About Rebecca

Hello! I’m Rebecca Scritchfield and Balanced Health and Nutrition is my blog. In this digital age, the diet and health information available can be overwhelming - and difficult to make sense of. Despite the amount of information out there, we are not getting any healthier. For many people, including my friends and family, its frustrating. I started this blog for them. It’s a place to discuss the latest food, nutrition and exercise information; to learn strategies for maintaining health or reaching a health goal; and to explore bigger picture political and societal issues that are standing in the way of achieving Balanced Health. I hope you enjoy this blog. If you have suggestions on how it can be improved or if you would like to reach me for any other reason, e-mail me at rscritchfield@gmail.com. I also record a podcast, Nutrition Feast, a short podcast for people “hungry” for quick and easy nutrition tips. Subscribe to my podcast on iTunes.

My Bio

I graduated with degrees in chemistry and nutrition with honors and distinction. I have additional academic training in communications and information technology. I worked in non-profit association management for seven years and I have more than twelve years experience in the health and wellness field as a personal trainer and fitness instructor. I am proudly certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. I am currently pursuing a graduate degree in communications at The Johns Hopkins University, with an emphasis of coursework in digital technologies and health communication. My thesis is investigating media portrayal of health and nutrition information and my field adviser is Katherine Clegg-Smith, an accomplished health behavior sociologist and professor of media studies.

I am a guest blogger for the diet and nutrition section of Health Commentary, a place to discuss health and current issues in health care. The community is led by nationally recognized speaker and author, and a family physician first and foremost, Mike Magee, MD. I am also a board member and the nutrition correspondent for Shaping Youth, a nonprofit concerned with marketing and advertising’s impact on kids. The focus is to shift harmful messages in a more positive direction with the help of industry insiders. Amy Jussel is the founder and executive director. She has decades of experience in marketing and advertising.

I was invited to participate in the 2008 Critical Themes in Media Studies, which is the leading forum for graduate students to showcase their research papers. My presentation, “UR What U Eat”, explored the use of text messages to improve nutrition behaviors.

In 2007, I was awarded the Irene Jones Memorial Scholarship by the American Dietetic Association Foundation. In order to fulfill the requirements to become a credentialed dietitian, I am completing dietetic rotations with Sodexo, working with clients such as National Geographic Society, The World Bank, Brainfood, St. Alban’s School, and Inova Fairfax Hospital.

In May 2008, I was honored by the DC metro area dietetic association (DCMADA), a member organization of more than 400 dietetics professionals, as the Outstanding Dietetic Intern of the Year.

In the nutrition community, I am a member of American Dietetic Association, DC Metro Area Dietetic Association, and the Nutrition Entrepreneurs, Dietitians in Business and Communications, Food and Culinary Professionals and Sports Cardiovascular and Nutrition dietetic practice groups. In the technology community, I am a member of NTEN (non-profit technology network) and DCWW (DC web women). In addition, I am active in BakeSpace, the online community for cooking enthusiasts. I usually contribute healthy recipes that can be prepared quickly and with as few ingredients as possible.

My areas of interest in nutrition include sports nutrition and weight management. I am also interested in food marketing and advertising and the potential impact on food choices and nutrition behaviors. I aspire to work as a nutrition and communications expert in television, print, and interactive media or on nutrition-related social cause initiatives. I would love to write a book (one day when I find the passion and drive to make it happen).

I am a marathon runner, yogini, and PADI-certified open water diver. I hope to add triathlete soon! In my spare time, I enjoy creating healthy recipes - and then cooking them, of course. I live in Washington D.C. with my husband, Andrew.

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