Hello,
My name is Jamie Desautels. I am in my second year in the
Nutrition and Food Science program majoring in Nutrition
with a minor in Physical activity. Once I complete my degree, I am hoping to go
to school to become a Naturopathic Doctor.
Natural healing has been of great interest to me since I was 14 years old when
I broke my back doing gymnastics. It started off when I first got acupuncture
and continued to interest me as I began using homeopathic remedies. My interest
in natural ways continues to develop into ways of living, eating and taking
care of the environment.
For the Lab component of the ALES 204 course I
have been given the opportunity to be involved in the Community
Service Learning program. Fortunately, my placement for the CSL program
is with Sustain-SU, a group dedicated to
reducing their footprint in the environment along with other sustainability
projects. I am very excited to begin volunteering with this group and am
looking forward to seeing the development in my communication skills.
Communication is a
large component in all industries. For some, it is more significant than for
others, but it is there nonetheless. Nutrition and Naturopathy are very young
areas of research and therefore need an ample amount of information
communicated to the public. Nutrition in particular is a subject pertinent
to everyone and information should be readily
available for those who desire it.
to everyone and information should be readily
available for those who desire it.
Some ways I believe social
media can be incorporated into Nutrition are:
1. Facebook - Forming groups for individuals with unique dietary needs so they can communicate with other individuals with similar challenges, get support and even ideas for new recipes. Some examples include people with Celiac Disease, Lactose Intolerance and Cystic Fibrosis.
2. Blogs - To keep the public as well as other researchers updated with new findings, such as, the effects of antioxidants in fruit on cancer.
3. Twitter - To update clients and followers about talks,
workshops or events that may be coming up.
4. LinkedIn - For students and future Nutritionists to begin networking and making connections with professional in the field.
5. YouTube - For posting videos of talks and interviews so that the public can access them.
Image From:
Loo, Ming (Photogrpher). (2011). Jamie Desautels [digital photograph]. Retrieved on September 14, 2011, from: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150305415382418&set=a.10150305407737418.362363.96223887417&type=3&theater
Image From:
Loo, Ming (Photogrpher). (2011). Jamie Desautels [digital photograph]. Retrieved on September 14, 2011, from: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150305415382418&set=a.10150305407737418.362363.96223887417&type=3&theater
Hi Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI love the title of this blog post. It's very creative. Also, your picture looks great.
I was shocked to hear you broke your back at 14. That must have been such a difficult time for you. I find it so interesting that naturopathy helped you. I would love to hear more about it, as I too am quite interested in Eastern medicine. I think society as a whole would benefit with the use of both Eastern and Western medicine. I don't think it has to be just one or the other.
I think your ideas of incorporating nutrition into social media are excellent. Specifically forming Facebook groups with special nutrition needs. I think this is a great idea for anyone with a health issue. It would provide a community of people going through the same things.
I look forward to hearing about your future endeavours.
Kind regards,
Cassandra McKenzie
Hey Cassandra,
ReplyDeleteThanks, I figured the title fit well with nutrition. The photo was taken by a friend of mine when I first moved to Edmonton this semester. He has such talent with photography.
Breaking my back wasn't as bad as it sounds. I basically laid in bed the majority or the time. It got me out of a lot of chores that is for sure. I think the most difficult part was not knowing whether or not I would be able to return to gymnastics, but I did so it was just a bump in the road for me.
At first I was prescribed pain medication and it ended up giving me really bad side effects. When I was strong enough to walk I started going to physiotherapy where I tried acupuncture. It helped so much during and after the healing process. I do agree with you though, a balance between alternative and modern medicine would be best.
Thanks again for your comment Cassandra.
Jamie
Wow! that's is too bad that you broke your back! Glad you came back strong.
ReplyDeleteI've always been really interested in natural medicine, I'm very wary of using medications and antibiotics unless they are very necessary for me to take.
It's great to see how many students like you have taken a stand towards sustainable living. I'm always trying to think of ways to reduce my carbon footprint.
Good luck on finals!
Thanks Gregory,
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear you too are interested in natural medicine and sustainability. If you ever want learn more about sustainability check out the Sustain SU office, there are tones of events going on and it is a great place just to chill and talk to other student interested in similar subjects.
Jamie