Hello, I am Elif Arslan, and I have been working as a dietitian since 2014. At my office in Çankaya, Ankara, and through online sessions, I provide nutrition counselling to adults, to children and their families, to women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and to athletes.
My approach
Nutrition is not only about what and how much we eat. Work schedules, sleep, family meals, budget, cultural habits and personal taste are all part of the picture. That is why, in our first session, instead of handing you a ready-made list, I try to understand what your day actually looks like.
A few principles guide my work:
- Personalised planning: Every plan is prepared individually, according to a person's age, lifestyle, health status and goals.
- Sustainability: Instead of short-term, rigid approaches, we agree on small changes you can keep up over time.
- Evidence-informed guidance: My recommendations draw on current, reliable sources such as the World Health Organization and the Turkish Dietary Guidelines (TÜBER) published by the Ministry of Health.
- Teamwork: With clients who have a medical condition, I work in line with their physician's recommendations and, where needed, in contact with the physician.
- Non-judgemental communication: In our sessions I use a curious, solution-focused language rather than one of guilt and prohibition.
Education
I completed my undergraduate degree at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, in 2014. I then completed a master's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at the Gazi University Institute of Health Sciences; my thesis examined the snack choices of school-age children.
After graduating, I worked for some time in the nutrition and dietetics unit of a private hospital. There I saw first-hand the value of working alongside physicians, nurses and other health professionals. In 2019 I opened my own office in Çankaya, and since the pandemic I have also held online sessions on a regular basis.
Professional development and memberships
- Member of the Turkish Dietetic Association (Türkiye Diyetisyenler Derneği)
- Certificate programmes in nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding, sports nutrition and child nutrition
- Regular attendance at national nutrition and dietetics congresses
Nutrition science is a constantly evolving field, so I consider following new research and updated guidelines an essential part of my work.
How I work
In the first session we talk about your health history, any recent blood test results, your eating habits and your expectations. I then prepare a nutrition plan tailored to you. In follow-up sessions we look together at how the plan fits into your daily life and adjust it when needed.
Sessions can take place face to face at my office or online via video call. We can decide together which option suits you better.
For me, a good nutrition plan is not the one that looks perfect on paper, but the one you can still follow in the middle of a busy week.
The articles and recipes on this website are for general information only. Finding an eating pattern that suits you requires an individual assessment.
