Registered Dietitian Emily Ludwig has been with the J since February. In that time, she’s started a series of interactive discussions on popular health topics, and built a client-base of individuals all with their own set of goals.
Emily gets asked a lot of questions about health, food, and what she does. We’re glad that she’s such a popular fixture here at the J! For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Emily, we wanted to give you an opportunity to learn a little more about her and what she does.
Mayerson JCC: You’ve been here for about five months now. What would you say is your favorite thing about being at the J?
Emily Ludwig: I love learning all of the various backgrounds and stories of our members. It’s so fascinating to find out what brings people here, and what their individual histories are.
Mayerson JCC: Who have you worked with and for other than the J? What’s your background?
Emily Ludwig: I’ve worked with University of Kentucky Athletics, Miami University Athletics, the Cincinnati Bengals, and I also teach at DeVry University.
Mayerson JCC: So what would you say your specialties are?
Emily Ludwig: I’d say I like to focus on overall nutrition for wellbeing. But I also love to work through finding healthy recipes, and aiding in weight loss. With my background in university athletics, I also have a strong knowledge of performance nutrition.
Mayerson JCC: So, you have a lot of letters in your title (Emily Ludwig, MS, RD, LD). Can you give us any insight to what all of those mean?
Emily Ludwig: It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is! They stand for: Master of Science, Registered Dietitian, and Licensed Dietitian.
Mayerson JCC: If someone wanted a consultation with you, what should they expect? How does it typically work?
Emily Ludwig: We’ll meet and I’ll try to get a sense of how nutrition fits into your life – what your attitude toward food is. I’ll ask about your day-to-day activities, and then we’ll go through what a typical day of eating should look like. I’ll lastly help tackle any barriers to success you may be having.
Mayerson JCC: What are the other ways people can get information about dietary needs and suggestions, other than meeting one-on-one?
Emily Ludwig: We have group discussions here at the J! There are various topics per meeting, and attendees get a chance to ask questions.
Mayerson JCC: How often do you expect clients to meet with you? When can members and clients expect you to be at the J?
Emily Ludwig: I let the client take the course. They best-know their motivations and the level of involvement they’d like to have. I also work my schedule around what is best for my clients. Whenever they say is best for them – I’ll be here.
Mayerson JCC: Now, we know that dietetics is a science. But behind that science, there are multiple philosophies. What would you say is yours?
Emily Ludwig: My philosophy is that we can get everything we need to support our bodies through food first. 90% of the time, I’d say we should eat to support our goals, and 10% of the time, we should treat ourselves.
Mayerson JCC: What would you say was your “A-ha” moment? What made you realize that you wanted to be a dietitian?
Emily Ludwig: I was originally going to school to be a pharmacist. When I started losing my passion for that, I spoke to my academic counselor. I was able to realize that through dietetics, I could combine my love of food, sports, and helping people.
Now that you know a little more about Emily and her goals as a dietitian, be sure to say “hi” when you see her in the J, and feel free to reach her here.
