Meet Julia

Hi! I’m Julia. I’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), licensed and practicing in the state of Illinois.

I grew up in a small town in central Illinois, earned my Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN (2013), and then moved back to Illinois to finish my dietetic internship and master's degree at Eastern Illinois University (2015). I took and passed the Registration Examination for Dietitians (aka RD exam) and started working!

I’ve worked in recipe development and in outpatient nutrition care and weight management settings, but the majority of my career experience has taken place in the critical care setting, first in general and trauma intensive care units, and now as a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) dietitian, providing nutritional care and support for infants. I have also earned the certified lactation specialist (CLS) title, which allows me to use my breastfeeding knowledge in a peripheral way, sharing the benefits of breastfeeding and pumping milk for one’s infant in the NICU and beyond.

I love my job in the NICU and enjoy learning and collaborating with other healthcare professionals to provide the best service for our critical babies. However, I also have a love for helping those with eating disorders and disordered eating become free from those prisons.

I help these individuals see that they are more than their weight, size, shape, and what they eat. I also teach them how to gently nourish their bodies by leaving the eating disorder and yo-yo dieting behind. My goal is to help my clients find the joy in a life that’s full of satisfying, nourishing food, enjoyable movement, and body acceptance.

It’s my hope that my clients will feel empowered to pursue health without dieting; that they will learn how to have peace with food and will be able to respect their body just how it is now, regardless of what it might be in the future or what is has been in the past.

Click here to learn more about the services I offer, fill out my short contact form or you can reach out directly via email.

– Julia MacKenzie


Credentials and Certifications:

  • Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and licensed in the state of Illinois

  • Nutrition Education Specialist through Eastern Illinois University 

  • Certified Lactation Specialist through Lactation Education Consultants

  • Bachelor of Science Nutrition and Dietetics through Lipscomb University, TN

  • Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics through Eastern Illinois University

  • Completion of dietetic internship through Eastern Illinois University

  • Currently studying to become a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor (CIEC)