personalized.
root cause focus.
results for life.

who we work with

Have you been trying to improve your health but keep falling off the wagon? Are you struggling to make healthy changes in your life? Do you know what you need to do but can't seem to stick with it? Do you want to take control of your health? 

Knowing what to so and doing it, are two different conversations.
While the Southwest Dietitian Group is a general practice, meaning, we see and work with all medical conditions - from healthy to sick - we specialize our efforts on helping our patients and clients create sustainable change by also helping them change how they think, therefore creating permanent habit and behavior change.

You don't have to be ready to change everything about your life to come see us... you just having to be willing to take the first step and for some, that's picking up the phone to call us today.

are we a good fit?

to Provide you the tools for sustainable change in a supportive and nonjudgmental space with knowledgeable and personable people.

Our MISSION is to help our patients and clients get - and stay - healthy.

Kindess. root cause. sustainable change.

promise

MISSION

values

Maya is the owner of the Southwest Dietitian Group and a 17-year registered dietitian, specializing in weight loss and hormone balancing, and a beacon of resilience and transformation. Raised in a Lebanese household where food symbolized love, she battled weight and health issues from an early age. Maya’s own journey took her from a stressful adolescence and retail management to undernourishment and the onset of unhealthy habits, before finding the right path through education and a relentless desire for change.

Her personal struggle with trauma and CPTSD deeply informs her practice. Maya has dedicated her life to mastering the science of neuroplasticity, habit change, and the powerful influence of mindset on health. She transformed herself by embracing her past and learning how to feel, thus finding her passion in helping others achieve sustainable weight loss and emotional balance. Maya's unique blend of formal education and lived experiences make her a compassionate and insightful guide for women on similar paths, emphasizing not just what to eat, but how to think and feel in the process.

Maya is currently accepting new patients for weight loss only. She is in-network with Aetna, Banner, and UHC. She is out-of-network with BCBS effective June 1, 2025. Her cash pay prices are different than the practice. Please call Valerie to inquire.



Tiffany Ellegard is a native Arizonan, Mother of three children, and Stepmom to two more. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in dietetics and her Master's in Medical Nutrition Therapy; from Arizona State University.

Tiffany‘s most recent experience includes working as a Clinical Dietitian at Eisenhower Medical Center. Working in a hospital setting with patients suffering from the physical consequences of unhealthy eating habits has fueled her passion for assisting patients long before hospitalization is imminent.

Tiffany helps her patients to set and achieve goals that move them away from the diet mindset. Why get skinny for summer when you can have health and fitness for life? Having personally experienced decades of countless fad diets and binge-eating behaviors, Tiffany can relate to an unhealthy relationship with food. Tiffany’s partnership approach with patients means “We are in this together” and her mantra is “Progress, not Perfection!”



I’m Taylor, a registered dietitian who loves food and believes all foods can be a part of a healthy diet. My path to becoming a dietitian was a windy road where I worked in finance for a few years before deciding to make a drastic change and follow my passion for nutrition. I have a Master’s degree in Public Health with a focus in nutrition from Northern Arizona University. Here, I learned how to meet people where they’re at and find unique ways to help people sustain a healthy lifestyle. I’ve had extensive training in motivational interviewing, which has prepared me for helping people make lifelong changes that have a significant impact on their health.

I’ve struggled with dieting and an unhealthy relationship with food in the past, but once I understood the role that nutrition has in our bodies, I was motivated to break the dieting cycle and make permanent changes. I’ve experienced how the wonders of healthy eating have influenced my own health, both physically and mentally, and I want to help others feel the same. If you choose to work with me, I’ll never ask you to give up your favorite foods or follow an extremely restrictive diet. We can work together to come up with a plan that works best for you and helps you feel good in your body.

Dr. Reker has always had a passion for her own health, and for the healthcare field in general. After 20 years of working in the chemical and environmental engineering field, she decided to switch career paths to become a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor. She uses the principles of naturopathic medicine to help identify and treat the root cause of health conditions, to help restore innate health and wellness. She is focused on a holistic approach to improving health, quality of life, and longevity, while minimizing and eliminating pharmaceutical medications in favor of optimizing nutrition and adding specific nutrients, bioidentical hormones, and dietary changes, to help improve overall health, hormone balance, digestion, sleep, mood, chronic health issues, and autoimmune conditions.

Outside of the office, she is an avid mountain biker and outdoor enthusiast.

Hello, I am Valerie, but I mostly go by Val. I’m the office manager here at Southwest Dietitian Group. For the past 8 years, I’ve been a Client Relations Manager with a small financial firm. I look forward to providing excellent customer service to our clients here at SDG. My goal is to make this process as easy as possible for you. I’ve had quite a health journey myself and the right foods have been the best medicine for me. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have and help you with any scheduling needs so that in turn you can attain your health goals. When you are ready to move forward, I’ll be here to get you started!



owner | registered dietitian nutritionist

registered dietitian nutritionist

registered dietitian nutritionist

naturopathic Medical doctor

office manager

maya nahra, rd

tiffany ellegard, rd ms

tAYLOR kennedy, rd ms

Dr Mary Reker, NMD

Valerie turner

schedule with TIFFANY

schedule with taylor

explore physician services

meet the sdg team