I have been interested in nutrition pretty much my whole adult life. This started out from a concern for world hunger and stewardship of our natural resources, as well has an interest in nutrition and health. I became a vegetarian and took a nutrition class as a freshman in college in 1980.
I eventually went on to get a bachelors of science degree in biology from Hope College in 1983. I also earned a Master’s degree in public health nutrition from the University of Michigan School of Public Health in 1985. I first worked as a nutritionist in a health and nutrition center operated by a progressive physician as a business and an adjunct to his private practice. Then, I work as a health educator in a community health center, utilizing my skills in public health and nutrition quite actively. Then, I spent a decade working on HIV/AIDS through a local health department, not utilizing my nutrition knowledge very actively. After this, I spent several years working as a health planner, covering a whole host of public health issues, nutrition only been part of this. Then, for something completely different, I started my own business, Top Pun.com, which I have done for the last decade, which has virtually nothing to do with public health nutrition.
It’s time to get back into the nutrition game. I’ve always maintained my interest in nutrition, and I have done a fair job of keeping up with nutritional science advances over the years. The idea of teaching a community nutrition class has been brewing in my mind for several years now. However, recently, with a series of awarenesses related to nutrition, as well as a number of significant changes in my own nutritional practices, I have decided to create a website, Just Eating for Life, and actively pursue creating a series of community nutrition courses, ranging from simple one-time lectures to longer more involved courses which entail active behavior change strategies as well as the steroidal increase in nutrition knowledge.
Hopefully, the gift of me being seriously under-employed will benefit the world. Of course, I will enjoy it immensely, either way. So, let the games begin!
