PulseConnect September Member Spotlight: Amy Kubal
This month, we spoke with Amy Kubal, a Registered Dietitian who has been a member of our network for more than 9 years. Amy advises both serious and recreational athletes, as well as individuals who are looking to improve their overall health through diet and lifestyle. In addition, Amy teaches classes in her community and regularly attends health fairs.
Q: Is there any advice that you give to all of your patients?
A: One of the biggest things that I talk to my patients about is reading both the nutritional facts and the ingredient list. I tell them to read the entire label. Left to their own devices, people will only look at one part of the nutrition label and will assume a product is healthy. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
Q: What kind of things are your clients asking you about? What are topics that you discuss on a daily basis?
A: My clients are constantly asking about how to avoid added sugar. I get a lot of questions about sugar substitutes, and if natural sugar is healthy—it’s not.
I advise a lot of busy moms, and other people who are on-the-go all the time, who are looking for healthy options for snacks. I also get a lot of questions about pasta, probiotics, jerky, and cricket protein. You’d be surprised about the number of people asking about cricket protein.
Q: How do you use materials that you receive from PulseConnect?
A: I use the materials in a one-on-one setting with clients, where they apply. I also like to share the educational information and samples at events in the community that I attend—for example, at health fairs.
I see a lot of parents, so it is great to have information and samples for both them and their children to try. Another group of people who tend to like the programs are the athletes I counsel—they loved the bar samples that were shared through PulseConnect.
Q: Does pointing to a specific brand help with the recommendations that you’re making?
A: I always recommend brands by name. If I can give my clients an incentive—like a coupon or sample—they are much more likely to try it. I always check in with them after we meet to see if they tried the product, and what they thought. If I don’t give them an incentive, I hear objections like “I didn’t know how it was going to taste” or “it’s expensive.” It’s harder to get them to try something without giving them a sample. That’s why the Clif Bar program was so successful with my clients. They were able to walk away with a sample, try the product, and see that it is worth buying more of.
Being able to give clients a sample or a great coupon to encourage them to try a product is huge. People don’t want to pay a lot of money to try a new product. If companies want people to try their products, they have to give consumers an incentive to try it.
Q: What do you like best about PulseConnect?
A: I absolutely love it. When I get something and I can share it with my clients, I think it is a huge factor to getting them to buy in. It helps to expose them to new things that are out there. I love that it’s not just a sample—every program comes with educational information that explains why each product is healthy. The tear pads are awesome because I can give people information to go home with.