About Elevation Nutrition
Virtual and In-Person Nutrition Counseling based in Blaine County, Idaho
About Elevation Nutrition
Having grown up in the mountains of South Central Idaho, I wanted my business to imbue the wonderful life of living in a mountain town. Thus, Elevation Nutrition was born to support the awesome athletes and active adults I see regularly enjoying adventure-filled lives.
The definition of elevation as a noun is the height to which something is elevated. The definition of elevation as a verb has four definitions:
1) to lift up or make higher: raise
2) to raise in rank or status
3) to improve morally, intellectually, or culturally and
4) to raise the spirits of: elate.
I seek to elevate you in all interpretations of the word.
It is my philosophy to elevate health with positive nutrition guidance. I approach each person like a snowflake – no two are the exact same. Of course, humans have similarities, but there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Thus, I do not subscribe to fad diets or use words like “never” and “always”. (Honestly, I hope people don’t see me cringing when fad diet buzz words are used around me, but I definitely am on the inside!)
Trying to make sense of the health and nutrition information out there is absolutely overwhelming, even for a nutrition professional. Just like you, I do not do this alone. I seek help from credentialed health professionals who are experts in their fields when I am looking to level up or am not feeling my best. I collaborate with other dietitians and health care practitioners to be able to provide the best care. I focus on specialty areas I know I can continue to keep up with the research and best practices. Working through the confusion and your personalized needs is what I am here to help you do. Being at the top doesn’t have to be lonely. I am here to help elevate.
–Heraclitus
About Tina, MS, RDN, LD
I am Tina Kohli McGrew. I grew up in the Wood River Valley in Idaho as an athlete – I was a gymnast, skier, swimmer, and soccer player. I started a weight lifting program when I was 14 years old and the gym became a regular part of my life. I also grew up with my inspirational Dad, who was seriously injured in a car accident before I was born and has been disabled since. He learned to walk and ski again with outriggers. He was at the gym every morning by 6am and skied over 100 days each season. I cannot tell you how many people still tell me how amazed they are at how he keeps going, despite how hard it is. I set off to college wanting to be a physical therapist, to help people like him and athletes like my self, recover from all the injuries that inevitably occurred.
I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Washington State University with a pre-physical therapy option and a minor in psychology. From there, I moved to Seattle and worked in a research lab at the University of Washington Medical Center and part-time in a gym. There I learned of a school called Bastyr University, a natural health sciences university with programs in nutrition, naturopathic medicine, and acupuncture and oriental medicine.
While I loved movement and the physical aspects of the human body, I was also interested in nutrition and what we put into our bodies. I decided that I wanted to be able to help people physically AND nutritionally. So I became a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. I graduated from Bastyr University with a Master’s of Science in Nutrition and then completed a dietetic internship through Tulane University in New Orleans.
Shortly after the completion of my internship, I married my now-husband who was already stationed at Eielson Air Force Base just outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. I was fortunately hired at Basset Army Community Hospital, Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks. I worked with soldiers, airmen, veterans, retired military members, and their dependents. I have worked in major hospital systems in acute care, ICU, CICU, NICU, and pediatric outpatient. I’ve held the position of adjunct faculty instructor for an online nutrition course at a community college and I’ve worked for an outpatient research facility as the dietitian for the weight loss studies.
I have had quite an adventure on the contrails of my fighter pilot husband, living in Alaska, Arizona, San Diego, South Carolina, Utah, and most recently, 4 years in Germany. As we are both Wood River Valley natives, we were finally able to make the move back to Idaho in August of 2021.
I am grateful for my upbringing, my experiences, and my education – they have given me a realistic perspective and empathy for many real-life situations in which I can apply my holistic education. Now I have traveled full circle, I am living back in the place I grew up, raising my own two children, with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins within walking distance. We are living back in the mountains we love, doing what we love.
I am ready to help my community and beyond (virtually) with their own nutrition and health journeys. I hope that I can bring my perspective and experience in a positive way to help you achieve your best health. Let’s reach nutrition elevation!