Ellouise Simpson, a family physician from Jamaica, wants to help people find ways to safely manage diabetes while still enjoying the cultural cuisine they love. She hopes her Instagram account (@DietitianEllouise) will spread her information to members of her BAME community who do not attend clinics or come into contact with ethnic nutritionists. I’m in.
“We need more multicultural clinicians,” she said. “What we offer is not something that cannot be taught in a university. Universities do the best they can. There may be lectures about cultural eating, but it is not the same as the actual experience. There is none.
“We also need to do things a little differently. Right now, we are providing clinics and we have found that not many patients from different backgrounds are coming. The patient asks, ‘Why am I meeting someone who doesn’t understand my food?
Elouise said that during her time working as a nutritionist, she noticed that people often perceived food from places like the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia as unhealthy. says. This may be a combination of information you read online and information you get from your health care professional.
“I always tell my patients, friends and family that our food is really healthy.”
One particular dish that many people consider unhealthy is curry. This is due to the high fat content. Part of Ellouise’s job is to help people understand what’s on their plate and how recipes can be adapted. she said:
To reduce fat content, the 40-year-old suggests using different cuts of meat or a combination of cuts. She also recommends considering small changes, such as reducing the amount of ghee or butter, or reducing the size or amount of chapattis served with the meal.
Ellouise also found that when developing diabetes is the norm within a community, people downplay the severity of the disease and often refer to diabetes as “a little sugar.” added to It has to do with their understanding, what they are taught about diabetes, and what their community thinks about it. ”
She recognizes that it’s often only when people are on the verge of needing insulin that people start to take it more seriously. We’re getting to biochemistry that’s out of control,” she said.
