ABOUT

Who is HEALing Foodie? 

My discovery of dietetics was a chance encounter. As a senior in high school, I was convinced that I'd be a pediatrician. My conviction was still alive and strong as I finished 1st year of college with Gen Chem under my belt. But doubt quickly set in after my 1st lecture of O-chem. As I finished the series miserably, I knew med school wasn't the route for me. In that dark tunnel of benzene rings and chemical equations, I remembered that amazing class I was "forced" to take in my first quarter called "Nutrition for Health" because everything else I wanted was full.

It was around the same time when I realized going into medicine didn't guarantee that I'll be helping to prevent disease. Healthcare in America is mostly what I refer to as "sickness care"- the majority of us go to seek medical help only when we're diseased. It's so backwards for 21st century medicine where cancers can be cured and whole organs can be transplanted. To juxtapose the supposed modern medical practices, my Chinese parents have always preached that "disease is through the mouth" and that food can heal, much like what Hippocrates put forth more than 2 millenia ago when he wrote "let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food."

Long story short, I left my 2-year stint as a failed bio major and became a happy psychology major, had time to take up a health science minor, worked 2 of the most fulfilling jobs thus far in my life, and had time to smell the roses (or in my case, the beach). Life was grand, and I was ready to dive into graduate program in nutritional science.  

After 3 years of grad school, a 9-month internship, a 100-page thesis, and passing the RD exam, I'm finally a registered dietitian! Besides being mistaken for a "food police", I'm a yogi at heart, food enthusiast, Mother Nature's advocate, and a believer in equality and justice. 

Why HEALing Foodie? 

Or the better question may be "why food?" I struggled for a long time to come up with a comprehensive answer, but Marion Nestle took the words out of my mouth in What to Eat. "What I have always appreciated about food- besides the nourishment and pleasure it gives- is its accessibility as a means of understanding the world in which we live." I couldn't have said it better.

Food has provided a venue for me to explore the essential aspects of life- culture, politics, and community just to name a few. I cannot count the number of times I've bonded with people over food, met new friends over food, and had heated discussions on topics related to food. Not to mention the insight I've gained on social issues because of food. 

I hope to use this blog as a platform for exchanging ideas with you. It's also a way of jotting down my many food-related thoughts. Sometimes just for fun, sometimes to rant, and along the way challenge the norm with my no nonsense, back to basics approach to nutrition. 

How to Reach HEALing Foodie? 

Send me your thoughts at healing [dot] foodie@gmail.com!