by Amy Yiu | Apr 21, 2021

Amy is a registered dietitian as well as a cookbook author and award-winning public speaker

I came to the University of British Columbia as an international student to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and to fulfil my dream by becoming a registered dietitian. I fell in love with British Columbia’s friendly people, mountains, islands, beautiful stretches of coastline, attractive towns, and world-class skiing.  I am very grateful that I have the privilege to live in one of the best cities in the world.

When I was at UBC, I travelled with a group of international students to Kelowna, Penticton, and Osoyoos. It was my first experience living with a Canadian homestay family. They introduced me to authentic Canadian foods including smoked salmon and  pancakes with maple syrup.

Asian Diet Specializations: Weight Concerns, Chronic Disease (Heart Health, Bone Health, Diabetes), Meal Planning, Seniors Health, Mental Health, and Menopause 

Languages Spoken: Cantonese, Mandarin and English 

My overall background as a Dietitian

In my 15 year career as a registered dietitian I have had the opportunity to work with people from diverse backgrounds including immigrants from, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South East Asia along with Canadian nationals.  I am a very active media and community dietitian, and have collaborated with health authorities, corporations, and non-government organizations.  I founded Libra Nutrition in 2008 and have led teams of over a dozen student volunteers in many community nutrition education projects, as well as for the grocery industry and the non-profit sector.  

I co-authored Dietitians at Home, a cookbook for the whole family with easy and nutritious Asian diet inspired recipes. I am currently writing my second book! 

As I am very familiar with Chinese culture and Asian foods, I provide individual nutrition counselling for the Chinese community for a variety of health concerns such as diabetes, weight concerns, heart disease, osteoporosis, and menopause.  

I am very excited to join the Health Stand Nutrition team as an online nutritionist. I am glad to provide virtual nutrition counselling to any client who is looking for a private practice dietitian with my unique background.  

My favourite part about being a Dietitian is

I love working with people and sharing my passion for food and cooking. I am also glad that I can continue to reach out to more people and change more lives in more places thanks to advances in telecommunication. Since 2020 I have hosted many virtual workshops, reaching thousands of people around the world. I am fully equipped with all sorts of technology in my home “studio” for hosting virtual workshops from the comfort of my living room and kitchen.  

One myth that I want to clear up about Dietitians

Restrictive diet plans are not what we do best. We help people determine their food personality types, understand the science of food, nutrition and health, and build long term success to live a balanced life by making realistic and sustainable changes.  

My favorite nerdy nutritious food chosen for health

Goji berries! I put them in my oatmeal, cereal and baked goods.  

I also like steeping dried goji berries and slices of ginger in hot water to release a mild fragrant aroma and enjoy as a nourishing beverage.  

My favourite soulful food chosen for taste, enjoyment and social fun

Dim sum and egg tarts are the best in my world. I love bringing my family, friends and colleagues to Chinese restaurants to introduce our food cultures and traditions to non-Asians. I also enjoy hosting virtual cooking classes featuring Asian diet inspired recipes on a regular basis.  

Something that people may not know about me

I am a seasoned Toastmaster and attended weekly meetings at CompTalk Toastmaster in BC.  Since March 2020, we have been meeting virtually.  I stepped out of my comfort zone and competed in both International and Evaluation Speech Contests and won the Evaluation Speech Contest (Division level) in March this year. Public speaking skills are important tools for me to deliver key messages to others in a world that is full of confusing nutrition information.  

I am also very passionate in helping my colleagues acquire public speaking skills in empowering themselves.  In 2017 at the National Dietitians of Canada I co-presented to many Dietitians and students.  As someone that enjoys public speaking, I look forward to continuing to develop my craft and reaching more people. 

Looking for more assistance with planning a healthy Asian diet?   

Reach out to us for support so we can get you set up to see Amy for virtual nutrition counseling support for a healthy Asian diet you and your family.  Amy specializes in: Asian Diets, Weight Concerns, Chronic Disease (Heart Health, Bone Health, Diabetes), Meal Planning, Seniors Health, Mental Health, and Menopause.  Find out more about our nutrition counseling options here: Personal Nutrition Counseling.