Do you want help embracing your real-life journey to savoring lower-carb, easy, real food? If so, you’re in the right place!
The Wandering RD was born out of these ideas: that health should be considered the journey of a lifetime, not a destination, and eating can be equal parts simple, enjoyable and healthful–despite the confusion that results from continually emerging science, conflicting headlines, and diet culture.
Blog posts include evidence-based nutrition topics, actionable meal planning tips, and lower-carb recipes to showcase easy, real food as part of a non-diet, judgment-free, lifestyle approach to building healthy habits to prevent chronic disease.
Why lower carb?
Because most Americans consume far too many processed/refined carbohydrates (e.g., white flour and sugar). This contributes to a higher risk of prediabetes and diabetes.
Decreasing the carbohydrates in your diet can significantly improve your health–even without necessarily counting carbohydrates (or calories), following a very low carbohydrate (such as a “keto”) meal plan, or even losing weight.
My goal is to show you a lower-carb lifestyle is sustainable and impactful for your health.
Why easy, real food?
Because we are all short on time and in need of fewer processed foods. I define “real foods” as mostly whole foods from nature, processed as little as possible. For example, fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products (if desired), legumes, and whole grains. These simple, natural ingredients can provide the basis for quick, nutritious, and delicious meals.
I estimate that 80% of the products on grocery store shelves are not worth buying. But you might be thinking that you need some of these foods for the convenience they provide.
My goal is to teach you how to plan simple and satisfying meals regularly with easy, real foods.
Why you?
Because diabetes is a very serious and growing concern for Americans–and chances are, it will affect you or someone you love.
About 8% of US adults have type 2 diabetes. But nearly 34% of US adults have pre-diabetes, which often leads to type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Further, the problem is growing (even among younger people) and many people don’t even know when they have prediabetes.
The good news? Prediabetes and diabetes can be prevented with healthy lifestyle behaviors, including a lower carb way of eating and regular physical activity. And even if you have diabetes, making these changes now can reverse the disease process or prevent long-term complications.
It can feel overwhelming and restrictive to have to change what you eat to prevent and manage diabetes, but just like everything in life, it is a journey worth taking and I’m here to help.
My goal is to help you embrace your real-life journey to savoring lower carb, easy, real food to prevent (or manage) diabetes.
Why me?
The short answer? This is me, Diane Norwood–and I’m a highly qualified nutrition and diabetes expert.
I’ve been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD/RDN) for more than 20 years. I’ve been a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) since 2005. I’ve worked in hospitals, in outpatient clinics, in nutrition public relations, and as a freelance health/nutrition writer and recipe developer.
While we are all on “the wandering road”, I am quite literally “the Wandering RD”! Since 2004, I have been wandering the world with my Navy Pediatrician husband and our three daughters, each born in a different country (the US, Japan and Italy). Our current home is the sub-tropical island of Okinawa, Japan!
I’m glad you’re here with me–wherever we are–to enjoy the journey!
Stay Connected
Be sure to subscribe via email if you’d like to receive The Wandering RD blog posts as they are published! And I also suggest a bookmark for the Recipe Index if you are looking for quick access to lower carb, easy, real food recipes!