Counselor Profile

Karen Francis, RD, CD-N

Click Here to Read Karen's Personal Story 

Biography                                      

Karen has had a multitude of experiences in the food & nutrition industry. At the beginning of her career she worked as a consultant dietitian for five different health care facilities in Connecticut.  Here Karen provided medical nutritional therapy (i.e., nutritional care and dietary counseling) to residents, developing menus and meal plans to meet their individualized needs and dietary requirements. 

When an opportunity presented itself in the corporate world, Karen joined Nabisco Research and Development as a Food Service Dietitian.  Here she was responsible for recipe development, food photography and the functional testing/consumer assessment of new and existing food products.  Karen also served as a major medical and health spokesperson for a number of the company's key products 
(e.g., eggbeaters, Fleischmann's margarine, etc.) at major medical and health conventions (i.e., American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association, Academy of Family Physicians, etc.).  While working at Nabisco, Karen developed 
a comprehensive nutrition/weight control program for company employees where
35 employees collectively lost 364 pounds in 8 weeks.  She also provided critical dietetic and nutritional expertise to clinical studies on fat replacers.

After 15 year's at Nabisco, Karen joined Pfizer / Warner-Lambert where she worked for 6 years as a Senior Director in Research & Development.  Here she led a staff of 25 individuals , which provided consumer research, packaging development and analytical chemistry support to the company’s consumer products’ division (i.e., Listerine, Trident, Certs, Halls, etc.). 

After carefully reviewing her values, beliefs, personal and professional goals, as well as her lifestyle needs, Karen decided it was time to move back to her "roots".  In the fall of 2002, she started building a private practice dedicated to providing sound nutritional and wellness counseling.  Her primary objective:  To help people make the “right choices” about food and nutrition. 

Karen has the insights, skills and judgment to integrate, translate, and apply the knowledge of nutrition to help clients achieve their food and nutrition related goals.  Her expertise is in the areas of: 

§         Weight Management

§         General Nutrition and Wellness

§         Women’s Health / Pediatric Nutrition

§         Diabetes Management

§         Heart Smart Eating

§         Celiac Disease Management

Credentials

• 25+ Years as a Registered Dietitian
• State of Connecticut Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist
• BS in Food & Nutrition - University of Connecticut

 Professional Memberships

• American Dietetic Association
• Connecticut Dietetic Association  
• Nutritionists in Complementary Care
• Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists
• Nutrition Entrepreneurs
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

"Helping People Make the Right Choices About Food & Nutrition"

Last modified:  August 26, 2008              www.rightchoices-nutrition.com            © 2008 RCN, LLC