Why Become a Dietitian? Lisa Hayim and Her Journey

We recently got a chance to chat with Lisa Hayim, MS, RD. Lisa is the founder of The Well Necessities, her private practice, and The Well Necessities Collection, a curated, seasonal box of her favorite food products.

Why and how did you decide to become a dietitian?

Lisa: I wish I had a solid answer to this because it feels like this field found me. For years, I ignored this passion of mine, a love of learning nutrition, about food, and even the semi-nerdy science stuff.

I truly didn’t think I would be able to become a dietitian because of the intimidating and rigorous course work including chemistry, anatomy and physiology. As a good student, I can get an A in any class where I put in hard work, but chemistry was like another language to me in high school. I was terrified of it! I finally came to a point where I realized this was my only sustained interest over the years, and that I was put on earth to do this. Therefore, I found a way to get through the coursework they gave me, knowing that the end goal was to be a RD.

Can you tell us about your nutrition career to date?

Lisa: I graduated a year ago from my dietetic internship.  I spent enough time in food service and in a hospital setting, and was ready to take on a new type of work. I worked as a food service worker for an entire year before the internship. If you’ve ever seen a hospital kitchen, you know this was no easy task!  The day after I passed my RD exam, I began to build my practice. I got an office and all the legal work together and jumped in. I see all types of clients now: disordered eating, colitis, Crohn’s, heart attack survivors. It’s awesome to have such diversity throughout the day!

I’m also really passionate about the food component. I love food. I love to talk about it, cook it, and eat it. A goal of my practice is to bring the fun back to food and to show people that there are products and foods out there that can protect your health. So many people are terrified of food to the point where they just don’t eat. I created a small business, called The Well Necessities, that puts all my favorite packaged products in a bag for my clients. The Collection was created to help my clients, but grew into a business on its own. Now, anyone can buy the collection and I can introduce people to some awesome products.

How did you start The Well Necessities?

Lisa: The Well Necessities grew out of a social media following that I amassed over the last 5 or so years. I wasn’t a dietitian when I started it, so I didn’t think it was fitting to talk just about nutrition on my website. I decided it could be a platform to discuss all things wellness and healthy living. It has turned into much more. It is a website, a blog, and a great resource for many.

As soon as I became an RD, I transitioned it to be a bit more about me, and my services (now that I could offer them!). The Well Necessities is intended to be simple. All recipes on there have 5 ingredients or less. My goal is always to simplify things, and I think TWN, as a website and in my practice, does just that!

What advice do you have for dietitians just getting started?

Lisa: Just jump in. Don’t wait to have everything perfect. It’s never going to be, and you are going to change your processes many times before you get it right. But if you’re serious about it, get Healthie. It will be your best friend and set you up for success from the start.

How do you think technology is changing the way dietitians are practicing care?

Lisa: We have access to many more people.  Previously, dietitians were stuck to find clients exclusively in their local area. Technology has changed that. Anyone, anywhere can be a prospective client! I think technology helps us dietitians stay up-to-date long after formal schooling too. There are tons of webinars, online courses, and easy ways to continue learning! It also makes it easier to network and talk to other dietitians.

Why are you excited about Healthie?

Lisa: I am so excited about Healthie! I have been using it for about 3 weeks now, and my practice is completely different. I feel like I have new energy and zest about seeing my clients now that I have an organized system. My favorite part has been the clients’ reaction to Healthie. All ages (ranging 19-70) are excited about the way Healthie works. It’s not complicated and simply works. I cannot believe it has taken me so long to have this type of technology.

We loved hearing about your story and path to practice, Lisa! You can learn more about Lisa on her website.