Liz Powell
Registered Dietitian
It can be difficult to implement change in our lives. Regardless of how motivated we are to make changes to our eating habits, we often don't know where to start and life can get in the way. We are also living in a world where we are bombarded with nutrition information ALL THE TIME and so much of this information is inaccurate, conflicting, and in some cases, even harmful. With all the rules of what we “should” be doing, we often lose touch with what truly makes us feel good and supports our overall well-being.
You know your body best. My goal is to provide you with evidence-based, compassionate support so that you can develop eating patterns that promote all aspects of your health and well-being. Healthy eating shouldn’t cause stress, guilt, or anxiety. This is why I practice as a non-diet, weight-inclusive dietitian. I advocate against dieting (restriction, rules and deprivation) and weight stigma because of the harms they cause to our overall well-being. Together, we can develop strategies to get you more in tune with your body, feel confident in the food choices you’re making, and promote your overall health.
Whether your goals are to improve your relationship with food, learn how to eat well with a busy schedule, manage your high cholesterol, or help alleviate unwanted gastrointestinal symptoms, I would love to work with you one-on-one to help you achieve them.
Liz's Background
I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science (Honours), majoring in Dietetics. I completed my dietetic internship with the Provincial Health Services Authority, which included experience in paediatric nutrition at BC Children’s Hospital, sport nutrition with the Canadian Sports Institute, oncology nutrition at the BC Cancer Agency, and more. As a Registered Dietitian, I began my career at Vancouver General Hospital providing relief coverage in a variety of areas, including General Surgery, ICU, Burns & Trauma, Transplant, Geriatrics, Neurology, Palliative Care, and Acute Medicine. I currently work part time at Vancouver General Hospital and part time in private practice with Yaletown Nutrition. Outside of work, you’ll find me spending time with my husband and baby girl, patiently awaiting the arrival of our second baby, exploring new places around the world, and trying new recipes and cuisines.
Areas of Practice include:
- Healthy Lifestyle
- Vegan & Vegetarian Diets
- Chronic Disease Management (eg. Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease)
- Oncology Nutrition
- Food Relationship
- Weight Concerns*
- Gut Health (eg. IBS, IBD, Constipation/Diarrhea, Celiac, Food Intolerances)
- Sport Nutrition & Active Living
Alexandra Haggis
Registered Dietitian
Recognizing the challenges of today’s food environment and diet culture, Alexandra practices from a non-diet perspective. She is passionate about helping others break free from food restriction, honouring hunger cues and reaching a place where food no longer causes stress or anxiety. When working with Alexandra, you can expect to build an empowered mindset and a healthy relationship with food.
Alexandra’s style of nutrition counseling is rooted in weight inclusivity. This means she believes that health can be achieved at any size, weight or shape. There are many non-weight related markers of health so rather than focusing on the number on the scale, let’s work together to build healthy habits we know impact our health and well-being.
Main Focus Areas for Nutrition Counseling:
- Digestive health and disorders
- Eating disorders/Disordered eating
- Intuitive eating
- Chronic disease management (Diabetes, Cholesterol, Hypertension, Cardiovascular disease)
- Prenatal, pregnancy & postpartum/breastfeeding nutrition
- Kidney health
- Overall health and wellness optimization
Alex's Background
Alexandra Haggis, RD, BSc is a registered dietitian with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia. Alexandra received her dietetics degree from McGill University and completed her clinical internship at Montreal General Hospital. Over the years, Alexandra has gained valuable experience working in both public and private healthcare with focuses in chronic disease management, digestive health, kidney health, pre/post-natal nutrition and more. Her goal is to provide clients with empathy and compassion while providing evidence-based nutrition care.
What is a Dietitian?
And how are they different from other nutrition professionals?
All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians.
Nutritionist is a general term used to describe anyone who studies or has expertise in nutrition. It is important to note that the title Nutritionist is not protected or regulated, so anyone can use this title regardless of their educational level or background.
A Registered Dietitian is a nutritionist who has a degree in nutrition from an accredited university, has completed hands-on training through a comprehensive internship, and passed a registration examination. They are also required to remain in good standing with their regulatory body, with the completion of yearly continuing competency programs.
To learn more, visit Dietitians of Canada.
