STUDENTS are getting their chance at the front of the classroom as they take a bite out of health issues facing the community.
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Nutrition and dietetics students at the University of Newcastle department of rural health in Tamworth have been running cooking and lifestyle classes for clients referred through HealthWISE.
The program is empowering people in the community with knowledge about diet and nutrition, but it also gives aspiring health professionals a real-world experience engaging with people seeking help.
“It’s a community project we’re doing as part of our accreditation,” Tamworth student Aaron Bezzina told The Leader.
“The idea was to try and get Indigenous men and women to come in and do nutritional education sessions that are practical, informal and fun.
“We have an information session and then we practically apply it in cooking.”
The program has been run for the last five weeks by Mr Bezzina and fellow student Mitchell Williams, and culminated in a Ready, Steady, Cook-styled cook off at the Johnston St campus.
“It teaches me about engaging with the community, how to translate our nutritional knowledge in to everyday talk and that’s the aim of a dietitian really,” Mr Bezzina said.
The idea was to try and get Indigenous men and women to come in and do nutritional education sessions that are practical, informal and fun.
- Nutrition student Aaron Bezzina
Chris Byrnes has been taking part in the program and said he has been slowly making changes to his lifestyle as a result.
“[I used to eat] plenty of meat and all of the wrong stuff you shouldn’t eat, fatty stuff,” Mr Byrnes said.
“They’ve taught me to change my white bread to brown bread and I’m just making little changes.
“I haven’t changed completely yet because I still like a lot of other stuff, but I’m gradually getting there.”
Mr Byrnes said he has been able to pass on some of the knowledge he has picked up from the course.
His student teacher, Mr Bezzina, said that’s what the program was all about.
“You kind of want to empower people here so they will go on to empower other people in the community and it starts that way,” Mr Bezzina said.