Wahanda US Blog

We’re sure you’ve noticed, but we’re currently running a fantastic competition to  win a 3-night, all inclusive spa getaway for two at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa. Just to whet your appetite a bit more, we’ve been having a chat with one of the specialists who will help to make your stay super special…

Junelle Lupiani is a registered dietitian who specializes in weight management and the integration of nutrition in disease prevention.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

The field of Dietetics encompasses many different arenas of work, and I have been fortunate to have experienced many.  I’ve spent time doing clinical work, community nutrition, sports dietetics, research and education.  Before taking an interest in dietetics, I spent over a decade working in restaurants and kitchens so I have always known that my profession would be related to food in one way or another.  After becoming credentialed and working in the clinical arena, it became increasingly clear that my interests lied in the field of wellness and disease prevention.  My interest in wellness is really what led me to Miraval.

How did you come to work with Miraval?

After spending a good deal of time working clinically, it became clear to me that I would be able to provide the most benefit to healthy individuals who’s desire is to stay that way for years to come.  Fortunately, it is becoming more and more evident to people the importance of good nutrition for optimal health.  People are beginning to truly see the power of good nutrition, both on day to day (physical energy, emotional health and ability to focus and pay attention) as well as long term effects on things like disease prevention and weight maintenance.

What would you say is the most rewarding part of your job?  What do you think makes the Miraval experience so memorable & unique?

Seeing guests who return to Miraval having successfully met their goals is most rewarding for me.  Whether it be decreasing blood pressure medicine, regulating their diabetes through diet, or achieving a desired weight.  I have seen these as well as other great success stories here, I believe it is because Miraval is a motivator for change.

Can you tell us more about the integrated wellbeing approach of Miraval? What is integrated wellness?

Here at Miraval, we believe that health lies within the whole person, and as an Integrative Wellness Team, we pay close attention to the whole person.  Our Integrative Wellness Team is comprised of a group of professionals who understand that health lies beyond physiological self and these other aspects, including emotional, behavioral, and spiritual all need to be addressed and assessed when providing advice.  For example, if I am working with a guest on weight loss I focus on many aspects beyond just providing more knowledge or data or information.  Most of my clients are highly educated, knowledgeable people who have read all the books and heard all the advice, so it is important to investigate why this knowledge is not applied.  That is where the emotional and behavioral components are addressed.  Often times once these other aspects are addressed and investigated, we see a more positive and powerful outcome than providing more data or information.

With such a broad menu of services and activities at Miraval, do you have a favorite?

I love the challenge events here at Miraval.  Like I mentioned, I work with many guests on behavior modification and behavior change.  When attempting to change behavior, it is often times a good idea to have a specific defining moment where you can consciously turn the page on that behavior.  That’s why I love referring guests to the challenge activities.  If I have a guest who wants to end their daily consumption of diet cola, I recommend they try our Desert Sky Zipline Experience, and use that specific experience as a way of letting go of that past behavior and step toward a more healthy future.

What do you think are the most important ways to maintain good health and well-being?

Keep a positive outlook and meet yourself where you are at.  John Kabat-Zinn has a wonderful quote that I like to keep in mind …there is more right with you than wrong with you.  So essentially, no matter what, you should have positive outlook.  And meeting yourself where you are at is integral.  I see many people who have a lot going on in there lives, so I remind them that piling more on may not be advantageous.  For example, they may never make 3 meals a day from the bottom up or have the time to prepare 6 small meals to bring to the office each day.  Food is essential for life, but not all there is to it.  So we need to keep focused on the idea that we can find a way to incorporate good dietary habits into our existing life, rather than have to change our life in order to gain good dietary habits.

Is there one bad health habit you wish people would quit? Why? How about one good habit you’d like to see more people start?

I believe, as a society, we have a poor overall relationship with food.  We are taught from a young age to consume foods according to what they don’t contain with little attention paid to what they do.  For example, we often chose foods based on if the package reads “Non-fat”, “low-carb”, “light”, “low-calorie” rather than consider the nutritional quality of food.  This creates a nation of people who bypass the produce section of the market in order to find the 100 calorie snack pack isle.

I often times joke during my lectures about how I have yet to meet a client who comes to my office to discuss weight loss on account of their fruit and vegetable intake.  As funny as that sounds, it’s really true!  However, many clients view certain fruits and veggies as “bad” choices.  The sugar content of bananas or the glycemic index of carrots and lima beans are not the issue, the amount of processed, refined, basically “predigested food” is.  And by assessing your food choices based on their nutritional worth, for example what they do contain in terms of nourishment, rather than what they don’t will have people purchasing, preparing and consuming a much more optimal diet.

Now you know even more about them, don’t forget to enter our competition to win a 3-night, all inclusive spa getaway for two at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa…