Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Slate Dygert
Hi Mary Slate, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I had an interest in food from a young age. I loved watching Rachel Ray’s “30 Minute Meals” and would even pretend I had my own cooking show. Growing up I was expected to help around the house and contributed by baking bread from scratch (before sourdough was cool) and grocery shopping weekly at the Dekalb Farmer’s market. I blended my two interests of food and science together and settled on pursuing a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. I wanted to be able to help people enjoy food freely in ways that made them feel good mentally and physically. A decade has passed since I completed my dietetic internship, and I have devoted my career to working in the mental health field walking alongside those who struggle with eating disorders, disordered eating or just want to have a better relationship with with food and their body.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Because I am in the mental health field to help others, challenges can arise when the client sitting across from me is ambivalent. I have to remind myself often that I can’t work harder than my clients. Sometimes, the eating disorder that I want to see them free from is the very thing that numbed the pain of their parent’s divorce or ended severe bullying by fellow classmates or was a cry for help to a loved one. Each of my clients are on a winding and bumpy journey. It is humbling to be a part of all of the moments along the way, from eating a cupcake for the first time in years to stepping foot into a grocery store with confidence, and everything in between.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In a culture that is obsessed with attributing physical appearance to determine health, I take a different approach. While physical health is very important, weight is not the ultimate indicator of overall health. With the focus on weight, other aspects of health are overlooked such as mental, emotional and spiritual health. Alternatively, if a diet plan is strict and unrealistic, the impact creates more harmful stress on the body than the nutritional benefits it could provide. I strive to help my clients find balance, variety, and moderation with their diet and lifestyle. There are so many indicators of health entirely independent of weight, and I focus my attention there in pursuit of true and sustainable holistic health.
How do you think about luck?
Instead of luck, I’d say providence has played a substantial role in my career. However, I don’t think of it as a career, but a calling. I landed my dream job immediately after passing the board exam, not because I had much real experience, but because someone saw potential in me. She devoted time to training me and providing case consultation. She quickly became an invaluable mentor and I had the privilege of learning from her for 2 years. This is just one example of how I have been able to learn from and work with incredible eating disorder professionals over the last decade.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://eatwellgeorgia.com
- Instagram: eatwellgeorgia
Image Credits
Aharon Hill Photography, Smyrna GA
