Free nutritional counseling will soon be offered to the entire college community at the Health Center.

Students from Cal Poly, Pomona provide nutritional counseling and consultation as part of their internship requirements.

“They have asked GCC if they can do their internship here and we agreed because there is a need,” said Carmita Veliz, a registered nurse in the health center. “Students have come and asked us for health information and we thought these interns would be great in providing information.”

Consultations cover such topics as general good nutrition, fats, fast-food diets, nutrition for people with disabilities, weight loss, diabetes, and any other topic a person may want to learn about.

The interns are also available for class presentations regarding a wide range of topics relating to health. “Instructors can also make an appointment with an intern to come to their class and present information about nutrition,” said Veliz.

“At first, we thought this service wasn’t going to be successful but many students have come and talked to the interns,” she said.

“For example, a student came in one day and asked about how acne can be treated and the intern was able to tell her what kinds of foods she should avoid,” said Veliz. “The intern may also find out some information about the person that may need more attention and may direct the person to a nurse.

“This is the first time the health center has ever provided this kind of service to the students, faculty, and staff. We hope to build a relationship with the interns so they can come back every semester because it is helping both the interns by giving them practical experience and the students with better knowledge about their health concerns.”

Nutritional counseling will be available April 17 through 27 and May 1 to 4 at the Health Center by appointment only by calling Ext. 5909. Consultations last up to about 50 minutes.