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 (Updated: 2/5/09)
When I was an undergraduate student majoring in nutrition, I
began writing a weekly health column in my college newspaper. Writing about
nutrition became such a passion of mine that I created the Nutrition and
Fitness Writer's Association (NAFWA). There was no such association for nutrition and fitness writers at the time so I decided to create one. This was all before the web 2.0 explosion.
As I started to develop NAFWA, I soon realized that my true
underlying passion was (and always will be) helping everyone interested in
nutrition--students, dietitians, educators, researchers--not just writers. Since
I have a wide range of interests besides writing, the Nutrition and Fitness
Writer's Association was changed to the Nutrition and Food Web Archive. This
opened up a whole new window of opportunity.
After changing NAFWA's focus, site development slowed down because of my
busy school and work schedule. With money being tight, I was forced to limit
book purchases and turn to the web for learning. It turned out to be a good
thing. I found myself using the web more than any of the books I purchased for
research and studying. While doing this though, I found that most websites failed
to go to the depth that I needed, or those that did charged a service fee.
As my 'research' skills improved I began building an online
collection of helpful, and FREE, material to share with others; mainly classmates
and dietetic interns. We would share presentations, documents, useful
resources, and collaborate on projects. My dream for NAFWA was understood and appreciated from the small group that learned to love it.
Starting as a small internal network site, NAFWA has blossomed
into a significant high-traffic resource on the web. Hours, upon hours have
been spent to provide up-to-date information, presentations, documents, and
more to nutrition professionals, dietitians, and students. There are close to 40,000
links in almost 4,000 directory categories, free documents and scripts
(including Calorie Queen), games, blog, movies, forum, clinical calculators...well
you get the idea.
This was all done by someone who enjoys helping others. Today I
am the Director of Nutrition in a community health center consulting patients
and leading a fitness program called Heart and Sole. I also continue developing
NAFWA and do web development for a list of clientele. Hard work pays off!
Please enjoy your stay at NAFWA and be sure to take your time going
through the website. I use it everyday, but I know how to find what I need (I
built it ;). If there is something you cannot find, please send me an
email and I will do my best to make it happen.
Be Healthy,
Christopher Theberge,
RD, LDN
2008/2009
Please stay tuned for NAFWA 2.0 coming late in 2009.
Promise Yourself
To be so strong that
nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and
prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel
that there is something special in them.
To look at the sunny side of
everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to
work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about
the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the
past and press on to the greater achievements of the
future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at
all times and give every living creature you meet a
smile.
To give so much time to the
improvement of yourself that you have no time to
criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too
noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy
to permit the presence of trouble.
~ Christian D Larson
Your
Forces and How to Use Them 1912
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