O Yum Blog

My name is Rashi Gupta and I am pursuing a double major in Health Studies and Anthropology at UTSC. I became involved with Juxtaposition through Toronto Thinks. I value the ideals of the Juxtaposition platform and I have grown and learned so much through its initiatives and its hardworking team. I hope to be involved with Juxta throughout the rest of my university career.

At a young age I was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome and ASD (atrial septic disorder). I have undergone 2 biopsies and 1 open heart surgery. Due to my illnesses I was on several steroids which affected my blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels causing all of them to rise significantly. I naturally gained weight due to side effects from the steroids and overall my immune system had suffered quite a bit of damage. At the age of 16 I was discharged permanently from Sick Kids Hospital and since then I have worked hard in trying to make my immune system stronger. Although a lot of the damage cannot be repaired I use my passion for nutrition as fuel for my body by providing it with nutritious and energy boosting foods that are all natural. I believe today living through an epidemiological transition it is important for students to be informed about healthy, nutritious foods that are accessible, easy to make and tasty. It is a way to alleviate the chances of being exposed to noncommunicable diseases and by starting at a young age we are only increasing our chances of living in good health once we get older.

Check out Rashi’s blog here: oyumblog.wordpress.com