What is an RDN?

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

As Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), we bring expertise that goes beyond just recommending healthy eating. With specialized training, clinical experience, and a passion for supporting your health journey, RDNs are uniquely equipped to address the complexities of your nutrition needs. But what does it really take to become an RDN? Let us break it down for you.

What Makes an RDN Different?

Becoming an RDN is not just about following a food pyramid or suggesting generic diet tips. It requires a rigorous process that ensures dietitians like us can provide evidence-based, personalized nutrition guidance that works for YOU. Here’s how it works:

  1. Academic Excellence – To become an RDN, we completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university, ensuring a solid foundation in nutrition science and the most current evidence-based practices. Our studies were accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), guaranteeing top-tier education in the field of nutrition.

  2. Hands-On Experience – To apply that knowledge in the real world, we completed an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program in a healthcare setting. This practical experience, which can last from six to twelve months, is essential in refining the skills necessary to assess, plan, and manage nutrition interventions for various health conditions and lifestyles.

  3. National Exam Certification – After gaining the required knowledge and experience, we passed a national exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). This rigorous exam ensures that we possess the expertise to provide you with the highest standard of nutrition care.

  4. Ongoing Education – As RDNs, we are committed to continuing professional development to stay at the forefront of nutrition science. This commitment ensures that the guidance we provide is always based on the latest research and best practices.

Why Does This Matter to You?

When you work with us as your RDN, you’re not just getting advice based on general guidelines. You’re gaining access to a personalized, evidence-based approach that takes into account your unique health needs, lifestyle, and goals. Here’s how our expertise can help you:

  • Address Root Causes – Whether you’re dealing with thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue, or digestive problems, our approach helps uncover the root causes of your symptoms and create a tailored plan that works for you. No more guessing games or cookie-cutter solutions.

  • Customized Nutrition Plans – You won’t find one-size-fits-all advice here. We work with you to develop a nutrition strategy that fits your life—based on your specific health challenges, goals, and preferences. Whether you need help improving your energy, losing weight, or managing stress, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

  • Holistic and Functional Approach – We focus on the whole person, not just a set of symptoms. By integrating functional nutrition principles, we address the connections between gut health, inflammation, blood sugar balance, and more, to optimize your health from the inside out.

  • Ongoing Support – Your journey to better health doesn’t end with a one-time consultation. We’ll guide you through each phase of your health transformation, helping you make sustainable changes that lead to lasting results. You’ll never feel alone in your journey.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

By working with us, you’re investing in long-term health solutions that get to the heart of the issue. With our expertise as RDNs, you’ll have the support, guidance, and strategies needed to achieve real results. Whether you’re struggling with digestive discomfort, fatigue, or hormonal imbalances, our personalized approach will help you unlock your body’s true potential.

If you’re ready to take charge of your health and start your journey toward lasting wellness, apply to work 1:1 with us today. Together, we’ll create a plan that works for YOU.

Meet Nicole Fennel Functional Dietitian

Hey There, I'm Nicole!

I'm Nicole, Integrative & Functional Registered Dietitian Nutritionist — and a Hashimoto's patient and busy momma of three who has been in your shoes. I spent years trying to figure out why I felt so off despite doing all the "right" things, and that experience completely shaped the way I work with women today.

My whole approach is built around nourishing your body with real food you actually want to eat, not white-knuckling your way through a six-week protocol that leaves you more exhausted and more confused than when you started. Because restriction doesn't heal anything. Real, sustainable nourishment does.

I'm a college professor and educator at heart— I teach a range of classes from freshman level "Introduction to Nutrition" and graduate-level Women's Health and Nutrition courses, and that passion for making complex science click in plain English is woven into everything I do. If you leave a session without actually understanding why we're doing what we're doing, we haven't done our job.

I love going on long walks while listening to an audiobook (my FAVORITE is The Count of Monte Cristo, but I'm currently reading Lord of the Rings), being totally outnumbered with my three wild kiddos, eating yummy food, sipping a good cup of coffee, and (trying) to crochet!
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Whether you're running on fumes no matter how much you sleep, trying to make sense of a Hashimoto's or thyroid diagnosis, dealing with periods that knock you completely sideways, navigating PCOS, struggling with cholesterol or blood sugar that won't cooperate, or carrying weight that refuses to budge no matter what you try — please know you are not alone. And more importantly, there is an actual reason you feel this way.
At Chews Food Wisely, we're not here to hand you a meal plan and wish you luck. We're here to look at your full picture — your labs, your symptoms, your life — and find the connections that explain why your body has been doing what it's been doing. Then we build you back up with real food, realistic strategies, and a plan that fits your actual life. Not a protocol designed for someone else's body.

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