Hi all! Nice to meet ya!! My name is Kristen Neilan. Just a little bit about us before we engulf you with all things health & nutrition (day-to-day stuff, traveling and pups too- of course!). I am a Registered and Licensed Dietitian working as a Clinical Dietitian in the Neuro ICU & my weasel aka hubby is a Doctor. A lovely combo because we both learn a ton from each other and I couldn’t help but feel like we shouldn’t keep all this glorious knowledge to ourselves! So here I am sharing it with you all!
How We Met & More About The Weasel (aka Patrick aka my Husband): I like to modify our story (to him chasing me down) but I guess here I should tell nothin but the truth! I was working in the ICU and Patrick, was at that time, a med student – on just a month long rotation in the ICU. I gave my number to cupid aka a miracle working nurse on the unit- who gave it to Patrick. One date lead to another and before you knew it we were inseparable. I won’t go on forever because I go off on mushy tangents easily BUT- one of the greatest parts of our relationship is that we challenge & motivate each other daily. Life definitely gets interesting with his crazy residency schedule (which I will also post about) but I wouldn’t change a thing! Truly my other half & best friend- Patrick somehow balances being insanely genius & incredibly goofy & I couldn’t love him more for it.
How I Fell In Love With Nutrition: Oh boy. This one is kinda hard to explain- Patrick is so much easier to delve into! I have always been interested in nutrition and I have always found the taste of healthier things yummy. I love that earthy taste so much- which is why a lot of my recipes and things I cook have a lot of that flavor. It’s not only to reap the benefits but because I prefer that taste! I grew up in an Italian home so I learned how to cook from my mom but I’ve been modifying her incredible recipes- to a healthier version- since I can remember! When I’d have sleepovers in elementary & middle school my mom would bring me over eggplant/artichoke/avocado for dinner at a friend’s house hahaha which now that I look back – what a little weirdo I was! Then in college- I spent way too many Friday nights with my bestie Chelsea in the library reading about nutrition for hours on end. But I love the way clean eating tastes and lets just be honest, I like how it feels too. I’m a short gal, just 5 foot 1- so I’m not going to sugar coat it for you all- I definitely watch what I eat and always have but over the years and through my degree and clinical experience I have gained a ton of knowledge on how to eat everything you love -with a healthy twist- and (a dietitian’s favorite word) in moderation. And some days if I’m craving the downright real thing, I have it. I’m not about depriving or restricting. My main thing is that I will never eat when I’m not hungry – this is something that I will make a whole post about because I’m so passionate about it and there’s a lot more to it than you’d think- but for now- I am all about those hunger cues. We are not vegan, vegetarian, and we do not avoid gluten. We do believe in plant based meals throughout the week but we do not restrict to plant based meals only! Anyway, lots more about all that to come and more about my journey to becoming a dietitian too!
Knox: Oh Knoxwell. This is our pup. He is a German Shepherd Mix. I found him at Heidi’s Legacy Dog Rescue when he was 2 months and now he is 6 (BUT STILL A BABY- no one can convince us otherwise- not even his little grey whisker). Knox travels with us often, so we will definitely be sharing some awesome pet friendly hotels/Airbnbs with you all too. You will see tid bits about him and photos sprinkled throughout because how could you not love those jumbo ears of his.
Doctor Meets Dietitian 