We love it when we see health care professionals out there doing innovative things. We love it even more when we get to do a Q&A with them to see what they’re up to!! Without further ado, we present…. a Q&A with recent dietetics graduate Anna Debenham.

You started The Biting Truth while you were a student. What was your aim with this?

We live in an age of misinformation and food fads. While completing my Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics I was concerned and frustrated by the rise in bloggers, vloggers, fbookers and tweeters promoting the latest diet trends with everything from ‘superfoods’ to detox and slimming pills. It made me wonder, as a dietitian, how can I take the flame of truth to all those misleading claims? That’s why another dietitian and I decided to launch The Biting Truth. Initially, our intention was to share science-based nutrition tips and delicious recipes to close friends and family, however, it gained traction much faster than anticipated and had soon acquired a significant following on Instagram.

The Biting Truth is real. We cook all the recipes ourselves and don’t have a huge budget for expensive ‘health’ food products. We wanted to make healthy eating accessible for all and we’ve stuck by this. The Biting Truth has provided us with a platform to share unbiased, evidence-based health information. We have found that people are willing to listen, they are hungry for information – the challenge is presenting information in a way that motivates them to act.

Can you outline what your research topic was when you were a student at the RPA Allergy Unit and what your findings were?

As part of my Masters degree, I spent a semester writing my thesis. I was involved in a 5 year, prospective observational study looking at Nutrition Adequacy and Dietary Compliance of the Royal Prince Alfred Elimination diet and Challenge Protocol (a mouthful I know!). Specifically I looked at the impact of psychological status on dietary adherence. This was only the start of the 5-year study, and hence we didn’t find any significant correlation between psychological status and dietary adherence.

While you were a dietetics student, you did field marketing for Chobani and also worked as a nutrition assistant. How did these experiences help shape your dietetics career?

My double degree took 5 years to complete and I can’t reinforce enough how important it is to gain as much experience and knowledge in the field as you can during these years, so when you’re done, you’re ready to kick-start your career. Whilst universities are great at teaching you the foundations you need to start your career, getting out there and throwing yourself in the deep end is where most of the learning happens.

I was fortunate enough to travel around Australia with Chobani’s Marketing team. Here I learned a variety of essential skills including marketing and sales, customer service and nutrition education. I also worked as a Nutrition Assistant for a prominent health advocate, where I was involved in writing blog posts, developing recipes and hosting small group education seminars for people looking to lead healthier lifestyles. This not only helped me further my nutrition-related knowledge but further developed my writing skills and consulting and group education skills. The skills and experience I acquired during my studies allowed me to land my dream job as Brand Manager and Dietitian at Hit 100 – a health-tech startup revolutionising diabetes management.

Tell us about what’s been happening in your first year as a dietitian and brand manager for Hit 100. What does your role entail, and what does a typical week look like?

Hit 100 is the only company worldwide founded to specifically improve the lives of people living with diabetes or pre-diabetes that offers an individualised ‘doctor meets chef’ food delivery solution. The past 12 months have been the most rewarding, challenging and exciting months of my life to date. Working in a health-tech startup means things are constantly evolving and the fast-paced nature forces you to be innovative, agile and able to find solutions on the fly.

A typical week involves writing nutrition articles, developing new recipes, creating email campaigns, posting across our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram) and meeting with health care professionals. Saying that, as is the nature of all startups, the lines are certainly a little blurred and I’m usually involved in a range of projects across the board including product, tech and business development. I’m incredibly proud with what Hit 100 has achieved to date and am so inspired by the people working around me who share the same belief in a healthier world. It’s so exciting to be building a community of people wanting to improve the management of their diabetes and we’ve been blown away by the positive responses so far.

What tips do you have for dietitians who are in their first year of practice?

Don’t put any limits on yourself and what you can achieve. As dietitians, we’ve received extensive training and education and should be the go-to people in the food and nutrition space. We need to fight hard for this to ensure our voices are heard and harness the tools and resources available in this technology revolution.

Being a dietitian is such a rewarding and empowering job. You’re at the forefront of an ever-evolving industry, which is fascinating and exciting. However, it also means it’s essential you to stay up-to-date. I encourage you to think outside the box as to what you can do and by this I mean don’t necessarily think you have to go down the conventional dietetics route. I would never have imagined myself working within a start-up, in diabetes management, in a business-related capacity, but I love it!