This month we are excited to shine a light on Elizabeth Omizo, who graduated from City of Lakes Waldorf School in 2011. Elizabeth holds a BS in exercise sport science and a MS in clinical nutrition, and is a certified nutrition specialist (CNS) candidate.
Recently we had the pleasure of reconnecting with Elizabeth about her time at Waldorf, how it continues to impact her life, and her passion for nutrition education. Elizabeth and her husband, Rajel – also a CLWS alum! – and their young son recently moved back to the Twin Cities from living abroad in Italy, and she is just starting up her clinical practice, ELLO Clinical Nutrition.
Read on to learn more!
Do you have a favorite memory from your time at CLWS?
I don’t have one particular favorite memory, but there were many times when I felt that I was pushed to new growth through camping trips, plays, and other events. I have fond memories of playing roles such as Friar Laurence and The Scarecrow in my last two class plays, as well as getting to be the Ringmaster in the circus my 8th grade year.
How does your Waldorf education continue to show up in your life?
My Waldorf education prepared me for life by teaching me to widen my view when I am thinking about a problem. I am skilled at, and greatly enjoy creative problem solving because of it. When I look at my client’s symptoms, I consider their health from a holistic or global view that allows me to find the root cause of the issue, rather than treating symptoms on the surface level.
The funny thing is, although I never anticipated it, I ended up marrying a classmate from CLWS. I feel uniquely rooted in my time at CLWS, and we still enjoy getting together with friends from our class. We actually ran into one of them walking down the street in Florence, Italy!
The skills that I learned at CLWS show up in my life routinely. I am able to make my son a birthday crown, and all of his Halloween costumes, as well as alter uniforms as needed. I am a confident public speaker and have had the initiative to start my own clinical practice.
Tell us about your practice, ELLO Clinical Nutrition.
ELLO Clinical Nutrition is an evidence-based clinical nutrition practice where I perform personalized medical nutrition therapy for my clients. I have clients come to me with a diagnosis from their primary care provider, or maybe they were told that they are at risk of developing a condition. Maybe they are experiencing unexplained symptoms, or they would like to better manage their symptoms. Maybe they want to reduce their need for a particular medication. I look at their health history, lab results, medications and supplements, typical eating patterns, and other necessary life context and develop recommendations to meet their needs. I can work with their care providers to make sure that we are on the same page and able to provide the best care for the client.
Why is Nutrition Education important?
Nutrition Education is important because food and nutrition is something that we constantly interact with. Not only that, but there is a great deal of nutrition misinformation that is being spread by unqualified individuals. My job is to know all the science and stay up to date with the evidence, and make eating food and feeling good as simple and easy to achieve as possible.
Starting in June 2024, Elizabeth will be able to take on in-person clients as well as telehealth clients in the Twin Cities area. Click here to learn more about ELLO Clinical Nutrition, and to sign up for Elizabeth’s newsletter.
Connect with us
If you’re interested in being interviewed for our alumni series on the CLWS blog or would like to nominate someone, please email Kitty O’Brien at kitty@clws.org. We look forward to hearing from you!