Many people may not know, but March is National Nutrition Month.
Julia Noel, a registered dietician-nutritionist (RDN) and the Director of Nutrition Services for the Campus Recreation team at the R. Brad Martin Student Wellness Center at the University of Memphis said, “National Nutrition Month was started by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as an annual campaign to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits."
Nutrition plays a key role in keeping our bodies healthy. Wh5at we eat matters and has an effect on our bodies. We have all heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” The phrase isn’t literal, meaning, just because you eat an apple everyday doesn’t mean you won’t ever have to see a doctor again, but the phrase suggests that eating apples is healthy because it is a nutritious fruit.
“The RDN credential is a protected title to describe someone who has completed a minimum of a master's degree and at least 1000 hours of specialized training and supervision through dietetic internships in a variety of settings,” Noel said.
Noel obtained her bachelor’s degree in 2013 and master’s degree in 2017 from the University of Memphis.
When studying to become a registered dietician-nutritionist (RDN), Noel took a variety of undergraduate and graduate level courses. Some of the courses she took were “organic chemistry, advanced human metabolism, food service management, experimental foods, medical nutrition therapy, and microbiology.”
Noel shared one of the reasons why she wanted to become a registered dietician-nutritionist (RDN).
“The main reason was my enjoyment of learning about food and nutrition and getting the opportunity to shadow a few dietitians who worked at Baptist Memorial Hospital when I was in high school,” Noel said.
Before working at the University of Memphis, Noel worked as a clinical dietician at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital for 4 and a half years. She has been working at the University of Memphis for a little more than 2 and a half years.
“Like every career field, it has its own set of challenges, but overall, it has been a great fit for my personality, skills, and interests,” Noel said.
Noel’s schedule at the University of Memphis varies on a day-to-day basis.
“Most days, I have 2-3 nutrition consultation appointments with students, work on my academic class NUTR 3000: Food and Cooking for Wellness, act as a preceptor for undergraduate- or graduate-level dietetics students, and complete various administrative duties as the leader of our Campus Recreation Nutrition Services team.”
Registered dietician-nutritionists (RDN’s) have a unique and important job.
“RDNs are the nationally recognized nutrition experts who provide not only sound nutrition information and guidance based on research evidence and expertise, but also help individuals make informed decisions in a way that meets them where they are,” Noel said.
Registered dietician-nutritionists (RDN’s) work in hospitals, schools, and public institutions, but also work in other places as well.
“They work with food and nutrition companies, act as media spokespersons, and do so much more to support the nutrition and well-being of our communities,” Noel said.
As the dietitian at the University of Memphis, Noel offers free nutrition consultations to students. The different types of nutrition consultations available to students are general nutrition, sports and performance nutrition, weight management “with a focus on intuitive eating”, and nutrition consultations for students who have medical conditions such as, ‘diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, PCOS, IBS, and more.’
For more information, students can visit the nutrition services tab on the University of Memphis website.
Noel’s one piece of advice to University of Memphis students about nutrition is a quote by author Leslie Schilling, RDN, CSCS, CEDS-S.
“The first goal of nutrition is to be fed - adequately and consistently."
