My name is Jovana and I am a Registered Dietitian living
in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. I am excited to be embarking on a new
chapter in life as I start my Masters of Education in the Health Education and
Active Living (HEAL) cohort. I will use this blog to document my experiences and reflections
as I journey through the program. Also, since I am a big foodie you can expect
my musings on nutrition and yummy treats :)
A little bit about me
I was born in Belgrade, Serbia, a beautiful city ripe with history, culture, and architecture. Since the age of eight, I have been proud to call Vancouver my home, but my Serbian heritage plays a big part in who I am. I have fond memories of family gatherings in which home cooking had an integral role and I enjoy keeping our traditions alive. I have had the fortune of spending my childhood summers with family in the countryside where they had a farm with a variety of crops as well as different animals, so I was able to appreciate our connection to food from an early age. I enjoy traveling, making scrapbooks, walking by the seawall, yoga, cooking and baking, and spending time with friends and family. Professionally, I have been practicing as a dietitian for three years. I enjoy educating others about the benefits of healthy eating and helping them improve their quality of life. I especially enjoy “seeing the lightbulb go on” when I am talking to clients. It’s very rewarding to be able to make a difference in someone’s life, however small it may be, even if it’s motivating them to make one small change that may impact much more than they think at first.
I was born in Belgrade, Serbia, a beautiful city ripe with history, culture, and architecture. Since the age of eight, I have been proud to call Vancouver my home, but my Serbian heritage plays a big part in who I am. I have fond memories of family gatherings in which home cooking had an integral role and I enjoy keeping our traditions alive. I have had the fortune of spending my childhood summers with family in the countryside where they had a farm with a variety of crops as well as different animals, so I was able to appreciate our connection to food from an early age. I enjoy traveling, making scrapbooks, walking by the seawall, yoga, cooking and baking, and spending time with friends and family. Professionally, I have been practicing as a dietitian for three years. I enjoy educating others about the benefits of healthy eating and helping them improve their quality of life. I especially enjoy “seeing the lightbulb go on” when I am talking to clients. It’s very rewarding to be able to make a difference in someone’s life, however small it may be, even if it’s motivating them to make one small change that may impact much more than they think at first.
The mind/body relationship
As literature has shown us, there is a strong connection between the mind and the body. I have always believed the mind to be very powerful and have been fascinated by the field of psychology. I think we as individuals need to learn to be more in tune with our internal signals, since only when both our mind and our body are taken care of will we achieve optimal health.Mindfulness is something I advocate in all areas of life and I believe with it comes a great deal of self-reflection. I enjoy practicing yoga and enjoy the calmness it brings me as well as appreciation for the strength my body can exhibit. I would like to explore this connection further and will be focusing some of my entries on this.
Why HEAL? Expectations & Contributions
My motivation for entering dietetics has always been health promotion
and disease prevention.
I believe that education is one of the cornerstones for behavior change,
since it is difficult to motivate people to change if they do not understand
the issue at hand or the reasoning behind it. I knew I wanted to pursue
graduate studies, and the HEAL program seemed like the perfect fit for me to
further my skills and knowledge. I am passionate about health and active living
and I look forward to learning and developing into the best educator I can be.
I educate my clients on a daily basis; however, I would like to be able to
reach people on a larger scale through the development and dissemination of
nutrition education programs.
I find the acronym for our program quite powerful since there are many
ways one can heal (just like we discussed the many ways one can define health);
hence the play on words in my blog title (I apologize for the corniness :)).
I look forward to getting to know my fellow cohort members and
professors and I know we will have a great time learning from each others
diverse experiences and perspectives! I
hope to contribute my experiences from my healthcare background and training,
as well as my positive attitude and zest for enjoying life!
Cheers!
I just wanted to share a photo from my recent visit to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain which left me in awe of its history and magnificent architecture and gardens!
hi Jovana,
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing your story. I really liked how your childhood & growing up near a farm helped shape your views on food. I personally feel like we as a society do not really know where our food comes from. We have a lot of similar interests (yoga, cooking, scrapbooking, baking) so i would love to hear more!
I would like to learn more about your ideas around nutritional education programs! thanks again
Rose
Hi Jovana,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your rich description of growing up in Serbia and how your experiences as a child informed your practice. I completely agree that education plays a pivotal role in behavioural change. I hope during the next two years you find the material in this program supportive of your goals in educating your clients towards a healthier lifestyle.
Cheers,
Jacqueline
Hi Jovana!
ReplyDeleteYou paint a very romantic picture of growing up in Serbia and experiencing the rich bounty of the earth. I think many of us who grew up in North America would have difficulty relating to that experience because most of the population lives in big cities. Movies and produce commercials like to capitalize on the romanticism of the countryside, but most of us have no access to it. This is evident in the majority of food choices that city dwellers versus country dwellers make. I can only imagine, with tongue watering, what a Jovana family meal would look and taste like. Despite being raised on whole foods and eating farm sourced food as a child (and now), I am envious of your upbringing and that you got to experience first hand a true farm to fork culture. I look forward to having foodie conversations with you and swapping recipes!