This concludes the course on the fundamentals of human nutrition.
Over the past ten weeks, you've developed the background for continued learning in
nutritional science. This course is not only illustrated how
food is essential to life. but also how our food is literally a part
of us. You looked at food at the microscopic
level and discovered how elements then go on to function at the macroscopic level.
Look back at your mind map. Do you think there are more branches you
could add as you learn more about the nutrition, the nutritional science?
You've created a map in the shape of a person.
So imagine, adding more complex concepts to the head, the body, and all of the
limbs, creating details in your mind map. So that the very words of your mind map,
every detail of nutrition, becomes the muscle tissue, the nervous system, the
cardiovascular system of our human model. When you compared your mind map to those
of your classmates, how were they different? How might the similarities and
differences in your mind map outline and parallel the nutritional similarities and
differences between individuals? In this course, you've had the opportunity to
study nutrition concepts that are the same for all humans,
as well as compare nutritional science and dietetics across the globe.
You travel to another country, you try to eat well while abroad and learned how
nutrition recommendations differ from country to country, even though, our
overall nutritional requirements and how our bodies use nutrients is pretty much
the same. I began this course stating that we are
what we eat. And now, you can understand how this is
literally true. When we consider the aspects of human
growth, development, health, disease prevention, and longevity, nutrition's at
the center of it all. You've learned that nutrition is science.
But it is by no means simple. Although we're biochemical organisms, the
choices we make, our history, backgrounds, cultures, traditions,
environments, resources, situations and even futures play a role in how we eat.
We might be able to simplify nutrition to basic scientific facts. But in reality,
preventing malnutrition is not necessarily simple.
As research in nutritional science and clinical nutrition progress, we'll likely
continue to make new discoveries, refer to our history, and be faced with
novel challenges. During this course,
you are the clinician. Reviewing medical information and making a nutrition
diagnosis and a recommendation. And future physicians might do best to
follow suit. Collaborate with nutrition professionals
and consider their patient's nutrition. And they're diagnosis.
Perhaps, you took this course to educate yourself.
Maybe it's a first step in a career path in nutrition, or maybe you're looking to
incorporate nutritional science and education into what you already do.
Whatever your reason, I encourage you to pass it on.
Be educated and become the educator. Finally, as you continue to learn about
nutrition, come back to the basics and beware of misinformation.
Better yet, be a nutrition, be a nutrition myth buster.
When researching and reading, always consider the source.
Beware of extremes, and think critically. If you go on to teach others, either
clinically or personally, remember, think of your audience, share good information,
dispel the bad information, and strive to promote viral learning so that knowledge
of good nutrition continues to spread. Thank you.