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Hi! I'm Karen, your diabetes dietitian specializing in Asian American care!

I help Asian Americans with diabetes and prediabetes manage their blood sugar holistically while honoring their cultural food traditions. With over 15 years of clinical experience, I provide culturally-informed strategies that help you thrive without giving up the foods you love. Learn more and explore my services at diabetesnutritionist.co

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Transform Your Health This Year of the Fire Horse 🐓 | February 2025 Newsletter

Happy Lunar New Year to all who are celebrating! This year marks the Year of the Fire Horse—a powerful symbol of strength and perseverance in overcoming obstacles. The Fire Horse also brings transformation, and I hope you harness this positive energy to transform your health and other areas of your life. As we gather with family and friends around tables filled with traditional foods, I know many of you face the challenge of balancing cultural celebration with blood sugar management. This...

Hi there, As we close out 2025, I'm writing to you from a place of reflection and gratitude. This past month, I took time away to visit family during the holidays. I've also been working on a textbook chapter on diabetes care—still more work to do there, but it's coming along! As we wrap up the year, I invite you to think about your health journey—not with judgment, but with curiosity and compassion. šŸ“Š THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS Five Questions for Your Health Reflection Here are five powerful...

Hi there, šŸ‘‹ October has been a month of breaking down walls—specifically, the invisible walls we build around what we think diabetes management "should" look like. After 15 years of working with Asian Americans managing diabetes, I've noticed something: we often focus intensely on what we eat while overlooking other powerful factors that affect our blood sugar. This month, I want to share insights about the hidden influences on your numbers—and how shifting your mindset can be just as...

Hi Reader, This month has brought big changes to our household—my kiddo started preschool, and we're all adjusting to new schedules and energy levels. As I navigate this transition, I'm reminded that accepting "new normals" is something many of us face, whether it's a child's school schedule or adjusting to life with diabetes. As September comes to a close and we look ahead to the final quarter of 2025, making it the perfect time to reflect on our health goals and adjust our approach. This...

Hi there šŸ‘‹, Hope August has been good to you! I attended ADCES25 earlier this month, and I'm excited to share what I learned with you. THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS šŸ“Š I attended ADCES25, the only conference in the United States for diabetes care and education specialists. Being a diabetes dietitian for 15 years, it was so exciting to see how things have evolved in our field. I also had the opportunity to present on AI in diabetes care. Here's what struck me most about how far we've come: The...

Hi there, After a slower pace in May and June, July brought us back into full swing! This month, I've been diving deep into one of the biggest decisions I see people wrestling with: whether to get a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). With so much buzz around diabetes technology, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the options or pressured to jump on every new trend. After 15 years of helping Asian Americans navigate diabetes management, I've learned that the best tools are the ones that actually...

Hi there šŸ‘‹šŸ», I took some time off this month to meet up with my friends in Canada, and it was such a refreshing experience! There's something special about connecting with friends and exploring different food cultures together. One of my highlights was joining a Montreal bagel workshop, where I got hands-on experience making this well-known local specialty and learned about the differences between New York and Montreal bagels. This experience reminded me how food connects us to culture and...

Hi there! As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, I wanted to share something close to my heart with you. My Latest Blog: AAPI Heritage Month & Diabetes Challenges I just published a comprehensive blog post addressing the unique diabetes challenges facing the Asian American community. After 15 years as a diabetes dietitian working primarily with Asian Americans, I felt it was crucial to shed light on these often-overlooked cultural barriers. The statistics...

Dear friend, I can't believe April has flown by so quickly! Throughout the month, we explored the critical connection between sleep and blood sugar management. After 15 years working with Asian Americans with diabetes, I've seen firsthand how sleep quality can transform diabetes management. Many in our community wear minimal sleep as a badge of honor while juggling work, family, and obligations. But this cultural tendency might be undermining your blood sugar goals. Sleep isn't just a...

Hello Reader, šŸ‘‹šŸ» Thank you for being part of our community! As we close out March's National Nutrition Month, I wanted to reflect on this year's theme: "Food Connects Us." Food is more than just nutrition. It connects us to one another and to our culture. In Asian communities, food is very much a love language - we often show how much we care for each other through the meals we prepare and share. This month, I've shared some thoughts on navigating the love-hate relationship many people with...