Hi there!
When I was 11, I had a Chopped-themed birthday party.
I don't remember exactly how I decided on the theme, but looking back it makes a lot of sense. I've loved to bake for as long as I can remember. I could always be found whipping up a "concoction" for my parents and making a mess of the kitchen. At night, I would read cookbooks as a fell asleep. I would beg to watch the Food Network show, Chopped, after school.
I promptly uploaded the footage to iMovie where I added a filter, and some music, and burned them onto some empty DVDs I found in my dad's office drawer.
After sliding them into an envelope and outfitting them for the mail, they were sent off to my guests. It was a fabulous party!
The same year I turned 11, I started suffering from terrible migraine headaches. Multiple visits to doctors garnered prescriptions that made me nauseous and tired. I ended up missing a lot of school.
Five years later, my mom read an article about celiac disease written by Jane Brody in the New York Times. I was surprised when the symptoms she listed seemed similar to mine. I eliminated gluten from my diet and have been happily migraine-free ever since.
That experience became the catalyst for my career path. I went on to study journalism and multimedia storytelling, thinking I'd tell stories in media and communications. But along the way, I discovered my real passion: helping others navigate nutrition, especially those managing gluten-free lifestyles. I pursued a Master's degree in nutrition science and completed my dietetic internship at Simmons University, including clinical training at Beth Israel. Today, I'm a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and I'm certified to do what I'm truly passionate about-combining nutrition science with storytelling and communication.
Today, you can still find me in the kitchen whipping up new things. Except, this time, these "concoctions" are gluten-free, grounded in nutrition science, and I'm making a mess of my own kitchen.
Cheers!
Kate