CREDENTIALS / EDUCATION
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
Masters of Science (MS) Degree in Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Chicago
Supervised Practice (1,200 Hours):
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital
Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment
Dawn Jackson Blatner Media & Communications
Research Experience:
Intermittent fasting / time-restricted eating (TRE) work with internationally recognized researcher, Dr. Krista Varady.
Three peer-reviewed publications.
Find me on Instagram @maramcstay_nutrition for some fun nutrition tips and my latest research musings!
MY BACKGROUND
My interest in health and wellness developed initially during an introductory nutrition course at my undergraduate alma mater, the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I couldn’t get enough of the topic!
However, I was nearly finished with a degree in business and chose to follow that path instead. So while I consider nutrition my first real love, it is actually my second career.
As an undergrad I double majored in finance and real estate & urban land economics. I spent my twenties working in real estate private equity.
During my first few years in the industry as an analyst and associate, it was common to log 70+ hour weeks at the office. I quickly learned that dialing in my diet, budgeting time for workouts, and prioritizing sleep was the key to maintaining a high level of performance — and my sanity.
Years passed, and my interest in health and nutrition topics continued to evolve. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was meant to work in the healthcare field, educating and coaching others on nutrition to support optimal health and their highest potential.
The nutrition research process also fascinated me. I knew I wanted to become involved with research work at some level.
In 2017, after much soul searching (plus some professional career coaching), I left my job in private equity to pursue my current path in nutrition. I haven’t looked back since!
