Guest blog: Nutrition
Please give Heather a warm welcome as I asked her to guest blog for me on nutrition while I'm off galavanting in Europe! Where am I now? Somewhere between Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Switzerland, Paris, Berlin, Munich or Venice! I'll try to check in when I can!
Hi! This is Heather from trialsoftraining. Last May I graduated with a BS in Nutrition from Penn State. And, Sassy asked…
Why did I become a Nutritionist/Dietitian?
Was there something/someone who inspired it?
Well, meet high-school me: I played soccer for 10+ years. I very rarely thought about anything on my plate unless my parents said something like “eat something green!” Ugh. Between a Doctor (dad) and a Runner/Teacher (mom), we just ate pretty healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables were always available, fried foods were kept at a minimum (as long as you ignore chicken fingers…) and most nights we had a home-cooked meal. Not to brag, but my Mom was totally on top of things.
Plans were basically set in stone by the spring of my senior year– I was heading to Penn State and majoring in Architecture! Then, flipping through a Fitness magazine one night, I read something that caught my eye. It was a quote about whatever random nutrient, followed by “says ____, a professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University”.
Wait. Professor of Nutritional Sciences??! Meaning this is an option as a “major”??!
I entered my Freshman year as “Undecided”, explaining to my Advisor that I couldn’t decide between Nutrition and Architecture. It’s safe to assume she thought I was crazy. Could I possibly pick two things more different from each other? Probably not. But looking at the requirements for both didn’t lean me one way or the other. Nutrition was a Lot of science that I didn’t think I was up for. Architecture meant 20-22 credits per semester to graduate in 5 years with my Master’s, as well as ‘rumored’ all-nighters all semester to get projects done in the Studio. It’s a grueling choice, only for those who are 110% committed to that field.
I absolutely loved, and excelled in, my Intro to Nutrition class. I also loved my Architecture-Theory and Art History classes. The first is the reason that I decided to suck it up and declare my major Sophomore year. The latter is the reason I absolutely can’t wait for the day I finally visit Italy to see the beginning of Classical Architecture and the heart of architectural wonders.
Anyway.
Turns out I’m a total science nerd, and I love knowing the ins and outs of every nutrient – why we need it, where it goes, how we use it, etc. I love how important Nutrition is during pregnancy and childhood development. And I love that fluids and food play a vital role during Exercise, Endurance, Strength, Training, Sports, etc. I love how good I feel when I know I’ve been eating healthily, and I love coming up with fun new meals/snacks/desserts that use a variety of foods.
On the other hand, I’m ridiculously excited for the day I can afford a house because I plan on buying some “blueprint” paper and planning it out myself. I’ll use all the official ‘symbols’ for door/window/etc and get out my ruler so it’s drawn to scale. I’m also slightly obsessed with all crafty things.
It’s all about balance – the field of Nutrition interests and fascinates me. And my hobbies make up for the fact that I’ll never be an architect!
Hi! This is Heather from trialsoftraining. Last May I graduated with a BS in Nutrition from Penn State. And, Sassy asked…
Why did I become a Nutritionist/Dietitian?
Was there something/someone who inspired it?
Well, meet high-school me: I played soccer for 10+ years. I very rarely thought about anything on my plate unless my parents said something like “eat something green!” Ugh. Between a Doctor (dad) and a Runner/Teacher (mom), we just ate pretty healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables were always available, fried foods were kept at a minimum (as long as you ignore chicken fingers…) and most nights we had a home-cooked meal. Not to brag, but my Mom was totally on top of things.
Plans were basically set in stone by the spring of my senior year– I was heading to Penn State and majoring in Architecture! Then, flipping through a Fitness magazine one night, I read something that caught my eye. It was a quote about whatever random nutrient, followed by “says ____, a professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University”.
Wait. Professor of Nutritional Sciences??! Meaning this is an option as a “major”??!
I entered my Freshman year as “Undecided”, explaining to my Advisor that I couldn’t decide between Nutrition and Architecture. It’s safe to assume she thought I was crazy. Could I possibly pick two things more different from each other? Probably not. But looking at the requirements for both didn’t lean me one way or the other. Nutrition was a Lot of science that I didn’t think I was up for. Architecture meant 20-22 credits per semester to graduate in 5 years with my Master’s, as well as ‘rumored’ all-nighters all semester to get projects done in the Studio. It’s a grueling choice, only for those who are 110% committed to that field.
I absolutely loved, and excelled in, my Intro to Nutrition class. I also loved my Architecture-Theory and Art History classes. The first is the reason that I decided to suck it up and declare my major Sophomore year. The latter is the reason I absolutely can’t wait for the day I finally visit Italy to see the beginning of Classical Architecture and the heart of architectural wonders.
Anyway.
Turns out I’m a total science nerd, and I love knowing the ins and outs of every nutrient – why we need it, where it goes, how we use it, etc. I love how important Nutrition is during pregnancy and childhood development. And I love that fluids and food play a vital role during Exercise, Endurance, Strength, Training, Sports, etc. I love how good I feel when I know I’ve been eating healthily, and I love coming up with fun new meals/snacks/desserts that use a variety of foods.
On the other hand, I’m ridiculously excited for the day I can afford a house because I plan on buying some “blueprint” paper and planning it out myself. I’ll use all the official ‘symbols’ for door/window/etc and get out my ruler so it’s drawn to scale. I’m also slightly obsessed with all crafty things.
It’s all about balance – the field of Nutrition interests and fascinates me. And my hobbies make up for the fact that I’ll never be an architect!
Comments
I have a friend who's a nutrition major and she absolutely loves it. She could talk about carbohydrates for hours!! Nutrition has always interested me, but I'm just not sciencey enough for it!! It sounds like you made the right choice though!
shoshanah - I'm with ya! I have a mini library with all my old architecture/art history books. I never sold them back, that was my way of keeping it on the side :)