Growing Good Health

As a registered dietitian for nearly 11 years, I have spent over half of my career as a clinical dietitian.  During that time, I spent most of my days taking care of people that hadn’t done well in taking care of themselves previously.  They hadn’t given much thought to the fact that what they ate really impacted how they felt and what their health was like.

Now, as I work as a supermarket dietitian, I see the flip-side!  I hear from customers daily on how they wish they would have paid more attention to what they were eating to not have the problems they are currently dealing with.

In spring of 2011, I launched the Sprouts-Get Out and Grow http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/07/16/good-times-for-kids-are-sprouting-up-at-hy-vee/ program at my store – a true labor of love.  This is a garden and cooking program designed for kids to give them a true garden to table experience to create healthier choices by growing their own food and then cooking with it as well.  By capitalizing on young children’s natural curiosity and sponge-like learning ability, I can teach these healthy habits without the need to unlearn too many unhealthy ones.

I had this vision of this program when I was asked in my interview for my supermarket position 4 years ago – what is your dream accomplishment (professionally)?  Being in a supermarket environment with more of a focus on health and wellness allowed the opportunity to fulfill this dream.  My passion for healthy kids (including my own) was really lit on fire when I was able to focus on teaching children about the connection of fresh food to good health.

As I look over my past life experiences and my story, it leads me to where I am today and makes perfect sense to me.  Gardening with kids and teaching others how to grow health is what I am meant to be doing – my purpose and my passion.

What’s your passion?  Are you living it?

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