Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

Hi everyone! My name is Rob McCandlish. I’m new to Food Allergy Living and wanted to take a minute to introduce myself and tell you a little about me. I’m a Nutrition Specialist with Nutricia North America and I work with Christine, Mallory and Sarah. Among other duties, I get to talk with folks like you when you call us with questions about Neocate.

What to tell you about myself? I grew up in Winchester, VA, not far from the nation’s capital. Growing up, I had several family members who had Celiac disease (which means they can’t eat foods with ANY wheat, barley, or rye) so was always familiar with “special” foods, reading ingredient labels closely, and changing recipes to ensure nobody got sick from food.

I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Mary Washington College. From there I started my first “career” coordinating organ donation and transplantation, eventually relocating to northern Virginia. I was fortunate to work both at the United Network for Organ Sharing as well as the Washington Regional Transplant Community. The best part of the work was that it allowed me to help to improve the lives of others, both directly and through speaking publicly about the importance of organ donation.

I then went to James Madison University to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics. That was followed by my dietetic internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). While at NIH, I got to work with many patients, including those with allergies. Other patients had undiagnosed diseases which involved unexplainable food allergies and sensitivities. Still others had metabolic disorders that limited the types of food they could eat.

All of those great experiences lead me to Nutricia. I’ve been here for a couple of months now and love working with families such as your own. I recently passed the Registration Examination for Dietitians, meaning I’m a full-fledged Registered Dietitian and can add the R.D. credentials to my business card! I enjoy cooking, experimenting with food, writing, and I look forward to being a contributing member of the nutrition team at Nutricia North America.

- Rob McCandlish, R.D.

 Hi there!  My name is Irene Czapary  and I am happy to be joining the Food Allergy Living blog!  I have been working with the Nutrition Specialists at Nutricia as a consultant for the last year, helping to answer your questions about Neocate by email and over the phone.  So perhaps we have already had an opportunity to chat!

I completed a Bachelor’s of Dietetics at the University of Maryland, followed by a Master’s of Herbal Medicine at the Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD.  I have been working as a Registered Dietitian for the last 5 years in a variety of settings, however working with children with food allergies and intolerances is one of my favorite areas, as it hits close to home.

As a child and teenager I coped with digestive issues that were never diagnosed, and it was only with my training in nutrition that I discovered that I too have food allergies; once I eliminated these problematic foods from my diet I felt like a whole new person!  So I know how tricky it can sometimes be to get the medical guidance you need, how challenging it can be to follow an allergen-free diet, and also how life-changing it is when you find the right diet that works for your (or your little ones) unique body. 

For the last year I have also had the opportunity to work with a pediatric gastroenterologist, learning even more about children with food allergies, intolerances, and feeding challenges.  I hope my experience will be of help to you and your little ones!

- Irene