Hey everyone! Welcome to the third installment of our health and nutrition blog. I’m Deborah Brooks, one of the JCC registered dietitians, and I want to tell you a little bit about myself.

I’ve been working at the JCC for about 5 years, counseling and teaching classes.  I also own my own nutrition consulting company, Deborah Brooks Awareness Nutrition. I love the field of nutrition and I’m especially passionate about wellness, weight control and mindful eating. I have special training in weight management and I’m  an ACE-certified Health Coach. I LOVE to cook and collect recipes, especially for vegetarian foods.  I’m really excited about the local food scene. My husband and I get a box of vegetables every week from a local farmer and enjoy finding creative and delicious ways to cook everything.

I often say that food is the language of nutrition, and that’s a big part of my philosophy.  I believe in savoring and enjoying your food while eating the right amount for you. I believe that in order for a weight loss plan or eating plan to work for you, it has to be enjoyable. I believe that a diet should not be a war against yourself or your body. I’m all about loving food; that’s why I got into this field!

A couple of other things I can tell you about myself: I’m an avid exerciser. I especially love biking and hiking in beautiful places, and most weekends you can find my husband and me on our bikes on the Great Allegheny Passage. We just got back from a hiking vacation in the Grand Tetons, definitely a big one on my bucket list. And I teach meditation and lead retreats, which is a natural fit for my interest in mindful eating.

Brittany and I are excited about this blog as an opportunity to get a conversation going about nutrition and wellness in our JCC community. We hope to hear from you — your thoughts, interests and passions. What do YOU want to talk about? Please let us know. This is all about you!

Contact Brittany or Deborah