Let me introduce myself...

Hi! I'm Wendy, a registered dietitian turned freelance writer. My mission is to make diet, nutrition, health, and medical information easy for everyone to understand.

The Dietitian Writer


I have been a dietitian for…well…a really long time – more than 20 years! While my main occupation was consulting patients in my private practice, I have also spent time working in hospital wards, consulting to hospital kitchens about special diets, and advising people about healthy lifestyle habits at corporate health days—something I still enjoy. You name it, if there is a job that involves diet, nutrition, and health, I have probably done it.

Freelance Writer
Diet and nutrition information can be confusing with thousands of online influencers sharing their opinion and what has worked for them. During my career, I found my role as a dietitian evolved from being the one providing the information to being the person people turned to when they needed help making sense of the information they already had. That means always being on top of the latest trend and the scientific evidence that either backs it or proves it wrong.

But, constantly having your nose buried in research papers can get a bit dry, and I needed to find a way of nurturing my creative side. Don’t get me wrong. Practicing dietetics is an art in itself, and although there is a degree of variation for each patient and consultation, eventually, your script for each situation is written in your brain and even your patients can tell that you may just be going through the motions.

So, to make it interesting for myself and the people who consulted with me, I created all of my practice documents and marketing materials. At first, they were quite boring and not terribly inspiring, but with a bit of practice and my love for exploring new tools, my diet plans, information brochures, and online content evolved. Even my self-created website received many compliments.
 

Nutrition Blog Writer


I took note of what people were expecting from me and did my best to give them a little bit more and created my first blog. Like many freelance writers, when I look back at those first attempts at writing online content, I can’t help but cringe inside. Those first blog posts were awful!

At least I had made a start, though, and one thing led to another, until, during Covid lockdown, I took the leap. After some careful consideration (because I can’t just jump into something without examining it from every angle), I decided to be brave and find out if I could make a living from offering freelance writing services to other healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs.

How I Came To Be A Freelance Health Writer


After taking my dogs for a nice long walk one morning in mid-April 2021, I sat down at my patio table with my laptop and scoured through the job posts on UpWork. That morning, I sent out 4 proposals and landed 3 clients. Right off the bat, I was a working freelance health writer! And, I haven’t looked back since.

If I have learned anything since leaving university it is that there will always be new doors to open and new opportunities to take me on a journey towards finding what makes my heart sing. Helping people has been a constant feature in my career, but how I do it has changed. It used to be with my calculator and a formal diet plan, now it is with my keyboard, a lot of reading, and crafting articles that make sense of complicated health issues.

Have a look at my portfolio to see some of the work I have done.

Now, my mission is:
  • To help healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs
  • Share credible, science-backed information with the public
  • By creating online content that translates complicated medical jargon into easy-to-understand information
  • So that people can make informed decisions about their health.
 

Some Random Things to Know About Me:



5 Things I Love:
My dog - Wendy Lord Dietitian and Freelance Health Writer

  1. Food - I love talking about food, cooking food, eating food, and watching other people cook food.
  2. Dogs – My dogs truly are my best friends. They keep me company while I work, and they are also available for a cuddle when things aren’t going my way.
  3. Walking and talking – My favorite form of exercise is to hit the road or trails with a good friend for a brisk walk and a chat.
  4. Winter sunshine – Nothing feels more indulgent than having a free hour to sit in the sun with a cup of coffee in our mild South African winters.
  5. Family time – My husband, my son, and I often gather at the end of the week to share a drink and a bowl of chips and listen to our eclectic playlist – everything goes, from cheesy 80s songs to rock, and heavy metal.
3 Things I Hate:
Food - Wendy Lord Dietitian and Freelance Health Writer

  1. Traffic – Nothing irritates me more than being stuck in the car (sometimes for hours when there is load shedding and the robots – traffic lights – aren’t working).
  2. Having my hair cut – A weird one to hate, I know, but I don’t like having someone in my personal space.
  3. Lamb – I grew up eating lamb chops and Sunday roast dinners, not to mention lamb curries and stews. The truth is, I really don’t like the taste of lamb, and considering how expensive it is, I would rather spend the money on something I love to eat, like a good piece of grilled fish.


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