Southeastern Massachusetts Dietetic Association (SEMDA)

02/03/2026

Mindfule Eating for Optimal Well-Being -Michelle May , MD - Approved by CDR for 2 CEU's—Wednesday, Feb 11th -6:30 pm -8:30 pm EST ( Virtual Live Event-not recorded)

Decades of ineffective dieting have left our clients feeling guilty, disappointed, and less healthy. This eye-opening session will explore the Mindful Eating Cycle model of decision-making. You'll learn a powerful and universal approach to complex issues contributing to eating behaviors, activity, and self-care. We'll delve into six unconventional strategies that promote the fearless and mindful enjoyment of food and movement.

Learning Objectives:

-Participants will identify the six crucial decision points in the Mindful Eating Cycle and the psycho-social-behavioral patterns in overeating and restrictive eating.
-Participants will list six specific mindful eating strategies to help patients develop a more positive, balanced relationship with food and physical activity.
-Participants will use the Mindful Eating Cycle to "deconstruct" an overeating episode to determine possible contributors and solutions.

Speaker:
Michelle May, M.D., is a recovered yo-yo dieter and the founder of Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Programs and Training. She empowers individuals to resolve mindless and emotional eating to live the vibrant life they crave. As an inspirational speaker and author, Michelle's passion, insight, and humor stem from her own personal struggles with food and body image.
More than 800 health professionals have been trained to offer mindful eating workshops, coaching, and therapy in 35 countries.
Michelle is the award-winning author of the Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat book series. She is a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University where she teaches Mindful Eating.Michelle earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association and has inspired tens of thousands of audience members with her compelling message and constructive approach to building a vibrant life

Sign up on Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindful-eating-for-optimal-well-being-virtual-live-zoom-event-tickets-1981484231677?aff=oddtdtcreator

11/01/2025

Last chance today to sign up
Lymphedema – How Dietitians Can Play a Critical Role in Helping Patients with This Condition(2 CEU credits) Approved by CDR -Nov 12 -6:30 pm EST
Zoom Virtual Live Event only. No recordings

Speaker: Jean LaMantia, RD

Lymphedema is not part of traditional nutrition curriculums and many dietitians are in the dark about lymphedema and how they can help. Lymphedema affects more Americans that ALS, HIV, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and MS combined, yet people with the condition struggle to get a timely diagnosis and treatment. The dietitian can plan a key role, both as an advocate for the patient and as a resource to provide evidence-informed nutrition guidance that can help improve the condition and have a positive impact on quality of life. Special attention will be paid during this session to the impact of cancer on lymphedema, risk reduction strategies as well as nutrition therapy to treat what many say is the most devastating side-effect of their cancer treatment. Join Jean LaMantia, registered dietitian and author as she shares the evidence as well as case studies from her practice.

Learning objectives.
After attending this sessions, participants will be able to:
State the 3 main functions of the lymphatic system
List key nutrition strategies to improve lymphedema
Discuss the risks that cancer treatment presents for development of lymphedema

Sign up on eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lymphedema-dietitian-can-play-a-critical-role-in-helping-patients-tickets-1941292952479?aff=oddtdtcreator

03/18/2025

Oral Cavity Health Leads to Whole Body Health
Wednesday 4/9 -6:30 pm EST —1.5 CEU

This live webinar will take a journey through the oral cavity, examining all of its component parts and why a healthy oral cavity lowers the risk for chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease. The oral cavity begins the process of digestion,houses the second highest concentration of microbes in the body, while also having access to the bloodstream. The oral microbiome has long played a role in dental decay and periodontal disease, but now research is better understanding bio individuality, as well as the role of diet and nutritional status in oral health.
Learning Objectives:
1. List the major component parts of the teeth and the periodontal structures.
2. Describe the phases of digestion as they occur in the oral cavity and stomach.
3. Describe how the microbiome of the oral cavity may lead to periodontal disease and/or dental decay.
Examine the association of periodontal disease and other systemic effects including cardiovascular risk.

Sign up on Eventbrite below:

How dental health affects the whole body health

02/19/2025

Nutrition Support for Parkinson’s Disease ( 2 CEU Credits)—Monday 3/31 6:30 pm -8:30 pm EST( Zoom live event) This is not recorded.

This presentation will explore the role of nutrition in managing Parkinson’s disease, with a focus on drug-nutrient interactions, symptom management, and emerging research on diet and disease progression. Participants will examine how specific nutrients impact levodopa metabolism, as well as evidence-based dietary strategies to mitigate common side effects such as constipation, nausea, and weight fluctuations. The session will also review data on dietary patterns and lifestyle factors associated with reduced symptom burden. Clinical applications will be emphasized, providing practical, patient-centered nutrition strategies to optimize treatment and quality of life in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

Objectives:
1. Evaluate the impact of dietary patterns and key nutrients on symptom severity, neuroinflammation, and gut-brain interactions in Parkinson’s disease.
2. Analyze drug-nutrient interactions in Parkinson’s treatment, focusing on protein’s effect on levodopa.
3. Implement dietary approaches to manage side effects of treatment including gastrointestinal symptoms and weight loss.

( The CPE activity application for Nutrition support for Parkinson's Disease is pending CDR review and approval for 2 CEU's)
Speaker:
Kelly Morrow, MS, RDN, FAND, is an affiliate instructor with the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Washington and an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr University, where she has been on faculty since 2002. She started her career over 20 years ago working at the Booth Gardner Parkinson's Center at Evergreen Hospital in Washington State and currently supports Parkinson's patients in meeting their nutrition needs at Seattle Integrative Medicine. She is a past chair of Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a co-editor of Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process textbook. Kelly has served on the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) working group and contributed as a content developer for the Inflammation and Environmental Exposures and Elimination Modules of the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certificate of Training through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Kelly has maintained a private practice since 2000 in Seattle, Washington and can be reached at kellly@kellymorrownutrition.com

Join us for our 2 CEU event

11/05/2024

Last chance today to sign up for tomorrow Wednesday update on AI (Artificial Intelligence) in Dietetics

Fueling the Future: Exploring AI’s Impact on Dietetics (Virtual Zoom Event) -Live Event only this is not recorded)—2 CEUs *Counts as ethics credit
Wednesday, 11/13 -6:30 pm EST

Ready to explore the intersection of nutrition and cutting-edge tech? Join us as we uncover how artifical intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of dietetics. From professional meal plans to wearable health tech, the possibilities are endless. Gain insights into the latest AI advancements, learn practical strageties for integration, and explore potential drawbacks and ethical considerations. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the field, this session will equip you with the skills to thrive in this dynamic landscape. Don't miss out on this opportunity to navigate the future of nutrition and technology with confidence!

Learning Objectives:
Participants will gain insight into AI's applications within the field of dietetics.
Participants will acquire practical strategies for incorporating AI into practice
Participants will examine AI;s ethical concerns and drawbacks, enabling informed decisions on implementation in practice

Speaker: Grace Scarborough is a Seattle-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with expertise in nutrition edcuation, chronic disease management and program development. She is passionate about integrating technology into dietetics and exploring how innovations like AI can enhance patient care and advance our profession.

Join us at "Fueling The Future" to learn how AI is revolutionizing the field of dietetics!

10/28/2024

Fueling the Future: Exploring AI’s Impact on Dietetics (Virtual Zoom Event) -Live Event only this is not recorded)

Speaker: Grace Scarborough is a Seattle-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with expertise in nutrition edcuation, chronic disease management and program development. She is passionate about integrating technology into dietetics and exploring how innovations like AI can enhance patient care and advance our profession.

Ready to explore the intersection of nutrition and cutting-edge tech? Join us as we uncover how artifical intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of dietetics. From professional meal plans to wearable health tech, the possibilities are endless. Gain insights into the latest AI advancements, learn practical strageties for integration, and explore potential drawbacks and ethical considerations. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the field, this session will equip you with the skills to thrive in this dynamic landscape. Don't miss out on this opportunity to navigate the future of nutrition and technology with confidence!

Learning Objectives:
Participants will gain insight into AI's applications within the field of dietetics.
Participants will acquire practical strategies for incorporating AI into practice
Participants will examine AI;s ethical concerns and drawbacks, enabling informed decisions on implementation in practice

Join us at "Fueling The Future" to learn how AI is revolutionizing the field of dietetics!

10/22/2024

Last chance tonight to sign up for our seminar on Fertility tomorrow

Nutrition for Fertility Support and PCOS (2 CEU's) -Speakers: Lauren Manaker,MS, RDN,LDN, CLEC, CPT & Melissa Graves Azzaro,RDN,LD

10/18/2024

Nutrition for Fertility Support and PCOS (2 CEU's) -Speakers: Lauren Manaker,MS, RDN,LDN, CLEC, CPT & Melissa Graves Azzaro,RDN,LD

09/29/2024

Our October CEU Nutrition in Fertility and PCOS( Virtual Zoom event) October 23 6:30 pm (EST) —Registration closes October 22nd

Speakers: Lauren Manaker,MS, RDN,LDN, CLEC, CPT & Melissa Graves Azzaro,RDN,LD

This virtual 2 CEU event will provide the RD an opportunity to learn about the nutrition impacts on fertility, how to manage PCOS symptons to improve fertility with nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation, and how to gain confidence about nutritients and dietary patterns that may impact fertility and how to counsel couples or individuals on their fertlity journey.

This is Live Event only. There are no recordings.
For more information about this event and to register please follow this eventbrite link:

Nutrition for Fertility Support and PCOS (2 CEU's) -Speakers: Lauren Manaker,MS, RDN,LDN, CLEC, CPT & Melissa Graves Azzaro,RDN,LD

04/16/2024

Sign up to our 2 CEU Event for April 24, 2024 -
6:30 pm -8:30 pm EST -Registration closes April 23–8:30 pm. This is Live Zoom event only—no recordings.

How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves
Speaker: Heidi MS, RD,LDN, CEDS-S,SEP

Heidi will outline non-linear steps for raising kids who love food, their bodies, and themselves. She will address the challenge of working with parents with both compassion and authority to prevent and treat disordered eating in children and teens. The importance of talking with kids about food and bodies in intuitive, embodied, and inclusive ways will be discussed at length.

Objective 1: Participants will be able to engage in real conversations about food and bodies with children and teens to combat diet culture and fatphobia.
Objective 2: Participants will actively discuss and take back to their practices tools for working with parents and caregivers in a compassionate but authoritative way.
Objective 3: Participants will see families and caregivers as allies in the prevention of disordered eating and body concerns and be able to arm them with strategies for viewing kids and teens as whole persons, in order to combat the negative influences of the culture.

Speaker : Heidi Schauster, MS, RD, LDN, CEDS-S, SEP is a nutrition therapist and Somatic Experiencing (SE)™ Practitioner in the Greater Boston area who has specialized in eating and body image concerns for nearly 30 years. She provides individual and group counseling and clinical supervision/consultation and is particularly interested in the intersection between food and body concerns with trauma. Heidi is the author of the award-winning book Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Self; the recently published Nurture: How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves; and the Nourishing Words newsletter on Substack. Heidi lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with her partner and twin daughters when they aren't in college, and recently choreographed a modern dance piece about the "empty nest," performed by an ensemble of women age 40+.

Register on eventbrite by 8:30 pm EST -April 23rd
This is Live Zoom event—no recordings

Speaker Heidi Schauster,MS,RD,LDN,CEDES-S,

04/03/2024

Sign up to our 2 CEU Event for April 24, 2024 -
6:30 pm -8:30 pm EST -Registration closes April 23–8:30 pm. This is Live event only

How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves
Speaker: Heidi MS, RD,LDN, CEDS-S,SEP

Heidi will outline non-linear steps for raising kids who love food, their bodies, and themselves. She will address the challenge of working with parents with both compassion and authority to prevent and treat disordered eating in children and teens. The importance of talking with kids about food and bodies in intuitive, embodied, and inclusive ways will be discussed at length.

Objective 1: Participants will be able to engage in real conversations about food and bodies with children and teens to combat diet culture and fatphobia.
Objective 2: Participants will actively discuss and take back to their practices tools for working with parents and caregivers in a compassionate but authoritative way.
Objective 3: Participants will see families and caregivers as allies in the prevention of disordered eating and body concerns and be able to arm them with strategies for viewing kids and teens as whole persons, in order to combat the negative influences of the culture.

Speaker : Heidi Schauster, MS, RD, LDN, CEDS-S, SEP is a nutrition therapist and Somatic Experiencing (SE)™ Practitioner in the Greater Boston area who has specialized in eating and body image concerns for nearly 30 years. She provides individual and group counseling and clinical supervision/consultation and is particularly interested in the intersection between food and body concerns with trauma. Heidi is the author of the award-winning book Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Self; the recently published Nurture: How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves; and the Nourishing Words newsletter on Substack. Heidi lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with her partner and twin daughters when they aren't in college, and recently choreographed a modern dance piece about the "empty nest," performed by an ensemble of women age 40+.

Register on eventbrite by 8 pm EST -April 23, 2024.

Speaker Heidi Schauster,MS,RD,LDN,CEDES-S,

03/13/2024

Sign up for our March Zoom event on eventbrite
with two speakers—2 CEUs —sign up by Tuesday 3/19 @ 8:30 pm on eventbrite

Connecting the Dots: Matching Swallow Dysfunction and IDDSI Levels

Speakers: Katrina Woodward, MS/CCC-SLP,FEES Specialist & Certified Dementia Practitioner & Mary RyBicki,MS, RDN, LDN--
Speakers:

· Katrina Woodward, MS/CCC-SLP, FEES Specialist & Certified Dementia Practitioner: Chief Administrative Office for Swallowing Diagnostics, LLC. Member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is Vice President of Education & Planning for Massachusetts Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is also a volunteer on the Advocacy & Communications Workgroup as co-chair of USIRG (United States IDDSI Reference Group).

Mary Rybicki, MS, RDN, LDN: Volunteer for over 2 years with the USIRG, United States IDDSI Reference Group; Dietitian in Post-Acute Settings/Long Term Care; and Editor and Chief NCM Diet Manual.
Learning need goals/Objectives:

1. Understand the usual swallow mechanics versus impaired. What does that translate into a person's foods/fluids tolerance?

2. Learn to speak the IDDSI language to engage effectively with the health care team.

3. Embrace IDDSI as the evidence best practice for texture modified diets and apply to person centered approach for quality care. Identify your role!

Speakers: Katrina Woodward, MS/CCC-SLP,FEES Specialist & Certified Dementia Practitioner & Mary RyBicki,MS, RDN, LDN--