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Meet Calgary Eating Disorder Dietitian, Jana Spindler: Specializing in Body Image Concerns, Complex Mental Health and Athletes with Eating Disorders
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by | Mar 9, 2022

Get to know Registered Dietitian, Jana Spindler on our team

Sports Nutritionist and Eating Disorder Dietitian Jana Spindler

This article introduces you to Calgary Dietitian, Jana Spindler, fitness enthusiast and lover of all things food. Jana has a background as both a sports nutritionist and an eating disorder dietitian. Jana has developed a niche in working with recovering yo-yo dieters, eating disorders and mental health clients. She has a special interest in helping athletes use nutrition as their competitive edge while maintaining a healthy relationship with food and their body image.

We asked her to share a few things about herself so you could get to know her below in this article and you can read her full bio here: Eating Disorder and Sports Dietitian Jana Spindler Bio

What is your background as a Dietitian?  

I didn’t realize I wanted to be a dietitian until I was 3 years into an Engineering degree at the University of Saskatchewan. I was playing basketball for the university and studying sport nutrition in my “free time” to see how it could help me improve my game.  

With some ‘gentle’ nudges from friends and family, I decided to change my career path and pursue a degree in nutrition with hopes to support other athletes.  

While completing my nutrition degree and internship, I had the opportunity to work a couple of nutrition focused jobs as a nutrition student. One was teaching general nutrition and healthy lifestyle strategies to families and the other was supporting mental health outcomes through lifestyle and basic nutrition strategies. This was my first real introduction to how impactful nutrition really could be for quality of life.  

I moved to Calgary, AB, after completing my internship and have worked in many different roles. I feel like I have done it all at this point. I have worked in food service, long term care, cardiac health, and more, but my passion is in the field of eating disorders, athletics, and mental health.  

I have completed additional certifications and training in each of these areas. Most recently, I have been working towards completing my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology to add to my qualifications as a Registered Dietitian.  

In 2017, I had the honour of joining the team of Dietitians at Health Stand Nutrition and I have never looked back.  

What is your favorite part about being a Dietitian?  

That is easy. The people! I have met some of the most incredible people through my work. Not only do I work with an amazing team and get to collaborate with many of the mental health professionals in Alberta, but I work with some of the most resilient and inspiring clients. In this role, I get to know my clients on a deeper level as we often work together for a longer period of time. I truly appreciate the relationships that have been built through our work together.  

Jana Spindler

What is one myth you want to clear up about Dietitians?  

We are not all foodies and we don’t all love to cook.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love great food. But I am also one of the hungriest people you will meet. That means that sometimes food isn’t the most gourmet or exciting, sometimes it just serves the purpose of feeding me when I am hungry. 

Often, I would rather spend my time connecting with friends and family or heading out to the mountains so my meals tend to be simple and easy.  

 

Sports Nutritionist and Eating Disorder Dietitian Jana Spindler

What is your favorite nerdy nutritious food chosen for health?  

Oats or Oatmeal! They are so versatile, cheap, and filling when combined with other great flavours and ingredients. They can be used as breakfast, in baking, as a topping, or a snack. Plus, they are jam packed with fibre and nutrients. 

What is your favorite soulful food chosen for taste, enjoyment, and social fun?

This is a tough question for me as my favorite soulful food tends to evolve and continue to change.  

Currently, I have been on a cinnamon bun kick. I love the fresh smell of the cinnamon sugar as well as the doughy center.  Some of my other favorites are plantain chips, fresh baked cookies, or ice cream.  

Sports Nutritionist Jana Spindler
Eating Disorder Dietitian Jana Spindler

Something that people may not know about me: 

I am the stereotypical tall girl! Growing up in the world of sports, specifically basketball, was so helpful for me in learning how to embrace and celebrate my size (I was 6”2 by age 14).  

It was not always easy, but you’ll notice now that I am proud of my size. One of my passions is helping others embrace their own bodies and learn to ‘take up space!’ 

Looking for more information on nutrition counseling or finding a Calgary Sports Nutritionist or Eating Disorder Dietitian?

Want to learn more about Calgary Sports Nutritionist and Eating Disorder Dietitian Jana Spindler? Check out her full bio here.

If you want to book an appointment to begin nutrition counseling with Jana please contact us.

Find out more about our Calgary Dietitian and Online Nutritionist services here.

Don’t forget to check your health insurance! Many insurance plans cover Dietitian services.

Book an Appointment with Jana
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"I am a psychologist in private practice and it is very important to me that my clients have the best care with other health care professionals. For that reason Health Stand Nutrition is my only source for exceptional Dietitians. Andrea and her team provide highly knowledgeable, compassionate, and real world support to my clients who require assistance with food lifestyle. I trust my clients to them and you would be in excellent hands making them part of your health care team."
Adele Fox, Psychologist
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Marty Avery, Nutrition Counseling Client
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Lynn Haley, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
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Peter Whitehead, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I didn’t realize how strong my “diet mentality” was, and all the rules I had in my head about food. I was in a cycle of reward/punish/binge/cringe. I booked with your business very reluctantly, on the repeated advice of my doctor, to get my slowly rising cholesterol levels in check. I thought I knew everything about food, and my behaviour with food, but I was definitely re-schooled. My weight is creeping down, I feel good about my diet, exercise, body image, and lifestyle.”
Amy Floyd, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Thanks Andrea for an amazing presentation, I have heard all positive remarks from attendees and the evaluations show the same sentiment. It is really gratifying when a speaker does their “homework” and weaves in our profession’s day to day challenges within their content, you did an awesome job of this! You truly took the “die” out of Dietician! Your information on healthy eating and simplifying how we can work towards this as we are all so busy really hit the mark. Andrea connects very well with her audience; she is energetic, funny, and very approachable.”
Carole Ann LaGrange, Transfusion Medicine Safety Officer

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“I am a family physician who sees patients with a myriad of eating concerns – from wanting to know how to plan healthy meals for active families, to weight loss, to eating disorders, and so on. I cannot recommend the Health Stand team highly enough. I have worked with (and been to!) other Dieticians in the past and too often find that they just ask for food logs and make suggestions that are easily obtained online or in books. The Dieticians at Health Stand offer much more than just telling clients what they “should be eating.” In contrast, the team really does more of a counselling practice, and they work hard to help their clients learn more about why their eating habits may be off track and not optimal for them, as well as helping people to effect change at a deep level that, most importantly, is sustainable for lifetime health.”
Dr. Deb Putnam, Family Physician

Nutrition Counseling Client & Referring Physician

“I am a busy mom, with kids in high level sports, working full-time downtown, and running our home acreage outside the City. I now have the knowledge and tools I need to plan for and manage the chaos of meal planning.”
Gillian Gray, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“As a construction company, we select speakers who can relate to our industry and its employees. Andrea’s message was delivered with humor and empathy. She makes people feel as though they can make changes without leaving behind every favorite food. Andrea focused her presentation on healthy eating as a way to keep energy high throughout the day. This message and the way it was delivered resonated with our predominantly male, blue collar culture. I would highly recommend Andrea as a speaker for groups such as ours. She will get your message across without alienating anyone in your audience – which is a huge hurdle when trying to introduce a wellness program in the workplace!”
Stephanie Wood, HR and Safety Manager

Fisher Construction Group, Burlington, WA

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Erin Kronstedt, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Excellent presentation! What a refreshing change to have a speaker inspire rather than “lecture” about nutrition. Your captivating stories, tips and overall approach to healthy eating uplifts and puts people at ease. It was great to hear we don’t need to strive to be perfect eaters, and that small changes really can make a difference in how we feel and in our health. Thanks to Andrea, we have solutions to our everyday nutrition challenges that can actually work in real life!”
Tina Tamagi, Human Resources

ARC Resources Ltd.

“Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations.”
Lorri Lawrence, Pursuit of Healthiness online course participant

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