About us

Hi! I’m Ciara Reistad. I was born and raised in Southern California, and I now reside in the gorgeous Emerald Coast of Destin, Florida. I received a BS in Molecular Biology at San Jose State University while competing as an indoor and beach volleyball D1 collegiate athlete. After college I pursued a career as a biologist while also training to compete as a professional beach volleyball player. I soon realized working in a lab wasn’t for me.

Around the same time, I competed in a beach volleyball tournament in Destin Florida and fell in love with the area…as well as a local guy. So I decided to move to Florida and pursue a career in Nutrition. I went back to school and received a MS in Nutrition with a concentration in Professional Practice at Nova Southeastern University in South Florida with the goal to open my own private practice. Along came Optimal Health and Nutrition!

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I am committed to bringing a patient-centered approach to optimize your health.  I focus on taking a functional perspective, meaning I look at the root cause rather than treating the signs and symptoms.

As a Dietitian, I focus more on the quality of what we eat, as well as an overall healthy sustainable lifestyle, rather than dieting and counting carbs. I am passionate about helping others feel their best again, and I am knowledgeable in many areas of health especially GI, athletic performance and recovery, optimizing energy levels, weight management, and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle. (Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, and Physical Exercise)