profile

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

Featured Post

When Family Love Feels Like Criticism | April-May Newsletter

Hi there 👋🏻, This is my April-May combined newsletter. I'll be honest, a few weeks of solo parenting and a work trip got the better of me, and April just slipped by. By the time I noticed, it was already mid-May. So here we are. I hope you'll forgive the gap. I think many of you know what it feels like when life just takes over. 😊 And honestly, I'm glad I waited. The story I wanted to share with you has a nicer ending now. Before Mother's Day, I had a session with a client who was dreading...

Happy National Nutrition Month! 🎉 This year's theme is "Discover the Power of Nutrition" — and it couldn't feel more timely. March has been a big month for me personally, and I'm excited to share some updates with you before we dive in. A couple of things I want you to know: First — I'm now licensed to see clients in Georgia! If you or someone you know has been looking for culturally-informed diabetes nutrition support in GA, I'd love to connect. Second — many of you know I've been heads-down...

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. 📊 THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS Five Questions for Your Health Reflection Here are five powerful...

Hi there, 👋 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 👋, 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 📊 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 👋🏻, 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...