PROJECT 4*

Chahat Sharma

Dr.McCleese

WRA 101-Disciplinary and Professional Literacy Project

6/9/2020

Path to my career

Even when I was a child, I would irritate my parents with some or the other question that would keep me awake at night and keep tickling my 'oh-so curious mind’. My questions ranged from how food provides us energy , who decides why a particular food item is good or bad for our health, how some people are fat and some are thin and most importantly where food comes from how is it processed or made? It would leave me amazed and completely baffled on how same type of food affects differently on different people.

I realized that despite studying history, geography and math; food and nutritional sciences emerged as a subject that left a deep impression on my mind. It stimulated me to know and explore more about the food in our body. As time passed, I became curious to know about nutrition food provides ,importance of food in our body and how and why different food affects differently in various people.

Nutritional science is incredible and mystical.

I have always volunteered as a participant in nutritional camps organized in school. I have attended many seminars related to nutrition, food science and and having a nutritious diet. But one of the best work experiences was during my high school that helped me make up my mind that I would pursue my career in nutritional sciences. I worked with a nutritionist Kiran Bakshi in a hospital where I had to sit next to her and learn about different aspects of a nutritionist. She was so professional and honest to her work and assured that her patients left her office with a smile on their faces. Most of her patients were obese or over weight and often had no motivation to lose weight and other than that she also had to plan meals for different patients in that hospital. I was so astonished to see how she had memorized and had each and every past and recent knowledge about medicines , food products, preservatives and all the 6 components of food ( proteins, fats , carbohydrates , vitamins , minerals and water). But one trait that everyone praised about her was the way she welcomed each and every person with a smile and talked to them even after having a lot of work. One of the most important thing I learned from her is that to become a nutritionist one should have a habit of reading and writing and always tell your patients a clear picture of whatever the situation is.

Now I know life is not a bed of roses and we need to work hard to succeed in our life. This is what my uncle Dr. Nupur told me when I interviewed him and asked him how much time does it take to become a nutritionist. He is a well know dietician and a nutritionist in Chandigarh. He has his own clinic and also works in a hospital to prepare a proper diet for a patient. The hospital has different branches all over India. So they have made a common app that all the doctors can join according to professional category. So he has joined the nutritionist category and all the updates and discussions happen in that app. They all help each other and keep each other updated about new readings. So this is how they communicate and spread readings to people in their profession. He said that communication plays a crucial role in each and every profession but plays a special role in medical field. He mentioned whether it’s doctors or surgeons or nutritionists or a nurse it is really important to focus on the choice of words they use and that the information provided to the patients is correct. He said that a professional doctor is the one who provides his patients with written instructions.

He told me that as nutritionist one has to read books, magazines and research papers cause this is a field that keeps on growing and every single second something is researched upon or is discovered or one or the other medicine or a drug is banned etc. As a nutritionist not everything suits everyone’s body so he has to first ask his patients a couple a questions, write it down and start reading about the foods and the medicines that would work for his/her body. So he said that the key to a successful nutritionist is to read and expand their knowledge and to write or jot things down so as to prevent mistakes. He told me specially during this COVID time it is really important for COVID patients to take a proper diet for a speedy recovery. He also told me the special fruit diet he and his team is providing to the patients. He also mentioned in this hard time a lot of nutritionist have been researching, analyzing , reading and writing about the different diet that would help COVID patients to immunize their body and keep them healthy.

Human trials suggest that the intakes of some micronutrients (vitamins C, D and E and zinc and selenium) needed to optimally support the immune system Specific nutrients and the foods that provide them can play a role in supporting the immune system in order that the host can better defend against bacteria and viruses if infected. Therefore, having a healthy diet could be an important factor, but one of many, in determining outcome in individuals should they become infected with coronavirus. Good nutrition creates an environment in which the immune system is able to respond appropriately to challenge, irrespective of the nature of the challenge. Conversely poor nutrition creates an environment in which the immune system cannot respond well.

Every individual should be carefully assessed when providing nutrient intakes higher than the reference nutrient intake, and dosages should preferably be clinically validated for critically ill patients. Foods that are naturally abundant in vitamin C such as broccoli , blackcurrants , fortified breakfast cereals and oranges should be made accessible to older individuals who are most in need of their nutritional benefits. Ongoing research is urgently needed within the field of immunonutrition and, in particular, how this could benefit vulnerable, at risk groups.

To sum up, I would say that nutrition is a miraculous science which is helpful in curing common diseases, improving human health, solving problems, developing cure for various problems and maintaining a healthy ecology. Nutrition is one of the basic thing a human body needs so as to function properly. Nutrition is one such field that requires a lot of reading cause one has to be updated with all the research work that is happening. Nutritionist help us to take in proper meals and guide us the intake of different nutrients in our body. As mentioned above during these hard times nutritionists serve us with correct diet so that our body remains immune and we stay healthy. For medical professions one should have a habit of reading.

Works Cited

Wu D , Lewis ED , Pae M , et al . Nutritional modulation of immune function: analysis of evidence, mechanisms, and clinical relevance. Front Immunol 2019;9:3160. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.03160

Carr A, Maggini S. Vitamin C and immune function. Nutrients 2017;9:1211.doi:10.3390/nu9111211

Dr.Nupur Bakshi . Interview . Conducted by Chahat Sharma ,14th June, 2020

DMU Timestamp: May 11, 2020 21:16