This quarter I am taking my first upper division elective class for my major. The elective courses are pretty neat since they focus on a specific topic. My class is titled “Physiology of Nutrition.” It is quickly becoming one of my favorite classes I have taken at UCLA. The topic applies directly to day to day life, and applies to everybody. It is also inspiring since it ends at 5 pm. Who would eat junk food for dinner right after a nutrition lecture?

The class is led by Dr. Heber, who runs the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. He is an MD and currently practices medicine, which provides a different teaching style then the norm. I love it! I always enjoy hearing relevant clinic examples, and it makes me excited for medical school. We have had a variety of others give lectures, including a registered dietician. Last Tuesday, a physical therapist (a UCLA alum btw) about lower back pain and how that relates to nutrition. Fascinating.

Of course, the class includes the good old food log where you write down everything you eat for three days. But we also go a bit beyond, last week every student had to do a body composition test. We received information about our %body fat, lean body mass, basal metabolic rate and target weight. Next, we do a project analyzing the above information. I think it will be much more fun than physics problems.

Go Bruins!