Meet Desiree

Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She runs a nutrition consulting practice with a focus on inflammation, digestion and plant-centred diets. Desiree is the author of a book on anti-inflammatory nutrition called Un-Junk Your Diet: How to shop, cook and eat to fight inflammation and feel better, forever and Banish the Bloat, a digestive health program. She is also co-founder of My Healthy Gut, an innovative and research-backed iOS app for digestive health.

A vocal advocate for holistic and integrative approaches to nutrition, Desiree is the co-chair of the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Network for Dietitians of Canada. With education at the core of her work, Desiree consults, writes and speaks on a wide variety of topics – from genetically modified foods and food quality to eating for a healthier body and mind. She travels throughout North America motivating others to make healthier choices every day with her practical, light-hearted approach. She has delivered keynote presentations, conference sessions and acted as moderator for the natural health industry, health professionals and corporations. Past appearances include the Dietitians of Canada National Conference, Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan, Canadian Health Food Association Expos, Pacific Blue Cross, Canadian Health and Wellness Innovations Conference, David Suzuki Foundation, Gluten Free Expo and Hootsuite.

Desiree began her work as nutrition manager for a chain of natural food stores and continues her relationship with the natural health industry as a spokesperson and content creator for select companies such as Bio-K+ Probiotics, Nature’s Path Organics, myWholeLife Holistic Nutrition Inc. Desiree has been an early adopter of social media and technology in dietetics practice; she speaks on the implications of social media use in dietetics and is beginning work on an innovative new digestive health app in 2016.

Desiree is a go-to expert for local and national media; she is a featured nutrition expert on Global BC Weekend News, the Natural Health Show on CKNW and Zoomer Radio and AM1150 (Kelowna). She has appeared on CBC News (Vancouver) and CBC News Now, CTV National News, Canada AM, Breakfast Television (Vancouver), Fairchild Television, CBC Radio outlets across Canada, CJAD Montreal and Sirius XM. Desiree has lent her expertise or contributed articles to Chatelaine, Redbook, FLARE, Closer, Best Health magazine, Brides.com, Healthline.com, Huffington Post, One Green Planet, Mind Body Green, The Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun, The Province and Toronto Star. She is the nutrition expert for Vista Magazine, a forward thinking Canadian natural health publication. Desiree’s website, www.desireerd.com, has been recognized as one of the top 100 nutrition blogs by the Institute of Health Psychology.

Desiree holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Food, Nutrition and Health (Dietetics) from the University of British Columbia. She completed her dietetic internship at Capital Health Authority in Edmonton (now Alberta Health Services). At home, Desiree spends most of her time in the kitchen, usually with the music blaring, with her sous chef, her 5 year old son. She recently welcomed a new baby girl into her family and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two children – whether in the garden, at the beach or in the mountains.

“Extraordinary engagement with audience. Compelling practicality. Wonderful energy. An amazing ability to take complex, physiological and scientific subject matter and frame it in the language of the layperson without losing the significance of the message. I’ve been attending events for more than 30 years and seldom have I met a speaker that engaged with the audience as quickly and deeply as Desiree did at an event I attended in Georgia. After being in the audience where I first heard Desiree speak, the client and two members of my firm that were accompanying me agreed unanimously to create space for Desiree to speak in an upcoming all-day event we’d scheduled.”