This month, we’re thrilled to recognize Kari Sharp, MS, RDN, one of our valued Orgain Healthcare Advisory Panelists. Kari has been an active Orgain Healthcare Ambassador and now sits on our Healthcare Advisory Panel where she provides consulting support, insights and expertise to the Orgain Healthcare team. Thank you for all that you do, Kari.
About Kari Sharp, MS, RDN
Kari Sharp, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Sharp Nutrition, a private practice dedicated to helping individuals, families, and children achieve a healthful and nutritious lifestyle. Learn more about Kari’s background and how she uses Orgain with patients, in our exclusive interview below.
Orgain X Kari Sharp, MS, RDN – Interview
- Please tell us a little bit about yourself personally and professionally so that our readers will be able to “get to know you.”
My journey to become a registered dietitian began when I was raised in a home where a healthy lifestyle was just our normal way of life. I continued on that path, but not careerwise, until I had kids of my own. Since both had unusual dietary issues, I started seeking healthy ways to help them. My search for answers led me to go back to school to become a Registered Dietitian.
My private practice specializes in pediatrics and families, but I also enjoy each of my adult clients. I suppose everyone is a kid at heart.
Since I had an art background, I developed a creative learning environment where I help teach the new generation of upcoming dietitians.
When I am not working, I’m usually training for the next marathon, out hiking with my dog, spending time with family, or laughing with some friends. - How do you use Orgain in your practice?
My personal experience! I discovered Orgain when my chiId was five years old and underweight. It was the only product on the market I trusted to nourish my child properly. The question I continue to ask my now college-age child is, “Did you drink your Orgain nutritional shake today?”
With Orgain’s expanded product line, I too am benefiting from using it. I personally have had an aversion to animal-based protein most of my life due to sensory issues. Once I started adding Orgain protein powder to my smoothie every morning, I felt completely nourished. Plus, I noticed that I was able to gain more speed in my sport of distance running. At age 53, I rocked my most recent marathon. Since Orgain has helped my family, I naturally wanted to help spread the word to others. - Please share a recent patient or client success story using Orgain.
My private practice specializes in pediatrics, including the neurodiverse population. My patient struggled to eat enough calories each day and was having digestive issues. He was a non-verbal autistic teenager in constant motion. He only ate very specific foods and stopped eating when he felt full. It was a difficult case, but together with his parents, we added calories without adding volume to his foods. One of the many ways that we accomplished this was including Orgain products. We snuck in a little of the unflavored Organic Plant-based Protein Powder into his morning peanut butter-flavored oatmeal. We also switched him to the Orgain chocolate flavored nutritional shake from another brand. I have noticed that some of the competitor products tend to cause digestion issues in my patients. When we switched to Orgain, the child tolerated it well. By following the recommended nutrition regimen, that included Orgain, he slowly gained weight and has been in a healthy weight range ever since.
