Think back to the teacher or the mentor who first ignited the spark inside you and showed you to the “trailhead” of the career/life path you find yourself on today. When I was 9 years old starting out on cornet it was Doug Albert who first showed me how to hold the instrument, how to make a sound, how to stand on stage and go for it and most importantly how much FUN performing can be. What a gift to be able to sit across from Doug almost 30 years later and be able to say THANK YOU! This episode has some fun strolls down memory lane, but we also focus on the present, discussing Doug’s second career as a nutritionist. 

Doug has always led by example, possessing that quiet knack for including and team building that make him such an effective educator whether he’s talking about how to finger G sharp or what to eat for breakfast. In his second career as a nutritionist he continues to orient himself around teaching, lifting others up and a philosophy of lifelong learning. In the image-driven and impatient world of dieting and weight loss, it is so reassuring to hear from someone like Doug who simply wants to help people build healthier life habits. It’s also encouraging to hear his own health journey and how his study and learning has brought him to a much healthier place than where he was in his 30s. 

Some universal wisdom from Doug that can be applied to many aspects of life, not just nutrition: When asked, "What do you tell clients when they feel discouraged about falling back into bad habits?" he replied: First I want them to know that we all have that week or we all have that day, and they are not a bad person because of it. I actually will often just say, that’s the power of the addictive foods. I don’t want you to always say to yourself, “yeah I’m lazy and I’m eating too much food.” That’s the message we were [already] told ... that did not work. So I think instead it’s just accepting the fact that you need to avoid the foods that push your buttons. I just come at it from compassion and say, let’s start again.