Dear readers,
The past year has been one of the biggest learning curves in my life.. It consisted of many personal discoveries, improving my social skills, being polite yet assertive, opting for lazy short-cuts in the kitchen, time management (though not very successful with the blogging!), the ability to cook even though utterly exhausted, the ongoing work, studying for a masters in Human Nutrition and very importantly to reference or back a statement with a reliable source. No matter how strong or logical an argument can be, in the world of science and dealing with academics a good reliable source is essential, otherwise all your efforts would go in vain. Many years of intensive research goes into scientific literature, meaning it cannot be ignored, even though some schools of thought think otherwise.
I personally prefer a holistic approach to things, whether scientific, social or even spiritual. It’s a rounded way of being in the clear, the ability to not just focus on one tiny aspect while dismissing other significant factors. In the field of nutrition nowadays, many claim to have the answer for a certain ailment, be it from lack of vitamin D to lack of B vitamins, omega 3 versus omega 6, cholesterol versus vegetable fat.. and the never-ending list just keeps going on.
The endless debates amongst nutritionists themselves are overwhelming, not to mention the role media plays in confusing the public about what’s good and what’s bad for us. It only becomes inevitable why nutritionist get such bad publicity – whichever way an argument is put forward, once a new headline is out, it’s imprinted in the records forever. Many opinions can be extremely selective and subjective, lacking serious objectivity. (You may even think this post is one too!)
Then there’s the issue of diet trends – each claiming to have a miracle cure for permanent weight loss and vitality.. you just need to visit the health section of a bookshop to realise how confusing it all is. In addition, there’s the internet bombardment with endless hits on whatever you fancy, one article feeding into another, some logical and reliable, some not so.
Having written a few assignments and prepared a few presentations at university, I’ve realised why we are constantly scrutinised about what we say and claim, and quite rightly so. To faithfully put your trust into the hands of a practitioner, is no joking matter and this of course comes from a consistent, dedicated and reliable source – achieved by the hard work displayed from the practitioners themselves. Just as a small child would feel safer in the arms of a clear-consistent-honest adult, a patient would take on the advice of a nutritionist much more effectively when pitched to something the client can relate to, with no pressure from a company or a certain personal belief affecting the practitioner’s judgement. Therefore, forming this mutual trust is paramount.
I have worked hard to have a more objective, holistic approach to feeding my family, though I may still be passionate about certain theories I may have. Theories yes!! Many scientific theories are accepted as facts nowadays, nutritional theories being no exception. Gentle persuasion is much more effective than a full-blown opinion or theory.
So.. having said all that, I shall from now on be very careful about any nutritional claims I make and would certainly try, to the best of my ability, provide a reliable reference, no matter what the school of thought may be..
I shall write about what nutritional advice I would give once I become a professionally qualified nutritionist. In case you’re wondering.. it won’t all be boring healthy talk, trust me. I still like my cake and butter and so should you! Hope you won’t wait too long for that though!
Zayneb
ihave2kitchens 