Nutrition is not the only factor involved on the road to good health but it is certainly one of the most important aspects of living a healthy life. Being healthy enables a person to live life to their full potential it helps people to think clearly, their bodies to operate efficiently, and allows them to do the things they love without illness or disease. Our country is in a state of emergency, you might say when it comes to health and nutrition. We have more information available to us than ever before, yet obesity rates are extremely high; empty-calorie foods are plentiful and cheap; and degenerative diseases, preventable through diet, are the leading causes of death in the India. These reasons are, in part, what has driven me to pursue a dietetics degree. I had the advantage of being raised in a home where health and good nutrition were highly valued. I was taught at a very young age how to have optimal health through nutrition and exercise. So many of my peers did not grow up with this advantage and are now suffering from obesity and disease, completely preventable with good nutrition and physical activity. It seems tragic, with the availability of a variety of foods and a plethora of information on health and nutrition, that this is a problem in our country. When I look around me I am motivated to help people live lives of much higher quality through the healing powers of food. Dieticians can play a role in the nutrition of our school lunches, programs like WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), and nutrition counseling for people suffering from illness, disease, and obesity. I would like to join these other health-related professionals and help move communities and eventually the country towards a healthier future.At some point, I would like to additionally pursue a degree, certification or some other training in integrative therapy. I believe the body has a tremendous amount of healing power; we are only beginning to understand just how much. I worked for 7 years with private hospitals & nutrition companies but putting myself on this road towards a degree in dietetics and nutrition has never been about a career as much as it is about helping others. My favorite quote is by Gandhi: Be the change you wish to see in the world. I feel like I do my best to live this through gentle/respectful parenting practices, unschooling, good nutrition, yoga, random acts of kindness, and compassionate living. A degree in dietetics will help me extend this motto out a little further by being able to educate others and begin to change the way our society views food. You can get the phone number of Dr. Rupshree Mayanil (PT) on Timesmed.com.