NUTR 331: Nutrition for Health is a senior-level science course that ?introduces nutritional concepts and covers the most common nutrition-related conditions.? Nutrition for Health is the best of AU’s NUTR classes for ?a student who only plans to take one nutrition course,? as well as for students who may have a more ?limited science background.?

?NUTR 331 was written around 1994,? says course coordinator Dr. Norman Temple. ?Since then it has been regularly revised and improved. I feel it is an excellent course.?

?Compared with nutrition courses at other universities, NUTR 331 is unusual in devoting much attention to diseases of lifestyle, especially obesity, cancer and heart disease,? Dr. Temple notes. ?At the same time it provides much practical information that people can use for themselves and family. In addition, many of the students who take the course are nurses and for them it offers much useful information that can be passed to patients.?

Mehrin Pirmohamed-Rajabali is a Bachelor of Commerce student who plans to pursue designation as a chartered accountant. Pirmohamed-Rajabali says that NUTR 331 ?seemed like an interesting course for an elective;? one which would provide her with ?important practical knowledge concerning [her] everyday health and nutrition.?

?I was also interested in learning more about the different food groups to be able to provide nutritious food for my kids,? says Pirmohamed-Rajabali, ?so they form good eating habits from their childhood.?

?I enjoyed learning and trying to adjust my eating habits as per the recommendations of the Canada food guide. It was definitely a challenge in the beginning,? Pirmohamed-Rajabali says, ?but by the end it was fun to look for food to eat based on the food groups and I realized it wasn’t very hard to keep in check if you set your mind to eating proper. I wasn’t so fond of an exercise in which I had to keep track of all my calories. However, I must admit it made [me] self-aware of my shortfalls in my diet.?

According to Pirmohamed-Rajabali, the textbook for NUTR 331 is ?excellent and very clear,? giving detailed background information about health and disease. ?I would have to say it would be the most practical text I have read in university,? she says. ?The study guide was good and covered all the important details very clearly. The CD that accompanied the book is an excellent learning tool and very comprehensive.?

Dr. Temple cautions, though, that ?many non-science students take the course believing that nutrition is simple. While the course is certainly a better choice for non-science students than courses such as physics or chemistry, it is not as simple as many seem to expect. Students must therefore expect to have to work hard,? Dr. Temple warns. ?In particular there is much memorization of details of vitamins and minerals.?

Pirmohamed-Rajabali, however, found the course both ?informative and interesting . . . if you work diligently.? She says that she would ?definitely recommend this course for all individuals regardless of their educational forte!?