BIOGRAPHY
Jocelyn Graham, MS, RD, LDN
Helping fuel your body for optimal health!
Everything about Jocelyn (Brault) Graham is “paired” for excellence, from her multiple skill sets in exercise and sports science to her clinical, evidenced-based approach to nutrition.
Professionally, she is a clinician in family medicine as well as an athlete and coach of girls’ lacrosse teams at The Pingree School in South Hamilton, MA, and the Laxachusetts girls club team. Jocelyn is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, where she is active in the sports, cardiovascular and wellness nutrition (SCAN) practice group. She is also a member of the collegiate and professional sports dietitians association (CPSDA), and is a consultant for a prestigious sports hydration research company. Through hydration and sweat testing, she evaluates how an athlete can optimally hydrate and fuel to maximize performance.
Jocelyn has had rigorous academic and clinical training including her BA in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, certificate in the Didactic Program of Dietetics and Sports Nutrition at Simmons College, Dietetic Internship at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center, and Master of Science from the Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy at Tufts University.
“Working one-on-one to help clients achieve their goals, I get to use science and coaching, my two favorite things combined to offer the highest levels of expertise,” she says.
From the general public to the star athlete
Her diversity of clients includes those dealing with weight management, gastrointestinal distress, heart disease, blood pressure issues, eating disorders, diabetes, general health concerns, as well as active adults and star athletes seeking to enhance their performance.
Her unique “paired” food approach
“I named my business Nutrition Synergy because I like to think of how we can pack more power and nutrition into meals by combining foods together versus looking at one food in isolation,” she explains. “I work to pair foods together, finding complementary nutrients, to create the healthiest plate possible. We don’t eat one food at a time, we eat combination meals, and we don’t eat nutrients, we eat real food!
Jocelyn also believes eating and sharing meals should be enjoyable, by learning how to cook and pair foods together to offer variety and flexibility.
“Healthy eating does not have to be rigid as people think,” she explains, “In fact, by varying food choices we achieve optimum nutrition”. “By using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-based) goals, clients leave my office with tools to create a flexible and varied plan that supports their health and lifestyle needs.”
Her “paired” professional expertise
“My background in exercise and sports science sets me apart as I understand how movement affects nutritional needs and how food choices and fluid choices can help or hinder performance, “ Jocelyn shares. “I also played lacrosse at the Division 1 level, while studying exercise science and nutrition as a student-athlete. I understand the high demands of athletes, the limited time available, and how nutrition can play a key role in performance. My Master of Science in Nutrition has taught me how to analyze the data to come up with concrete evidence-based recommendations for active individuals.”
Unique niche in sports nutrition
Active adults and athletes have more specific nutritional needs:
- They must eat often.
- They need to be prepared.
- They must prioritize hydration.
- They need to be “picky eaters” and choose foods that fuel their performance and provide a balance of nutrients. This includes lean protein sources, high quality carbohydrates, healthy fats and a variety of vegetables to reduce inflammation and provide vitamins and minerals.
“When clients can put the pieces together and feel the impact on their day–to-day performance and their health by fueling their body properly, it can be life-changing” Jocelyn states.
Her sports mentoring skills carry over to her business now. Jocelyn believes: “The devil is in the details, and I have the training and experience to help my clients piece together a thoughtful and individualized plan based on their eating patterns and goals.
Diets don’t work
“I teach my clients how to fuel themselves for optimal health instead of learning how to lose the quick weight, which repeats an unsuccessful cycle”
She created Nutrition Synergy to help clients experience less stress around eating using scientifically proven data that gives them options, as there is not one perfect way to eat!
“I want people to live their longest, healthiest and happiest lives possible and food plays such an integral role in that.” she says.
Jocelyn and her husband, walk the talk-living active healthy lives, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, running (her), practicing polo (him), yoga, gardening and entertaining friends and family in their home on the North Shore in Massachusetts.