Diana Cullum-Dugan, RD, LD RYT

Biographical Sketch

Diana Cullum-Dugan, RD, LD RYT

• Licensed Dietician Nutritionist (MA license # 1630)
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan licensed dietitian nutritionist
• RD, University of Central Arkansas
• Registered yoga teacher (200-hour Yoga Alliance)
Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher

As a plump 12-year old with overweight aunts, Diana recognized a strong familial tendency to gain weight. With The Teenage Diet Book in hand and a "health spa" membership, she lost her adolescent chubbiness and arrived in 8th grade a new kid. Since then, health, vegetarian nutrition and being athletic have been a lifelong priority - 10 years of near-competitive weight lifting, teaching aerobic group exercise, and now yoga. She specializes in partnering with clients interested in weight loss or improving overall health and counseling week-end warriors and competitive athletes alike in their dietary protocol for successful performance.

At Boston Medical Center, Diana managed the outpatient Nutrition and Weight Management Center and multiple clinical nutrition trials. At the same institution, she is the lead yoga teacher in a study for Yoga for Low Back Pain and is the exercise and nutrition expert on a web-based nutrition/exercise intervention program.

Diana regularly presents on topics such as nutrition assessment, weight management, motivational interviewing, fad diets, and physical activity:

• Harvard Obesity courses
• MA Dept. of Mental Retardation
• Merck Pharmaceutical (Germany)
• ADA Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management Certification programs
• Boston University's Sargent College
• Team Envision (women's triathlon group)

Professionally, she has contributed to:

• Integrative Medicine textbook, obesity chapter
• Clinical Guidebook on Overweight and Obesity, dietary therapy chapter
• Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism ad hoc reviewer
• American Dietetic Association (ADA) reviewer
• ADA's Evidence Analysis Library Vegetarian Workgroup
• MA Dept. of Public Health's Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety Expert Panel to develop the first statewide Executive Report on recommendations and guidelines for weight-loss surgery.

Her nutritional counseling practice emphasizes partnering with clients as a team, and guiding clients in identifying their desires and establishing realistic goals. As a partner, Diana supports clients in connecting barriers to change with a toolbox of techniques that lead to success.