Diet Culture and the First “Dietitian”

After realizing I had gained excessive weight, I heard the word “dietitian” for the first time and sought professional help. However, like many people, I believed in the popular diets I saw in newspapers more than I trusted my own dietitian. In three months, through intense exercise and restrictive diets, I lost 18 kilos. I was so proud of myself, but I had no idea of the harm I was doing to my body…until my menstrual cycle stopped. Over time, my obsession with weight loss took an unhealthy turn, and I didn’t realize I was standing on the brink of an eating disorder.

Even before starting university, my nickname had become “The Dietitian,” and I knew this was the work I had to do. During that process, by turning to popular fad diets alongside my dietitian, I removed 18 kilos from my life in a short 3 months through intense exercise and incorrect nutrition plans. Unknowingly, I invited health problems into my life that had never existed before. Although my weight loss obsession and attitude bordering on an eating disorder earned me that nickname, I would only begin to understand that dietetics is about so much more than weight loss years later, when I won my spot in the department and started my studies.

Studying Nutrition and Seeing the Truth

I entered the Ankara University Nutrition and Dietetics Department with high honours and graduated second in my class. As I got deeper into the field, I realised that my menstrual irregularity was less about the initial PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) diagnosis and more about the disruption in my eating behaviours. It took years to gain the weight back and recover my cycle. This process showed me clearly that nutrition is never just about physical health; it has a deep, profound connection with our psychology and identity. As you can tell from my story, I became my own first client and my own last dietitian in building this career.

From Clinic to Academy

After graduation, I worked as a dietitian at the Ankara Training and Research Hospital Endocrine Clinic for three years, specifically looking after children and adults with Type 1 diabetes. I loved making a difference, but my desire to research and teach was growing stronger every day. While pursuing my master’s degree, I started working as a research assistant at Hacettepe University; here, I was introduced to sports nutrition and body image issues in bodybuilders for the first time (my master’s thesis).

Discovering Endurance Sports and Gut Health

My doctoral work introduced me to endurance athletes experiencing exercise-induced gastrointestinal problems. I conducted research involving intense testing—such as resting metabolic rate measurements, lactate threshold tests, and gut microbiota analyses—and I found my true passion right there. Afterward, I won a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship supported by the Irish government and worked with endurance runners and elite athletes in the Department of Exercise Physiology at Dublin City University. There, I had the opportunity to work with over 100 Irish athletes, determining their training zones, creating detailed reports by measuring body composition, and interpreting blood tests to monitor their nutrition programs.

What Do I Do?

With my identity as an academic and researcher, I aim to break down the information pollution and misconceptions surrounding diets. Instead of random lists, I draw sustainable routes that centre on your blood values, your medical history, and your lifestyle, plans that do not harm your body. Whether you are an elite athlete or an active individual, my goal is to help you reach the best version of yourself, both physically and mentally.
Behind my ongoing career in the Netherlands lie the lessons I learned from my own struggles. My past experiences with stress-induced eating disorders and excessive exercise taught me that when approaching my clients, I need to focus on “feeling good,” not just on the number on the scale. That’s why, when working with you, my priority is always your hormones, your gut health, and your happiness.

If you’re wondering who the woman behind the “Dietitian & Academic” title is: I am spirited, always energetic, passionate, and a total sun-lover! I love music (big time!), hearty laughter, waking up early, that coffee drunk in the first silence of the morning, dark chocolate, warm friendships, traveling, hiking and running, mountain views, the smell of the sea, smiling people, Argentine tango, dogs (especially Golden Retrievers), hugs, the stories behind drinks, ice cream…In short, I love living life feeling every moment as if it were all one single day 😊