Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Helu.
Hi Andrea, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always been interested in health. My father is a Doctor, but I did not feel like pursuing a career in medicine was my calling. I practiced classical ballet all my childhood, during my adolescence and part of my early adulthood.
Ballet is a very demanding discipline which requires a great deal of physical strength and sadly a very specific body type is considered ideal. However, dancers are also athletes, so eating the appropriate amount of food is also very important. A lot of my classmates started to develop body image issues (myself included) and even eating disorders. That was when I began to feel drawn to nutritional science.
I studied my bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science at Universidad Iberoamericana (Tijuana) and graduated in 2014. Since then, I have worked in two non-profit health organizations and in a government daycare centre. In 2019 I won the Chevening Scholarship and I recently got my master’s degree in Human Nutrition with a specialization in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Visiting the nutritionist is not as common as visiting the doctor or the dentist, and health problems related to poor eating habits and lack of access to healthy food are very prevalent. Therefore, It has been very challenging to get my message across. Also, a lot of people in my community don’t have access to high-quality healthcare, so I have found that working in non-profit health organizations is much more rewarding and helpful than focusing only on private practice. The biggest challenge I have faced was winning my scholarship, it took me three years of hard work to get there.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I recently graduated from my master’s degree and after one year of being a full-time student and during this pandemic, I decided to provide nutrition consultations online. I am qualified to give my patients nutrition advice and personalized meal plans based on their age, sex, physical activity levels, health conditions, weight, height, preferences and goals.
My appointments can be conducted either in Spanish or in English. What sets me apart from other professionals in my field is my degree from the UK because it prepared me to work with an evidence-based approach. And also that I like to focus less on fitness and more on health.
What matters most to you? Why?
Health is so important to me. And what matters the most is to make healthy food and healthcare accessible to everyone.
Contact Info:
- Email: nutr.andreahelu@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutriologa_andreahelu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nutr.andreahelu/
Image Credits
Ana Blanco
