Our featured dietitian for
the month of February is Monica Salafia MS, RD, CPT. Monica is a fitness
dietitian within her own business, Mind on Nutrition. Within her business, she has the opportunity
to work with NFL combine athletes. She is also a Group Fitness Instructor and
Personal Trainer for Denver Parks and Recreation.
What is your educational
background and how long have you been an RD? Do you have any additional
credentials relevant to your position?
I have both a Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition Science and a
Master’s in Applied Nutrition from the Sage Colleges in New York. I have been an RD since August 2016.
Additionally, I also am a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified
Personal Trainer and a Certified Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Coach.
How did you achieve your
position/ how did you get started with your current position?
I created my own private
practice in Denver, CO, working virtually with clients using the Healthie
online platform. My client case load began to grow as I networked within Denver
fitness community. This led to consulting with four fitness studios as their
dietitian. Along the way, I crossed paths with the head coach at a performance
training gym that also performs physiology testing. The head coach was also
looking for a dietitian, and I began working with NFL combine athletes in
addition to aforementioned members of Denver gyms and fitness studios.
What key areas of
knowledge/experiences did you need to have before this job?
Networking experiences have been critical in my dietetics
career. During my internship, I felt my networking in fitness nutrition was
lacking, and I asked if I could find my own fitness nutrition preceptor, and I
did. I just had to move to Denver to work with him!
From there, it was an easy transition into the gyms and fitness
studios where the topic of nutrition would come up, and I could introduce
myself as an RD. I get pummeled with questions about every fad diet, so knowledge
of physiology is key. I think having a strong understanding of anatomy,
physiology, biochemistry and medical nutrition therapy plus interpreting
research. These are the areas all RD’s need to master before they specialize.
I work to keep up to date in sports nutrition practices by using
the Sports Nutrition Handbook, The Journal of International Sports Nutrition,
and referencing other sports and weight management specific articles.
Lastly, I feel it is important in my role to have a passion to work
out and understand the practical application of what you are teaching. I don’t
think one needs to do every kind of workout out there. I haven’t played on a
football team after all, but having a true passion for fitness and “walking the
walk” is important to be able to connect with this audience.
What are the highs and lows
of your position?
I love that I am creating my own path, which certainly has its
challenges but I also find it thrilling. There aren’t many dietitians working
in private boutique gyms and fitness studios. I also enjoy that I have had
dietitians reach out to me and ask how I have gotten into this position, so
this says to me that dietitians in gyms and fitness studios is unexplored
territory.
A challenge that I encounter is I have to consider my pay rate
accordingly. If a member is paying less than $200 for a month of unlimited
access to group fitness classes, paying for weekly personal nutrition coaching
sessions can be expensive to them. I also have to study my competition. In
Colorado, there are “nutritionists” everywhere. I once met a “gut health
nutrition expert” at a yoga studio. I
set my own rates that clients pay out of pocket, and because not many RDs fill
this type of role, there isn’t a large pool of data to know “what’s fair”. One
of the biggest challenges for RD’s wanting to enter this space is not knowing
what to charge.
All this said, it is this entrepreneurial path that makes what I
do so rewarding. I’m happy to navigate this territory because I know this is
where dietitians need to be working. Gym and fitness studio owners need to see
that hiring Registered Dietitians is just as important as hiring fitness
instructors.
What is
a typical day for you?
A typical day doesn’t
really exist but a typical week does. I
might have scheduled anywhere from 5-10 individual coaching clients whom I meet
with virtually or in-person. I will exercise at some point and also use this as
a networking or marketing opportunity.
I use Instagram as my marketing tool so I spend time creating
content for @monicasalafia.rd and my website www.mindonnutrition.com . I also create nutrition
education materials and distribute them to gyms and sell them online to other
dietitians interested in the fitness space via a digital marketplace.
I also revise menus with the chef who works alongside me and the
NFL combine athletes. My job is to make sure that the menu is nutritionally
adequate but also food the players will eat. I have weekly check-ins with the
players to make sure they are meeting their weekly nutrition goals: not
skipping meals, not overdoing sweets and eating most of the meals the chef has
provided.
On weekends, I host a nutrition workshop at a gym or a healthy
eating establishment to talk about fitness and nutrition goals.
There is some brand work involved in between as well. I like to
connect with local brands and share their products with my clients. When I run
group nutrition programs I often use these brand items as incentive for
completing a certain task like submitting a food journal.
Lastly, because I am such an advocate for Registered Dietitians
and my mission is to get more dietitians in gyms and fitness studios, I carve
out time to mentor dietitians and/or RD2BEs who are interested in this space. I
work with them on projects I have, meet with them on Zoom, and create digital
courses for aspiring fitness dietitians to learn how to get stared.
What advice would you
share with an RD (or RD2be) that is interested in a similar career path?
It’s all about who you know, so get to know everyone who think
you want to work with and share your skills with them. I think that my
extroverted personality has naturally led me to building connections that got
me to where I am today. I’m not any more intelligent or had a better schooling
opportunity. I just talked to people and took on a “Yes I’ll Do It” …but figure
out how later approach.
The fitness nutrition field isn’t for every dietitian. I have
been able to successfully blend both a macronutrient-approach and mindful and intuitive
eating approach when coaching clients. People in this space come to me because
they want to change their body composition and reach their fitness goals. I am
in full support of that and help them figure out how to do that without
instilling a diet mentality. Since this is a gym and fitness space, I’d advise
those interested in a similar career path to not enter this field and tell
people weight loss in unethical. Understanding weight management, motivational
interviewing, and knowledge on sports nutrition is critical.
What is your greatest
strength/weakness as a dietitian?
I am futuristic and visionary so I see amazing things happening
for dietitians in the future which, given the nature of nutrition in the media
I would say is pretty important. It feels like anyone and everyone is the
nutrition expert, but I never let that keep me from believing in our work as
RDs, and that’s instrumental in my progress. Also, gym owners and fitness
studios sense the passion I have too, and that makes them want to hire a
dietitian.
Since I am so enthusiastic about my work and the future of
dietetics, I have a tough time setting boundaries. For example, I was assessing
a DXA scan with a physiologist and we got to talking about the field and so
much time passed I ran out of time to do my own workout!
What are some of your
interests outside of work?
I enjoy listening to non-nutrition or health related podcasts
while taking my dog Belinda for a walk. I also enjoy being creative; although,
that usually means I’m creating something for my work.
Other than that, I like working out, mostly just weightlifting on
my own with headphones in and a sweet playlist I made. I really love music,
live music especially. My favorites are Bassnectar, Griz, and other electronic
dance music artists.
What aspect of sports
nutrition (or any other area of dietetics) interested you to pursue it as a
career?
I’m personally interested in fitness and how nutrition can fuel
the body to achieve certain goals. Anatomy and physiology are my favorite
subjects, and having an understanding of nutrition and how it applies to
physiology amplifies that for me. When I
first started powerlifting with my brothers, I ate a salad before a workout
(whoops!) and nearly passed out underneath a barbell bench press. Not only was
that terrifying, but I was embarrassed because those were my big brothers I
just did that in front of! That day I decided I’m going to learn how to fuel my
body right because clearly that fitness magazine I was reading was a not a
great resource!
Why have you decided to work
with athletes or similar groups?
There is a need that must be fulfilled. Who gets more nutrition
questions than a personal trainer? No one. I did an Instagram poll, and almost
89% of people said that an RD was more like a doctor than a personal trainer,
and while yes, academically we’re closer, I think the public needs to see us
more like they view personal trainers! Don’t just come see us when you’re sick,
see us to help you become and stay healthy!
Because I’m naturally in gyms and fitness studios because of my
own interests in exercising, I can connect with the members. I decided to work
with the NFL Combine athletes because that was an opportunity that I absolutely
had to experience.
How do you deal with the
daily stresses presented to you in your career?
I remember that life is something beautiful, and nothing in life
is permanent. I’m not always cheerful; I for sure have my moments, but I’ve
been working on adopting those two mentalities and being grateful. When all
else fails, I call my mom or my sister.
Prior to getting your
credentials, did you have any experience in nutrition (ie. food service,
volunteering, etc.)?
When I was 15, I knew I was pursuing dietetics so my experiences
have always been in pursuit of the dietetic licensure. I worked at a hospital
in food service (for about 4 weeks) and did a lot of volunteering. My pre-RD
experiences were typical of a dietetic student.
What do you love about your
career/job?
Everything! I love creating my work day, making discovery calls,
and listening to clients tell me their health histories. I love being able to
empathize with clients about all of the conflicting information about nutrition,
which also helps build rapport!
Everyone has their minds on nutrition these days, so I love being
a resource for members, gym owners, and other dietitians. I love when a client
texts me a video of her doing pull ups or eating a sweet potato after having
some “diet mentality” fears around that food. Being able to watch people learn
that food is fuel and they don’t have to be afraid of it and helping people
reach their fitness goals with food is my passion.
Is there a course you took
in undergrad or grad school that has helped you in your current role?
Nutrition Communications
and Exercise Physiology have helped me tremendously! We need more exercise
sciences in our curriculum. I also took a Weight Management course in grad
school, which really helped me get an understanding of what we know about
current evidence-based guidelines on weight management. Since most people want
to change their body composition when they step into a gym, that class was very
helpful. However, my communication skills have been invaluable in helping clients
see we are working towards body confidence, not weight loss.
What are some of the
unique nutritional considerations you must consider for the group(s) you work with?
Immediately
I’m thinking of the NFL Combine players and how I am teaching the chef that
nutritional considerations for football players who exercise twice daily and
need to build muscle mass are not similar to the general population.
I
pay attention to make sure that the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are all
adequately meeting the players needs but also that sodium is pretty liberal,
considering they will sweat a lot and they may not eat 100% of their meals.
In
the gyms and fitness studios, I consider the energy and carbohydrate needs of
mostly women with whom I work. For the most part, I focus on them eating enough
food in general and foods that do not irritate their guts. I focus on calorie
and nutrient density principles when I educate clients.
