Meet Diana Mesa | Registered Dietitian & Certified Diabetes Care and Educator, Founder of En La Mesa Nutrition

We had the good fortune of connecting with Diana Mesa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I knew I always wanted to work for myself — to have the flexibility to do things how I see fit and not how upper management wants things done, which doesn’t always align with my values. I wasn’t sure what my business would look like in 2018 when I opened it, but I knew that if I worked toward it daily, I could someday realize the dream of having something of my own. So, I incorporated my business a few weeks before I took my board exam for my dietitian license in a way to manifest that for myself, and here we are now, almost 6 years later.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
En La Mesa Nutrition is a private practice and nutrition consulting firm based in Miami, Fl. I offer various wellness and nutrition services, including 1:1 nutrition therapy, consulting, media and brand partnerships, and so much more. In my 1:1 nutrition therapy work, I help people with disordered eating, diabetes, PCOS, and other chronic conditions to heal their relationships with food and body and enjoy their cultural foods. I offer an anti-diet, weight-inclusive framework, which means we don’t restrict, but rather ADD nutrition to our plates, and where weight loss is decentered as an outcome. This sets my work apart from the sea of services offering another restrictive diet that won’t be sustainable and will leave you feeling guilty for inevitably not being able to stick to it. In my media work, I’ve been featured on Telemundo, Women’s Health, Today’s Dietitian, and more, talking about all things health and wellness from an anti-diet and cultural foods perspective. I serve as talent and consult for a few digital coaching apps, and I partner with brands for social media partnerships.

I also partner with community organizations and non-profits across the nation, such as Eatwell Exchange and Waymaker’s Foundation, to design, develop, and deliver nutrition education programs that are culturally relevant in both English and Spanish with a culinary component.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy. From 2018 to mid-2023, I worked a full-time job while growing my business. It took a lot of sacrifice, hard work, and a little luck to get to where I am today. In May of 2023, the company I was working for experienced massive layoffs, and my role was one of the many eliminated. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to finally lean into my business full-time. It’s been difficult and scary, but I am finally able to enjoy the fruits of my labor. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I can do whatever I set my mind to and that I can actually believe that and not feel like an imposter doing the things I’m doing daily.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The first place we’d go is to lounge in a cabana at Soho Beach House. We’d grab drinks and food there and catch a neo perreo set in the Snug Room later. We’d go kayaking in Virginia Key or biking in Crandon park– or both! Then, we’d go to Gramp’s Getaway on Key Biscayne for oysters from The Lazy Oyster and an Old Man and the Sea cocktail from the cool bartenders. We’d check out some of my favorite places to eat, like Boia De, Tam Tam, New Schnitzel Haus, Dumpling King, and so many more places. We might go visit family in Hialeah, stop by La Viña for a pan con bistec, and Palacio de los Jugos for some mango or passion fruit juice. There’s nothing more fun than exploring the city you live in with friends over good food!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few people who deserve credit and recognition who’ve helped and encouraged me — mainly my partner, our parents, and my dear friends and community, in person and online, who are always in my corner.

Website: www.enlamesanutrition.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/enlamesanutrition

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-mesa-rd-ldn-cdces-649552138/