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, Maya and Tessa 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
Registered Dietitian
Business owner, Amateur baker, Avid reader, Keen traveler and Foodie
Chantel started her dietetics career at the University of Stellenbosch in 2010. After graduating in 2013 she decided to choose a town far away from home to start her community service year at, and was placed at Sabie Hospital in Mpumalanga. She gained valuable knowledge in this year as she worked in the male and female general wards, clinics, paediatric and maternity wards. After her community service year she packed her bags and moved back to the Western Cape, where she started at an established private practice in Worcester. She eventually decided to start a private practice of her own – Imagine Dietitians and officially opened the doors in Stellenbosch, January 2016.
Chantel is passionate about assisting her clients with making sustainable lifestyle choices by following an individualized approach with each person that walks into her office. She is a firm believer of intuitive eating and practices these guidelines at each session. Her areas of interest include critical care (ICU) and Peri-operative nutrition in the hospital setting and disordered eating, emotional eating and eating disorders (in the acute hospital, psychiatric hospital and outpatient setting), palliative care, women’s health and gastrointestinal diseases.
Qualifications / Courses:
- BSc Dietetics Honours (US) 2010 – 2013
- Infant Feeding course, BFHI (20 hour, Western Cape, Department of Health)
- CDE – 5 day Advanced course in Diabetes Care (CDE, Johannesburg)
- Bariatric Accredited Dietitian (CEMMSSA)
- Optifast accredited Dietitian (CDE and Nestle)
- Mind the Food Space (Disordered Eating Course), Module 1 – 6
- Role of Nutrition in Optimal Growth and Immunity (Post Graduate Programme in Pediatric Nutrition, through Boston University)
- Geneway Accredited Practitioner – DNA Tests
- ED’s for RDs (Canadian Eating Disorder course, presented by Shawna Melbourne)
- The Mindful Dietitian (Australian Eating Disorder course presented by Fiona Sutherland)
- (Almost) Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, training by Evelyn Tribole
Chantel’s activities when she is not at the office:
Chantel loves to bake and decorate cakes for friends and family’s special occasions, like birthday parties, baby showers and kitchen teas. She will gladly entertain and cook for loved ones at home as often as she can. When she is not cooking regular, everyday meals, she is experimenting with new recipes and flavours – often leaving her friends and family having to be the guinea pigs. She loves to read and has a variety of books on her bookshelf at home: ranging from economic topics, autobiographies, short stories and classics. She enjoys the vineyards and mountains in her backyard and regularly explores new areas in the Western Cape with the love of her life. She loves to travel and is already planning her next trip, where she will be exploring the variety of food, traditional ingredients and recipes they have to offer.
She is registered with the HPCSA (DT0042412) and is a member of Golden Key, Allergy SA, EDRD Pro and ADSA.
Maya du Plessis
Registered dietitian
Nature lover, Absolute foodie
After graduating from Stellenbosch in 2017 with a degree in dietetics, Maya went on to do her community service year at Kimberley Hospital in the Northern Cape. There she gained considerable experience by working in the various intensive care units, neonatal unit, the pediatric wards and various medical and surgical wards. After completion of her community service year she headed back to Stellenbosch and joined Imagine Dietitians in 2019. Maya is also busy with her Master’s degree in Therapeutic Nutrition at Stellenbosch University and her Diploma in Sport’s Nutrition through the International Olympic Committee.
Maya is a firm believer that lifestyle changes can start at any age and loves being part of her patients’ journeys to optimal health. As an avid foodie she is passionate about helping her clients incorporate delicious food into their life.
Her areas of interest include pediatric nutrition, sports nutrition, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, nutrition in pregnancy and lactation, student nutrition counselling and critical care nutrition.
Qualifications / Courses:
- BSc Dietetics Honours (US): 2014-2017
- Masters in Therapeutic Nutrition: in progress
- Diploma in Sports Nutrition: in progress
- Infant Feeding Course: BFHI
- Role of Nutrition in Optima Growth and Immunity: Post Graduate Programme in Paediatrics, Boston University
Maya’s activities when she’s not in the office:
Maya is a big foodie and regularly tries out new recipes or explores restaurants and cafes over weekends. Maya enjoys nature and hiking in the beautiful mountains in the Western Cape and often goes camping with friends.
Tessa Fyfe
Registered dietitian
Foodie, Nature lover and Coffee enthusiast
Originally from Cape Town, Tessa graduated from Stellenbosch University in 2021 with a BSc in Dietetics. She then went on to complete her community service year at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley, Northern Cape, where she gained extensive clinical experience working in intensive care, surgery, paediatrics and medical wards to name a few. Tessa will be moving to Stellenbosch in 2023, joining Imagine Dietitians as an Eating Disorder Dietitian and she hopes to pursue her dreams of researching and working within this field for many years to come.
Tessa is devoted to individualised and personalised care for her clients. She is a firm believer in sustainable lifestyle changes and intuitive eating practises to generate healthy relationships with ourselves and food that last a lifetime. Tessa’s areas of interest include eating disorders, emotional eating and disordered eating, critical care, oncology and paediatrics.
Qualifications/courses:
- BSc Dietetics Honours (US) 2018 – 2021
- Higher Certificate in Exercise Science (HFPA) 2018 – 2020
- DNAlysis Accredited Practitioner (DNAlysis) 2022
- The Foundations of Eating Disorders (InsideOut) 2022
Tessa’s activities when she’s not in the office:
Tessa is an absolute coffee lover and will most likely be found at a local coffee shop in her spare time. She loves cooking – she can spend ages researching recipes or thinking up her own and will jump at any opportunity to cook a meal, have a glass of wine and a laugh with family and friends. Tessa also enjoys being creative, active and the outdoors with a relatively newfound interest and passion for running.