Hello fellow interns! My name is Leana Maestas and I’m a Sodexo Dietetic Intern in the distance program. Thus far I have completed my Food Service Management and Community rotations. My concentration is in MNT and I’m currently in the advanced portion of my main clinical rotation at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, CO.
During my internship, it has been so rewarding and challenging to seek ways to engage people in conversation about nutrition and empower them to take control of their own health. Engaging and empowering others has taken on many forms during my internship—class teaching, one-on-one education, social media outreach, promotional events, written material and more! It requires the ability to “meet people where they are” so to speak—communicate in a way that considers their level of understanding, interests, background, beliefs, and attitudes. Like most skills, it is one that develops with practice and experience. I am grateful to have had so many opportunities to practice and strengthen this skill across many settings during my internship.
Recently, I had one such opportunity to engage table comers in conversation about nutrition during our weekly National Nutrition Month event in the hospital cafeteria. Our theme for week one was “Fill up with Fiber” and so naturally we handed out samples of high fiber foods, handouts with tips for increasing fiber intake, and a poster about the health benefits of fiber. This event elicited comments, questions, and conversation from a variety of table comers—young, elderly, visitors, nurses, doctors, children, and people off all diverse backgrounds. I answered various questions:
“What is soluble/insoluble fiber?”
“What is an RD?”
“What do you think about the Mediterranean Diet?”
“What is hummus made of?”
“What does a dietetic intern do?” (Oh! Where to begin!)
It was very rewarding to connect with others, share my expertise and advice, and listen to their stories and thoughts. The event was not only a fantastic way to build up RDN’s and promote nutrition, but it was also a great opportunity to engage with people across all walks of life in hopes that they may walk away feeling empowered to take even a small step towards a healthier lifestyle. For me, this is a huge part of what it means to be a future RDN!
Happy National Nutrition Month and happy belated RDN day!
During my internship, it has been so rewarding and challenging to seek ways to engage people in conversation about nutrition and empower them to take control of their own health. Engaging and empowering others has taken on many forms during my internship—class teaching, one-on-one education, social media outreach, promotional events, written material and more! It requires the ability to “meet people where they are” so to speak—communicate in a way that considers their level of understanding, interests, background, beliefs, and attitudes. Like most skills, it is one that develops with practice and experience. I am grateful to have had so many opportunities to practice and strengthen this skill across many settings during my internship.
Recently, I had one such opportunity to engage table comers in conversation about nutrition during our weekly National Nutrition Month event in the hospital cafeteria. Our theme for week one was “Fill up with Fiber” and so naturally we handed out samples of high fiber foods, handouts with tips for increasing fiber intake, and a poster about the health benefits of fiber. This event elicited comments, questions, and conversation from a variety of table comers—young, elderly, visitors, nurses, doctors, children, and people off all diverse backgrounds. I answered various questions:
“What is soluble/insoluble fiber?”
“What is an RD?”
“What do you think about the Mediterranean Diet?”
“What is hummus made of?”
“What does a dietetic intern do?” (Oh! Where to begin!)
It was very rewarding to connect with others, share my expertise and advice, and listen to their stories and thoughts. The event was not only a fantastic way to build up RDN’s and promote nutrition, but it was also a great opportunity to engage with people across all walks of life in hopes that they may walk away feeling empowered to take even a small step towards a healthier lifestyle. For me, this is a huge part of what it means to be a future RDN!
Happy National Nutrition Month and happy belated RDN day!
