Student Spotlight: Heather Huschle, Nutrition

by Kathleen McCoy  |   

Being healthy is a goal many yearn for and hope to maintain in life. Nutrition is an important part of achieving good health. For UAA sophomore Heather Huschle, nutrition is one of the largest parts of her daily life and because of that, she decided to become a dietician.

UAA nutrition major Heather HuschleIn middle and high school, Heather began striving for better health as an active athlete in basketball, track and field and weightlifting. At age 16, she worked at a gym eventually achieving her goal of becoming a personal trainer. "When I was training clients I realized that proper nutrition is the largest part of getting healthy and achieving optimal results. That's when I ultimately decided I wanted to pursue nutrition as a career."

Heather originally considered nursing, but realized she not only wanted to help people get healthy, but stay healthy. "The chance to see the change happen and the improvement in how they feel about themselves inside and out is amazing," she says.

Staying active and eating right is important to Heather. Every morning at 3:45 a.m., this dedicated student gets up and heads to the gym to lift weights. Then, she goes to work, where she does cardio during her lunch break, and finishes the rest of her 12-hour shift at Northern Chiropractic. After work, Heather focuses on schoolwork as a part-time student. This kind of dedicated regimen led to her nickname, Buffy. "Knowing that I'm taking care of my body and that I'm doing my best to live a long and healthy life keeps me motivated."

It comes as no surprise that this fitness buff was a model, has competed in a bodybuilding competition and finished her first half-marathon of 13.1 miles. In 2007, Heather won the overall state championship title, "Miss Alaska" of bodybuilding, at the Alaska Bodybuilding Fitness and Figure competition.

"People are capable of so much more than they give themselves credit for. It's all about courage, determination and perseverance. You are capable of achieving all the things you set out to do, as long as you keep pushing yourself."

So what does a nutrition-focused student eat? She says mostly lean white meats, like chicken and fish, steamed veggies, whole grains and small portions of citrus fruits and berries. "It's important to eat at least five or six times a day."

An important thing to remember when trying to eat nutritious on a busy schedule is to prepare your foods the night before. "It's all about preparation. You need to prepare all of your meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and of course, the snacks in between."

Heather hopes to work as a dietician. "I would schedule out a diet plan that fits the patient's needs and adjust properly to the health conditions he or she may be having."

Heather says she's lucky to have found a great program and department. "The Nutrition department is really amazing. Nutrition professor Kendra Sticka has pushed me to go above and beyond in class."

As a Nutrition major, Heather takes classes pertaining to different nutrition aspects, including clinical and normal nutrition, weight management and eating disorders, preventive and therapeutic nutrition, child nutrition, geriatric nutrition and food science. What she's learning in class brings out her passion to pursue this profession. "It's incredible how eating right can control so many things in your life: energy, metabolism, mood, weight and overall health. Through proper nutrition and exercise, you can eliminate so many health risks."

Heather, 25, hopes to double major in nutrition and dietetics. UAA's Bachelor of Science in dietetics recently received accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics and will begin to accept majors in fall 2011.

Heather plans to eventually train to compete in more bodybuilding competitions, run more half-marathons and begin taking more classes, in hopes of becoming a full-time student. "I'm eager to really make a dent in my credits, earn my degree and start doing what I love-helping people live a longer healthier lifestyle through the proper diet."

Five tips from a nutrition major:

  1. Get rid of processed food - Eliminate all the bad food from the house. Taking away any processed and sugary foods from the house allows you to stay on track with any nutrition program.
  2. Take Baby Steps- You may start with good intentions by going on a strict diet for a few days or weeks, but you might binge eat to satisfy your cravings. Every meal you eat well is one baby-step in the right direction, and making these small gains gives you motivation and drive to stay on track.
  3. 80/20 rule - Cut yourself some slack. By eating well most of the week, reward yourself with something you're craving. Giving yourself a reward allows you to stay on track longer.
  4. Drink Water - Our body is made of a high percentage of water, and I guarantee most people do not drink enough during the day. By drinking at least two liters a day will help flush any toxins in the body. If toxins accumulate, dehydration can occur, which also causes tension, aches, pains and headaches. Water also aids with nutrition by speeding up your metabolism, suppresses hunger and stops cravings for sugary foods.
  5. Prepare your meals - Have you ever been in a situation where you don't have any food with you and you end up just getting something convenient, like fast food? Preparing your meals the night before gives you the added benefit of staying on track with your nutrition plan and will aid you in achieving your goals!
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