Healthy Diet and Nutrition that’s True For You

Let’s face it: Americans love to eat. We have favorite meals, restaurants, kitchen gadgets, televised cooking shows, and even make celebrities of today’s hottest chefs. But what we don’t always have is the healthiest relationship with food. Locally, Intuitive Eating Coach and registered dietitian Cathy Visser runs True For You Nutrition, LLC, helping folks feel better and achieve their optimal health goals for life.

Visser, a Midwest native, became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in the late 1980s and studied public health in graduate school. She and her husband moved to Olympia to be near friends and “instantly fell in love with the Pacific Northwest,” she recalls. She has worked as a Health Planner for the Skokomish Nation and director for the Senior Services for South Sound Meals on Wheels program for Thurston and Mason counties before starting her own business.

“My clients come to me with a variety of nutritional challenges and goals,” says Visser. “They may be living with diabetes or hypertension and wish to improve their diet and health. Others have been chronic yo-yo dieters with repeated weight loss and regain and wish to learn to eat for better health and pleasure. I also help people heal from eating disorders such as binge eating disorder, bulimia, or anorexia nervosa.”

She works with folks one-on-one from her west Olympia office or virtually with patients across the state. Sessions typically run from two to twelve weeks, though some clients check in monthly for ongoing support and accountability.

A common misconception in the field may seem linguistic: dietitian versus nutritionist. But those terms are not interchangeable. Visser says that “As an RDN, I am required to hold a Bachelor of Dietetics from an accredited college, complete an internship, pass a national exam, and maintain continuing education units. Every dietitian is a nutritionist, but every nutritionist is NOT a dietitian. Only an RDN can be credentialed through health insurance agencies to provide medical nutrition therapy.”

But she’s also much more. “In addition to being an RDN,” Visser continues, “I am certified as an Intuitive Eating coach, a specialty that helps people heal their relationship with food and body image. My clients tell me that our work together has allowed them to feel a sense of food freedom and pleasure around eating without worry, guilt, or shame. They report fewer feelings of being addicted to sugar and other foods, and more motivation to do things that promote sustainable, joyful wellbeing.”

Visser started using the EDC and Washington Center for Women in Business from day one. “Right before the pandemic hit, I started thinking about my ideal job for the latter part of my career. I sought the support of the EDC in writing my business plan, then applied for and received a ScaleUp grant, which helped me hire other local businesses to promote my small business.”

Over the years, she’s also accessed the EDC’s business coaching, business plan development, and networking. And ScaleUp funding stayed in the family, so to speak, when she hired local businesses like Ironseele Print Production for her logo, business cards, and a photo shoot; Ann Gustafson to improve the website; MediaRoom for promotional videos; and Beth Brown to help with accounting. This grant funding improved SEO, attracted new customer referrals, and allowed Visser to meet income goals laid out in the business plan within only two years.

An avid cook as well, in 2024, Visser hopes to begin online teaching classes focusing on cooking basics, food fermentation, and easy plant-based meal options.

To get started on your wellness journey, sign up for a free 20-minute Discovery Call. You can do so on her website, by emailing [email protected], or calling 360.207.4052. “If a person is struggling with a chronic health condition such as diabetes, Hashimoto’s, hypertension, or high cholesterol, I can help,” says Visser. “If they are experiencing weight stigma from other medical providers or society at large, I can help them learn a new health paradigm. And if they’re sick of yo-yo dieting or disordered eating, I may be a good fit for them. I also offer a no-cost body liberation book club that meets every other month via Zoom. Everyone is welcome and can email me to get on my mailing list for this activity.” Then look forward to a healthier new you for the new year.