Today we chat with Blessing Mushonga, a registered nutritionist working in sports nutrition while also supporting Clinical Nutrition and Weight management. Blessing and I have collaborated in the past on his newsletter about COVID-19 nutrition and the Sports Nutrition Leap programme.
Why is diversity important in Nutrition & Dietetics?
Blessing TF Mushonga, Registered Nutritionist
Today, we chat with Destini Moody a registered dietitian and board certified specialist working in the exciting field of sports and exercise nutrition! Presenting positive role models to (young) Black people is really important for developing diversity in several fields.
Why is diversity important in Nutrition & Dietetics?
Destini Moody, RDN, CSSN
Today I’m excited to chat with one of my former classmates, Timilehin Omilana. He’s worked in Public Health in Nigeria and UK and has transitioned to clinical practice in the UK, qualifying as a dietitian recently.
Why is diversity important in Nutrition & Dietetics?
Timilehin Omilana, Newly qualified Dietitian
To set the stage for the amazing month ahead, I’ll be starting with Claudine Matthews who has worn many hats throughout her career! She is a registered dietitian, associate lecturer, motivational speaker and an advocate for improving nutritional therapy in sickle cell treatment. When I read Claudine’s professional journey, it gave me all the feels! I felt sad, empathetic, happy, empowered and inspired. Thank you so much Claudine!
In sending out the call for black registered nutritionists and dietitians, I truly underestimated the responses I would have received. I cannot thank you all enough for sharing your extraordinary stories with me.
Why is diversity important in Nutrition & Dietetics?
Claudine Matthews, RD, MSc, PGCE, FHEA
First of all, I’d like to thank all of the amazing registered (and associate) nutritionists and dietitians that shared my tweet and answered the call in support of this month’s campaign! In the Caribbean and North America, we celebrate Black History Month in February. So imagine my surprise when I moved to the U.K to study and realised BHM was October – one of the best months of the year, in case you didn’t know. Despite the differences, I’m taking February to Nourish Diversity in Nutrition & Dietetics. We’ll be interviewing registered nutrition professionals and a few students from all over the world! How exciting!
I am very blessed to come from a majority black country where healthcare is free (although there could be significant improvements). While I was aware of health inequalities and the social determinants of health, learning about it from an ethnicity-based standpoint was very eye-opening.
Read More »Nourishing Black Diversity in Nutrition and Dietetics
Today’s article is written by the lovely Lucy Jade who is a recently registered associate nutritionist. Lucy stands out to me as a nutrition champion because of her values and impactful nutrition science communication which busts dieting myths and addresses nutrition stereotypes.
Lucy graduated in September 2019 with a first class degree in Applied Food and Nutrition from University College Birmingham, and has interest in weight management, busting diet culture myths and helping to promote sustainable, evidence based strategies to improve health and wellbeing. She works for Healthy Lifestyles in Coventry as a weight management advisor helping those that have health issues such as a high cholesterol or pre-diabetes to improve their diet and lose weight to help them. AND she’s the founder of the Nutrition Graduate group (which you know I rave on about) that helps to support those that have graduated nutrition with careers, CPD, networking and other support.
You can find Lucy Jade on Instagram at @lucyjade_nutrition and Twitter as lucyj_nutrition. While the Nutrition Graduates group can be found on Facebook, Instagram and their new website!
January is the time of year where it seems like the whole world wants to go on a diet. December is such an indulgent month of Christmas chocolates, meals out and parties, meaning that we are more likely to be consuming more, therefore leading to some weight gain. But the media has made us believe that in January we all have to go on diets, detoxes and nutritional resets to ‘fix’ this. But we really don’t.
Read More »New year, new me? Dieting in January
Some time ago, the topic of detox diets came up for my #NutriChats. This is just one of those things I’ve never quite understood why people would want to do, but I also understand it’s also a part of some cultures. When I was a kid, my parents and grandmum would mention Epsom salts for when your poops were smelling a bit unsavoury, or they felt like you needed to be “cleaned out”. Granted, stool never smells like lemons, but I’m sure you know the particular stink of certain poos…that eggy, sulphur-smelling goodness. Look at how mature we’re being talking about stool on the internet🙃.
Nowadays detox diets/supplements/teas are a whole sophisticated and lucrative industry where diet culture perpetuates. Promising improved health, weight loss, reduced stomach bloating, improved circulation and liver function, beautiful skin… the works! All stemming from the removal of toxins from the body. But is it worth our time, money and effort?
Happy New Year! It’s that time of year when everyone is setting new goals and hopefully reflecting on the year past. I’ve reflected a couple of times on this blog, and I remember when I started this website off as the Nutrition HR that I took a lot of time mulling over what I wanted to achieve with it. I wasn’t sure about the name, if I’d stick it or get to do the things I set out, and then of course there was that ever looming reality of being unemployed and inexperienced in the nutrition field. But I tried to push myself even when it’s really scary. I invite you to have a listen of MaryMary’s “Can’t Give Up Now” to fully understand what I mean.
While last year was full of ups and downs like many before, it was extra special because of the challenges of COVID-19. Before the world shut down I had travelled to visit my now fiancé, and ended up getting stuck there for months. I must say, it was one of the best things that could have happened to me in 2020. As much as I would have loved to have a job or do shadowing, I think the year presented me with plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth. It wasn’t until I sat down to recap and update my goals that I realised this*. With all that’s going on, have you taken the time to slow down and focus on what YOU have achieved?
*Just a side note: this isn’t meant to boast or make people feel lesser than. I actually would love to hear about the stuff you’ve done last year and your goals, because I get really happy when I see others thriving and I would love to support you. If you haven’t done all you wanted to last year, have you reflected on why (especially putting aside the big elephant in the room)?
You may be wondering what your everyday diet has to do with climate change… and a few years ago I sat within that same position. Until I learnt that our aggressive production of some foods is harming the sustainability of our current environment.
Today, Farihah Choudhury, a recent postgraduate of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shares the small things we can do to improve our impact on the environment. Farihah’s interests include food policy, systems, sustainability, food justice and culture. This amazing woman is also a Public Health Practitioner in a UK county council, leading on their Healthy Weight Strategy. I first encountered her on Twitter (@NutritionFSC) in a few AfNutr monthly chats and then while remotely volunteering with Food For All UK. I have been enjoying her Instagram posts where she shares lots of insight on sustainability, thrifting and reducing food waste for people like me who are working towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
This post is the first in many on sustainability as it relates to eating habits and food systems. Farihah is also featured on this month’s #NutriChat on sustainability and diet! (details will be on my Instagram @NourishbyCH). I’m excited to have Farihah share her expertise with us!
To find more of Farihah, you can follow her on Twitter @NutritionFSC or check out her Instagram @easypeasysustainability.
There was a time many years ago when I thought nutrition and planetary sustainability were two far removed issues, neither having a palpable impact on the other and that environmental issues were more about gas-guzzling cars and single-use straws. Slowly I started to realise that our diets, and by extension, the global food system, were one of the largest contributors to global warming and climate change, as well as habitat destruction, water scarcity and a host of other environmental issues. The sheer volume and demand for food, particularly animal products, has engendered a global appetite for supplying unsustainable amounts of food.
As many local and national authorities in the world are declaring a climate emergency, it is extremely important now more than ever as practising nutritionists, to incorporate sustainable eating into our practice. Indeed, it is possible to have both a sustainable and healthy diet – which is where nutritionists come in.
Read More »How Our Diets Impact Sustainability – Insights From A Public Health Expert“Sustainable Healthy Diets are dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe and equitable; and are culturally acceptable”
FAO, 2019
I feel like I end up saying this phrase quite often to people, “In Barbados…”, and some random Barbadian fact comes out. Either about our customs, cuisine or just how everyday life is. I’m sure you can put two and two together to figure out I’m from Barbados. Yes, yes, that’s the island in the Caribbean where Rihanna is from. And NO, we are not all on the same landmass as Jamaica, but rather very far away in our little Caribbean Sea. November is the month of our independence from English rule, which ended in 1966.
As we celebrate our 54th year of independence, I’ve decided to share some Bajan delicacies with you all. Barbadian cuisine has evolved from African, Indian, European (English, Irish, Portuguese) and even South American influences. It’s delicious food and anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Hopefully, you can either try to make them at home or come to Barbados to experience them.
Read More »Celebrating Bajan Food during November!