Nutrition Science
This semester I’m taking Biology 125, also known as Nutrition Science. It is one of the courses required before I go back to school to get my Masters Degree in Nutrition Science.
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Last fall I decided to start taking prerequisites for a Nutrition program at a local college, which includes Psychology, Nutrition, Chemistry, Microbiology, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Statistics and Accounting. The only science course I ever took in Undergrad was Biology 100, so I pretty much have to start from scratch, nutrition being a science and all! If only I had figured out my true calling a little bit sooner.
Because I work full time I am only able to take one course a semester which meets once a week in the evening. I’m currently taking Nutrition, and I’m super excited because this is the field I want to get into to eventually become a Registered Dietician. The prerequisites may take me a while but every course is slowly getting closer to my goal.
My interest in nutrition began shortly after I started losing weight. I was suddenly interested in the foods we need to eat in order to fuel our body properly. But, I knew fruits and vegetables were good for me, but WHY are these foods good? I’m going to find out! Hopefully what I’ve learned will be helpful to you too.
Five Key Points I learned in my first nutrition class:
1. Taste, culture, habits, emotions, time/ convenience and advertising influence what we eat on a daily basis.
2. A nutrient is a chemical compound found in foods to provide fuel for energy, growth, maintenance, and to regulate body processes.
3. The six classes of nutrients are
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Protein
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water (did you know H2O is a nutrient?)
4. Macro-nutrients are carbs, fats, and proteins, and they give us calories which in turn provide us energy.
5. Micro-nutrients are vitamins, minerals, and water and provide NO energy, but help breakdown the macro-nutrients to help give us energy and aid in the chemical processes that occur in the body.
Also the three key principals of healthy eating are:
1. Balance – the balance of macro and micro-nutrients provide the right amount of nutrients and caloric needs.
2. Variety – eat lots of different foods to get all the nutrients you need
3. Moderation – don’t eat too much of one thing
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Overall I hope to get a better understanding of the science of nutrition by taking this class. I also hope it gives me a good idea of what I’m in store for in the future! After all, I have to pretty much start from scratch!
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9 Comments
Amy @VitaminAmy
So happy you are taking steps toward reaching your goal! I know exactly how you feel. It took time to get my prerequisites done too, but it’s so worth it in the end! I have a year and a half left of grad school then doing my dietetic internship. Are you looking to go to Sage to do your masters? I spent a year there and loved the courses and professors! If you have any questions feel free to ask 🙂
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Kathy P
Jen – I’m excited you are going for a nutrition degree. Sometimes I wonder if I missed a calling there. It’s a real service to your fellow humans to help them eat good diets, and also to steer them from fad or quack information that is out there. Kathy
Laura
Good luck! I started down this path a year ago and am working on a bachelors in nutrition and then ill be applying for masters program/dietetic internship! I already have a bachelors so it isn’t too many classes to get another!
I just finished all these pre-reqs you mentioned so if you have any questions just let me know! I’m taking my advanced classes now and love how everything eventually comes together!
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Jen
thanks! I also have a bachelors in something completely unrelated, so its going to be a long ride!
Christina @ Food.Fun.Fabulous.
Weird, accounting wasn’t a pre-req for me. Good luck with everything!
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Emily
I recognize that book 😉 hahaha!
I hope you love the class 🙂 <3
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Annie@stronghealthyfit
I’m in the same boat as you- preparing for a graduate program in Nutrition but I have to take a bunch of pre-req.’s. How are you going about it? Do you have to pay up-front for each class, or are you taking out loans?
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Jen
Normally I would pay upfront, but I’m lucky since my employer pays for up to 4 credits a semester, so all I have to pay for are books and other activity fees, etc.
Annie@stronghealthyfit
That’s a great way to do it. What kind of job are you working in?
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