachable. Once you have made that one small change, that can then move you to work on other small changes. All of the small changes we make add up to big changes over time!
A mindful eating moment you had recently: I recognized while working one day that I had gone way too long without eating as my stomach was yelling at me. I made a point to stop for a moment and give my body the fuel it needed and I felt so much better!
A habit you swear by: Setting up a weekly menu and having a designated day of the week for grocery shopping so that things are organized for the week. It makes a huge difference when things get busy!
What’s your nutrition superpower? Being open to a variety of cultural perspectives when it comes to food and being eager to learn as much as I can about food customs and traditions in other cultures.
How has your cultural culinary heritage shaped your approach to nutrition, and do you incorporate any traditional practices into your counseling? In my home growing up, we were always encouraged to try new and different foods but were never forced to eat something if we didn’t like it. I feel that this has helped in my approach with my clients in that I will never pressure anyone to include foods in their eating pattern that they don’t actually enjoy.
Nutrition philosophy in a nutshell: My nutrition philosophy is summed up in one word, balance. I feel that when things are in balance in general we feel better on the inside and outside. I come from an “all foods fit” approach meaning that if there are foods that are important to someone, we will work together to ensure that those foods are included in their daily eating pattern.
Nutrition myth or trend you find particularly annoying and would like to set the record straight: The Keto diet. This diet is a very hard eating pattern for most people to sustain over a period of time given the lack of balance and variety of foods included while someone is on Keto. In my experience, most people are only able to stay on this type of eating pattern for a very short window of time which makes it a very unsustainable approach for long term health.
Language(s):
English
Education:
BS in Applied Nutrition, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Dietetic Internship:
State University of New York at Buffalo
Counseling Style:
Empathetic
Motivational
Educational
Supportive
Relaxed
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