This obviously looks different from my regular nutrition + recipe posts, but the magnitude of everything that has happened in the year and these past few weeks pushed me to gather up all my thoughts in a way that reminded me of why I initially wanted to start blogging almost 8 years ago – to share a perspective from my own lived experiences that might be different from you, in hopes that it serves you in some way. You can take or leave what you need from this. I don’t believe we all need to agree on the same things. Perspective is a beautiful thing and so is having the respect to acknowledge somebody different from you. The election brought something up that I felt like I needed to share – the topic of representation in the media.
And okay let’s be real – the memes have been great these past few weeks and honestly just one of the things that have kept my mental space afloat during this year and election season, but I didn’t feel like sharing one just to share one and to hope that it gets my point across. I also don’t feel the pressure to do something on social media just because everyone else is doing it – just not my style. However, I know that with any kind of platform on social media comes with its territory and responsibility, especially as someone who is considered a minority in the field with some power to influence. So, I fall back to my trusted way of having an outlet to express – writing. Real words and not just a thread on carbs or cauliflower rice. While that’s also super fun for me, it has its time and place. I thought I originally wanted to be a journalist when I was younger (though I’m not a perfect writer) before I thought I wanted to a dentist before I finally thought that nutrition was my thing – change is constant so who knows what’s even next? 
I don’t think I can move forward talking only about nutrition or recipes (a privilege I acknowledge in itself) without talking about how + why, especially now more than ever, representation matters – in my world of health + wellness, my own experiences as an Asian-American woman in nutrition, and everything I do in my career to advocate for health. The wellness industry we’ve built here – while with some good intentions, is an industry that works to often make things feel exclusive instead of inclusive. One rotation in a food desert as a dietetic intern (ask any dietitian) will start as a catalyst to open a pair of eyes to experiences that might have looked very different from their own. Accessibility to healthier food options is a true barrier to health among many other factors and I never want to make anyone feel like just because they don’t have the latest (insert new product here!), they are unable to attain personal health.
