We all have funny habits around food. Some of us are diligent about going to the grocery store and cooking for ourselves, others constantly eat takeout and swear one day they’ll learn to cook. Those who live on or near farmland are more connected to the agricultural process and can access fresher food with fewer additives. Kids who grow up in big cities sometimes believe that food comes from the supermarket, rather than the land. In 2018, this is not so surprising; many of us are alienated from nature and rarely think about how our food is grown or butchered.
Whether or not you’re trained and licensed as a nutritionist, you may have a passion for food and health. In the US, there is certainly still an obesity crisis and additional studies show a clear correlation between depression and poor diet. At this point, we need to look at nutrition as something everyone can understand and access, rather than a pursuit strictly for those with wealth and free time.
If you’re passionate about nutrition, consider these three career paths that integrate nutritional education to help people live healthier, happier lives:
Nutritional Psychology
Nutritional psychology is a relatively new field that looks at the psychological implications of what we eat. In the modern era, we’ve typically focused on the superficial aspects of food – how it makes us look and the repercussions for our bodies. In the 21st century, however, a portion of the medical community is looking to a model that suggests that mind and body are one: what happens in the body directly affects the mind and vice-versa.
Thus, when someone is depressed or anxious, exercise, eating well, cutting out alcohol and fatty, sugary foods may go a long way toward reversing the problem. Nutritional psychology pioneer Drew Ramsey suggests that sometimes medication is part of the solution, but there’s no substitute for a healthy lifestyle. If you’re considering a career in psychology, engaging with nutrition could help give you an edge when treating your patients.
Craft Services
People tend to think of craft services as one of the most menial jobs on a film set, but in reality, it can be a great challenge and an exciting career path. The head of craft services needs to cater (pun intended) to the specific needs of the actors and keep everyone on a busy film set well fed and ready for long days and nights of shooting. If you’re a chef who likes excitement and a vibrant work environment, craft services might be perfect for you.
Working on a film set offers an alternative to the uber-competitive, super intense rat race of working in prestigious kitchens and climbing your way up and offers a way to connect on a personal level with the folks you are feeding. If you have some training, getting your foot in the door may be less difficult than you think – learn about starting your career in entertainment at the Careers In Entertainment Tour website, where you can access free resources and find out about awesome events in your area.
Non-Profit/ Community Support
Urban agriculture has been growing in popularity in the past few years as industrious city folks have repurposed city land to grow healthy produce in amongst the high-rises and skyscrapers. Non-profits like Building Roots in Toronto are providing multi-disciplinary programming for underserved communities to access nutritional education, healthy groceries at a reduced price and a shared setting to enjoy a warm meal and have a great conversation. Sometimes, nutrition is a social issue too and something that can bring people together – consider starting an initiative in your community today.
Share
Contributors
