Natasha McLaughlin-Chaisson
Sports & Performance Dietitian & Entrepreneur
Professional bio
I have attained the world-renowned International Olympic Committee Diploma in Sports Nutrition. I also have a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from the Université de Moncton and am a certified ISAK level 1 anthropometrist.
I have spent over 10 years providing education, training and hands-on support to recreational, competitive, Olympic and professional athletes/teams throughout North America and Europe. I work with hockey players from the NHL, AHL & CHL. I have enjoyed working alongside Cycling Canada’s national teams, FIFA, and Football Canada, among various other sports at provincial, national and international levels. I have also enjoyed delivering 500+ professional speaking engagements and offer online self-paced e-courses and webinars. I continue to enjoy working as part of the para-cycling Canada sport science team.
Aside from sport, I am also a high-performance dietitian for various members of the RCMP, various fire fighting units, paramedics, and have worked with members of the military. I was previously a consultant with the Université de Moncton Kinesiology research team in the areas of shift work and performance.
I am now a yearly guest lecturer at my alma mater, where I also participated in developing a sports nutrition course offered in the departments of kinesiology and nutrition. I have lectured for many provincial and national associations including the New-Brunswick Association of Dietitians and Sport Physiotherapy Canada. I have also spoken nationally on the topic of sports nutrition for Athletes with type 1 diabetes. I have been a consultant provincially in the area of nutrition for concussion recovery.
I am currently a member of the New Brunswick Association of Dietitians. I am also a consultant for the Canadian Sport Center Atlantic, Coach New-Brunswick, and Aboriginal Sport & Recreation New Brunswick. I am the performance dietitian for the New-Brunswick Pain Institute.
Finally, I was awarded alumni of 2015 by the Université de Moncton Faculty of Health Sciences & alumni of the year (2017) by my High School. In 2020, I have been so fortunate to be awarded Nutritionist of the year from Community Votes Moncton. I was also nominated for the following awards: RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award-Women of Influence & Prix de l'émergence - Université de Moncton.
As for my personal life, I am a mother of two and a wife. I enjoy quality time with my family, practicing yoga, running, and savoring new foods. Favorite foods include: cheese, bread, pasta, chocolate & seafood!
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What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
I am proud of having received the International Olympic Committee Diploma in Sports Nutrition. I am also proud that I am an entrepreneur, a woman in the field of sport science and that I work in elite sport (NHL, Cycling Canada national teams), but most of all, I am proud that I am able to assist my clients in achieving their goals.
What’s your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?
I have seen how amazingly creative Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs have been in the way they have shifted their approach during the pandemic to help their businesses thrive. I see more appreciation and support from the public for local businesses daily. I feel that virtual-based local businesses will boom in the next 10 years. They will have less overhead, which may be less intimidating for new entrepreneurs to take on!
As for our biggest opportunity now: female entrepreneurs. Since becoming an entrepreneur, I have encountered many women who have shared their interest in opening their own businesses. It seems that these women are realizing that virtual-based businesses and flexible hours allow for an opportunity to balance family life and career without having to sacrifice either.
I believe that this pandemic has made our society even more understanding towards the realities of the balancing act between family and career. I feel as though our society is learning not only to accept, but also embrace this. While I have had my share of struggles, I am also very conscious of the fact that there are so many other women who have had to overcome so much more in terms of adversity. I admire their strength and resilience and it encourages me to strive to grow my business, even though it may be difficult at times.
What was your greatest stage of growth? What made it a shift for you?
Definitely becoming a mother. I grew both personally and professionally. With regards to my profession, I didn’t have as much time to spend on my career, or the energy to stress over the little things, so I learned, and continue to learn, to prioritize, become more efficient & listen to my gut.
What’s your favourite or most read book or podcast? Now or at each of your greatest stages of growth?
Do scientific research papers count? Or my kids books? Haha! I do very much enjoy The Unconventional RD podcast with Erica Julson and Foot Traffic Podcast with Stacy Tuschl, as well as various other podcasts that deal with business development & sports science.
What’s your deepest learning from this past year? How did/will you apply it?
With Covid-19, I was reminded, to be flexible, to be understanding, and to be open to learning how to better improve and accommodate so that I can attempt to overcome some of the challenges. This pandemic has forced me to be creative, to think further outside the box and to work on developing e-courses that could be accessed virtually, at any time and on a budget so that my services are available and can benefit a more significant portion- of the community.
Who’s inspired you, directly or indirectly? How have they inspired you?
Firstly, I am incredibly inspired by the Hadhad family, owners of Peace by Chocolate. They are a Syrian refugee family based in Antigonish, NS. I have yet to meet them, however, their resilience, pure hearts and community kindness, after all they have endured, is truly remarkable and reminds me that what truly matters in life is how you treat people. They prove that business and heart can go hand-in-hand.
I am also inspired by the following women both internationally & locally:
Prof. Louise Burke, Founder of Sports Dietitians Australia & Head of Sports Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport. She is a researcher with hundreds of publications in her name and is one of the founders of sports nutrition. She has paved the way for us in the domain. I was so fortunate to get to learn from her directly for 2 years, as she was one of my professors on the advisory board of the International Olympic Committee Sports Nutrition Diploma. As far as I am concerned, without her, there would be no sports nutrition.
Katie Kelly & Eryn Matheson, women’s health physiotherapists and co-owners of Reconnect Health Center in Moncton. These ladies are knowledgeable, kind, humble, and incredibly fierce in their goals of helping educate in Greater Moncton. They have truly created a community that feels supported and served, all while being mothers themselves. They are proof that you can be a mother and an entrepreneur.
Personally, my parents inspired me by showing me in the way they live, that regardless of the size of the task, I should accomplish it with pride, knowing that the quality I put into anything I do, represents the respect I have for it and for the people affected by it.
What would you have done differently?
Nothing. Every decision I made, regardless of the outcome, has helped me grow. I believe that life is full of learning opportunities.
What are the principles you live by?
I continue to grow as an individual and to develop into the person I want to be. These are some of the principles that I live by:
Treat others as you would want to be treated
Never stop learning
Be genuine and honest in everything you do
Embrace what makes you unique
Give your best effort in everything that you do
Focus on solutions
Actions speak louder than words
Time is more valuable than money
“The plural of anecdote is not evidence”- Dr. Louise Burke
Nutrition is a science, not an opinion
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Mother, Sports Dietitian, Sport science, science-based, woman in sport, entrepreneur, female entrepreneur, healthcare professional, Acadian, francophone, wife, foodie, musical, yogi, runner