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Who is Teaching this Course? 

I am Rabia Shahab-Dirdak (she/her) and I will be your instructor for this course. My formal training in clinical nutrition comes from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM). My approach to health is to treat each individual as an individual. This means I believe treatment plans should be influenced by factors like health history, food preferences, genetic makeup, chronic illness, sensitivities/allergies/intolerances to name a few.

My informal education started in my family kitchen where my Mother and Father encouraged me to learn simple dishes to help with family dinners. Through passion and exploration, the kitchen has become my creative outlet. Making dinner for my family or baking a treat (mostly for me, let's be honest) is my happy place.

My Philosophy in Teaching 

My role is to guide you through the formal study of food and nutrition. However my philosophy of teaching is student-driven. I want you to be an active participant in your own learning. That means striving to complete readings and assignments on time, because ultimately that will keep you engaged and able to participate in online class discussions.

Due to the personal and emotional nature of food and nutrition let me reassure you that our online classroom space will be a non-judgmental zone. This class is not meant to “fix” you or your patient's eating habits or diet, but to encourage a deeper understanding of how the human body processes food.

Course Details

• This is a fully online course (no scheduled meetings). All materials (including readings) are available 24/7 online in your ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Brightspace (D2L). 
• The weekly course materials will be made available Mondays at 12:01 am and all work is due by the following Monday at 11:59 pm. 
• I do not have regular office hours but can schedule in-person or virtual meetings with you that fits both our schedules if you would like to connect, have questions, or want to discuss any of the class material.

Does this course have prerequisites?

Yes, IRW 115 or (WR 115 and RD 115), and (MTH 65 or MTH 98) or equivalent placement; and BI 112 or cellular biology equivalent. 

Students are required to purchase the eshaTRAK dietary analysis. You can get an access code for $15 through the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Online Bookstore (if using financial aid) OR directly from .

Note: purchasing from  directly gives you an option to rent access for 4 months at cost of $15.  You will need the access for at least one month (during Units 4 and 5). This does not need to be purchased until after the first month of instruction and you will receive instructions on how to purchase this a few weeks into the course.