Dietary Services
Katie Kissane, MS, RD, CSSD
Without proper nutrition an athlete’s full athletic potential will not be realized. Nutrition is key to peak performance, sustained energy during training, maximized recovery from difficult workouts, and injury prevention. As a sports dietitian and athlete, Katie has a unique understanding of the many challenges that athletes and fitness enthusiasts encounter. She has the experience and expertise to provide nutrition solutions for athletes of all ages and abilities. This includes weight loss and/or improved body composition, improving nutrition for training and race day, and managing health conditions.
Katie competed in cross-country running, track and field, and both the alpine and Nordic ski teams in high school. Katie continued to compete in cross-country and track and field while attending college at the University of Colorado earning her varsity letter in cross-country. After college she added swimming and biking to her training program as an effort to add variety and remain injury free and fell in love with the sport of triathlon. During graduate school Katie was a member of the Colorado State triathlon club team. Katie continues to compete and she enjoys challenging herself. She recently completed the 2017 Boston marathon and she is planning to compete in her first Spartan obstacle course race this summer and her first 50-mile trail race in the fall.
Katie’s passion for nutrition began at a young age after her mother was diagnosed with Celiac disease. She also struggled with her own nutrition concerns in college while competing in cross-country and track. After being diagnosed with severe iron deficiency anemia she changed her diet to better support her training and noticed a drastic improvement in her training and race times. This sparked her interest in learning more about nutrition and she eventually went on to complete her master’s degree in nutrition. Katie holds an undergraduate degree in kinesiology from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in human nutrition from Colorado State University. She is also a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).
Katie has experience working with a variety of athletes. She has worked with the student athletes at both the University of Colorado and Colorado State University as a consult sports dietitian. At both schools she provided nutrition education and support to all division I student athletes and sports teams including football, basketball, soccer, softball, track and field, and tennis. She continues to work in private practice as a sports dietitian and also works with individuals struggling with disordered eating.
Nicole Eckman, RDN, CLT
Enlightenment Nutrition Consulting
My name is Nicole Eckman, and I have been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist since 2001. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Human Nutrition from Colorado State University in 2000 and completed my post-graduate work, including my dietetic internship, through the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ. In 2015, I earned a Certificate of Training in Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy (IFMNT).
Although formally trained in clinical nutrition, I have always had an affinity for and an active interest
in integrative nutrition and functional medicine. My integrative nutrition approach is patient-centered,
and although there may be a series of nutrition protocols for a particular disease or condition, I do
not use a one-size-fits-all approach. I focus on the whole person, including lifestyle modifications
and individual nutritional needs. I have seen firsthand how a patient’s emotional or physiological
response can determine the success or failure of their treatment. I discuss with my patients the importance of using nutrition to PREVENT poor health and chronic illness later in life. I encourage clients to eat CLEAN, whole foods and avoid processed packaged foods that are so tempting to the high stress and busy lifestyle that so many Americans are accustomed to. I believe that optimal health is not just the absence of disease, but the presence of vitality, a sense of peace, and total patient wellness- something that we ALL deserve to experience.