Judy DiPaola

Work History

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• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – Health and Wellness Coach

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• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates – Outpatient Registered Dietitian, Diabetes Program Coordinator, Weight Management Program Coordinator

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• Lowell Diabetes and Endocrine Center – Outpatient Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator

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• Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine – Outpatient Registered Dietitian, Nutrition presenter for cardiac wellness and weight management programs

                                My Story

 

Over the past 15 years, I’ve dedicated my career to helping people lead healthier lives through nutrition and lifestyle modifications.  Whether I’m working with patients one-on-one or in a group setting, I combine my nutrition knowledge with various motivational interviewing techniques proven to help people meet their health and wellness goals.  

 

Growing up, food was always a big part of my life.  My mother was a fabulous cook.  I have many fond memories spending time with her in the kitchen watching (and sometimes helping) her make delicious meals and acting as one of her official taste testers.  Certain foods and tantalizing aromas bring me right back to fond memories spending time with family around the dinner table and celebrating holidays. Food is nutrition, yes, but it is also an expression of love, family, and tradition, at least that is the way I experience it.  This perspective has proven to help me connect with patients in a way in which they feel understood.

 

Despite all of the above, during my teenage years, I struggled with body image issues and began to develop a love/hate relationship with food.  Eating certain foods was now associated with guilt as I tried to follow the rigid food rules of whatever diet at the time claimed to be the cure all.  I got caught in the trap of depriving myself of foods I enjoyed, only to have my cravings for those same foods get even stronger.  If I could only travel back in time and speak to my younger self and say, “Stop torturing yourself! It’s not your fault. Listen to your body instead of all those diet advertisements!”  

 

Since I don’t have a time machine, I’ve made it my purpose to inspire others to develop a healthier relationship with food while providing them with the education they need to navigate the toxic food environment we live in today.  I’m also passionate about revealing the truth behind the latest fad diets to prevent my patients from falling into the same trap I did years ago.