A Dietitian’s Guide to Authentic Health that Celebrates Culture and Full-Flavor Living
Synopsis:
Break away from diet culture while still honoring your body and incorporating cultural foods in this fresh, expansive guide from the registered dietitian and creator of Your Latina Nutritionist.
Diet culture is facing a reckoning, and intuitive eating has been leading the charge. The movement has taken the internet by storm, encouraging us to stop dieting and make food choices that feel good for our bodies rather than follow influencers and their shakes.
But intuitive eating is missing a key ingredient: culture. Like many movements, intuitive eating has become co-opted by a select few—placing the focus on “mainstream” food while discounting cultural cuisines. But how can we gain a healthy attitude towards food when our foods—our arroz, habichuelas, and plátanos—are left out of the conversation?
Dalina Soto is here to add them back to our plates.
As a registered dietitian, Soto understands the pros and cons of intuitive eating. As a first-generation Dominican American, she’s also seen firsthand how this movement has only catered to a certain demographic. With her easy-to-follow CHULA method, Soto teaches us how to:
Challenge negative thoughts
Honor our bodies and health
Understand our needs
Listen to our hunger
Acknowledge our emotions.
She gives us tools to confront diet culture and the whitewashing of food so we can go back to eating what we love while managing our health.
Engaging and incisive, The Latina Anti-Diet is for everyone who’s been told to lay off the tortillas and swap their white rice for brown. Soto shows us that food is so much more than calories; it’s about celebrating our culture and living a life full of flavor.
My Edition:
E-ARC provided by Net Galley
My Thoughts:
I’ve been trying to be smarter about how I eat. And I’ve just generally become interested in nutrition and whatnot. Probably because I’m barreling fast and furious toward 40. Additionally, I’m interested in social issues, and how a person’s demographics and the like play a huge role in things such as nutrition, health, medical care, life expectancy, etc.
We all know about the existence of food deserts in America (I assume we all know, anyway). And we all (I know, I’m making assumptions here – but I feel like you agreed with the previous sentence) know that food deserts create poor health outcomes for residents of the impacted areas. But did you also know that the White Girlification of nutrition – the kind you see the Instagram Girlies touting – also has a huge impact on not only the health, but the overall well-being of people with of different cultures and lifestyles than said Girlies?
Think of some of the nutritional “advice” you’ve heard:
“Just trade white rice for CAULIFLOWER RICE”
“LESS CARBS MAKES YOU MORE HEALTHYYYYY”
Blah, blah, fucking hurl. Rice is fine. Carbs are good for you. Your ancestors survived off the very same food the Girlies (sorry, I don’t mean to blame just the Girlies. Put the Shirtless Seed Oil Boyz in there too) vilify. And you know what? They thrived. Eat tortillas. Eat rice. Have that flan. Do you. There is nutritional value in tacos (omg, so much delicious nutrition). You don’t have to eat kale and chia pudding to live a long healthy life. And if you want to up your protein or fibe, or lower your caloric intake, you can certainly do so without giving up your cultural foods. Seriously. Don’t listen to those people who say you have to eat nothing but chicken breasts with undressed salad. Or eat nothing but meat. Or cut out carbs. They’re all just trying to sell something. Or their Grade A dipshits. Either way – not to be trusted.
Also, while we’re at it, don’t allow some rando on the internet to tell you what you can and can’t eat if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Trust a dietician. You know, someone who has undergone rigorous nutritional training.
Just a little FYI for you: according to Healthline, “to earn the credentials of Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), a person needs to complete the criteria set forth by governing bodies like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) in the United States. To earn these credentials, dietitians-to-be must first earn a bachelor’s degree or equivalent credits from an accredited program at a university or college. Typically, this requires an undergraduate science degree, including courses in biology, microbiology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology, as well as more specialized nutrition coursework. As of January 1, 2024, all dietetics students must also hold a master’s degree to qualify for their RD board examination in the United States. In addition to formal education, all dietetics students in the United States must apply for and be matched with a competitive internship program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Earning dietitian credentials requires national board certification. What’s more, 13 states, including Rhode Island, Alabama, and Nebraska, require that dietitians be licensed in order to practice. The remaining states either don’t regulate this profession or provide state certification or optional licensing. The process of licensing sometimes has additional requirements, like passing a jurisprudence exam. This is meant to ensure that dietitians practice under a code of conduct to protect public safety. The dietitian must also continue their professional development by completing continuing education credits, which helps them keep up with the ever-evolving field.”
Sorry, that’s a lot. I know. One last thing:
“In the United States, the title “nutritionist” may encompass individuals with a broad range of credentials and training in nutrition. In over a dozen states, certain qualifications must be met before an individual can call themselves a nutritionist. Additionally, accredited certifications grant titles like Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS). In most states, those who receive these certifications have the authority to practice medical nutrition therapy and other aspects of nutrition care. In many states, such as Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, RDs and CNSs are granted the same state license, usually called a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN) license. In states that don’t regulate the use of this term, anyone with an interest in diet or nutrition may call themselves a nutritionist. These individuals may apply their interest in nutrition to anything from running a food blog to working with clients. However, because uncredentialed nutritionists typically lack the expertise and training for medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling, following their advice could be considered harmful.”
My point is this: there is no guarantee that any advice from a nutritionist is even coming from anyone with any sort of education in diet, nutrition, or anything else even semi-relevant. So seriously – eat the foods you love. Don’t listen to Amberlynnnah Crystalsmith or whatever. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Find a trusted source whose qualifications can be vetted.
