Nuwanee Kirihennedige

Tell us yourself, your education, and your current interests.

My name is Nuwanee; I was born in Japan and I love eating and cooking. I started Karate when I was 9 years old. I learned Kendo, a Japanese traditional martial art using bamboo sword to fight, when I was a junior high school student. Currently I lift weights to stay strong and be in shape. 

After graduating from high school in Osaka, Japan in 2002, I moved to the United States to obtain a world-class education in sports nutrition. Since I did not speak any English at the time I had to attend language school to pursue my goals. Within one year I enrolled in Ohlone College, a community college in Fremont, CA.

Within a few years I finished an undergraduate degree in Nutritional Science and DPD requirements at UC Berkeley. Currently, I am at San Francisco State University completing a dietetic internship.

I am interested in sports nutrition and also in educating people about nutrition to support and enhance the athletic, aesthetic, and health goals that clients may have. I love
interacting with people and that is why my experience has always been fulfilling, especially when people experience those “A-ha!” moments. It’s not merely a job for me; I consider what I do as my career.

How did your sports background influence your interest in nutrition?

I was a competitive athlete throughout high school. When I was an athlete, I was typical in terms of not paying too much attention to nutrition. All I did was eat, practice, and sleep as much as could. I went to an athletically specialized high school program called “Sports and Health Science Program” at Sakuranomia High School, which only enrolls competitive athletes. The program’s mission is to bring sports and science together and train and educate athletes so that they can contribute to the nation’s athletics. There I had my first opportunity to take a nutrition class (really basic) in high school which opened my eyes to the opportunities in nutrition field.

As I took more nutrition classes during my undergraduate program, many of the concepts and theories made sense by relating them to my experiences as an athlete. I wish that I had known this information when I was competing. I think that everyone should know about nutrition and take advantage of the correct information available to us.

How did you overcome the challenges faced in moving to the U.S. to gain an education?

When I started at the community college, I literally had to look up almost every single word, especially when it came to science text books. Everything that I had learned earlier in chemistry or biology was in Japanese which did not help me. I often had to read twice or three times to fully understand the books. I regularly visited many of my professors because reading the text alone did not help me to understand.

Fortunately, I had many phenomenal professors at both Ohlone College and UC Berkeley who were very supportive, encouraging, and patient. Also, living in California, I have met many other students who came from different countries who were doing just fine. Being a former competitive athlete, I saw them and told myself: if they can do it, I can too.  

How has volunteer work at a fitness center been beneficial?

 My volunteer work at the California Strength Gym in San Ramon, CA has given me an excellent opportunity to educate athletes and myself about nutrition for both wellness and improving overall performance. There, I am helping to consult clients—from teens to adults well into their sixties—concerning weight loss/gain, eating habits, and sports nutrition. 

I also research and write online articles for the gym's website and the company that it was affiliated with concerning topics such as current food awareness, fad diets, and healthy recipes. Working at California Strength has been a continuing education for me because many clients ask me questions about new fad diets and supplements in the market that I had never heard about before. There were many times that I had to go back to my undergrad textbooks to look for the answers and re-learn what I had forgotten. I have used the SCAN’s Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals and SCAN’S PULSE quite often as well.

I really enjoy working with athletes because I feel good when they actually realize the importance of nutrition, get results, and take it seriously as they do their training. Since I did not have the opportunity to be exposed to nutrition while I was an athlete, I am now trying to give as much information and resources as I can to athletes with whom I work. 

Describe your experience in writing about nutrition and wellness for a website.

The first time that I had an offer from my supervisor regarding writing online articles for the gym, I was a little nervous because I had never done such a thing in my life. I had to look for topics in which people would be interested. Fortunately, my supervisor was really supportive in leading me with suggestion topics. I used my seminar topics from my undergrad nutrition seminars. I looked at many different sources like health magazines, UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, the ADA journal, SCAN’S PULSE, and asking clients what they want me to cover. We were very careful on the topics we would introduce and discuss, maintaining credibility through sources with science-based evidence and peer reviews.

I also learned how to write interestingly, instead of like a boring scientist. After coming out from the university, I had been accustomed to writing research papers which are not necessarily fun to read. I had to ask many people to read drafts to get feedback and see if they would understand and relate to what I was talking about.

What are your professional goals? Once you become a registered dietitian, what kind of work do you want to do?

I would love to work with athletes, so that I can contribute my knowledge and skills to improve or optimize athletic performance. Ultimately, I would like to have the opportunity to work with Olympic athletes. I also like to educate people about nutrition and work in an environment where I can interact, communicate, and be creative.  

Is there anything else you would like to share with other students?

I did not take advantage of the opportunities involving professional organizations like SCAN until recently. I truly think that I should have started looking into this a long time ago. If you are thinking about getting more involved in the dietetic field, definitely act now! Opportunities and support are out there if you only look for them.