Author: Ridda Mazari

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Holistic Nutricare

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I am a holistic nutritionist who believes in the strong connection between good nutrition and its notable impact on the well being of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. As it is said:

“Wellness encompasses a healthy body, a sound mind and a tranquil spirit. Enjoy the journey as you strive for wellness” (Laurette Gagnon Beaulieu).

My brand Nutricare emphasizes the importance of living a harmonious, balanced life. As a brand ambassador I will educate my clients about the impact which good nutrition can have on helping them lead a happy and healthy life start at the point where the life cycle begins.  As such, the market which Nutricare will target will include all age groups – children, teens, adults including pregnant and nursing women, and the elderly. 

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In addition, I will take a multi-pronged approach and inform my clients about lifestyles which are not necessarily mainstream such as following a mainly plant-based diet. It is widely accepted that such diets are lower in saturated fats and can lower the risk of heart disease, obesity etc.  What is less well known are the additional benefits of lower food costs, omission of cruelty to farm animals and decreasing of negative effects on the environment.  

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As my brand focuses on overall physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health, I look forward to joining communities with a similar holistic approach. Holistically Nuts is one of the communities I like on Facebook as this group uploads videos, shares updated knowledge and advises on all aspects of life and how one can apply best practices to attain overall good health and well-being.

I am also a member of the Canadian school of natural nutrition community and therefore receive regular updates regarding webinar offerings. This allows me to keep myself apprised of new developments in my profession.  I also joined natural health and holistic health community on Facebook because I found it to be a non-judgemental environment which allows open discussion and acceptance of all questions, concerns, ideas, and viewpoints. This group was not created based on being “right” about what works. It is simply designed to be a safe space for people to talk about health, offer support to others, make friends, and offer each other friendly advice/companionship.

Another community I like on Facebook is focused on the practice of meditation and mindfulness. It discusses self-discovery, realization, enlightenment, Buddhism, mysticism, energy cultivation and conservation and the higher states of consciousness.

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Lastly, I like the holistic moms network community as it is a  non-profit organization whose mission is to generate national awareness, education, and support for holistic parenting and green living by providing nurturing, open-minded, and respectful local community networks that encourage families to share these ideals and learn from each other. This community can help me as a mother and I can help my clients on the challenges we experience on achieving a well-balanced life, through healthy living daily.

I want to share my views through Social media, making my community online and growing it in various ways that may not be possible otherwise. I can gain massive exposure to an international audience that will not be restricted by geographical boundaries nor varying time zones. Also, inform my audience about operational details e.g. change in physical – brick and mortar locations or operational timings of my shops – or the new package offerings I may have.

I look forward to helping you all in different ways possible. I am available 24/7 for anyone who is seeking help to make their body holistically balance. Please let me know in the comments below and what will you want me to focus on the most if you agree to my approach.
Have a great day!

Promotional posts:

Check out my latest update on my brand Holistic Nutricare on Facebook

To know more about my brand Holistic Nutricare click on the post on twitter:

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The advantages and disadvantages of Social Media usage

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In my opinion, social media has a wide range of both advantages and disadvantages, and I will discuss some of them here, in my blog.

The most prominent advantage, at the personal, individual level, is that it allows us to keep in touch with family and friends, at a minimal cost. We can undertake such communication from anywhere, anytime as social media allows individuals to mitigate physical distance, time zones, costs etc. when communicating. An example could be a lonely individual living away from loved ones can stay in touch with them or an introverted individual can make new connections with people who have similar interests without facing the intimidation a face-to-face platform may present.

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Social media can also be used to saves lives in times of crisis by providing much needed and up-to-date information, in real time, about an ongoing situation. The present, ongoing global pandemic has seen social media take front and center stage in assisting the world connectivity.

Some of the disadvantages are that social media may cause addiction in its use. People have generally become more reliant as they continue to spend increasing amounts of time on social media, often more than on face-to-face interactions. This has often meant a negligence of other tasks and responsibilities which an individual may be required to do. Social media may trigger insecurities, as people generally only reveal their ‘good side’ to an online audience. This behavior often results in the broader group making oversimplified and unrealistic comparisons between their own lives and those portrayed online.  The mental and physical health of such comparisons is generally negative. People who spend an abundance of time viewing and participating in social media generally have greater bouts of depression and usually have a greater chance of leading a sedentary lifestyle making them more prone to diseases, both mental and physical.

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Lastly, the risk to a participant’s privacy due to social media usage is a significant one. As we share and thereby expose our personal information on online sites, we can become victims to scamming by unscrupulous users. Our personal data can be sold, manipulated, and misinterpreted e.g. we can be tagged in pictures and posts which we do not want to share with others. As anti-hacking schemes are developed, so too are more sophisticated hacking methodologies.

In conclusion, I would recommend any user of social media do so with the inherent risks of its usage in mind. The moderate, purposeful, and safe use of social media is key. We can allow our use to be meaningful to ourselves and our friends, family, clients, colleagues etc. In short, we can allow the intangible social media tool to become our ‘friend’ or our ‘foe’. 

Do let me know in comments if you think social media has more advantages or disadvantages?

An interesting article to read about social media advantages and disadvantages.

A blog i liked about social media Pros and Cons.

Promotional Posts:

Facebook: A blog you will find interesting to know the Pros and Cons of Social Media.

https://bit.ly/33PBLx8

Twitter: A must read to quickly identify the Pros and Cons of Social Media.

https://bit.ly/33PBLx8

References:

Introduction to Social Media. (n.d). University of South Florida.

https://www.usf.edu/ucm/marketing/intro-social-media.aspx#:~:text=Social%20media%20is%20an%20internet%2Dbased%20form%20of%20communication.&text=There%20are%20many%20forms%20of,benefits%20of%20using%20social%20media%3F

Jon Patrick Hatcher, December 6, 2017. 20 Pros and Cons of Social Media Use. Success.

https://buffer.com/social-media-marketing

Michal Feyoh, (n.d). 31 Eye-Opening Pros and Cons of Social Media. Oldtown Publishing LLC.

https://www.developgoodhabits.com/pros-and-cons-of-social-media/

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My Hope to Create a Successful Online Presence – A Personal Journey

I graduated  from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition with the designation of a Holistic Nutritionist, in the spring of 2020, at a time when the world was facing a pandemic.

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I asked my class teacher, Ms. Smith . I needed her insight as to what she felt  my next steps should be in order to successfully establish myself in a new professional practice. Ms. Smith suggested I apply for jobs and concurrently work towards  creating an online presence of myself, services I would be offering and possibly, my brand NutriCare.

I found Ms. Smith had provided me with sound advice, but I felt the task she had suggested would be daunting as I knew very little about the field of social media, its use, accepted best practices, etc. In short, I didn’t know where to start. I knew  I would need formal, structured help. 

Enrollment in a Social Media course at Algonquin College seemed like the next logical step. I undertook this decision with great hope and enthusiasm. 

I found the online course to be most challenging as it was offered completely online and self-study – a platform I was not accustomed to. I had somehow imagined the course offering would be similar to my last educational pursuit which was a combination of Zoom classes and online course materials.    

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I had contemplated quitting the course many times because of its challenging mode of delivery. However, I reconsidered as course completion meant learning new information, methodologies and skills which could eventually be used to establishing a successful online presence. 

I faced my challenges one step at a time. I sat diligently at my computer – reading, researching, taking notes. I would not take breaks from my task and continue for many hours at a time; my focus improved. I was getting used to extended screen time and felt this was a first step in making my presence online.

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My coursework taught me the basics such as creating hyperlinks, giving due credit, citation rules and how to ensure zero plagiarism. I learned more advanced concepts such as the art of blogging, the pros and cons of social media use and how to enable its most effective use.  

I must acknowledge that I was not disappointed. I learned how to harness the power of social media to make my brand grow in ways which would not be possible otherwise. My brand can now gain massive exposure to an international audience which will not be restricted by geographical boundaries nor varying time zones. 

Do you agree with my decision on taking this course? Please let me know in the comments.

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Lastly, I think it was the wise decision to take the Social Media course because I acquired skills which I feel could not be self taught. I can start towards successfully establishing  my online presence online the right way.

A good article to read about creating your presence online.

A blog which really influenced me.

Promotional Posts:

Facebook:

https://bit.ly/3a0Mwh3

Twitter:

https://bit.ly/3gxRkwX

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HOW SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTED ME IN RELOCATING AND ADAPTING:

As luck would have it, one of my greatest fears became reality when I had to relocate from my birthplace to a country unknown to me. I moved to Toronto, Canada to join my new spouse after I got married.

I had never imagined a life so far away from my hometown in a country and culture so foreign to me. I had great difficulty in adapting to this drastic change in my life. I had also always had household help so knew nothing about completing household chores such as cooking and cleaning. As a result, my new spouse and I ate our meals in restaurants for about a year after I arrived in Toronto and I lent a hand to my husband in cleaning our home.   

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The overall results for both my physical and mental health seemed unfavorable. My health started to suffer due to our daily habit of eating out. My feelings of frustration and annoyance grew although  there was some improvement in my household management capabilities. My sense of isolation also grew as time passed. I knew I had to find viable, long term solutions to my predicament.

 During my daily activity of surfing the internet, I stumbled upon a video on YouTube which showed step-by-step instructions on how to cook easy meals. For the first time, I felt I could undertake making a simple meal on my own. 

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 The next morning I mustered up the confidence to  follow the video instructions and managed to cook boiled rice and a lentil curry. I surprised  my husband, Hassan, with a home cooked dinner when he came home from work. Hassan finished his meal and complimented me by saying the food was delicious. He requested that I cook more often. Even though I felt tired with my workload, I felt truly appreciated. I felt I could accomplish more – not only in the kitchen but in other activities also. 

I continued to look for additional recipes and started following the advice of various professional chefs who were posting ideas on Facebook and other social media sites. I managed to try a new recipe every other day. This effort actually started improving my relationship with my spouse. I discovered he very much enjoyed a good meal and I continued to bask in the compliments I was receiving. Dinner time became  a dinner date at home with delicious food, a cozy environment and great conversation.

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I now wanted to expand my knowledge about managing  a household including, for example, inventory management of essential supplies, cleaning tips and shortcuts and budgeting for economic gains. Again, I looked for ideas on social media and found many interesting and effective ideas.  Slowly and gradually I incorporated the more creative ideas into my daily life. I looked forward to trying new processes. My home started looking cleaner and better organized. To my surprise, I could access so much useful information, so quickly on social media. I kept myself updated through notification reminders.  

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I decided I had to know more about my adopted country. I started by accessing geographical locations, specific landmarks in each city, and the overall Canadian cultural norms and values. I achieved a sense of purpose and accomplishment in my adopted country. Social media became my online friend as I improved myself, my surroundings and my overall situation.

My personal experience with social media is and continues to be a positive one. I have found social media to be a great platform to obtain useful information very quickly. This enables us to expand our knowledge base and to change our lives for the better.

The easy, 24/7 access of social media offers great potential. Personally, social media empowered me during some of the most difficult times of my life. Skype and WhatsApp has and continues to enable me to reach out and connect with loved ones in a land far away. While living apart from family is challenging , social media has made this challenge a bit more bearable. I continue to view social media as my online friend – always there, always reliable.

If you find it helpful please do comment and i will also want to know how social media assisted you in relocating and adapting to a new country.

If you want to read more about how people used social media to live abroad this is a good article to read:

Influence of social media on your life abroad
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How social media changed my life!

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Social media  affects our daily lives  in a profound way. Its use has become so much a part of our daily lives that most people do not realize what they are missing by spending time on social media viewing.    

While I started perusing social media for entertainment through apprising myself of  the activities of family, friends, celebrities and even strangers, it soon became a major part of my day. Access to social media has also affected the amount it is being used by the masses. I still remember my excitement to attend  my high school  computer class for it meant I could log onto Facebook.  As  my attachment  to social media grew, I  made the demand for a laptop from my family. I was elated when told that I would  get one, when I start college. Receipt of my laptop resulted in my life revolving around it. I can compare this to smoking one cigarette out of curiosity or fun and later becoming addicted to smoking.

It seemed all of a sudden,   my hype to acquire new technology changed from laptops to smart phones as I now wanted to access social media from anywhere and at any time. In my opinion,  we actually  started “social distancing” when we, as a society, became addicted to social media and  substituted this phenomenon with spending non-screen time with our friends and family. While we  made hundreds of “friends” on social media, were left with very few  in reality. This major societal change came about  in a very short period of time.  While it continues to engulf us, we may not realize its full damaging effects until time has passed us by.  

Have we changed our behaviour in any way? In my household, my family continyues to start their day by looking at social media and, unfortunately, ending it the same way. Social Media drains our energy and affects our mental wellbeing because we over exhaust ourselves by misusing it.

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Being present and in the moment, both physically and mentally, is rare in most households because our minds are busy thinking about things which should matter the least and the result is we pay inadequate attention to the things which should matter the most. We also prefer to use social media to message our loved ones even on the most important occasions, rather than using the telephone or meeting with them face-to-face. During the time of this unfortunate Covid pandemic, social media has helped us stay connected with loved ones, colleagues etc. when we were not able to to physically meet. 

As such, I do not want to completely negate the advantages of having social media in our daily lives, I must admit to feelings of being overwhelmed when I get the urge to look at my phone one more time for the latest update when in fact I am sitting with my family to spend some quality time with them. Am I normal? Is this the new normal for society as a whole? I am afraid so. It seems the old adage ‘knowledge is power’ may have resulted in us confusing information and too much information as knowledge and in this case, misinterpreted power.

Please comment about your experience below.

Some other material to read:

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-and-their-experiences-on-social-media/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950110/

Promotional Posts:

Facebook: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Falgonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com%2F2020%2F07%2F15%2Fhow-social-media-changed-my-life%2F&h=AT3srFdyMrrLQqnGEAv7zJvwGx0KWm7zDI25cZPwlua9DJc5Z_itrZhaguRwyoGKkTdFkxrkcWSX8t3re8o8T19aiIkhTsyVH0MhtOO_MMgIh6WbB6JyA3IiXdVP3wUlknHGB2M&s=1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiddaMazari/status/1283609363194753029?s=20