7 Celebrating Allied Health Professionals
SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2026
DIETICIAN
Food for thought DIETITIAN LOVES HELPING PATIENTS TAKE ON STRUGGLES HEAD-ON
I’ve really evolved over the decades to be more interested in chronic disease and people who are really struggling to eat healthy through a variety of challenges – mental health, poverty, what-have-you.
– Jay Adam, registered dietitian in the Interlake healthcare region
Jay Adam has worked as a dietition for the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority for nearly 30 years. S upplied
By Jim Bender A registered dietitian does much more than simply draw up a special diet for a client diagnosed as obese. “Very rarely do you draw up plans these days,” says dietitian Jay Adam, who serves the Interlake health- care region. “They’re generally not that effective long term. We can do that and I’ve done it, but I don’t recommend it.” A registered dietitian is educated to address much more than obesity and is defined as a “regulated healthcare professional who provides science-based, personalized nutrition and medi- cal therapy.” “Typically, I meet with people one-to-one and listen to their challenges, and I help them incorporate nutrition information and how to adapt how they eat for different medical condi- tions,” says Adam, who has been working for the Interlake-East- ern Regional Health Authority for 26 years. “Very rarely do we draw up a plan. It’s more a listening pro- cess (to determine) where they’re struggling the most and how to adapt how they can eat a little bit healthier, given their other challenges in life, whether that be economic, family, emotion- al, psychological distress, things of that nature, which are far more common.” Dietitians deal with a variety of different issues. Those is- sues can include: chronic disease management like diabetes or high blood pressure; digestive food and health such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, food allergies and
“A person sits and listens and realizes that it’s a habit or an emotional or family or social cue that they’re responding to in order to fit into a social environment,” he says. “It’s all about un - derstanding emotional cues.” What is Adam’s biggest challenge when trying to help clients? “Often, there is mistrust of a healthcare provider,” says Adam, who sees about 20 clients a week. “So really, all of us want to fo- cus on our listening to really hear what’s important to that person to build a trusting relationship. It’s important because that person really needs your help. It is harder if they don’t trust us, but it’s what it is. I’m not offended if someone doesn’t trust me. Why should they trust me? They don’t know me. It’s their body, not mine. “Listening is key. There are techniques, motivational interview- ing, doing what you say and saying what you mean. I often speak to them as … I (would) speak to a neighbour or family member, as opposed to a so-called patient. That’s how you build trust – sin- cerity and listening.” Getting through to those people is the most satisfying part of his job. “Those are the most rewarding because, if someone is really struggling, either physically or mentally, it is more work, but that’s what it’s all about. The more difficult it is, the more rewarding it is,” says Adam. ■
sensitivities; and life stages and specialized goals to address menopause nutrition, prenatal/pregnancy nutrition, pediatric feeding, weight management and intuitive eating. Adam, 53, graduated from Human Nutritional Sciences, a four-year program that was followed by a year of internship. “My original reasons were more so fitness-motivated for working with athletes and that sort of thing,” he says. “But I’ve really evolved over the decades to be more interested in chronic disease and people who are really struggling to eat healthy through a variety of challenges – mental health, pov- erty, what-have-you. “I’m more on the diabetes spectrum now.” Adam, who lives in Winnipeg Beach, gets the most satisfac- tion from helping his clients relax enough to act on his advice. “They come in very stressed and confused and they typ- ically leave happier and less stressed out,” he says. “A lot of times, a person comes in and they’re trying to eat health - ier, but their energies are always focused on degrees of perfectionism. Food and diet is very nuanced. So, I help them remove their self-imposed guilt and shame that they haven’t learned how to do and find something meaningful and effective to focus their energies on and really identify why they’re struggling.” As part of those efforts, Adam helps people discover why they are eating certain foods that don’t help them.
Food and diet is very nuanced. So, I help them remove their self-imposed guilt and
Chinnapong / Adobe Stock
shame that they haven’t learned how to do and find something meaningful and effective to focus their energies on and really identify why they’re struggling.
– Jay Adam
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