About Chardonée Donald

Chardonée Donald is a Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Holistic Nutritionist, and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. She is also a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate in the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Program at Saybrook University. Chardonée has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science with a Minor in Nutrition and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition.

 

Chardonée completed the requirements for the Certified Nutrition Specialist credential through the American Nutrition Association® which includes 1000 hours of supervised practice and completing the board exam administered by the Board For Certification of Nutrition Specialists™. She has over 10 years of education and nutrition knowledge. Her primary focus is to help heal and maintain a healthy status. Her approach is to find the root causes of disorders and treat them accordingly.

 

She believes in setting a good foundation and listening to all of her patients. Chardonée worked for two years in a health food store in her home state of Illinois in her early 20s. This jumpstarted her desire to receive her certification as a holistic nutritionist, and she worked as such for four years before moving to Maryland during COVID-19 to become a caregiver in 2020 to her grandmother with vascular dementia. She noticed that her grandmother's memory was getting better over a couple of months time. She attributed that to cooking all of her meals daily, adding in supplements, and making sure she adhered to her physician's orders.

 

Chardonée also educates people on the importance of nutrition in difficult disease processes such as Sickle Cell Disease, dementia/cognitive decline, gut dysbiosis, SIBO, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Moyamoya Syndrome, reactive hypoglycemia, and others with the goal of reducing inflammation and damage to vital organs. Her primary interests are in reducing the severity and symptoms of vaso-occlusive crises in Sickle Cell Disease, reintroducing macro and micronutrients back into the body, circulatory support, cognition, reducing inflammation, and increasing hydration. Chardonée is humble, honest, open, and unique in her approach to care. She utilizes her heavy science background along with her holistic and integrative background to give great care to others. She believes heavily in connecting the dots and works very well with other medical professionals to deliver the best care possible.

 

Her interest in nutrition was inspired by her parents, her own personal struggles with health, and her husband. She got tired of being overlooked, misdiagnosed, turned away, and told, "It's all in your head". She knows what it is like to be a patient and feel unheard. Chardonée likes to get to know people as individuals, not as another "bed" being taken up. She is committed to listening to patients and building trust. She is always upfront about her care. Her famous saying is, "Every BODY is different. So, I will never treat two individuals the same. Your care should be as unique as you are".

 

At home, Chardonée is a continuing education student and, having completed her degree requirements, has now advanced to her final project (dissertation) portion of her Ph.D. in Integrative and Functional Nutrition with Saybrook University. She hopes that her dissertation will lead to more advocacy and proven scientific interventions for Sickle Cell Disease care in the medical arena. She moves with intention and has teamed up with her Sickle Cell Warrior husband, On The Air Sickled Podcast host Otmar Donald. She is the co-founder of the podcast and admin support. She is also a bonus mom and dog mom.

 

Her passions are cooking, DIY projects, painting, reading, rollerblading, volunteering, and participating in events with her local church. She also owns the organic loose-leaf tea company The Potter's Kettle. Her journey does not stop there! Chardonée is also a teaching assistant at the graduate level in the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Program at the very school she attends for her PhD. She attributes her success to God as a devout and loving Christian woman. She often states that her love for God is part of the reason she is able to treat everyone individually. "God didn't create everyone the same, nor with the same purpose. Nutrition is the same. It is different for everyone".