About

Thanks for stopping by! My name is Liz and welcome to Adapting Nutrition. I am a Registered Dietitian working towards adapting nutrition to fit you and your lifestyle. I’m here to help you better understand nutrition and the role it plays in keeping your body moving. Everyone is different and so are our nutritional needs.

I believe eating is about more than good and bad, or yes and no. All foods are welcome.

I believe proper nutrition can make a huge impact on performance. Food is fuel.

I believe individualization is important when making a nutrition plan. One size does not fit all.

The world of nutrition can be overwhelming. There is a lot of information out there, and it can be hard to tell what is real and what is fake. Life is busy, and we only have 24 hours in a day. We all want what is best for our bodies. So if you feel overwhelmed, or like you are spending too much time reading articles that may or may not be true. I’d like to help make things easier for you. I will only provide you with evidence-based nutrition. No gimmicks, no magic cures. Some of my information will be specific towards those with spinal cord injuries, but the vast majority of what I will share is applicable to a larger audience. Scroll down for more about me and why I became a Registered Dietitian!

liz in a wheelchair rugby chair

My story and passion

While I have always had a passion for food and nutrition, I did not realize I could make a career out of it. Following high school I enrolled into college as a pre-pharmacy major. Just a few months into my Junior year, I was in a car accident that changed everything. I broke my neck and damage my spinal cord, causing paralysis in all four of my limbs. Doctors told me because I was exercising regularly and eating well, I recovered from surgery better. While neither of those can help repair my damaged spinal cord, continuing to exercise and eat well can make all the difference in preventing further complications.

Once I realized what a Registered Dietitian was, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Less than two years after my injury, I enrolled in the undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics program at the University of Pittsburgh. I continued my journey at Pitt by going on to complete their Coordinated Master in Nutrition Dietetics. Now that I am a Registered Dietitian, I can fulfill my dream of helping others reach a variety of goals.

Not only am I passionate about food and nutrition, I also have a love of adaptive sports. As a lifelong athlete, I was devastated when I realized I could no longer run or snowboard. Not long after moving to Pittsburgh, I was introduced to wheelchair rugby. I fell in love. It was an amazing feeling to be part of the team and exercising again. Since then I have tried sit skiing, kayaking, handcycling and more.

adaptive kayaking

Food fuels our bodies, and how we eat plays a huge role in how we feel. I believe food can both taste great and help us reach our goals.