MY BACKGROUND
I am a passionate Dietitian (RD), registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as well as a qualified Rebounding Instructor.
I was lucky to know from the young age of 15 that I wanted to be a dietitian. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. It truly is my passion.
I enrolled to study Dietetics at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch. Throughout my studies my love for health and human nutrition grew fonder. I completed my Bachelor of Science (BSc) Honours degree in Dietetics in 2016.
As a health professional in South Africa, a compulsory community service year is part of the deal. I was placed in the North-West at Brits District Hospital. I packed up and moved to the beautiful Hartbeespoort, a short drive from my new workplace. I was so privileged during this year to form part of a team of 8 dietitians. I gained valuable experience, not only as a dietitian, but as a young adult. I worked with a wide variety of patients, but I especially learned a lot about the nutritional management of patients with human immunodeficiency virus and Pulmonary Tuberculosis as well as babies with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
After completing my community service year, I moved back to Cape Town, in the Western Cape. Job opportunities were scarce and I decided that I wanted to continue gaining experience so I worked as a volunteering dietitian at Karl Bremer Hospital for a short while.
In April 2018 I started working in the nutraceutical industry as a dietitian and sales representative. I gained much knowledge about the role and importance of nutritional supplementation and enteral nutrition in nutritional support of patients.
In 2019 I joined an established private practice in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town. Between 2019 and 2022 I gained invaluable experience seeing patients in a private hospital as well as a private sub-acute hospital. My duties entailed the prescription of oral
nutrition supplements (ONS), enteral nutrition (EN) and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) as well as nutritional education on chronic conditions and gastro-intestinal conditions for patients on ward level and in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I formed part of the multi-disciplinary team working in the Covid ICU assisting with nutritional support of Covid-19 patients during the pandemic. My job also entailed seeing patients in an out-patient capacity for numerous conditions such as Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus.
In 2022 I moved to Vredendal on the West-Coast with my husband. I am very proud to have established my own private practice, Cara Fick – Bounce Back.
I now combine my dietetics and nutrition expertise with Rebounding. I became a Lisa Raleigh trained Rebounding Instructor in 2021, and because I believe in all the amazing benefits of rebounding, I decided that I want to offer both services to my clients. After all, health can only be optimal when, in conjunction with mental and social well-being, we do not neglect a healthy diet or physical activity.
COURSES COMPLETED
CDE accredited, having completed the Centre of Diabetes and Endocrinology’s (CDE) 5-Day Advanced Course in Diabetes Care for Health Professionals in 2019
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CDE OPTIFAST® trained and accredited dietitian having completed the CDE OPTIFAST® Training Programme in 2019
DNAlysis Dietitian having completed the DNAlysis Practitioner Course in 2020
Qualified Rebounding Instructor having completed the Lisa Raleigh Rebounding Instructors course in 2021
Completed the ModuLife CDED Expert training on the Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED) in 2022
MY APPROACH
Bounce Back is the most fun you will ever have as you work towards looking and feeling your best. A combination of expert knowledge in diet and nutrition, as well as physical exercise… the best of both worlds!
As your dietitian, I aim to create nutritional plans that align with your personal health goals or specific medical needs. As your rebounding instructor, I help you to feel good in your own skin, taking you through weekly low-impact exercise sessions on a mini-trampoline (It’s a great deal of fun - trust me!)
I am a firm believer of continuous, life-long learning. I am dedicated to staying up to date with the latest research and findings in my field, in order to provide you with the latest evidence-based nutrition and Rebounding training.
As with all things in life, I believe that balance is key! Every person is different and I treat each patient or client as such. I aim to create a safe space, where you are able to express your fears, feelings and previous experiences with diet and exercise, and together we will set new goals and strategies to take charge of your health and well-being. Well-being is so much more than what we eat and how much we exercise. My approach is to teach you to enjoy food and exercise, to not be afraid of certain foods, but to learn to be informed about what you are eating and in what ways it is able to nourish your body! ALL food should form part of a healthy diet. YES, even those treats you enjoy most!
Let me help you to invest in your own health and well-being! It truly is the best investment you will ever make!