Inside the SDFC: Nico the Nutritionist
A key aspect of what the SDFC does is to promote overall health and wellness. That includes forming good habits to promote and build health on the inside just as much as the outside. Lifting weights and running on the treadmill are both great exercise and a great place to start when building the physique you want. However, a balanced, nutritious diet is just as essential to reaching your goals and staying on top of your fitness.
One SDFC employee trying to emphasize the importance of nutrition and a healthy diet is Nico De Bruyn. Born in South Africa, De Bruyn grew up speaking Afrikaans and moved to Houston, Texas in 2008. He eventually moved to Arizona and attended ASU in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Dietetics, which he will receive this December. He hopes to incorporate artificial intelligence and virtual to help solve critical nutrition-related issues.
“I really wanted to focus on how I could take food and translate it over into healing people,” De Bruyn said. “That was the initial mindset. Now, it’s switched more to how I can bring technology into [nutrition].”
De Bruyn began working at the SDFC as a nutrition educator in June 2017. By September, he had become a wellness coordinator focusing on nutrition, offering knowledge and advice on eating right every day. De Bruyn believes that working at both the Tempe and Downtown locations has allowed him to help a lot of people, something very rewarding for him.
“You always kinda wonder ‘are we doing something that’s benefitting people?’ I can see firsthand that giving nutrition information and really helping students break down those barriers, what it means to ‘eat healthy’…I get to teach all this stuff and see students get that ‘a-ha!’ moment,” De Bruyn said.
De Bruyn has a very positive outlook on life and sees challenges as opportunities, but something that always keeps him on his toes at the SDFC is finding new and exciting ways to communicate with students about nutrition.
“Sometimes the hardest thing is thinking of what’s next,” De Bruyn said. “We might want to talk about [eating more] fruits and vegetables, but students care about avocado toast. So how do we figure out a good balance between what’s current and how we can incorporate our messaging into that? That’s kind of a challenge-slash-barrier.”
Outside of campus, De Bruyn loves to longboard, but he also greatly enjoys networking and personal development.
“My favorite hobby hands-down is talking to people,” De Bruyn said. “I think every single person I meet has such a beautiful personality and I’m able to talk to them, and everyone leaves you with certain gems. You can gain so much from just talking to people and being real with people.”
If you see Nico around the SDFC, say hello! He’ll be glad to talk to you.
