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Contributed by: Pam Vetter

5/25/07 Valley News Article

When you first meet Alicia Calvo, you instantly notice how much energy she has. When you hear her story from childhood to Registered Dietician, you feel anything is possible.

"I always battled my weight as a child. I never knew my limits. My grandma lived with us and she made me food all of the time. Food was love and I felt guilty if I didn't finish what was on my plate," Calvo admits. "In college, I gained the 'Freshman 20' as in 20 pounds. I had two roommates and they were battling with their own eating disorders. Then, I had a nutrition class at Loyola. It changed my life. My major was biology and when I met a dietician I realized I could combine biology, the medical aspect, food, and people and pursue a career as a Registered Dietician. I changed my major, lost the 20 pounds and went on to get my Masters."

Living all of her life in the Valley, when it was time to open the doors to her business Medical Nutrition Network, she chose Tarzana. For 16 years she has been helping people who face obesity, diabetes, celiac disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and eating disorders among other challenges. The focus is always proper nutrition.

"It's important for my clients to know I have a family. I chose a career to support myself if I had to and as a result, I work hard and know I'm helping people. This is something I love," Calvo explained "I deal with every age from children to adolecence to adults. For children and adolecence, the goal is to halt weight gain, slow it down, so they can grow into their weight. For adults, I educate them on proper nutrition while giving suggestions and menus. We don't count points or calories, but use the Diabetic Exchange Program. Each menu is based on individual diagnosis. If there is a medical diagnosis, we communicate nutrition care with the physician or doctor. Some clients may also require therapy or psychological counseling."

Calvo has seen some impressive success stories for her clients.

"I had a 42-year-old woman who started out with a high cholesterol level of 256. Now, her cholesterol is down to 219 and she's lost 17 pounds. She's increased her exercise from two hours a week to five hours a week to include hiking and bike rides. Instead of consuming 2,100 calories a day, she's now consuming an average of 1,300 calories a day," Calvo said. "Portions remain a problem. It's important people learn moderation and portion control. Registered Dieticians teach you what to eat and in what portion."

Calvo has sample sizes of portions in her office to show her clients hands on what a portion size should be for the average person.

"A healthy breakfast is an important meal. We teach clients to eat well-balanced meals and on a regular schedule. Skipping meals creates problems because it sets people up to overeat later. We educate clients to have their wholesome food available at home to prevent them from resorting to fast food. Having fruits and vegetables in your home along with low-fat, high fiber foods offers choices," Calvo explained. "Most importantly, we tell our clients to set realistic goals while including regular exercise at least 3 to 4 hours a week."

The first question Calvo receives from many patients is: What should I eat?

"This is about life change, not about another fad diet. For obesity, gastric bypass is not the immediate answer because that can involve complications. Start with diet first while making lifestyle and behavior changes," Calvo said. "I love seeing people make changes and find success. We set specific goals for each client which results in measured outcomes. There's no better feeling than when a client finds his or her own success!"

Medical Nutrition Network is located at 18372 Clark Street, Suite 228, Tarzana, (818) 881-9192 or link to www.nutritionist4you.com.

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