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About Julie

CassieSchottPhotography_OBNewbornSession

Julie with her youngest son

CassieSchottPhotography_OBNewbornSession

Julie Bendix, MPH, RD, LDN, SPN, CLC is the founder and owner of Julie Bendix Nutrition Consulting. Her areas of expertise include nutrition counseling for fertility and pregnancy, gestational diabetes, infant and child nutrition, breastfeeding, and food allergies. She provides consulting services to individuals, families, businesses, governments, schools, and communities.

 

In addition to her private practice, Julie has worked as a public health dietitian for Heartland Alliance, Women Infants and Children, Chicago Department of Public Health, Food & Friends, and the Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington. Most recently, she provides nutrition counseling for gestational surrogates at Private Label Surrogacy.

 

Julie earned her B.S. in Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and MPH from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Julie completed her dietetic internship at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital.

In 2023, upon completion of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition Mentorship Program, she earned the designation of Specialist in Prenatal Nutrition (SPN).

 

Although her nutrition expertise finds its way into her daily life, in addition to counseling others, Julie enjoys staying active through yoga, running, and cycling, cooking, reading, traveling, and visiting the nearby parks and beach with her family.

 

Please contact Julie for your individual and community nutrition needs. Individual and family nutrition counseling services are available in-person for those in the northern Chicago area or by phone or video for those living at a distance.

Julie with her husband and children

What do all of those credentials 
after her name mean? 
 
MPH = Master of Public Health
  • Julie completed her MPH at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and specialized in Health Education and Health Behavior. Julie has a passion for nutrition not only at the individual level but the US population as a whole. Julie believes that healthy eating from the beginning of life can prevent health problems later in life and optimize the health of our future population.
 
RD = Registered Dietitian 
  • Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only credentialed professional nutrition experts. Anyone can call him or herself a "nutritionist" but only RDs have completed a rigid undergraduate curriculum in nutrition and dietetics courses, applied and completed an accredited supervised practice (or "dietetic internship"), and passed the Commission for Dietetic Registration's certification exam. All Registered Dietitians must complete continuing education throughout their career to stay up-to-date and licensed. Registered Dietitians work in a variety of specialties and work settings from private practice to hospitals to schools to local governments to food companies to health care technology companies... and beyond. RDs often specialize in a population or health condition such as pediatrics or cancer. All Registered Dietitians can call themselves nutritionists but not all nutritionists can call themselves Registered Dietitians. 
  • For more information on the difference between RDs and non-credentialed "nutritionists", please see the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics's website:
  • http://www.eatrightpro.org/resources/about-us/what-is-an-rdn-and-dtr/what-is-a-registered-dietitian-nutritionist
 
LDN = Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (in Illinois)
​
SPN = Specialist in Prenatal Nutrition
  • Julie completed the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition Mentorship Program with Lily Nicols RDN CDE
​
CLC = Certified Lactation Counselor
  • Julie is trained to provide guidance and education to breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women planning to breast feed. She is trained to assess a breastfeeding couplet, provide education and counseling, as well as advocate for breastfeeding.
  • What is the difference between a CLC and an IBCLC? Not much! The main differences can be found in the training process to become a CLC or an IBCLC. Both are considered credentials for lactation consultants. One is not more advanced than the other. The level of advancement comes from the provider's professional and clinical experiences. 
  • Read more here: https://www.alpp.org/pdf/Comparative-Roles-CLC-and-IBCLC.pdf
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