“I never paid much attention to sleep until I had children. I was that person who stayed up all night in college and kept crazy hours but not sleeping well for so many years affected my health later. After having children, my blood pressure went up to the point I had to get admitted to the hospital,” said Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, Diabetes and Women’s Health Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Entrepreneur and Functional Health practitioner.
Many of us experience unexpected changes in our health, especially when we reach new milestones in our lives. Whether it’s from big hormonal shifts like pregnancy, postpartum and menopause, underlying medical conditions or the impact of more stress and less sleep. Over time, our bodies will need different things.
Mothers are notorious for putting self-care last. However, a proactive approach to wellbeing is essential to navigate increased demands. Sue-Ellen is a fierce advocate for whole-body health. And prior to starting her practice for women and girls, she went through the process of reinventing her own health and routines.
Find the Real Reason
Sue-Ellen said, “When I had my son, I had a medical condition and didn’t know what was going on. They kept giving me pain medicine and I thought, ‘you don’t know what’s going on with me and I’m not taking any more medication.’ I had studied integrative medicine in school and decided to see an integrative health practitioner to help me go through my entire regimen. And get to the root cause.”
Protect Your Vitality
Habit change is hard, especially when it comes to ingrained behaviors like how we eat, move or manage life. I asked Sue-Ellen, when women retool their health what inspires transformation?
She said, “What I see almost 100% of the time is that something happened to change their lives where they can’t do what they love or used to do. For example, one woman was having hot flashes during menopause, and said ‘I’m up all night. I can’t sleep so I can’t do my work.’ She wasn’t able to function and wanted a holistic approach.”
Routines Have a Big Influence on Health
When people want to make changes to their health, Sue-Ellen often works in concert with other healthcare practitioners to understand what’s at the “root” of the problem. “I’m not going to just give you a supplement if you tell me there’s a problem with sleep, I need to figure out why you’re not sleeping,” she explained. Although sleep problems are common for mothers, don’t ignore the challenges. Sleep not only influences energy and metabolism, but memory and concentration among other things.
And How You Eat Can Improve Your Sleep
Nutrition is often at the heart of health, and you can learn how it connects with your wellbeing. Sue-Ellen said, “Nutrition is not going to take the place of sleep, you still have to go to bed and follow sleep hygiene, but nutrition can enhance sleep.”
She explained, “There are nutrients and foods that help to calm and relax the nervous system. Like foods that are high in vitamin C. Oranges, kiwi, sweet peppers and broccoli are really helpful. The acerola “cherry” is another one that I always look to for my patients.”
However, You Need to Understand Your Overall Health
Sue-Ellen explained that she has her patients get an analysis for any nutritional deficiencies. “I have a ‘food first’ approach and then, if you’re really in need of a particular nutrient I do recommend supplements. If your body is not absorbing all of those nutrients, you could be eating a decent diet and not getting what you need because other things are going on. If so, we dig deep to figure out what is happening.”
Upgrade Food and Routines to Address Gaps
Trying to follow every update in food guidance can be confusing but there are fundamentals that serve us well. Sue-Ellen said, “It’s important to correct nutrient deficiencies with the right foods, they may contain magnesium and vitamin C. There are also herbs and adaptogens like ashwagandha that may help calm your nervous system.”
Sue-Ellen added, “Even foods like seaweed or fish, which have Omega 3’s are good. But if you’re still not feeling well with dietary changes and you’re not getting enough sleep there may be something else that you want to take a look at.”
Evaluate Your Nutrition in Context
We generally know when we’re not feeling right, so trust your intuition and seek expertise from a health care provider. The systems within our bodies are interdependent and complex.
Sue-Ellen explained, “You need to look at portions, timing of your meals and your bedtime, because all of those things are important and everyone is unique. Our schedules are different, and needs change based on your stage of life. For example, a child or teenager is going to eat differently than an older woman. A really active person’s diet, like someone training to run a marathon, is going to look much different than someone a bit more sedentary.”
Cook to Retain Nutritional Value
It’s not only what you eat but how you prepare it that defines how nutritious your meals are. Sue-Ellen said, “The goal is when you’re cooking your foods not to boil or grill them to the point where you’re getting rid of the vitamin C because vitamin C is water soluble. And if you’re boiling them, you’re going to boil out all the vitamin C. And most people throw that water out so use a gentle steam with your vegetables and eat your fruits fresh if you can.”
Use Fresh Foods as Often as you Can
Sue-Ellen said, “With fresh foods you get all those nice enzymes, and higher quantities of vitamin C so, if you’re thinking about optimal health you want to get the freshest possible. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to it.” We discussed how “food deserts” are still more prevalent in communities of color. And for some of her patients, fresh food is a luxury so, work with what you have. We’re both based in Massachusetts, where families with food subsidies can use them at farmer’s markets and food pantries.
It can be overwhelming to experience a change to your health, energy or wellbeing. However, there are many places where we have agency and opportunity to improve our outcomes. Especially when it comes to the foods we eat and our daily routines.
Many thanks to the talented Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes MS, RDN, CDCES!
Learn more about her businesses, 360° Girls and Women, Cultured Health and nonprofit, B.E.A.T Gestational Diabetes. Follow her great adventure on Instagram, and Facebook.
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About Sue-Ellen:
Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, MS, RDN, CDCES, LDN, NASM-CPT is a co-author, health writer, speaker, and recipe developer. She is the CEO and owner of 360° Girls and Women, B.E.A.T Gestational Diabetes and co-founder of Cultured Health (an app that connects dietitians to clients based on culture). She has been featured in multiple media outlets including PubMed, Insider, Harvard Health Publishing, EverdayHealth and more. Her experience includes working with many age groups in the areas of pediatrics, women’s health, wellness, bariatrics, weight management and diabetes.
Sue-Ellen has training in the prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum population from the worlds leading diabetes center – Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston Massachusetts, in addition, to other outpatient clinics, wellness centers, and hospitals across the U.S. She is a National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, National Academy of Sports Medicine Women’s Fitness Specialist and holds her Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management.
She obtained her Masters of Science from Andrews University in Nutrition & Wellness, Summa Cum Laude, and Bachelors of Science in Food Science & Human Nutrition with minor in Health Science Education from the University of Florida. She is an active member of local, state, and national nutrition organizations. At the end of the day, she is first a wife and mother to her children and likes to be called “the organizer” of her home. She enjoys helping girls and women journey naturally to complete wellness, spending quality time with her family and cooking many dishes especially her traditional Jamaican meals.
