Connecting Food and Health
My three favorite foods growing up were eggs, ice-cream and mac and cheese. Food at my house was kept simple with modest meals as part of our everyday lives growing up in Puerto Rico.
When I got to college, I had no idea nutrition was an option for a major, as it was not even remotely on my radar. About a year and a half into college, I needed to take an extra class for general education. The beginning nutrition class was an option and I noticed that I was being drawn to food related articles in magazines, a surprise I had not anticipated.
Once into the class, I found learning about carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals fascinating! I then recognized I could apply this to my own life as well as making a wonderful career to help others with their health – a win-win!
I found nutrition was so much more than my magazine reading of good versus bad foods, dieting to lose 10 pounds, “super foods,” and other food headlines. I learned I could explore nutrition topics related to:
- Public health and food safety
- Food Service
- Healthcare
- Disease prevention
More importantly, I realized pursuing nutrition and health gave me a new set of eyes for how I see the world. I wanted to find the truth for myself of how food played a role in the body instead of relying on the media’s definitions of nutrition.
People who know me well know my philosophy of no coincidences. I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and it is no accident that I am in this field. With my newfound passion in nutrition I hope to shed light to the truth of food and health.
I still love cheese and eggs, and eat ice-cream on occasion but save it for those times when I want something cold, sweet, and decadent since simplicity of life will remain from my early beginnings.
This blog was co-written by Susan Dopart and RD intern Jessayra Tarrio
September 10, 2015 @ 6:46 am
All We Need is Healthy Food but that what we mostly ignore.
Thanks for sharing useful facts