FCRC Beyond Blue Fall 2021 - Flipbook - Page 27
Health EQUITY
Health EQUITY
MARSHA BAKER
Health Coach &
Fight CRC Advocate
diet
diversity
F
or the first time in many decades,
discussions about diversity are
on the table (no pun intended) in
nearly every area of American life.
Unfortunately, this topic has often been neglected during
diet and nutrition conversations—and we’re not talking
about the importance of eating a colorful variety of fruits
and vegetables.
Typically, patients receiving nutrition guidance get handed
a list of foods to try and foods to avoid, but most of the
foods listed are part of a mainstream “American” diet and
fail to incorporate cultural differences. This is something
health coach and Fight CRC advocate Marsha Baker hopes
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to see improved in the future—diet recommendations
tailored not only to the patients’ food preferences, but
their cultures as well.
“It’s important to remember that not everyone eats
like you,” Baker said. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all
situation, ever, but especially when discussing
ethnic backgrounds and diversity.”
In America, it can be easy to assume the products lining
our mainstream, chain supermarket shelves are what’s
stocking everyone’s pantries. But talk to a Native American
patient whose culture is preserved by cooking or an Asian
family serving up traditional dishes at home and you’ll
quickly learn a different story. Diets are as diverse as
the people who eat, and remembering that is key when
making and receiving food recommendations.
Acknowledgement is Key
Diversifying how, where, and when to offer inclusive
nutrition guidance is not an easy task, but Baker offers this
simple encouragement to both patients and providers who
want to grow: acknowledge.
“A lot of plans presented don’t acknowledge the cultural
differences of eating and that ethnic meals are cooked
at home and at restaurants,” Baker said. “We need to
recognize and acknowledge that different ethnicities may
have different cultural foods: African American, Latinx,
Asian, Native American—we need to acknowledge that
these groups may eat unique meals and use different types
of foods that are often not mentioned in recommended
meal plans.”
For medical professionals, acknowledgement looks like
asking a patient what foods they eat and recognizing
that their diets may not consist of what’s found on most
American menus. It means asking questions to learn more
about what a patient likes to eat, and what modifications
are and are not realistic for them to adopt.
For patients, acknowledgement looks like pushing past fear
and opening up about what’s eaten and enjoyed, even if
the foods are nowhere to be found on existing resources
and materials.
“Patients have to advocate for themselves,” said
Baker, who added, “and they need to take control
and be willing to make choices.”
One example is Fight CRC’s President Anjee Davis who
was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. An avid cook
and baker who enjoyed preparing a variety of traditional
American dishes and Indonesian foods, cancer made
Davis pause and reevaluate her diet. She and her family
made a decision to become pescatarian (diet consisting
of fish, vegetables, legumes, and sometimes dairy) and
get more protein from plant-based sources, which meant
approaching her favorite recipes differently.
She explained: “Our go-to dishes were beef curry and
chicken fried rice. Making a veggie version sounds like a
simple swap but we had to work at finding that balance of
health and feeling satisfied (‘Umami’),” she said. “A dietary
Join the Fight at FIGHTCRC.ORG
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