Sarah earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Auburn University, and completed her dietetic internship at Emory University Hospital. After working inpatient at Emory for 5 years, she decided she wanted to transition her career into more of a wellness-based space. She took some time off from clinical practice to pursue her dream of becoming a yoga teacher, while maintaining some part-time work with private nutrition clients on the side. We are so thrilled to have Sarah on board at STAT wellness, where she can blend her passion for both wellness and nutrition together. When she’s not at STAT or teaching yoga, you can find her at her apartment with her husband and two cats, either catching up on some reading and emails by the pool, or cooking a yummy meal that somehow manages to use most of the pans in the kitchen. It’s her super power!
Sarah Ganka, MS, RD, LD
Registered Dietitian
Atlanta & Roswell
INTERVIEW WITH SARAH
What are 3 ways you stay healthy with a busy schedule?
- I start my days – and meals!- with meditation. Especially when I know it’s going to be a busy day! This keeps me in the best mindset for the tasks at hand.
- I take 10-20 minute walks after each meal. It feels so good for my digestion and gets me in a clear headspace. The added bonus is the post-meal skeletal muscle update of carbohydrates!
- I have a bit of a commute, so I pack a cooler full of meals with lots of fat, protein, and color to keep myself well-fed and fueled. It makes a big difference for my days to know that I won’t be hangry halfway through!
If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Tacos! This feels like a cheat answer because they are so versatile – but tacos are, without a doubt, my favorite food.
What’s your favorite healthy snack?
Apple and nut butter!
Can you share something about yourself with us we may not know?
I love painting with watercolor!
Do you have a favorite inspirational podcast or book?
I LOVE “The Broken Brain” podcast, for all things gut health, brain health, and the intersectionality of neuroscience and wellness. I also love “The Moth”.
I think most fiction books can be inspirational, because they give us the ability to learn something and step into someone else’s life without as much projection or judgment.
And, although it’s not listed above, my favorite inspirational movie is “About Time”. I cry every single time, and the message is just so GOOD.
What’s your all-time favorite song to work out to?
Anything by The Weekend
Tell us how you first got interested in health and wellness.
It’s honestly grown on me, and has become even more of a passion as I’ve followed my own journey of healing my body. I started out studying biomedical sciences, and grew into the field of nutrition and dietetics in grad school. I would say I got interested about wellness when I was actually working in a hospital setting as a dietitian, and had some of my own health complications start to surface. I often found myself thinking that I wished I could have met so many of my patients years before they ended up with me in the hospital. I have been on a journey of discovering more and more about functional nutrition since then.
What is your spirit animal and why?
A dolphin! I love the water, am loyal to my pack, enjoy play and communication, love to help and have a lot of compassion.
