Respecting cultural foods and personal preferences is important.
Bok choy and collard greens are as healthy as kaleso why don’t we hear about them as much?
Here’s why we need to do better when we’re giving nutrition advice.
Growing up, my parents never policed my food and I never had an issue with my weight.
In college, I discovered the power of Sbarro pizza, unlimited chicken nuggets and Pepsi.
I wasn’t taking care of my body and I simply didn’t feel well.
I tried to change my habits on my own.
My doctor was unwilling or ill-equipped to help me.
He blew off my recent weight gain as normal and told me to cut outcarbs.
No instruction as to how to do this, just don’t eat them.
How was this going to work?
What would I eat?
And of course, you might have guessed, I lost 40 pounds in about six months.
Not too hard, right?
Plus, I drastically reduced my calorie and carb intake by cutting so much out of my diet.
She cooked with root vegetables and added minimal salt and oil.
I had lost a fair amount of weight, but I didn’t know really how I did it.
I wanted to know how my body worked and what I could do to continue on this trajectory.
I decided to meet with a dietitian.
I was lucky she was culturally competent and willing to make the foods I loved fit in my diet.
I didn’t have to give up the griot (Haitian pork) my mom made me on Sundays?
Meeting with that dietitian also sparked my interest in nutrition.
I wanted to do that for others.
And though aplant-based dietmight work for some people, it isn’t the best choice for everyone.
I instead started the conversation by asking them what a typical day was like for them.
I want them to be seen and heardeveryone deserves that.
If I makemacaroni and cheesefrom scratch, can’t it live on my plate in an appropriate amount?
What about rice and beansthat together are a complete proteincan’t this be part of a healthy diet?
I applied it to the above thoughts about food and nutrition.
What about the macaroni and cheese I wondered about earlier?
I would have that with some sort of protein and a salad for a balancedalbeit slightly indulgentmeal.
Recently I had my nutrition students take an eight-week course on cuisines from around the world.
We need to come from a place of inclusivity, while providing our patients with sound advice and care.
