I’m a food-history nerd — tell me the story behind a family recipe and I’m instantly interested. 

I’ve traveled to 19 countries across 5 continents, and I love experiencing culture through food.

Detroit born & raised — my love for food, culture, and community started right at home.

Food has always meant more to me than what’s on the plate.

Growing up in Detroit, some of my earliest lessons about food and health happened around my grandmother’s table. I remember watching my Grandma Carrie and my father, both living with Type 2 diabetes, inject insulin side by side while our family gathered around the soul food we knew and loved. Those moments helped me understand early on just how connected food, health, family, and culture really are.

Why Nourishing the Culture™

I created Nourishing the Culture™ because I believe pursuing better health shouldn’t require leaving our culture behind.

Our food carries history, memories, family, and identity. My approach brings evidence-based nutrition and cultural traditions together, recognizing that what nourishes us goes far beyond nutrients alone.

During my dietetics training, I saw this firsthand when an older Black patient who had refused to eat for days finally began eating after I played a familiar song from Black family gatherings. It wasn’t simply the meal that reached him—it was familiarity, connection, and the feeling of being seen.

That experience captures what Nourishing the Culture™ means to me.

I believe our traditions deserve a place at the table, our stories deserve to be heard, and nutrition care should honor the whole person—not just what’s on their plate.

Honor the past. Nourish the present. Change the future.