Rebecca Hart, RD, LDN, is one of our newest additions to the Courage to Nourish team! She is a weight inclusive, anti-diet dietitian with over 9 years of experience in the eating disorder field. She is passionate about helping her clients create a healthy relationship with food. Read on to discover Rebecca’s favorite hobbies, foods, and her dream vacation destination!
Where are you from and what is your favorite thing about that place?
I’m from south Jersey originally. Right outside of Philadelphia is where I grew up. New Jersey is a special state, we’re very proud to be from there. Although I haven’t lived there in a long time, my favorite thing about New Jersey is going down to the shore. Growing up, we always took day trips to the beach. I actually don’t go to Maryland beaches. When I do go to the beach, I drive up to visit my parents and we go to the beach in New Jersey. Looking forward to some Ocean City, NJ trips this summer!
How did you become interested in nutrition?
I was an athlete growing up and nutrition was just something that I was interested in. Also, my dad had a heart attack when I was in high school, so that’s when I began learning more about different health-related topics including nutrition. I studied nutrition during my undergraduate career, but I didn’t learn a lot about Health at Every Size, intuitive eating, or how to develop a healthy relationship with food. That was missing from my education, but I think naturally I was more geared towards that anyway.
Thankfully, my first job out of my dietetic internship was working with eating disorders and I was really able to start my career and learn about that side of it. I’m so thankful because it was a happy accident that I ended up working primarily with clients struggling with eating disorders, but it is definitely what I’m meant to do. I always tell myself even if I branched out and worked in other areas of nutrition, this is the stuff that applies to everyone and I can take wherever I go. Having a healthy relationship with food and providing respectful care regardless of body size can be applied to anyone in any situation.
Overall, I think I became interested in nutrition being an athlete and involved in sports and having a medical scare with my father at a young age. Over time, that morphed into being passionate about helping people develop a healthy relationship with food.
What is your favorite food today? What was your favorite food as a child?
Ice cream is definitely my favorite food today and it was my favorite food as a child. I go through phases of what my favorite flavor is though. Sometimes it’s mint, butter pecan, cookie dough, or strawberry. I also really love egg breakfast sandwiches. It’s the perfect combination of food groups and is super satisfying.
What is your favorite part about working for Courage to Nourish so far?
I like that everyone at the practice has the same beliefs and we are all like-minded dietitians. We all want people to have a healthy relationship with food. I also really appreciate the flexibility that I can work at home and spend more time with my kids. I feel like I have the best of both worlds doing a job that I really enjoy and also spending a lot of time with my family because that is really important to me. I also love the Courage to Nourish mission and philosophy because it is very much aligned with my own.
Do you have any hobbies?
Yes, but I have two young children right now so hobbies are not as active in my life as they used to be. I like reading a lot. I actually have a free little library outside of my house for my community. I don’t have a favorite author, but I really enjoy historical fiction. I try to read different genres and push myself out of my reading comfort zone, but that is definitely my favorite read. I also really like collecting indoor plants, adult coloring, scrapbooking, being outside, and hiking.
What has been your favorite travel destination so far? What is your dream travel destination?
I do really like traveling but I haven’t been able to do as much because I have really little kids right now. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back to more traveling as my children get a little older. One of my favorite trips that I’ve taken was to France. I saw all different parts of the country. Being in the country, Versaille, and Paris was really great. I also really love Sedona, Arizona. I would go back in a heartbeat, every weekend if I could. I loved the landscape and the hikes. Next on my travel list is going to Alaska. Or I’m always down to go back to Sedona. I also think it would be really cool to see all of the national parks in the US at some point.
What type of music do you listen to/who are your favorite artists?
I am not into music as much, but I am listening to a ton of little kid music right now. The Encanto playlist is constantly on in my house. I really like watching movies more than listening to music. My favorite is probably Pride and Prejudice. I’ll also watch Stranger Things, so I watch a variety of different movies and shows.
What is the most valuable thing you have learned as a registered dietitian?
One of the reasons that I love my job is that every single person on this planet needs to eat everyday, multiple times per day. This work applies to everyone. If you are someone that is struggling with it, it’s not something that you can just put a pin in and come back to because you need to do it everyday, multiple times a day, for the rest of your life.
I really think it’s important to help people have a healthy relationship with food, but in a realistic and practical way. If you’re a busy mom of 4, you need simple things to get on the table for your family. If you’re a single college student, you need things that you can realistically make in a dorm room. It’s important to meet people where they’re at and help them find a healthy relationship with food with the resources and means that they have available to them. It needs to be realistic, otherwise it’s not going to happen.
Do you have any family traditions? Which is your favorite?
We are still building our traditions so I don’t think I have an answer to that yet. I am looking forward to finding and building our own family traditions.
What does a perfect day look like for you?
Being able to sleep in, have a nice breakfast or brunch, spend time outside with my family, and read a book. Overall, it would just be a relaxing day outside with my family.
Final Thoughts
Courage to Nourage has offices in College Park, Maryland. Columbia, Maryland. And Alexandria, Virginia. We also see clients virtually across Virginia. Maryland. Washington DC. Colorado. And Pennsylvania.
Alex Raymond, as well as all of our dietitians, would love to work with you or a loved one today. Please visit our website to read more about our services. We can help! We would love to set up a 15 minute discovery call and answer any questions you may have about working with us. Visit our contact us page to send us an email.
Jordan Young
Jordan is a Courage to Nourish Intern. She received her BS in Nutrition Science from The George Washington University and is currently pursuing her MS in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Rhode Island. Jordan hopes to become a dietitian and is excited to learn more about eating disorder treatment as well as weight inclusive, anti-diet approaches to dietetics.