Let’s get to to know each other.

 
 

Niki Strealy, RDN, LD

I am a busy mom of three, wife to a husband who competes in Ironman triathlons, with a flock of chickens and a garden. In my “spare” time I play and coach soccer and run marathons. In 2015 and 2018, I ran the Boston marathon in crazy weather conditions.

I am also a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist specializing in digestive health. Strategic Nutrition, LLC provides nutrition counseling for conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), chronic constipation, and chronic diarrhea. I also enjoy working with athletes with digestive conditions.

Personal Background

I have had diarrhea most of my life. It started to get worse when I was in 7th grade. I had my first barium enema (yuck) at 13, then a small bowel follow through, and sigmoidoscopy at age 17. Since they never found anything “wrong,” my doctor shrugged his shoulders and labeled me with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

While training for a marathon in early 2016, I experienced intense fatigue, especially during my long 20 mile runs. I asked my doctor to check a celiac panel, which came back “mildly positive.” After an endoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsies, I was formally diagnosed with celiac disease on June 1, 2016. You can read more of my story here. 

Education

The digestive system always fascinated me. I remember lovingly coloring my digestive diagrams in high school elective anatomy class. In college, I initially majored Pre-Med, then Pharmacy, before finally graduating with Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Management. I completed my dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

In my internship I learned how to teach diabetic, renal, weight loss, weight gain, surgical, and other diets to patients. But no one taught me how to educate patients on what to eat for gastrointestinal problems. This surprised me! …it just makes sense– the food you eat must go through the digestive system before it enters the body. So, it became my passion: to learn how to teach people to eat when their tummy doesn’t seem to work like everyone else’s.

Professional Experience

Flash forward. I have worked as a registered dietitian since 1996. Initially, I worked in the critical care and surgical units, tailoring my nutrition education for patients with cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, etc.

In 2003, the health system I worked for offered me the opportunity to open an outpatient nutrition counseling office, counseling adults for anything from weight loss to diabetes, while specializing in gastrointestinal diseases and disorders. In 2012, when budget cuts closed my hospital-based office, I took the plunge and started my own private practice, Strategic Nutrition, LLC. I self-published my first book: The Diarrhea Dietitian: Expert Advice, Practical Solutions, and Strategic Nutrition in 2013.

As a passionate private practice owner, I joined Nutrition Entrepreneurs dietetic practice group in 2009. I had the wonderful opportunity to serve as Director-elect, then Director, of Member Services from June 2014-May 2016. 

My Approach

I am a pretty straightforward person. I’m not afraid to talk about anything related to poop. After all these years of working with patients, there isn’t much I haven’t heard. I can even say diarrhea in public without my face turning red. One of my goals in life is to convince the world that it is ok to talk about bowels, diarrhea, and gas.

Clients benefit from my three-part approach:

  • Educational: scientific, based on human anatomy/physiology and nutrition, and current evidence-based literature

  • Professional: my experience as a dietitian in learning how food works in the body, particularly in those with gastrointestinal disorders

  • Personal: my own personal issues with diarrhea over the years and my diagnosis of celiac disease, including my dietary successes and failures

It was said best in a children’s book, “Everyone Poops.” And let’s face it, everyone does. If yours aren’t normal, you’ve come to the right place, and you are welcome here.  Please “like” The Diarrhea Dietitian on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram @DiarrheaRD.

Niki Strealy, RDN, LD

P.S. You can also learn more about my journey in the field of nutrition in The Orlando Dietitian's Spotlight Series.

We spent six weeks in Ecuador in late 2017. My husband took this photo at the beach.