Introduction...

Hello Everyone!  My name is Jenny Brown and I have a philosophy on food. It is really simple, and pretty much common sense, but it seems to be something we have lost touch with as the world got too busy.  In a nutshell, this is it; we need to remind ourselves to invest time and thought into planning and preparing balanced, enjoyable meals of reasonable proportions.  With the pace of life getting faster and faster, this simple concept became lost to quick and convenient, super-sized foods and beverages which had fewer nutrients and many more calories.  This evolving lifestyle led to the battle of the bulge which resulted in the development of radical, “fad” diets, some of which were cutting out really nutritious foods!!  Once the market boomed on these miracle diets, more and more evolved and the followers lost sight of a very simple concept.

My developing interest in the field of health care, most specifically nutrition, is not a surprising one.  Growing up, I had the privilege of learning about the nutrients in our food, as well as, the multitude of health benefits associated with regular exercise.  I was surrounded by health professionals who not only supplied me with this knowledge, but also a level of paranoia due to too much information at too young an age.  Imagine a 10 year-old at a birthday party telling other kids that the nitrates in their hot dogs were bad for them!  At that age, I didn’t quite understand the concept of “there is a time and a place for everything”.  Throughout my teenage years and into my twenties, I became very active in martial arts and wall/rock climbing.  This period in my life instilled my love of physical activity which has stayed with me to this day.  In recent years, I joined a ballroom dance club and started receiving instruction privately in order to compete.  Due to the intensity of my daily routine during this time, I became very conscience of the physical changes to my body and began paying close attention to my diet; in particular maintaining a balanced caloric intake with a good supply of nutrients.  Several other dancers in the club were dietitians, and conversations with them really got me motivated into pursuing it as a new career.

Fast forward to present day!  I am currently pursuing a degree in Nutrition at the University of Alberta.  Upon successful completion of my degree, much like my fellow classmate Angelina, I hope to be accepted into the Dietitian Internship Program and become a Registered Dietitian.  Based on my job shadowing experience, I am most interested in the area of nutritional science that focuses on treating individuals dealing with chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, as well as those managing obesity.  Other areas of interest include maternal and paediatric nutrition.  These are just a few areas in which a dietitian can be employed.  The diverse opportunities available indicate the importance of communication skills required to be successful in this field.  A dietitian is expected to counsel patients individually, educate groups during nutritional workshops, prepare written reports for other health care professionals to assess, and present the latest news in nutrition at conferences.  Being able to communicate (and network) effectively on paper, online and in person, will help to ensure success in this profession.  The Dietitians of Canada website can be found by clicking on the following link: http://www.dietitians.ca/.  This site is a great resource for learning more about the roles of dietitians.


References
Burger/apple image. Retrieved October 15, 2011 from http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=healthy+food&start=408&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=-QC7CEluje2HiM:&imgrefurl=http://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/sitemaker/websitefiles/phri532294/saharabody.cfm%3Fid%3D560&docid=8n1s66Lp_5zC4M&imgurl=http://nutrihealth.in/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/food_choices.png&w=200&h=200&ei=R020TumeKeqaiQL5oJiGAQ&zoom=1&chk=sbg&iact=rc&dur=125&sig=107522524356943667356&page=18&tbnh=108&tbnw=108&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:408&tx=81&ty=46


Dancing image. Retrieved October 15, 2011 from http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=ballroom+dancing&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=T3VZsuAIrMJbDM:&imgrefurl=http://www.twellow.com/categories/ballroom_dancing/page/9&docid=mN2C9sPlLu72IM&imgurl=http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/191537030/BALLROOM_DANCING_PROFILE_bigger.jpg&w=500&h=335&ei=2VK0TsuBGo2GiQKr3omOAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=531&sig=107522524356943667356&page=1&tbnh=106&tbnw=135&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:0&tx=57&ty=7