Julia is the corporate dietitian at Affinity Health System and also a nutrition educator. She works at various sites throughout the organization working with Affinity’s employee wellness program. She earned her Master’s degree in nutrition science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996 and became a dietitian shortly thereafter. Julia has worked on several nutrition projects abroad as well as domestically. Before joining Affinity Health System in June of 2011, she worked as a college dietitian and later in the school nutrition field. She has earned certificates of training in adult and childhood weight management. Julia has a special interest in nutrition, public health and wellness.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?I love spending time with my family, especially my young daughter.I enjoy traveling and my family and I have made a list of all of the places we would like to visit at some point including Australia, the Middle East and several places within the US.I love to dance and going to see a ballet is one of my favorite things to do.I like arts and crafts, especially when it involves making something with my daughter.My other passion is dogs.I love to read and learn about the different breeds of dogs, be around dogs, etc.Needless to say, if I had a bigger house I would have more than just one dog.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

The variety of things I get to do!There is never a dull moment.Interacting with employees and developing innovative wellness programs is a lot of fun.My coworkers are wonderful as well.  It’s very nice to come to work every day.

What sort of blogs/news channel do you follow?

CNN.com; sparkpeople (nutrition and fitness)

If you weren’t a dietitian what would you be?

I would probably be a dog trainer or some profession that would allow me to work with dogs and take care of them.

Where did you grow up/Where is your family from?

I grew up in Lima, Peru. My father’s family was from the Middle East of Palestinian heritage. My mother’s family was from the St. Louis area of English and German heritage.

What is the hottest trend in your industry?

There are a lot of things happening in the field of nutrition.  Combating childhood obesity is a big one.On another front, the slow food movement is gaining more momentum.Slow food is a way of living that encompasses going back to some basic principles related to how we procure our food and the way we eat.It encompasses issues of food sustainability, farming practices, supporting local food producers, cooking with fresh foods, etc.It is in a very basic way the antithesis to fast food eating.