Sanath Yeduri
Midpoint Reflection — Post 2
I am currently 4 weeks into my internship at the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute in Allschwil, Switzerland, working under the mentorship of Dr. Helen Prytherch. My days are filled with updating Nutrition data factsheets for the Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) Initiative. I have been specifically working on the factsheets for Busia City and Bungoma City which are located in Kenya and they are 2 out of the 6 cities that the NICE initiative is focused on. My main responsibilities have been coordinating with our teams in other countries and analyzing the nutritional data I am able to gather from them for the factsheet I will be creating for each city.
Apart from work, one of my favorite moments has been traveling around Switzerland. One day I was able to visit the city of Lucerne. Lucerne is known for the mountains that surround Lake Lucerne, so I spent the morning climbing up 2 mountains and seeing Lake Lucerne from different angles and it was BEAUTIFUL. In the evening, I was able to attend a Kindergarten graduation and picnic where I was able to taste Rösti, a Swiss dish, and learn how it was made. I also learned a few Swiss-German songs, but definitely can't sing anywhere near as well as those kindergarteners. A runner-up to my favorite moments was renting a paddle boat and spontaneously choosing to swim in Lake Geneva.
Despite the rewarding experiences, one of the largest challenges has been navigating the language barrier. While many Swiss people speak English, there are still regional dialects and nuances that make it difficult to understand especially when you are stranded in the middle of the city because your phone is dead and you have to ask the locals for directions. Additionally, in my work, compiling nutritional data from different regions has been a lot more difficult than I anticipated due to the variations in local reporting standards. And the greatest challenge of all was the no Air Conditioning…but I prevailed at the end but at what cost: my sleep.
Contributing to the NICE Initiative has been an incredibly rewarding experience, reinforcing my commitment to service-oriented work. This experience has transformed my perspective on nutrition and public health, especially seeing first hand the difficulty with implementing policy. One significant personal achievement I had was presenting my first completed factsheet with the whole NICE team, and their appreciation for my work was very satisfying. As I continue to finish up the factsheets for the remaining cities, this journey continues to be an incredible learning experience, and I can’t thank enough for the Eve Carson Scholarship for making this possible. I look forward to what the remaining weeks will bring and hope to continue carrying on Eve’s legacy.
Pre-Departure Reflection — Post 1
This Summer I plan to work with the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute in Allschwil, Switzerland. I will be working in Switzerland for 2 weeks and continue my research throughout the summer. My internship will be under the mentorship of Dr. Helen Prytherch, who is the Head of Unit at the Swiss Centre for International Health
Background
Switzerland is renowned for exceptional life expectancy, ranking top 5 globally. By systematically characterizing Swiss meals in different regions, this project aims to uncover the unique dietary practices contributing to the nation's exceptional life expectancy. I will be creating a nutrition factsheet for Switzerland and see how it compares to the fact sheets of other developing countries. During my summer in Switzerland, I will maintain a blog to document what I learn from various chefs in Switzerland and highlight regional differences in cuisine. I will pursue my passion for understanding the intricacies of cultural diets with this project.
My project
The goals of my project are to work alongside Dr. Helen Prytherch to update Nutrition data factsheets for the Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) Initiative. The NICE project aims to strengthen food systems in low income countries like Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Kenya. I will also be talking to local chefs about why traditional food matters, learn how they prepare it, and document the cultural significance and perceived wellness impacts. Additionally, I will develop a fact sheet outlining commonly eaten Swiss foods, where they are obtained, and the unique dishes in each area of Switzerland. Throughout the summer, I will write a blog to share my research findings and what I learned, along with exciting experiences during this opportunity.
Significance of my project
Around the world, how long people live can be quite different, and what we eat plays a big role. Switzerland is always ranked among the top countries for how long people live, offering a unique perspective we can learn from. With the help of the Eve Carson Scholarship, I can gather important information about Swiss dietary patterns, helping us understand it better in comparison to other places around the world. My project will uncover lesser-known ways of eating that are linked to living a long life. My project will also illustrate the Swiss cuisine to provide guidance on optimizing wellness and my blog will convey on-ground experiences providing guidance on adapting elements of traditional Swiss diets. The research I find, I hope to bring back to UNC and share it with my nutrition coalition which focuses on addressing food insecurity within our Carolina. I will carry the knowledge gained from this experience forward in my journey to becoming a well-rounded physician.
Relevant experience
Growing up in my immigrant family was like a flavor adventure with all the amazing homemade Indian dishes. My mom shared cherished family recipes, and my dad's garden was a veggie paradise, making me really treasure our cooking traditions. Our cultural practices shaped what we ate, like avoiding certain foods when sick because it was our belief. Experiencing a diet different from the usual Western norms makes my background special and fuels my curiosity to explore all sorts of foods, especially those linked to a long and healthy life.
At UNC, I have learned a lot when it comes to nutrition and public health. From going to talks organized by the nutrition coalition to working with the Food Recovery Network to cut down on waste, I have been broadening my perspective. Coming from a family steeped in cooking traditions, these UNC experiences have really opened my eyes to how our cultural practices and health go hand in hand. For this reason, I hope to blend my personal and academic insights to make a meaningful contribution by immersing myself in the intricacies of Swiss food, to have a new perspective on longevity and wellbeing.
How this fellowship will help my future endeavors
As an aspiring physician, I am passionate about providing holistic care to my future patients. Recognizing the gap in medical training regarding diet and nutrition, I aim to utilize my nutrition background and insights gained from abroad to make lasting impacts on patient well-being. Through sharing my experiences in Switzerland, I intend to elucidate the factors contributing to longevity, contrasting them with practices in the United States. By sharing meals, diet tips, and insights through my blog, this fellowship would be a stepping stone towards my lifelong goal of understanding cultural foods. My familiarity with American and Indian diets, combined with a newfound understanding of other cultural diets, will empower me to help future patients curate personalized and culturally sensitive dietary plans.