See Why This Dietician Says You Can Eat Your Favorite Foods And Still Get Results On Your Health Journey
2023 calls for a rewiring of the mind when it comes to eating healthy. Gone are the days when we can only eat certain foods and say goodbye to our ethnic food favorites to achieve our weight loss goals and live a healthier lifestyle. A number of Black dieticians and nutritionists have made it their mission to show others, particularly Black and brown people, that you can still eat your cherished traditional foods and be healthy.
Under her practice, The Lifestyle Dietician LLC, registered dietician nutritionist Jerlyn Jones dispels these food myths as well as helps clients with food intolerances, weight loss, heart health, and many more.
“We can always eat our beloved foods. What you can do is just monitor your portion sizes of what you enjoy eating,” Jerlyn explains. “Also there’s definitely different swaps you can do, which I think we’ve all learned over the years. If you know something is higher in fat and salt and sugar, then there’s always alternatives to replace it and still not lose the flavor [because] that’s really what it’s all about. You still want to be able to eat and have a lot of flavor to it.”
For example, instead of putting salt or everything, you can use salt-free spices that are just as flavorful. Many Black voices who have been advocates for healthy eating in our community, such as Tabitha Brown, have spoken about the need to limit the use of salt and sugar in our foods. According to a study from Harvard University, too much salt, which is sodium, in our diet can put you at risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and more.
But if you’re still wondering if you can eat candied yams and collard greens, there’s some good news. “Our ancestral foods are deemed healthy overall. So when you bring over foods that came from the African diaspora, those are healthy foods,” she says.
“We’re talking about beans, we’re talking about okra, we’re talking about vegetables. Overall, it’s healthy. It’s just that if you’re preparing it in a way where you know, yeah I think this might lead to high blood pressure, eventually maybe high cholesterol levels then it’s about, we can still eat this but let’s find out how we can maybe decrease certain ingredients so we can still enjoy our foods. Still enjoy it without impacting our health in the long-term.”
To illustrate how your portion sizes should look, the American Institute of Health created the My Healthy Plate. The plates cover all types of cultural backgrounds including Black Americans with the Healthy Soul Food Plate. “It’s the same idea, same tool meaning you eat from a nine each plate, half of your plate is gonna be full of different vegetables and on this plate, it shows you a photo of collard greens and then a quarter of your plate is [a] carbohydrate. They show you a photo of macaroni and cheese, and then a quarter of your plate is protein, and it's baked chicken.”
Thanks to these tips, losing weight while enjoying your food is possible. But at the end of the day, Jerlyn wants those whose goal is to lose weight to remember their "why," make logical steps toward that goal, and have an accountability partner.
"Always find out your 'why.' You have to figure out why are you doing this. Why is losing weight one of your New Year’s resolutions or [goals] for you? Once you figure out what that is, I think you’ll probably be more apt and of course, you have to have a smart goal," she says. "So you can’t say, ‘I want to lose weight. I want to lose weight by June, before summer.' That is so random. Nothing holds you accountable. Where’s your support? If this is something new you’re embarking on you’re going to need more specifics than that.”
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Feature image courtesy of Jerlyn Jones
London Alexaundria is the contributing editor for xoNecole. She is an alum of Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in Mass Media Arts and has worked in journalism for over ten years. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @theselfcarewriter
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage