Big thank you to Chaseedaw Giles for interviewing me in your LA Times article!
This article is all about the new 2020-2025 USDA Food Guidelines.
I’ve expressed on my social media platforms before that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are racist, and generally need an overhaul to ensure that all Americans have guidelines that promote health.
When I started my practice, I had a contract working with African American clients with mental disabilities through the Department of Disability Services. These clients, who were often neglected, were given diet recommendations based on the US Dietary Guidelines that were making them sicker. When I stepped in I was able to get results for them by taking them off dairy, reducing processed meats, and attempting to replenish the many nutrients being depleted by their medications. In order to help that population, I had to completely IGNORE the US Dietary Guidelines.
Unfortunately, these new guidelines still don’t take culture into account, and food is a BIG part of culture. In the article, I talk about how I never dismiss where my clients come from within my own practice, why these guidelines are incompatible with us achieving our best health, and how to reimagine cultural dishes to make them healthier.
Read the full story HERE.
This coming Sunday at 5 PM EST we’ll have a LIVE chat about these issues in the Clubhouse app. Follow me if you are on the platform to tune in! -XO