Introduction Post

Hey there!

My name is Annalise, I am currently in my fourth year at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Specializing in the Nutrition Program, I am still aiming high to graduate a Registered Dietitian. I simply love food, there is no other way to put it. I love eating, cooking, tasting, savoring and even analyzing the science behind food. Health and fitness really interest me as well. Running triggered my interest a couple years ago, and some time before that working out began to pull me in as well. I live a life that is based around my field of study, and I mean that in the best possible way. My love of food since birth and my newly discovered passion for the body's health and fitness have brought me to who I am at present. With a kitchen stocked full of fresh produce & farmer's market meat, a drawer designated to workout wear and two pairs of running shoes - that's my life today. 

Social media has really boomed over the past decade. I remember being in Grade 10 and thinking I wasn't allowed to join Facebook because my sister told me it was for College students. Today, ten year olds now have Facebook accounts. My personal experience in using Twitter, blogs and podcasts have proved just how effective the Nutrition community can be when using these tools. For example, on Twitter I follow Monica Reinagel ( @NutritionDiva ) a licensed Nutritionist. She links articles to my feed, which I may read if they interest me and tweet back at her if I have any questions. This type of communication is so easy and accessible, I have advanced my knowledge in many areas of Nutrition and Food simply by following one Nutritionist on Twitter. 

For those who don't like to read, there are podcasts. Fortunately, my favorite Nutrition Diva also has her own podcast ( Nutrition Diva's Quick & Dirty Tips ). With this type of social media today, I can now tune in to programs in my field of interest as opposed to listening mindlessly to another song on the radio. 


Another advance that communication offers the Nutrition industry is the ability to post surveys and questionnaires on blogs or Facebook. Offering these surveys to an entire network of online profiles will yield great feedback about what the everyday consumer wants. This will give Nutritionists an idea of what areas they should be focusing on most in terms of relaying information to the public. An example of this is the ALES 204 survey posted on the blog. Hundreds of students filled out this survey, leaving the blogger with a better understanding of their audience. 

New types of communication, available through technology, facilitate a Nutritionists' access to the public and vice versa. For example, I can connect with my classmate Michelle by accessing her blog online. Here, I have the opportunity to learn about her interests and we can pass information back and forth using comments on each other's blogs. However, personal interaction will always play an important role in my profession. Nutritionist's must meet their clients in person in order to assess the patient and establish a trusting relationship. This may only be done in a personal setting, and wouldn't work over other methods of communication. 


My profession definitely benefits from the social media that modern technology has provided for us, but will continue to use traditional means of communication as well.