Healthy eating is important to everybody, but sometimes it seems harder than it should be to find healthy options in college dining halls, or even when food preparation falls to college students who might not be on track to be contestants on Chopped anytime soon. What many Miami collegiettes don’t know is that there is a wealth of knowledge available for them in Miami’s nutrition department, which is located in Phillips Hall. Dietetics students are involved in all sorts of on-campus organizations and operations that are designed to help others discover and develop healthy habits and healthier lifestyles.
One event held by the department of kinesiology and health was the 5th Semi-Annual Nutrition Conference held by Miami’s KNH department Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22. Student enthusiasm meant success for the program, whose highlights included guest speaker Zonya Foco, a charity run for Feed My Starving Children, and speeches about various topics pertinent to both dietetics students and healthy-minded individuals.
Over 600 people attended Foco’s lecture, “MyNutrition: Fad OR Fact?” on Thursday. She emphasized the fun in discovering truly nutritious foods while “cutting through the clutter of popular diets.” Her speech was characterized by her charisma and personal experiences, as well as interactive activities that engaged her audience, such as “Deal or No Deal,” songs, dancing, and ending with a group fitness activity.
The conference continued with the Miles 4 Meals run/walk on Friday morning. About 150 participants either ran or walked to benefit the Feed My Starving Children campaign, which spreads awareness about global child hunger. After the race, they were invited to a yogurt bar in Phillips Hall, home of Miami’s kinesiology and health department.
Foco spoke again on Friday morning about “How to Make Nutrition Exciting and Get Paid What You Are Worth,” a speech geared towards Miami’s nutrition students as they begin to plan their future career paths. She advised students not to just teach nutrition, but to focus instead on inspiring and motivating people to live healthier lifestyles.
The conference continued in the lobby of Phillips Hall with a nutrition expo, where many organizations, including the Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Meijer, and the Culinary Support Center set up informational tables for student perusal. The expo also included more guest speakers like Karen Omietanski, a registered and licensed dietitian, whose speech titled “How Do I Get Hired Now That I Have a Degree” gave students advice about the hiring process for dieticians, emphasizing the idea of selling oneself in order to be successful in an interview.
Other guest speakers included Ellen Swary and Teresa Schwendler, both dietetics students at Miami. They spoke about “Mindful Eating,” which focused on the importance of taking time to enjoy food, applying the four Ws of eating: where, why, what, and when.
Allison Rudy, registered dietician, spoke about the ketogenic diet, a program that is mainly based on high-fat, low-carb, and adequate protein foods, that she has implemented successfully in the treatment of seizure patients at the Children’s Medical Center of Dayton.
Lauren Burgel, Miami alumna, discussed her experiences with dietetic internships, providing information about her management of the demanding aspects of her multiple rotations.
Plans are already in motion for the 6th Semi-Annual Nutrition Conference, which will take place on November 8th, 2013, with a special focus on diabetes.