Sheila Leard is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, and a Certified Personal Trainer. She became interested in the field of sports nutrition and cardiovascular health when working in the Cardiac Rehabilitation – Applied Exercise Physiology Department at San Diego State University, California. Since then, Sheila began applying the principles of functional nutrition for the treatment and prevention of chronic disease. She has a Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition and attended Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, to complete a Dietetic internship and Master of Science course work in clinical nutrition.

“My goal with all of my clients is to take the science of nutrition and make sense of it on a practical level. I treat the person not the disease. I assess your diet and intervene using food to match your individual biological needs. I believe it is truly possible to have optimal health through diet and lifestyle”.

Sheila applies her own advice to diet and training which helps her understand the nutritional demands of her athletic clients.

Sheila’s approach is to keep it simple. Changing health behavior is a process not an event. Once you learn the concepts on how to be metabolically efficient with proper fueling in training or daily diet to manage blood sugar you will never think of being “on” a diet again.

Diets have an ending – healthy behavior does not.

Sheila’s other passions are her family and competing in triathlons. In 2002, after 20 years of distance running, she became a competitive age group triathlete. Since then she has competed in over 35 multiple distance triathlons.

Professional Affliations:
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly American Dietetic Association)
  • Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists, practice group of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine practice group of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
  • California Dietetic Association – CDA
  • American Council on Exercise – ACE
Some of Sheila’s athletic accomplishments:

Iron Distance:

  • 2008 Ford Ironman Couer d’Alene – 5th in age group
  • 2009 Vineman Ironman – 5th in age group
  • 2011 Ford Ironman Couer d’Alene – 4th in age group
  • 2012 Vineman Ironman – 1st in age group

Half Iron Distance:

  • 2005 to 2011 competed in 11 Half Iron distance races
  • 2009 World’s Toughest Half Ironman Auburn, CA – 3rd in age group
  • 2010 World’s Toughest Half Ironman Auburn, CA – 2nd in age group
  • TBF HIT lll Half Ironman – 1st in age group
  • 2011 World’s Toughest Half Ironman Auburn, CA – 1st in age group
  • Barb’s Race Half Ironman – 1st in age group
  • Austin Texas 70.3 Half Iron – 5th in age group