Joanne Siemens

I went to the University of Alberta to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and to the Royal Alexandra Hospitals to complete an internship to become a registered dietitian so that I could teach others about nutrition. After a few years in the field I realized that the real reason I became a dietitian is to bring happiness into people’s lives by helping them retain or regain their health. My belief that health is a key to happiness has led me on an exciting journey from clinic to kitchen.

I worked for many years at the University of Alberta Hospitals in the Cardiac Risk Reduction Clinic, Renal Unit (kidney transplant and hemodialysis), and in the Metabolic Centre (diabetes and other endocrine disorders). In the evenings and on weekends I pursued my other passion of helping people be the architects of their lives, by developing the Live It Up Weight and Lifestyle Management Program, predecessor to the Weight Wise Program. A year after the launch of the Live It Up Program I gave up my day job at the U of A Hospitals to let the Live It Up Programs grow, and that it did! Clients included Government of Alberta, Edmonton Police Service, EPCOR, ATCO, and the Alberta’s Teachers Association.

Running Live It Up and other corporate wellness programs put me in the public eye and I was frequently asked to appear on the news, day time talk shows, and radio. It was also at this time I started writing nutrition articles for newspapers and Company’s Coming Cooking at Home Magazine. I am still very busy working in health promotion and chronic disease prevention/management but I strive to create a balance between professional and family life. This part of my journey has led me into the kitchen, a place of great nourishment through home-cooking and family meals.