“I really want you to see food as something that you love and to eat and something that calls to your culture. You don’t want what you eat to make you angry or emotional about the foods you can’t have, because then you can develop disordered eating and we don’t want that,” said Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, Diabetes and Women’s Health Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Entrepreneur and Functional Health practitioner.
Many of us want to eat “healthier” because food, and the nutrition we need from it, are critical to wellbeing. However, when it comes to establishing new habits, we can get tripped up on the process. After all, food preferences run deep and family meal logistics are time consuming.
So, we often eat the way we do for emotional versus rational reasons, and what feels ‘right’ is influenced by our cultures, upbringing, and resources. So, if you try to shift your diet and it doesn’t map to your preferences or lifestyle, it’s difficult to honor. As Sue-Ellen shares, you can still find your way to healthier habits, without leaving the foods you love behind.
Food is Foundational to Health
Dietary changes are often recommended to fight chronic conditions, that disproportionately impact women’s longevity and quality of life. This includes diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders, all of which can also cause pregnancy and postpartum complications for Moms. Food, however, is so deeply embedded in our family rituals, and stories that few people think about the health implications of their meals, unless they’re forced to.
And Has Power to Transform Wellbeing
Sue-Ellen grew up in Jamaica, where she was introduced to the restorative power of fresh food, spices and herbs. Now, she combines her professional training and interests to advocate whole body health and nutrition for women and girls.
She said, “I’ve worked in major hospitals across the US in various areas such as bariatric weight loss surgery, diabetes and pediatrics. After working for Joslin Diabetes Center for almost 7 years and having the experience of elevated blood sugar during my pregnancy, I’ve kind of built a niche in my practice to prevent, manage and possibly reverse chronic illnesses for women. Especially women of color.”
Yes, You Can Still Enjoy Carbs in Moderation
Although whole body health, incorporates many things, food and nutrition are important pillars. Your health and family history, along with your culture, influence not only what you like to eat but what you may need to adjust.
Sue-Ellen said, “When I teach diabetes self-management, we talk about carbohydrates. So, I’ll say, ‘that means you can’t have all the rice and peas that you want plus the black cake, cut something back.’ Using portion control, you can also think about, ‘what are we going to have tomorrow for lunch, are we going to have another carb?’ If so, maybe you risk going over with carbs, if you’re trying to keep your blood sugar in balance.”
Manage Sweets and Other Treats with Portion Control
Sue-Ellen and I share Caribbean heritage, where black cake is legendary during the holidays. Desserts can be the hardest foods to let go of, especially when they’re featured in so many celebrations. She said, “I always recommend portion control so, if you like a particular food that you can’t have every day, decide how much you will have. So, for example, if you like black cake during the holidays, it may not help to think ‘the holidays are here so, I’m going to eat all the black cake I can!’ You can have smaller amounts or save some for the next day. I teach patients to eat until they feel satisfied. If you have a medical condition like diabetes, however, then you have to be really careful but it doesn’t mean you can’t eat black cake.”
Adjust How You Cook When Needed
Whether it’s your mother’s soup, auntie’s curry, best friend’s stir-fry or grandmother’s roast chicken, consider different ways to make meals fit your health needs. Some people need to reduce sugar, whereas others may need to reduce salt, fat or processed foods.
Sue-Ellen explained, “Another option is to modify how you cook. For example, how do you cook your plantains? Are you always frying them?” Yes, I grew up watching my mother pan fry them and it’s what I tend to do. But there are many options. She added, “You could bake them or put them in an air fryer or steamer. You also don’t have to fry your plantains in oil. Or if you like it that way, do so only once in a while or use avocado oil or one that has less saturated fat. You can also just use less of it.” She also gave the example that if you love curry, you can switch from using meat in your curry to a plant-based curry.
Keep Your Spices and Swap Other Ingredients
Not everyone has the energy or desire to cook their own meals or modify them. So, If you need assistance, you don’t have to do it alone. Find experts to help who also have expertise in your culture, health needs or eating style. Sue-Ellen explained, “I help my patients preserve their cultural heritage so, they’re not necessarily getting rid of everything. I’m a Jamaican so, I know Caribbean culture but particularly Jamaican culture. If a patient is Haitian, she’s going to have similar but different foods. If she also speaks Creole, and I don’t speak Creole, I’m going to have to get an interpreter. I can do my research but doing your research and finding out about someone’s culture is not the same as when someone is from your culture. Research shows that when practitioners or healthcare providers are from the same racial and ethnic background as their patients, they have better health outcomes. So, that’s what we try to do.”
Dig Deep on Your ‘Why’ to Stay Motivated
Behavior change of any kind is hard for most humans. Changing how we eat, can feel especially challenging because of the nostalgia and emotion that comes with it. Sue Ellen explained, “Everyone is going to start from a different place. If you’re not motivated to make a change, then having someone there to help is not going to make any difference.” She went onto to share that there are stages, and people who are ‘ready’ for change are successful.
So, what is the catalyst that leads to successful shifts? Sue-Ellen explained, the ‘why’ has to be really strong for people to want the change. “When patients come to me really motivated to make changes, I find they’re often at a point where they’re so ill they can’t do what they used to do. Or what they love to do. One person lost the ability to move around with their child. They said, ‘I’m having some health issues and can’t play with my son like I used to. So, I need your help, because if I continue this way, I’m not going to make it’ their motivation was their son.”
Moms are incredibly generous, loving and committed to health for our families. Yet we often neglect critical self-care, including updates to our nutrition and wellness rituals. The good news? You can become intentional about your health, eating habits, movement, sleep and other critical aspects of self-care at any time.
Get your routine checkups, health screenings and talk to your health care practitioners about prevention to stay attuned to your needs over time.
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.
——-
Enjoy the gift of more time for you. Self-care support, app & packages for Moms.
Ready to put yourself back onto your to-do list? Take a TimeCheck.
Shared your story yet? Take our quick survey to change how workplaces support parents.
Employers, ready to rewrite hidden workplace rules? Become Allies@Work?
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.
