MS IN NUTRITION

As a student in the MS in Nutrition Program I had the opportunity to learn about various segments of Nutrition including Nutrition Education and Counseling, Integrative Nutrition and Nutrition in Aging. Here are some highlights from those courses that resonated with me and inspired me to make a positive impact in the community through sharing knowledge and helping others live a rewarding healthy lifestyle.

NUTRITION EDUCATION & COUNSELING

Communication and Counseling Skills

Effective communication and counseling skills are critical when facilitating and conducting nutrition education to individuals and groups in community settings. Several reviews of case study presentations utilizing a developmental problem-solving models prepared me to be able to structure individualized programs to meet the needs of the client and increase overall success rates.

Nutrition education and counseling include identification of various factors which influence learning and behavior change. Understanding that verbal as well as non-verbal communication is very impactful in counseling I am now equipped to interface with various cultures and personalities which help to enable a beneficial relationship that results in client progress towards their goals.

Communication and cultural competence including implementation skills learned in this course allows for proper evaluation of client learning progress.

INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine

Science-based literature of popular complementary and alternative nutrition therapies, including phytonutrients, functional foods, herbals, botanicals and dietary supplements are thoroughly covered in the Integrative Nutrition course. Nontraditional medical practices commonly used to improve health is also covered and provided intriguing insight to historic cultures that have been and still are very successful in obtaining and sustaining high quality and long life.

As dietary supplements are widely used with a lack of clarity regarding ingredients and safety, this course effectively addresses concerns regarding the safety, efficacy, and standardization of dietary supplements.

Clarity regarding the identification of FDA regulations on Complementary Alternative Medicines (CAM) and dietary supplements helped to prepare me for discussion on this topic with future clients. I am now able to effectively communicate the potential hazards associated with using dietary supplements and offer complementary/alternative nutrition therapies and preventative measures including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and various treatment options as result of this course.

NUTRITION IN AGING

Age Like a Boss!

Nutrition needs change in older adults and adjustments must be made in order to sustain overall nutritional health. As a middle aged female I can effectively relate to middle aged clients that want to improve their quality of life and learn about preventive measures to sustain a healthy life. Aging like a boss is successful aging. It includes recognizing and addressing physiologic, social and economic factors that impact older adults,

Dietary intake for the elderly must be closely monitored along with frequent nutrition assessment in order to maintain a healthy outlook on life. There are several distractions that prevent some elderly adults from eating properly. I look forward to engaging and encouraging discussions to help motivate older adults to "Age Like a Boss!"

End of life issues and nutrition needs are particularly important to those individuals that have loved ones with terminal illnesses and disease. I have endured this with close relatives and it fuels my passion to better educate and support caregivers during end of life issues with loved ones. Understanding the end of life issues is particularly important to ensure the comfort of the loved ones during the final days.

MS in Nutrition: Services