Six years ago I entered college as a freshman without a clue! I was interested in nutrition, but my University did not offer it. So I chose business. Thank God I learned within only one wasted term that my school’s existing nutrition major was buried under other departments. This past May I graduated from the College of Health and Human Development with my Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Nutrition and Dietetics. Whew!

Now what? I still have no clue! I eventually would like to get my Master’s Degree in Nutrition/Dietetics, and I eventually would like to do an Internship so that I can eventually get licensed as a Registered Dietitian, and eventually teach nutrition/food science at a University. Until eventually comes however, I think this stay-at-home-mom business is pretty cool.

While perusing my degree, I met and married my husband, moved five times, had a baby, and discovered a few talents and passions I had not previously had or known that I had. One such passion is teaching (hence the plan to teach at a Univ.); the other is writing (hence this blog). I also love answering people’s questions about food. I decided a Q&A blog was the answer. So that’s what this is. In this blog I will answer questions asked by you!

Before I answer ANY questions I must explain my personal nutrition philosophy. I do not believe in “all-or-nothing” when it comes to food. I will eat just about anything, including junk food! My food preferences have very little to do with nutrition. My education has not affected what or how much I eat. It has affected how much I eat of what. While I do avoid or limit certain foods due to their poor nutritional value, I do not let this govern what I eat to the extent of developing boredom, anxiety, frustration, or unhealthy habits. This philosophy, and really change of lifestyle, is as a result of learning a very important lesson while at CSUN:

Balance, Variety, Moderation, & Exercise are the keys to achieving & maintaining good health! (Special thanks to Dr. Terri Lisagor RD for this one!—and you will see this in EVERY blog). Avoid becoming obsessed with the extremes: only, always, and never. These are called universal statements. Anyone who uses one of these is putting unfair and unrealistic parameters on something so fundamental and important in life: Food! (This applies to everyone except an MD who may prescribe a diet for the treatment or prevention of a medical condition.) Please don’t get trapped in the all-or-nothing mentality. If you practice making every meal Balanced, with a Variety of foods, colors, and textures, eating everything in Moderation (that is, until the first sign of satisfaction, not fullness), and incorporating Exercise into your daily routine, you will be successful in maintaining and/or improving your health.

You should note that I will try to give you a basic understanding of the issue while helping you see the big picture. If you ask “Does red wine help fight colon cancer?” (See next issue) and I answer “Yes” or “No”, do not assume you should drink it in excess or eliminate it altogether. Avoid the extremes! Take the information that I present for what it is: information. It is there for you to learn from and use when you make food choices.

Balance, Variety, Moderation, & Exercise are the keys

to achieving & maintaining good health!