Hi friends, my name is Adrien Paczosa. I am a registered dietitian and nutritionist and certified eating disorder specialist in Austin, Texas. I wanted us to have a miniseries on the blog about the team here at iLiveWell. We do have our bios posted in the “meet the team” section, however I think this may be a good way for current or potential clients to get to know each of us a little better. I’m going to kick this show off but stay tuned to the blog to read about our other fabulous dietitians.
When I was young, being a registered dietitian was not my initial intention. I thought I was going to be a dancer. I love, love, love, love dancing and being on stage. I have danced all my life and even went to school for dance in New York! And then, wamp, wamp, wamp…. I broke my foot. I thought “gosh, I need a back-up plan.” My mom is a nurse and I grew up in the hospital, so I already knew I didn’t want to touch blood and guts. Instead, I decided to do something with food (because food is amazing!). So I went to school and became a dietitian!
When I first became a dietitian, I always thought I would work with athletes and sport. However, early in my career, one of my friends needed some help at a treatment center here in Austin and I tried it out! I am so happy that I did because if working with eating disorders isn’t my calling, then I don’t know what is! What I love about working with eating disorders and disordered eating is that my job is to help everybody around me build a positive relationship with food. In my opinion, there is no such thing as “good, bad, right, wrong” foods; I think all foods truly do fit into a healthy lifestyle, from carrots to delicious fried pickles; it is amazing!
As I started working in eating disorders, I stumbled into addiction… You might be thinking, “What is a dietitian doing in addictions?” Well, addiction and food recovery really go hand in hand. When somebody is drinking or using they are effecting their entire GI system, which includes their mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and all the way out! Your GI system is about 80 % of your immune system and 60 % of your serotonin (& therefore happiness) is made there! When somebody is drinking or using that whole entire system just doesn’t work well. During recovery process people are more at risk to be sick (immune system) and depressed (serotonin!) and that’s where nutrition comes to the rescue! By working this a dietitian and really looking at food, you can make the whole entire recovery process easier!
As I continued working as a dietitian, I figured out I had three major passions. The first two is working with eating disorders and addition recovery, but I quickly learned my other true passion is business. That’s why I started my company iLiveWell Nutrition. I have had my company for almost ten years. Woo-hoo! I founded iLiveWell myself and I would have to say we are pretty awesome and we have some amazing dietitians that I think the world of! From Kathy, Maria, Alyssa, Melanie and I have got some amazing interns that are just truly make this company what it is.
I hope this blog helps you get to know me a little better. Stay tuned for the blogs about our other fabulous dietitians. They are some of my favorite people in the world! If you want to learn anything from any of us, let me know!
Have a fabulous day!
Adrien Paczosa
Adrien Paczosa is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian practicing in Austin, Texas and the surrounding counties.
She is the owner and founder of I Live Well Nutrition her Dietitian practice which started in 2007 and serves clients in the Austin, Texas area in two locations. Fearless Practitioners, the division of her business that offers training to dietitians and wellness professionals.