About OWN-Nutrition
Welcome to OWN-Nutrition! I believe living a healthy lifestyle and achieving performance goals shouldn't be complicated. Let's get back to the basics and discover what "makes you tick." My goal is to understand your individual needs and create a unique game plan to optimize your health and fitness for optimal performance.
About Katie
I am Katie Rhodes-Smith, founder of OWN-Nutrition. I am a Registered and Licensed Dietitian in Little Rock, Arkansas with a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition and am a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. That sounds fancy, but it really means I'm a foodie at heart. Through my experiences nutritionally training elite athletes and working in the clinical setting at Arkansas Children's Hospital, I understand that what we are putting in our bodies directly effects our performance, quality of life and longevity. I use my clinical knowledge and experience to shape how I practice wellness and sports nutrition.
Early in my career I was approached by Sigma Human Performance to direct their nutrition program targeting triathletes. I had not initially planned for sports nutrition to be part of my career path, but what started out as a learning opportunity led me to develop a passion for the field as a result of the relationships I developed with my clients. I soon understood that learning is never stagnant; not only is nutrition research constantly unfolding, but my experience working with such a diverse population led me to understand what I may think is fact, or the right way of doing something, is not always the universal truth. This is why I focus on accurate, unique and individualized nutrition. We are all different in our genetic makeup, daily routine, and preferences. My passion has always been to help people meet their goals through a personalized and research-based approach.
Early in my career I was approached by Sigma Human Performance to direct their nutrition program targeting triathletes. I had not initially planned for sports nutrition to be part of my career path, but what started out as a learning opportunity led me to develop a passion for the field as a result of the relationships I developed with my clients. I soon understood that learning is never stagnant; not only is nutrition research constantly unfolding, but my experience working with such a diverse population led me to understand what I may think is fact, or the right way of doing something, is not always the universal truth. This is why I focus on accurate, unique and individualized nutrition. We are all different in our genetic makeup, daily routine, and preferences. My passion has always been to help people meet their goals through a personalized and research-based approach.
About Jessica
Jessica Irgens is a Registered Dietitian/Sports Nutritionist. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from University of Central Arkansas. She obtained her Master of Science in Nutrition with an emphasis in sports nutrition from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She has worked with a wide variety of athletes in central Arkansas and Chicago. She was the sports dietitian for the Loyola University Athletic Department as well as a for several consultant companies. She loves helping individuals meet their nutrition goals and believes in the healing power of food. Her motto is "changing lives one calorie at a time."
About Emily
I am a Registered Dietitian and fitness enthusiast. I enjoy really anything that involves moving and getting the heart rate up! I received my Master of Science in Exercise Science from University of Louisiana at Monroe. Exercise and sport competition have always been a passion of mine and I seem to think it is because I love a challenge. I began to seriously get involved in sports training and competitions at age 8 where I joined an AAU basketball league and took golf lessons weekly. My enjoyment for competition continued throughout my high school and college career where I actively competed in five high school sports: basketball, golf, track, tennis, and cross country, and then went on to play collegiate golf at the NCAA Division II level. It was during my high school sports training where the idea of “you are what you eat” and the connection between proper nutrition and sports performance really clicked, which has lead me to do what I love as a dietitian. I have worked with a wide variety of athletes and sports teams at the University of Central Arkansas. I believe there is no better way to gain a competitive edge than to hone in on nutrition and find what works specifically for you!