I finished my Bachelor’s in Foods and Nutrition back in 2017 with the original plan to become a dietitian. However, I felt frustrated with my education as a lot of the information and recommendations we studied were outdated, my teachers seemed resistant to newer research that questioned their traditional beliefs, and much of the focus of the course was on treating sick people instead of learning how to prevent chronic illness. I felt that maybe the dietetics career path wasn’t for me and took some time after college to go abroad and teach English in Thailand, and ending up staying for a year and a half.
Coming back to San Diego, I ended up reviving my interest in nutrition when I learned about alternative pathways to being a nutrition professional without being a registered dietitian, and decided to enroll in an online masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, which focuses strongly on individualized, evidence-based nutrition for preventing disease and promoting healthy living!
For fun, I love doing anything outdoors like camping, hiking, yoga, rollerblading, or picnicking. I am always listening to new music and I love going to shows (when they’re happening). I also really enjoy eating, kitty cuddles, reading, playing piano, and gardening.
I have a friend who’s been struggling with anxiety and getting quality sleep at night. He moved into a new apartment so as an untraditional house warming gift I got him Natural Vitality Calm Sleep aid (it’s a powder you mix in hot water with magnesium, melatonin and GABA in it) in hopes of helping him get better sleep. The directions on the back are slightly confusing and he ended up just seeing the part that says “start by placing your desired amount in a cup” and missing the part that says “start with half a teaspoon and gradually increase to 1 rounded teaspoon with use, not exceeding 2 teaspoons in 24 hours”. Him being skeptical of supplements actually working, dumped probably close to 15 teaspoons into his water! Only after drinking the whole cup did he notice that the serving suggestion was only 1 teaspoon. He refuses to tell me about the digestive side effects he had later but I just told him he’s just lucky that CALM is a mix between magnesium glycerinate (non-laxative) and magnesium carbonate (definitely laxative) and not just straight carbonate or things might have been pretty bad!
-Lauren Lehmkuhl, BS in Foods and Nutrition, Dietetics
Actively completing MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine
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