The Pursuit of Health: All of It
Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, I heard a lot of blunt comments on all subjects, including the subject of food, weight, and appearance. Whenever anyone would gain or lose weight, you could be absolutely sure that that person would be told so, right to their face. While none of these comments were made with malicious intent, it nevertheless affected me, given my naturally, already sensitive disposition. I never purposely ate significantly less or more, which I know is such a difficult concept to grasp for those who haven't experienced such a thing before. When I became really depressed, mainly because I felt like I had no one who truly understood or cared about me, I ate drastically less food because honestly, I couldn't stomach the thought of food; food is meant to not only feed a body, but also, more substantially, nourish a body. Food could not fill that void in my emotional state; I did not think anyone noticed me either--I guess you could say I subconsciously ate less so that I would literally "disappear."
During my undergraduate years at U.C. Irvine, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in "Psychology and Social Behavior," as I became instantly intrigued by and thrived in my first Introductory Psychology course. A recurring theme across all my courses was the strong connection between the mind/brain and the body. For example, in my " Human Stress" course, we talked a lot about how so many human-beings are in a chronic state of stress --our bodies revert to a "Fight or Flight" state (where our blood pressures and heart rates are elevated, our blood sugar levels rise dramatically, and we become hyper-vigilant). Left alone, smaller-scale stressors in our day-to-day lives can accumulate and consequently, lead to bodily and emotional symptoms mirroring the "Fight or Flight" response.
Having personally experienced both small and big stressors in my life, I understand how difficult it can be to cope with them directly. I, like many others, find it easier in the short-term to just ignore the actual problem and instead, avert my attention to something entirely different. In the midst of the chaos in my life, I turned to exercise as a distraction. Although, when I started to exercise more intentionally, I did not truly do it to feel happier, it eventually became a segment of my day that I truly looked forward to and craved. Several people in my life have told me and showed me that I was incapable and inadequate. By completing challenging exercises, I feel like I am able to disprove those hurtful affirmations.
As I became more physically active, I also became more curious about another key component of wellness--nutrition, as a means to complement my active lifestyle. I started to look for healthy recipes online and in the midst of doing so, found a lot of innovative swaps and additions to make established recipes more nutritious. From this new hobby of mine to explore healthier recipes/foods, I stumbled upon one health blog, which further led me to a whole wealth of health blogs--all of which not only provided inspiration for fitness and healthy food, but also inspiration for a healthy mind. Some were composed by Registered Dietitians who had been career changers, while some were simply general health and wellness advocates--all exuded a wonderful light of courage and belief in the power of nutrition to bring positive change to people's lives.
My long-term career aspirations are to be a Nutrition and Social Work professional, where I can work alongside people in helping them reach optimal holistic health. When people do not get their basic needs met, including nutritious food, shelter, and a solid emotional support system, it is extremely hard for them to have a positive sense of self--a solid understanding and appreciation for themselves that encourages them to see their full potential. For example, as a volunteer with an anti-domestic violence agency, W.O.M.A.N., Inc. (Women Organized to Make Abuse Non-Existent) for the past 3 years, I have learned that one of the most helpful and powerful things community members can do to help survivors of domestic violence, is to empower them to see their own strength. My passion for Nutrition comes from my motivation to inspire all people to see food as a tool , as opposed to a weapon or enemy, in reaching their goals--physically and mentally.
I recently graduated from the Nutrition Assistant Program at City College of San Francisco and completed a hands-on field experience internship at "Self Help for the Elderly," an agency that believes in empowering seniors to live independent and fulfilling lives and "Cooking Matters," an agency that aims at inspiring people from all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds to cook healthy and delicious foods, even on a limited budget. These recent internship experiences, along with my previous volunteer experiences in Nutrition Education and Outreach, as well as more generally, social justice work, have provided me with a very well-rounded view of how to effectively effect positive changes in people's lives. I am currently still volunteering with Cooking Matters as the "nutritionist" in different class series, where I am teaching important basic nutrition concepts with a culturally-sensitive approach. In order to help others make long-lasting changes, I believe that it is critical to establish a strong base of trust.
During my undergraduate years at U.C. Irvine, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in "Psychology and Social Behavior," as I became instantly intrigued by and thrived in my first Introductory Psychology course. A recurring theme across all my courses was the strong connection between the mind/brain and the body. For example, in my " Human Stress" course, we talked a lot about how so many human-beings are in a chronic state of stress --our bodies revert to a "Fight or Flight" state (where our blood pressures and heart rates are elevated, our blood sugar levels rise dramatically, and we become hyper-vigilant). Left alone, smaller-scale stressors in our day-to-day lives can accumulate and consequently, lead to bodily and emotional symptoms mirroring the "Fight or Flight" response.
Having personally experienced both small and big stressors in my life, I understand how difficult it can be to cope with them directly. I, like many others, find it easier in the short-term to just ignore the actual problem and instead, avert my attention to something entirely different. In the midst of the chaos in my life, I turned to exercise as a distraction. Although, when I started to exercise more intentionally, I did not truly do it to feel happier, it eventually became a segment of my day that I truly looked forward to and craved. Several people in my life have told me and showed me that I was incapable and inadequate. By completing challenging exercises, I feel like I am able to disprove those hurtful affirmations.
As I became more physically active, I also became more curious about another key component of wellness--nutrition, as a means to complement my active lifestyle. I started to look for healthy recipes online and in the midst of doing so, found a lot of innovative swaps and additions to make established recipes more nutritious. From this new hobby of mine to explore healthier recipes/foods, I stumbled upon one health blog, which further led me to a whole wealth of health blogs--all of which not only provided inspiration for fitness and healthy food, but also inspiration for a healthy mind. Some were composed by Registered Dietitians who had been career changers, while some were simply general health and wellness advocates--all exuded a wonderful light of courage and belief in the power of nutrition to bring positive change to people's lives.
My long-term career aspirations are to be a Nutrition and Social Work professional, where I can work alongside people in helping them reach optimal holistic health. When people do not get their basic needs met, including nutritious food, shelter, and a solid emotional support system, it is extremely hard for them to have a positive sense of self--a solid understanding and appreciation for themselves that encourages them to see their full potential. For example, as a volunteer with an anti-domestic violence agency, W.O.M.A.N., Inc. (Women Organized to Make Abuse Non-Existent) for the past 3 years, I have learned that one of the most helpful and powerful things community members can do to help survivors of domestic violence, is to empower them to see their own strength. My passion for Nutrition comes from my motivation to inspire all people to see food as a tool , as opposed to a weapon or enemy, in reaching their goals--physically and mentally.
I recently graduated from the Nutrition Assistant Program at City College of San Francisco and completed a hands-on field experience internship at "Self Help for the Elderly," an agency that believes in empowering seniors to live independent and fulfilling lives and "Cooking Matters," an agency that aims at inspiring people from all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds to cook healthy and delicious foods, even on a limited budget. These recent internship experiences, along with my previous volunteer experiences in Nutrition Education and Outreach, as well as more generally, social justice work, have provided me with a very well-rounded view of how to effectively effect positive changes in people's lives. I am currently still volunteering with Cooking Matters as the "nutritionist" in different class series, where I am teaching important basic nutrition concepts with a culturally-sensitive approach. In order to help others make long-lasting changes, I believe that it is critical to establish a strong base of trust.