November is Colour Your World with Fruits and Veggies, Plus meet our Dietetic Intern!

Monsignor William Irwin is a colourful place!

That is certainly evident if you have seen the bulletin board outside our Nutrition Hut.  November is the month we dedicate to eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to increase our energy and health.  From November 26th to December 13th we will be holding , "The Great Produce Challenge of 2010" to demonstrate our commitment to Health and Wellness.  The challenge was master minded by a very crucial individual to our Wellness Team, our newest dietetic intern, Amanda Nhan.



Recently I had the opportunity to ask Amanda a few questions about her interesting career choice as a dietitian and the journey she is on to complete her degree.

Father Bill's Kitchen: 

"Amanda, how did a dietetic intern find herself in an elementary school?"

Amanda:    

 "I find myself here at Monsignor William Irwin Catholic Elementary School for six weeks     (November 8-December 17) as part of the University of Alberta’s Integrated Dietetic Internship Program. I have completed four years of course work at the university and I am now working toward completion of all of my internship placements, after which I will convocate with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition (Dietetics)."

Father Bill's Kitchen:     

"Wow!  That is so interesting!  What other placements have you had helping people to increase their wellness?"

Amanda:

"Prior to starting at this school, I spent a month at the Lacombe Hospital and Continuing Care Centre learning introductory clinical dietetics before moving to Westlock for 12 weeks to develop my skills in food service management.  The work I am doing here at MWI is part of my community nutrition placement."

Father Bill's Kitchen:

"You are certainly doing a great job at educating students through the classes you teach and and the Produce Challenge you have created for the students.  What are you going to do after you leave here in December?"

Amanda:

"After Christmas I will spend another six weeks practicing community nutrition in Red Deer before moving on to my fourth and final placement in advanced clinical dietetics. Once I have finished my internship and have convocated, I can apply to the College of Dietitians of Alberta to become a registered dietitian and begin my career!"

Father Bill's Kitchen: 

"Well Amanda we at Monsignor William Irwin wish you the best of luck and God's Blessings for your future.  Do you have any parting words?"

Amanda:

"Thank you for inviting me into your school and for the positive attitude towards your heath, and I invite you to take a little challenge to see if you can guess some important fruits and vegetables to include in your eating."

Can you name these vegetables and fruits?

Were you able to name them all?  Now, how about eating them all?