Quick Facts

My Story...
Rebecca (Panzer) Toutant, 
MA, RD, LDN, CEDS, CDCES, cPT
Dietitian, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist,  & Personal Trainer
Practice Philosophy: 

Helping people of all ages find sustainable nourishment for mind and body so they feel safe, strong, and empowered in their body. We work to find the space within the science to live full, nourishing lives. Read more here. ​
Education &  Certifications:  
  • B.S. Dietetics, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
  • Dietetic Internship, Keene State College, Keene, NH
  • M.A. Health Communication, Emerson College, Boston,  MA
  • CEDS, International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals
  • CDCES, National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators
  • cPT, American Council on Exercise​
My work is dedicated  to helping people teenagers and above find a space within the science to live full, nourishing lives. 

I grew up in Wisconsin where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing my dietetic internship in New Hampshire, I realized "knowledge" does often lead to change. Instead, it's about understanding and nurturing the complex bio-psycho-social matrix that surrounds well-being. I pursued a Master of Arts in Health Communication from Emerson College and Tufts University School of Medicine. 
 
I spent my initial years coordinating research and quality improvement activities in pediatric care of autism through Massachusetts General Hospital and the Autism Treatment Network. I also maintained a private practice exploring pediatric feeding and sensory issues.

​In 2013 I took a life changing role as an outpatient dietitian -  serving the vulnerable and diverse populations of all ages at the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a Harvard teaching community hospital in metro-north Boston. I not only had the honor of working with people from around the world but also taught Harvard medical students, residents, and fellows how to provide culturally appropriate, weight neutral nutrition assessment and care. 

In 2018 I became the employee wellness manager at CHA, shifting my focus to support colleagues with their own psychological and biological well-being. This work elevated my practice, giving me a better understanding of how to support other lifestyle factors that influence health such as sleep, mindfulness / meditation, somatic practices, interpersonal relationships, personality differences, and burnout influence a person's interaction and relationship with food and movement. During this time I took a wide variety of courses to better understand how to support people with anxiety and trauma, using strategies such as CBT, DBT, and ACT as well as somatic practices like EFT, mindfulness, and meditation. 

In 2021 I returned to my passion - helping individuals nourish their health and well-being through food and movement. 

I'm grateful to use my diverse background to support clients and provide supervision and communications consultation for clinicians through Nourishing Bits & Bites, LLC. I also work with clients through the Female Athlete Program through Boston Children's Hospital.
 
I live outside of Boston where I spend my "free" time with my husband, children, and cattle dogs - running, biking, swimming, hiking, and exploring New England. 
Additional Training:  
  • Adaptive Exercise
  • iMove for Compulsive Exercise with Amy Gardner
  • Clinical Anxiety Treatment Course with Dr Catherine Pittman
  • Intensive Trauma Treatment Course with Dr. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk 
  • Intensive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Course with Dr. John Ludgate
  • Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT): Breakthrough Treatment Techniques for Overcontrolled Personality Disorders, Eating Disorders, and Chronic Depression and Anxiety with Dr Thomas Lynch
  • Picky, Selective, ARFID? Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Difficulties in Neurodivergent Children with Naureen Hunani
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Dietitians with EDRD Pro
  • Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Resilience (MBCT-R)
  • Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) training with Rebecca McConville​​
Clinical Interests:
  • Sports nutrition, particularly endurance sports
  • Eating Disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and ARFID
  • Diabetes Management
Fun Facts: 
  • I grew up actively involved in soccer, cross country, music, theatre, and dance as well as equestrian sports (western seat and gymkhana events) 
  • In college I had to focus on school and work. So athletic pursuits became more individual which is when I started running marathons.  Eventually I shifted into ultramarathons and triathlons of all distances. Since then I've completed...
    • 24x marathons(BQ!) 
    • 4x ultramarathons
    • 2x Ironman 140.6 
    • Numerous other 70.3, olympic, and sprint triathlons and road races of varying distances that I've lost track of over the years
Published Books:  
Published Research:  
  • Panzer RM, Dennis M, Kelly CP, Weir D, Leichtner A, Leffler DA. "Navigating the Gluten Free Diet in College." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012; 55 (6):740–744. 
  • Brugge, D., Panzer, R., Stanish, H., & Fleming, R. “Distinctive characteristics of CBPR in a study involving children with autism spectrum disorder.” Manuscript in progress for Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly. 
  • Furuta, G., Williams, K., Kooros, K., Kaul, A., Panzer, R., Coury, D., & Fuchs, G. “Management of Constipation in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Pediatrics 2012; 130:S98-S105.
  • Malow, B., Byars, K., Johnson, K., Weiss, S., Bernal, P., Goldman, S., Panzer, R., Coury, D., & Glaze, D. “A Practice Pathway for the Identification, Evaluation and Management of Insomnia in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Pediatrics 2012; 130:S98-S105,
  • Sidhu, R., Loh, A., Minshew, N., Bauman, M., Neumeyer, A., Logan, W., Panzer, R., Coury, D., & Barnes, G. “A Practice Pathway for Use of Electroencephalography in Identification and Evaluation of Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” (not published).
  • Mahajan, R., Bernal, P., Panzer, R., Whitaker, A., Roberts, W., Handen, B., Hardan, A., Anagnostou, E., & Veenstra-VanderWeele, J. “Clinical Practice Pathways for Evaluation and Medication Choice for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Pediatrics 2012; 130:S125-S138.
Publications: 
  • Panzer, R.  “The Gluten Free Guide to College.” www.tinyurl.com/GFGuide2College.com. Re-posted to 25+ public websites and blogs.  
  • "Best Exercises for Diabetes" EatingWell.com. 2021. (interview)
  • “Eggs friend or foe?” Cambridge Health Alliance. www.challiance.org/blog. 2019 
  • “Food rules you can life with.” Cambridge Health Alliance. www.challiance.org/blog. 2019 
  • “Want better health? Ditch the diet.” Cambridge Health Alliance. www.challiance.org/blog. 2018. 
  • “Navigating the Gluten-Free Diet in College.” Cambridge Health Alliance. www.challiance.org/blog. 2017. 
  • ​“Not all Snacks are Created Equal.” Cambridge Health Alliance. www.challiance.org/blog.  2017. 
  • “Proper Nutrition: Is Your Child Getting Enough of the Good Stuff?” www.BostonParentsPaper.com. 2012. (interview)
  • “A parent’s guide to behavioral health treatments.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “A parent’s guide to navigating autism.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “Complementary and alternative therapies.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “A parent’s guide to feeding in autism.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “A parent’s guide to ABA therapy.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “A parent’s guide to mediation literacy.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “A parent’s guide to toilet training in autism.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “Sleep guide for families.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn. 
  • “Dentist’s guide to autism.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • “Medication decision aid for families.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.  
  • “Blood draw guide-families.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.  
  • “Blood draw guide-clinicians.” Autism Speaks. www.autismspeaks.org/atn.
  • Panzer, R. “A closer look at the applied learning experience.” Emerson College Graduate Admissions Blog. Posted to http://press.emerson.edu/graduateadmission/author/rebecca-panzer/. 2010
    Panzer, R. “The Gluten Free Guide to College.” www.nourishingbitsandbites.com/gfguide2college.html.  2010.
Presentations:
  • Soto, D., Larkey, R., Toutant, R., Minei, S. “Integrating HAES and ED Prevention in Public Health and Community Nutrition: Gaps, Opportunities, and Tools to Stay Engaged.” Panel presentation at TEDD Wind Inclusivity Conference, October 22, 2022. Virtual. 
  •  Toutant, R. RED-S and Eating Disorders in Athletes -  Virtual Presentation to Northeastern Track Club (2022, Fall). 
  •  Toutant, R. Low Energy Availability and Fueling for Sport - Virtual Presentation to St John’s Preparatory School (2022). 
  •  Toutant, R. Weight vs Health in Nutrition Education - Virtual Presentation to Plt4m Community (2021).
  •  Toutant, R. Supporting Your Student’s Journey - Virtual Presentation to Plt4m Community (2021)
  •  Toutant, R. Fuel 4 Fitness - Tips to Help Students Find Lasting Success - Virtual Presentation to Plt4m Community (2020). 
  •  Toutant, R. Weight Inclusive Considerations in Primary Care Evaluation, Third Year Harvard Medical Residents ( 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). 
  •  Toutant, R. Weight Inclusive Diabetes Evaluation in Primary Care, Harvard Medical Students (2018, 2019).  
  •  Toutant, R. Eating Disorders in Primary Care, Third Year Harvard Medical Residents (2017, 2018, 2019). 
  •  Toutant, R. Eating Disorders in Primary Care, Harvard Psychiatry Fellows (2017, 2018). 
  • Lee P., Toutant R., Pham C., Miller J., Saravanan Y., Baron D. “Team structure and culture in medical home transformation: a report from the Cambridge Primary Care Center.” Presented at Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Medicine Grand Rounds, April 2, 2014, Cambridge, MA.
  • Saravanan Y., Toutant R., Pels R., Lee P. “Developing an Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) for resident-led Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs).” Presented at Society of General Internal Medicine – National Conference, April 25, 2014, San Diego, CA.
  • Miller J., Saravanan Y., Toutant R., Martin S., Jackson N., Batalden M., Lee P., “What is in a good note? Rethinking medical documentation through our experiences with shared medical appointments.” Presented at Society of General Internal Medicine- New England Region, March 7, 2014, Boston, MA.
  • Panzer R., Master S. “Navigating the gluten-free social scene at college.” National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Webinar presentation August 2013.
  • Morse C., Manning K., Bump N., Panzer R., Xing L., Dillon E., & Lannutti P. “Merging Theory and Practice: Theoretical and Applied Approaches for Health Issues Influencing Individuals in the Greater New England Area.” Panel presentation at Eastern Communication Association, April 26, 2012, Boston, MA.
  • Cole, L., Panzer R., Treadwell-Deering, D., McCoy, R., Reynolds, A.M., Anagnostou, E., Johnson, D, Vasa, R.A. & Coury, D.L. Side Effect Monitoring of Children with ASD Prescribed Second Generation Antipsychotics (SGAs). Poster presentation at IMFAR, May 12, 2011, San Diego, CA.
  • Panzer R. “The gluten free guide to college.” National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Nationwide webinar Aug 2010.
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