The Eat Smart Difference:
I am passionate about helping people eat healthy and manage lifestyle diseases with the foods they know and love. I educate my clients with easy-to-understand nutrition facts and powerful tools for long lasting change.
Peace be unto you!
I’m Fathima Abdoola, an Accredited Practising Dietitian & Nutritionist with ten years experience in the Zambian and Australian nutrition industry. Today, you and everyone around you, are bombarded with weight loss challenges, 10-day detoxes, blood type or low carb diets and even ‘magic juices’ for managing diabetes. All this information is complex and confusing, not to mention holds no scientific merit. I am here to declutter this all for you and create a healthy program that you can integrate into your personal lifestyle, without restriction.
I believe that there is no need to be in a rush to lose weight, and diets claiming to do so will leave you hungry, unsatisfied and low in energy. Research has shown us time and time again that long-term healthy eating is the answer.
Labelling single foods “super foods” and others as “bad” is creating stressful expectations of our diets. Rather, I promote driving a change in mindset and a healthy relationship with food showing you how all foods can fit into our diets.
My true passion is educating and empowering everyday people like you to achieve your dietary goals while eating your cultural foods. I use science-based information and strategies to ensure your long-term success. After all, eating is a behaviour and changing the way we eat takes much more than just a meal plan.
I have helped many clients manage their weight, diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, gastritis, IBS, food intolerances and even improve their sports performance. Let’s work together and make sure you feel good and live your best life.
MY STORY
I was born and raised in Zimbabwe, before migrating to Australia during my secondary schooling years. I was back every school holiday as Africa had stolen my heart. I completed a Bachelors in Nutrition & Masters in Dietetics at The University of Queensland.
Fast forward to today, I have been living in Zambia with my husband for seven years and we have two amazing children. My love for the simplicity of the African diet and lifestyle has allowed my passion to stay strong.
This is where my true passion stems from.
My career started in private practice, where I spent two years helping clients manage chronic disease through dietary change. Upon moving to Zambia, I landed a job at The University of Zambia, as a Clinical Nutrition Lecturer for four years. It was this experience that truly shaped my understanding of the Zambian Nutrition Landscape.
In 2017, I made my way back into the private industry full time and consulted as a Clinical Dietitian at many hospitals around the city. As my business grew, I began to wear many hats; educating corporates on nutrition, designing inpatient menus, providing public workshops and much more.
This hands-on experience at the individual level allowed me to see the huge gap in accurate nutrition information and access to nutrition services in the country. I was having hundreds of one on one conversations each year and I needed to do something. I then wrote my first book “Zambian Healthy Eating Handbook”. The goal was to provide access to easy-to-understand nutrition information. To date, I have 1000 copies with the public and I’m looking forward to Edition 2, which is in its final stages.
My journey within the Zambian health and nutrition industry has been incredibly challenging but ever so rewarding. There are many barriers that I will continue to combat; limited insurance coverage, lack of public awareness and education, little advocacy for the nutrition profession and poor recognition among the medical profession. But I keep my goal in sight: to increase access to nutrition services in Zambia and eventually Southern Africa.
In order to achieve this, I aim for Eat Smart to become a hub for all things Nutrition for the public, health professionals and then eventually be able to give back by subsidising necessary education of nutrition professionals in Zambia and beyond. God Willing!
If you like what you hear and are ready to take the next steps with your personal health and food journey; allow me to be your biggest cheerleader and support system. I can show you how and create a personalised program to match your lifestyle that is proven to last.
OUR TEAM
Eat Smart is continuously growing and we hope our consultants can be there to support your needs!
Rommie Mwila
Registered Nutrition Technician & Nutrition Student
Rommie is part of the Eat Smart team. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition at The University of Zambia. Has worked in the clinical area for over a decade attending to a wide variety of cases.
“When I am having a session with my clients, I get down to what is practically workable for their home situation; individualising a diet plan is everything for me, and nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing a client happy with my service.”
Bright Chabala
Nutrition Technician
Bright is a passionate nutrition technician and student nutritionist in the Eat Smart consulting team. He is a great motivational speaker and supports we cooperate wellness service. His goal is to help you keep informed on best Nutrition practices to manage lifestyle diseases to maintain a healthy workforce.
“ I have mostly found that people can eat right if well informed, but most clients are busy and struggle to give attention to the quality of their diet in relation to their lifestyle. It is my wish to contribute to the reduction of all forms of malnutrition through the provision of quality nutrition-related information for reduced morbidity. My professional passion is to contribute towards a healthy population.”
Joyce Makasa
Registered Nutritionist, MPH
Joyce is a passionate nutritionist in the Eat Smart consulting team, offering one-on-one consulting services in our clinical spaces. Her goal is to help you manage lifestyle diseases through diet control.
“Majority of the clients seen so far have always wanted to lose weight either for personal satisfaction or for improved health outcomes, and one of the take-homes I learned through mentorship is to make sure clients understand that weight loss is not always about the number on the scale but also about how you feel, your mood and even how you fit into the clothes that you could not wear previously.”