Cooking is an art the special
feeling towards food is universal. We respond well to a good meal with a
delight and our memories are still fresh about the food what our grandmother
has given us when we were kids.
In those days food is the medicine and medicine
is the food but in this fast world everything has got changed and food is not
an exemption to put our world in great distress. We go for easy cure which
medicines does which is temporary instead if we change our lifestyle then
permanent cure will be there for most of our illness.
I always think food can be used
as an alternative for most the ailments since my school days where I understood
biology is my sole interest during my high school and wonders about our food
remedies as medicines for most of the ailments. Since childhood I am a healthy
person and I have not taken any medicines from a doctor and always scared of
injections and tablets and refuse to visit our family doctor with the agreement
of no injection and tablet apart from syrups. Simultaneously I go for Holi
basil (Thusli) and sweet basil (thiruneetru
pachai) for nose congestion and enjoyed the positive changes that makes inside
my body.
When I was in my higher
secondary education I was not fancy about medicine as I am always scared
about blood and allied health was my natural choice . I thought if I select
physiotherapy I should treat patients physically and I denied; If I select
biochemistry I have to deal with samples and I denied that too. If I select
diet and nutrition there would be some distance and I should use my mouth with
utmost care and can heal the patients and I decided dietetics is my favorite
and ultimate destiny in my profession even though I was quite interested in
psychology though.
My father advised me to get statistics so that I can settle
in abroad with better life style and no need to fight for my increments and to
fight with people who does not have proper education but are very well
experienced in what they do. He was a great visionary of my future at my age of
17 and I truly miss him in my life decisions. I put application to nutrition,
psychology and statistics and received invitation from all of these courses. My
father said only my decision is final and I selected nutrition and dietetics
course.
While I started my dietetics
course one of our relatives asked my father as why did you put
her in a cooking course? She can study
that at home itself?? And my father explained
him dietetics is not only food but it teaches the way how to use the
food in a wise way in our lives and my daughter decided to change people’s life
in her perspective. I have done my bachelors in nutrition, FSM and dietetics
and masters with the encouragement from my mother. When I was advised by my
guide and head of the department to start my career as a tutor I denied that
and with thousands of dream started my profession as a dietitian.
The role of a dietitian has
come a long way ever since early 1900s unfortunately our role is still
unfamiliar to many though. We are the connection between the patient and the
medical team or a doctor in assisting on complicating decisions making about
nutrition care. For many years and to some extent even now there is no
awareness about the importance of a dietitian in our country which should be
amended.
The importance of a dietitian
starts from home and extends to the society. Nature has gifted us with numerous
food resources and we have to use them in the right way. When this changes, disorders
and diseases occurs where a dietitian’s role comes. Dietitians help to change
one’s food habits which are not suitable for their health and directing towards
the betterment.
Dietitians more importantly play the disease prevention role
which requires discipline, exercise and more effort in the kitchen. If everyone gets access to a dietitian it
saves our economy in the sense, the overall costs we spend on tax, medicines,
surgery etc. to manage the diseases like diabetes and heart diseases especially
coronary heart disease which are as a result of poor eating choices over many
years.
In my words, medicine should be
used as complementary but I do agree as only the medical world is saving our
dear and near ones in critical condition and I would like to say, if we set the base in
the appropriate way through lifestyle mostly through food since childhood most of the health issues will be gone in no time.
At this
point, I would like to stress at this point that to select an appropriate
dietitian who has done their proper education and not to go with any
certification done and so called nutritionist or a dietitian in this world for
the sake of your betterment.
So I would say, each one of us
should be aware of the importance of an Accredited Dietitian and to approach them for the
prevention and cure THROUGH FOOD mostly ……..and " not to the so called Dietitian"
