Rochelle L'Italien

Registered Dietitian
UNH Dining
Years Worked at UNH: 
19
Healthy Eating and Active Living
What does health mean to you?: 
Health is mind, body, spirit – the whole package. I choose how I fuel my body, how I work my body for fitness and what I feed my mind with thoughts. I then can have a positive influence on myself, those around me, and how I contribute to my community and place on this planet.
What do you do to make a Healthy UNH?: 
I walk to meetings, always take the stairs, bike commute in good weather, choose fruits and vegetables first for meals and snacks. I participate in Healthy Returns at UNH and other wellness activities. I talk with students and staff to help inspire them to accept themselves and make good health choices for eating and fitness.
How do you stay fit?: 
Most days I follow a 6 day a week routine of workouts in my own living room - - two favorite programs being Insanity® and P90X® - - high intensity interval training and weight training routines in 60 and 90 day segments. Other favorites are outdoor biking (I completed a 100 mile ride this summer!) and snowboarding in winter. Also love to get active outside with hiking and flower gardening.
Do you have any tips for eating healthfully?: 
Become more mindful of the choices and portion sizes you make for selecting and eating foods. Make more scratch meals at home, pack a snack and lunch, drink water, think colors to get more fruits and veggies for nutrient density. Slow down your pace of eating. Enjoy the taste.
How do you find motivation to stay healthy?: 
Fitness is my mental health prescription so I prioritize it in my calendar. Getting up at 5am to do an hour workout is a challenge some days but getting out of bed is the hardest part – finishing the workout and knowing I can move on with the rest of my day knowing I didn’t skip it is so worth it to my sense of accomplishment and health. I also have a buddy system of like-minded folks keeping me accountable and cheering me on. I also set reasonable goals that I can measure. Being a role model to my sons for health is very important to me as well.
Have you made any tangible improvements to your health by making positive changes in your life?: 
Over the past couple years I had some extra weight creep on in my stomach area and I wasn’t as active. I decided to make some changes. Healthy Returns data over this time has shown me I have improved my weight and lost some abdominal fat, which is great. I can also crank out many sets of push ups, no problem!
Anything else you would like to add?: 
It is wonderful discovering what you’re capable of if you just decide, commit and take action. I didn’t learn to snowboard until I was about 37 years old – did my first century bike ride (100 miles) when I was 44. It’s never too late to learn and try new things. Honor your body, mind and spirit with being well and ask for help and support.