Q & A with Yvonne Mei, dietetic intern at The Sylvia Center.
- How did you become interested in the field of dietetics? Why do you want to be a dietician?
My interest in dietetics began during my sophomore year of college. I had originally intended to pursue a career in nursing; one of the requirements was an introductory nutrition course. That class was the ignition to my passion for nutrition. My love for nutrition deepened with its impact on my health. During my early college years, I was overweight, following an unhealthy diet. It resulted in me becoming unhappy and unhealthy. However, after I started to major in nutrition, it opened a new world for me where food could be used as a tool to improve my health. I incorporated what I learned into my everyday life and my body slowly changed. I eventually lost seventy pounds through diet and exercise. - What do you want to learn at The Sylvia Center?
I would be very interested in gaining experience in how to effectively educate youths on nutrition related information in a way that is most appropriate and appealing to the audience. I think nutrition education at an early age is important in promoting and developing sustainable healthy behaviors. I think it would also be very interesting to see how virtual/remote teaching differs from teaching in person when it comes to culinary based classes. - What does being healthy mean to you?
Being healthy to me means more than just being free of disease. It also means having a healthy relationship with food and your body. While it’s important to be physically healthy and practice healthy dietary behaviors in the technical sense, it is just as important that these do not result in negative mindsets. Furthermore, in a world as diverse as this one, healthy eating looks different for each individual. I hope to be able to provide the building blocks for others so that they be able to make their own healthy decisions. - What message do you want to tell young people about healthy eating?
I think healthy eating often sounds a lot more difficult than it actually is. Thats why it’s important to learn the basics of a healthy diet so that everyone has the building blocks for healthy eating. Once you have learned the basics, the world is your oyster! Try to explore different ways to prepare food that are enjoyable and nutritious. - What is your favorite recipe to make?
My favorite recipe to make is probably oatmeal cookies with raisins!
