About Us

Imagine Dietitians (practice number: 0595039) opened its doors on the 4th of January 2016 in Stellenbosch.

Imagine all the possibilities

 

 

Our Story

Imagine Dietitians officially opened its door in 2016 in Stellenbosch.

Our main focus at the practice is to help you imagine all the possibilities in your life when food, body issues and dieting does not take up so much of your mental capacity. There are often strict meal plans and rigid exercise programmes involved with ‘a healthy lifestyle’, but Chantel, Bianca and Brittany believe that a healthy lifestyle should be a sustainable one: a lifestyle where all food fits, where you exercise to celebrate your body and how much it can do (not because you have to punish yourself for what you ate) and where a healthy relationship with food is restored.

We work with various health professionals (from doctors to therapists like occupational therapists, psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, biokineticists and nurses to ensure your optimal well being.

 We currently offer various dietetic services which include (but is not limited to) nutritional assessments and counselling for both in-hospital and outpatients.

In-hospital we provide nutritional support (in the form of nutrition support for people diagnosed with chronic diseases, ordering oral nutrition supplements for people with poor appetite and increase energy or protein needs due to illness or surgery, enteral- or parenteral nutrition when oral intake is not possible) and counselling to clients and their families (including both adults and children) diagnosed with various conditions. 

At our outpatient practice we provide counselling services for similar conditions, as listed above. Here we also focus on intuitive eating (healing a person’s relationship with food and body), sports nutrition, family and women’s health as well as student health. We are a weight inclusive, non-diet practice.

Our tariffs are NOT based on medical aid fees. It is your responsibility to pay for the session and claim back from the medical aid. It remains your responsibility to confirm if your medical aid will cover our sessions. If you are unsure of this, we can assist in finding out for you.

Chantel Walker

Chantel Walker

Registered Dietitian

Chantel Walker – Registered Dietitian & Business Owner

Chantel is a registered dietitian, business owner, passionate reader, avid traveler, amateur chef, and self-proclaimed foodie. She is dedicated to helping individuals make lasting changes to their diets and lifestyles through a personalized, holistic approach.

Chantel earned her BSc in Dietetics with Honours from the University of Stellenbosch, where she also completed her community service year in Sabie, Mpumalanga. She then returned to the Western Cape and worked as a locum dietitian at several private practices before opening her own practice in Stellenbosch in January 2016.

Chantel is committed to supporting her clients with sustainable, non-diet strategies, drawing from principles such as Health at Every Size (HAES), intuitive eating, and a focus on individual needs. Her specialties include supporting individuals with eating disorders, disordered eating, emotional eating, neurodiverse children with sensory needs, women’s health (including pregnancy and infant nutrition), and gastrointestinal disorders.

Credentials & Special Interests:

  • BSc Dietetics Honours (Stellenbosch)
  • Infant Feeding Course, BFHI (Western Cape Department of Health)
  • CDE – 5-Day Advanced Course in Diabetes Care (CDE, Johannesburg)
  • Bariatric Accredited Dietitian (CEMMSSA)
  • Optifast Accredited Dietitian (CDE & Nestlé)
  • Eat Fit IBS Trained Dietitian (Eat Fit South Africa)
  • Minding the Food Space (Julie Dean-Williams, Module 1 – 7, Eating Disorders)
  • Eating Disorders for Registered Dietitians (Shawna Melbourne, 1-Year Course)
  • Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor (Intuitive Eating Organization, Evelyn Tribole)
  • Inclusive Eating Disorder Care (The Mindful Dietitian)
  • Nutrition Counselling for Eating Disorders 3.0 (Marci Evans, In Progress)
  • Binge Eating Disorder Treatment Course for Dietitians (Fiona Sutherland and Aaron Flores)

Chantel believes in the importance of continuous learning and regularly participates in professional development opportunities to stay informed and up-to-date in the field.

When she’s not seeing clients, Chantel enjoys reading, experimenting with new recipes, and spending time with her loved ones. Although her free time has changed since the arrival of her little one, she now finds joy in exploring baby and child development, creating baby-friendly meals, and discovering the world anew through her child’s eyes. Travel remains a priority for Chantel and her family, though now it’s often a chance to relax and enjoy new places while caring for their baby.

Chantel is registered with the HPCSA and holds memberships with the Golden Key Association and ADSA.