Jennifer Nickell

About Jennifer

Hi, I'm Jenn and I am 51 years young! I have been a dietitian for 15 years and worked in early childhood development before that. I have worked with patients of all ages and with all kinds of motivators. I became a dietitian because I was disabled at birth and having a body with different abilities meant a LOT of navigating what was 'normal' for my body AND a very confusing and expensive healthcare system. After 30 years of trying to figure it out, the one thing that was consistent was if I cared for my body, it made everything better. Food, sleep, exercise, stress, how your habits developped over your life, where you are in your life now, all of it is information that can help us develop a diet that truly works for you. If you are looking for a dietitian that considers the whole picture, rather than just the numbers, then go no further!

Approach to care

I use motivational interviewing to learn how nutrition plays out in your life. Why do you make the food choices you do? What have your tried in the past? Your nutrition is about more than just what you eat, it is about your nutrition habits and how you came to have them. We dig into this history to help you find small changes that make a big impact. I also help you learn to listen to your body. Our culture teaches us that we are separate from our body. My backround in neurodevelopment has shown me we ARE our body and it's always communicating. The messages it sends are about what it needs to be its best. Hunger may mean you need calories, but it may also mean you need vitamins or fiber. Stomach pain may mean you've eaten something you don't tolerate, or it may mean that your GI cells are not getting what they need to function optimally. Wouldn't it be wonderful to know what your body is saying so that you can respond with what it needs??

Your first session with Jennifer

Our first session is our opportunity to get to know one another and set your priorities. We will complete a full nutrition assessment, including both health and life factors, to see where you are in meeting your health goals. Based on the assessment, we set short and long term goals and then come up with a step-wise plan for meeting them. Often, patients find that they already have a plan in mind, it is just a matter of learning how to put it into action! By the end of our first session, I want you feel empowered to begin making small changes that will make a big impact in no time at all!

Location

📍 Lake Oswego, Oregon

Education

Masters Degree in Nutrition and Food Science, California State University, Northridge. Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, University of Southern California Pediatric Internship, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles/University of Southern California

Hobbies

Cooking, Agatha Christie Novels, Jigsaw puzzles, Hiking, and spending time with my daughter

Licenses and Certifications