Nelly Kress – a passionate nutrition coach

Ms. Kress, your biography reads like a true success story. Can you describe your career development for us in short?  

My professional career started with an apprenticeship as a holistic aesthetician. After successfully graduating, I learned about dermatology and aesthetic medicine for the first time and I was so intrigued that I wanted to deepen my medical knowledge on these topics. For this reason, I decided to do an apprenticeship as a physician assistant at an international private clinic in Berlin. This period was very intense and informative. The education strongly framed my career because I was given insights into various medical disciplines and was exposed to numerous procedures and operations.

I was then awarded a scholarship from the German sbb (a foundation for talent support and occupational education) for my efforts and achievements. Through this, and directly after graduating as a physician assistant, I was able to go into advanced training as a specialist in ambulatory medical care, with an emphasis on nutrition medicine.

While working as a physician assistant, I completed my next apprenticeship at an educational nutrition practice. This is where I began specializing in medicinal weight management and nutrition therapy within nutrition counseling.

After successfully completing this advanced training, I began researching about self-employment and opening my own practice. In 2013 I finally did it: I was able to start my own business as a nutrition coach. After two very successful years in a shared practice, I implemented my dream of setting up my own office in 2015.
 

Why, of all things, do you think you chose to specialize in nutrition coaching?

When I was young, I often browsed through beauty magazines and would read about how beautiful hair, skin and nails required healthy living and the right care.

I realized early on in my education as a holistic aesthetician, that nutrition plays an important role in skin care. My mother became ill in 2007 and the doctor treating her told her that she had to change her diet. This was when I decided that I wanted to deepen my knowledge in medicinal nutrition and medical education.

During my apprenticeship as a physician assistant I was able to understand the medical connections between nutrition and health. I also began researching about the scientific background of a healthy diet and I noticed the desire to want to share this information with my patients. I realized that I wanted to help people.

Shortly hereafter, during my traineeship in a practice for diabetology, I learned and understood how important it was to advertise the importance of a healthy diet, educating people on the possibilities and achievements that can be had by changing their eating habits. This is why I decided to make a living with my hobby – there’s nothing better than going home at night and knowing that you’ve improved someone’s health.

You are very active on social media and on the internet. You also regularly visit shows on television and radio as an expert on nutrition. How important is the media for you and your work?

Especially today, I find a healthy diet a very important topic for our society. To be able to reach as many people as possible, you have to be up-to-date with modern technologies. My activities on the internet and social media platforms, aside from my expertise of course, were responsible for most of my radio and television visits.

From the first invitation on, I have felt proud to be affirmed in what I do. Every show lets me reach a large audience and discuss topics which are important to me.
 

In one of your television appearances, you used the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) to measure the body compositions of two women who were testing diet pills. What is your opinion on these types of devices? Are they simply expensive gadgets or do they contribute to the field? 

In no way is a BIA device only an expensive toy. In my daily work, and in my practice, this machine offers me so many powerful benefits.

I am currently using a seca mBCA 514 for analyzing body compositions. With the help of this device I have been able to illustrate, for example, how important healthy weight loss is and why diet pills should not be used to lose weight.

There was also one situation in which I was able to spot a serious illness in one of my patients through an anamnesia conversation in combination with the measurement data from the device. The doctor of this patient informed me later on that I had saved this person’s life. These are the kinds of moments when I realize how useful body composition analysis can be.

I now go through the same initial procedure with all my patients, measuring their height and weight, as well as their BMI with the seca measuring station. Upon the patient’s request, I will determine their exact body composition with the seca mBCA 514, and will then give them an extensive brief on their well-being, health and nutrition.

In combination with the seca measuring station, a synergetic effect becomes visible. The machines communicate wirelessly and the data is transmitted to a computer automatically. By using these devices, I can generate data to analyze, and therefore optimize my nutrition consultation, evaluating successful therapy solutions and helping my patients achieve their goals.
 

Have you reached your main career goal by starting your own practice, or do you have bigger steps planned for the future?

I have fulfilled a life-dream when opening this practice, but I most certainly have many more plans for the future.

Aside from working as a nutrition coach, I am currently doing an apprenticeship as an alternative practitioner. This will help me to further deepen my medical knowledge. I have also been awarded the Haug-alternative practitioner-scholarship for this education, due to my professional achievements so far. I am very proud of that!

At the moment, I am also working on a patient app and planning a YouTube channel. Through this, I would like to reach even more people and inform them how a healthy and well-balanced diet can prevent illness and ease discomforts. 

If I continued telling you all my plans for the future, I would most likely go way overboard in the scheduled time we have set up for this interview. So I’ll make it short: if you are interested in my activities, you can follow me on Facebook and Google+ or subscribe to my practice newsletter on my website. 

Thank you very much for the interview!