Meet BC Dietitian Amy Yiu – Expert in the Asian Diet

by Amy Yiu | Apr 21, 2021

Amy is a registered dietitian as well as a cookbook author and award-winning public speaker

I came to the University of British Columbia as an international student to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and to fulfil my dream by becoming a registered dietitian. I fell in love with British Columbia’s friendly people, mountains, islands, beautiful stretches of coastline, attractive towns, and world-class skiing. I am very grateful that I have the privilege to live in one of the best cities in the world.

When I was at UBC, I travelled with a group of international students to Kelowna, Penticton, and Osoyoos. It was my first experience living with a Canadian homestay family. They introduced me to authentic Canadian foods including smoked salmon and pancakes with maple syrup.

Asian Diet Specializations: Weight Concerns, Chronic Disease (Heart Health, Bone Health, Diabetes), Meal Planning, Seniors Health, Mental Health, and Menopause

Languages Spoken: Cantonese, Mandarin and English

My overall background as a Dietitian

In my 15 year career as a registered dietitian I have had the opportunity to work with people from diverse backgrounds including immigrants from, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South East Asia along with Canadian nationals. I am a very active media and community dietitian, and have collaborated with health authorities, corporations, and non-government organizations. I founded Libra Nutrition in 2008 and have led teams of over a dozen student volunteers in many community nutrition education projects, as well as for the grocery industry and the non-profit sector.

I co-authored Dietitians at Home, a cookbook for the whole family with easy and nutritious Asian diet inspired recipes. I am currently writing my second book!

As I am very familiar with Chinese culture and Asian foods, I provide individual nutrition counselling for the Chinese community for a variety of health concerns such as diabetes, weight concerns, heart disease, osteoporosis, and menopause.

I am very excited to join the Health Stand Nutrition team as an online nutritionist. I am glad to provide virtual nutrition counselling to any client who is looking for a private practice dietitian with my unique background.

My favourite part about being a Dietitian is

I love working with people and sharing my passion for food and cooking. I am also glad that I can continue to reach out to more people and change more lives in more places thanks to advances in telecommunication. Since 2020 I have hosted many virtual workshops, reaching thousands of people around the world. I am fully equipped with all sorts of technology in my home “studio” for hosting virtual workshops from the comfort of my living room and kitchen.

One myth that I want to clear up about Dietitians

Restrictive diet plans are not what we do best. We help people determine their food personality types, understand the science of food, nutrition and health, and build long term success to live a balanced life by making realistic and sustainable changes.

My favorite nerdy nutritious food chosen for health

Goji berries! I put them in my oatmeal, cereal and baked goods.

I also like steeping dried goji berries and slices of ginger in hot water to release a mild fragrant aroma and enjoy as a nourishing beverage.

My favourite soulful food chosen for taste, enjoyment and social fun

Dim sum and egg tarts are the best in my world. I love bringing my family, friends and colleagues to Chinese restaurants to introduce our food cultures and traditions to non-Asians. I also enjoy hosting virtual cooking classes featuring Asian diet inspired recipes on a regular basis.

Something that people may not know about me

I am a seasoned Toastmaster and attended weekly meetings at CompTalk Toastmaster in BC. Since March 2020, we have been meeting virtually. I stepped out of my comfort zone and competed in both International and Evaluation Speech Contests and won the Evaluation Speech Contest (Division level) in March this year. Public speaking skills are important tools for me to deliver key messages to others in a world that is full of confusing nutrition information.

I am also very passionate in helping my colleagues acquire public speaking skills in empowering themselves. In 2017 at the National Dietitians of Canada I co-presented to many Dietitians and students. As someone that enjoys public speaking, I look forward to continuing to develop my craft and reaching more people.

Looking for more assistance with planning a healthy Asian diet?

Reach out to us for support so we can get you set up to see Amy for virtual nutrition counseling support for a healthy Asian diet you and your family. Amy specializes in: Asian Diets, Weight Concerns, Chronic Disease (Heart Health, Bone Health, Diabetes), Meal Planning, Seniors Health, Mental Health, and Menopause. Find out more about our nutrition counseling options here: Personal Nutrition Counseling.

Amy Yiu

Amy is a Registered Dietitian in British Colombia.

3 Comments

Xin hong on July 20, 2022 at 11:11 am

I would like to consult with Amy yiu

Renwick Humphrey on October 6, 2022 at 11:35 am

I suffer from diverticulosis and have been suffering from flare ups lately.
Stomach cramps, gas, bloating and some vomiting. Could you give me some advice on some type of diet?

Andrea Holwegner on October 11, 2022 at 5:07 pm

Hello Renwick – Thanks for your note – we can assist you further with personalized advice in this area. Here is a link to some of the information about our services https://www.healthstandnutrition.com/personal-nutrition/digestive-issues/. We look forward to connecting with you further on this area – you can reach us directly here by phone or email to set up a free initial meeting to discuss your needs https://www.healthstandnutrition.com/contact-us/
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Success stories

"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

“This is the first time I feel satisfied; my cravings have diminished dramatically and I have a whole new relationship with food. I am eating guilt-free for the first time in my life. My energy has also dramatically increased and I feel great!”

Rhonda Jenkins, Nutrition Counseling Client

“The Dieticians at Health Stand Nutrition help you to take action on the science behind eating well by making it practical, understandable, and fun. Their office is cozy and not at all clinical or intimidating. I felt like I was sitting down with a really smart, caring friend who wanted to help me make the best choices for my lifestyle and food preferences. They really are the best in the business.”

Marty Avery, Nutrition Counseling Client

“I have come to think of the program as a one stop shopping excursion for everything one needs to know about creating a joyous relationship with food and our bodies. In a single word, the course has gifted me with freedom from the punishing rigidity of disordered eating, old stories that never were true, and body dysmorphia that did nothing but make me lose sight of a body that has done everything I've asked, despite my careless dismissal of her needs. Now when I look in the mirror I find myself shifting from harsh criticism to gentle gratitude.”

Lynn Haley, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant

“I spent 3 hours when first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I learned more from my Dietitian about food in those 3 hours than I had learned in all the years of my life. I also love the newsletter, there is always something to learn.”

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

Event Planner for Laboratory Diagnostic Imaging Annual Event

“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

“I found my Dietitian warm, funny, and skilled at teaching nutrition concepts without the overwhelm. The general approach of each session was to mix science with emotion, which was exceedingly effective in helping me shift my perspective on food from one of anxiety to one of joy and curiosity.”

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