Skip to main content
Alt image text

Enhancing Nutrition Through Cultural Adaptation: Perspectives & Realities in AAPI, Black, Latino, & South Asian Indian Communities

Sunday, October 12, 2025

-

Proficiency: Intermediate knowledge/experience

Track: Public Health & Community Nutrition

CPE: 1.5

Description

Nutrition experts from diverse cultural backgrounds will provide perspectives on how cultural norms and beliefs influence the food environment, eating patterns and beliefs around healthcare. Learn how the speakers’ background influences how they care for patients and how you can approach working with diverse populations that may not be familiar to you.

Learning Objectives

  • Define cultural adaptation - going beyond surface structure adaptations to more deep structure interventions. Identify barriers and/or challenges and facilitators of these deep structure interventions.
  • Analyze cultural, economic and social factors influencing food practices among four populations. Define historical context/role of food in cultural identity, challenges/solutions for improving food access/equity.
  • Identify common health issues facing these populations, including prevalent health conditions; barriers to healthcare access and utilization; and strategies for working with these communities.

Performance Indicators

  • 3.3.2 Considers and respects the opinions, creativity, values, beliefs and perspectives of others
  • 3.4.3 Models behaviors that maximize group participation by consulting, listening and communicating clearly.
  • 2.3.1 Demonstrates dedication towards integrating behaviors that support cultural humility in the delivery of nutrition and dietetics care, services, education and advocacy.

Speakers

  • Clarissa Rivera photo

    Clarissa Rivera

    Dietitian, Facility MOVE! Program Coordinator, South Texas Veterans Health Care System

    Clarissa Rivera, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, BC-ADM, is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and is Board Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management. Clarissa earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Science in Nutrition from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. She currently serves on the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education Oversight Committee for the Board Certification in Advanced Diabetes Management credential, and as Secretary of the Diabetes Dietetic Practice Group (DPG). She is a member of Latinos and Hispanics in Nutrition and Dietetics and is a graduate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Leadership Institute. In her current role, Clarissa leads the MOVE! Weight Management Program at the South Texas Veterans Health Care Center and is a member of her facility’s Healthy Living Team, which promotes health and disease prevention initiatives. Clarissa is dedicated to addressing the diverse needs of underserved populations and improving health outcomes.
  • Denine Rogers photo

    Denine Rogers

    Registered Dietitian, Nourish and Living Healthy

    Denine Rogers, MS, RDN, LD, FAND is an Integrative & Functional Dietitian and owner of Living Healthy - www.livinghealthy1.org, private nutrition and wellness consulting practice in Douglasville, Georgia. Her focus within her practice is to provide a holistic cultural nutrition approach programs that assist women of color in the age ranges of 40 and up that are going through peri-menopause, menopause and postmenopause. She is a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and has a Bachelor's Degree in Clinical Nutrition from (HBCUs) Howard University and a Masters Degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine with a graduate certificate in Herbal Medicine at the American College of Health Sciences. She also owns her passion business called Living Healthy Skincare www.livinghealthyskincare.com where she creates homemade natural botanical blend soaps and skincare products for clients that want healthy, clean skin. Through her skincare business, she also provides nutrition-to-skin consultations using an integrative and functional approach to help find the root cause of clients' skin issues and deliver lasting treatment results. Denine Rogers has a You-Tube Channel called Living Healthy - https://www.youtube.com/@livinghealthychannel where she focuses on empowering Black women over 50 to live vibrant, healthy lives through a holistic approach that blends Integrative Functional Medicine, nutrition, skincare and lifestyle practices. Fun Facts about Denine is that she enjoys spending time with her two young active dogs, loves to do her daily AM yoga, cooking/creating vegan meals, traveling the world, volunteering as a Georgia Master Volunteer Gardener and enjoys playing her flute for fun!
  • Qianhui (Jera) Zhang photo

    Qianhui (Jera) Zhang

    Assistant Professor, Hunter College, City University of New York

    Dr. Jera (Qianhui) Zhang, PhD, RDN, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Public Health at Hunter College, City University of New York. Her research and clinical work focus on culturally tailored dietary interventions for Asian populations with food intolerances and digestive health concerns. She earned her PhD in Behavioral Nutrition from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has served as the Chair of the Professional Development Committee for the AAPI MIG in the Academy.
  • Sudha Raj photo

    Sudha Raj

    Teaching Professor & Graduate Program Director, Syracuse University

    Dr. Raj is a Teaching Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in the Department of Nutrition Science and Dietetics at Syracuse University and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Raj holds a BSc and MSc degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from India. She subsequently completed her M.S and PhD degrees in Nutrition Science from Syracuse University. Dr Raj has developed graduate courses in Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition and teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in the nutrition department at Syracuse University. Dr. Raj has been actively involved with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for over 3 decades. She has worked extensively in various capacities with the Vegetarian nutrition and DIFM DPG, the Indian MIG and the Global Member Interest group. Dr. Raj’s primary research interest has focused on exploring the role of health impacting acculturative factors of South Asian immigrants specifically from India. She has many journal contributions, presented posters, developed dietetics related educational resources, written book chapters and given presentations highlighting the unique South Asian Indian food culture and role of food as medicine. At present she is involved in a US Forest service project highlighting the role of wild edibles as nutrient dense options for urban residents. Dr. Raj is a recent recipient of the 2023-2024 Laura J and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award for Continuing Excellence at Syracuse University. She also received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine DPG in 2024.

Moderator

  • Elizabeth Gutierrez photo

    Elizabeth Gutierrez

    Deputy Director, Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation

    Elizabeth (Liz) is a licensed registered dietitian and currently serves as Deputy Director at the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation, a nonprofit working to improve the lives of Latinos across Illinois. She holds a Master of Nutritional Sciences and a Bachelor of Food Science and Human Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a Latina dietitian in both the nonprofit and nutrition sectors, Liz understands the barriers many face in accessing healthcare and representation within the profession. She actively works to change that through her involvement with the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and by co-founding Small Habits Matter, a nutrition education initiative that brings accessible nutrition workshops to Chicagoland organizations that may lack resources for nutrition and health education. Liz also serves as the Diversity Leader for Nutrition Education for the Public and has held the same role with the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group. In these positions, she advocates for centering diversity, equity, and inclusion in programming and professional development to ensure dietitians are equipped with essential, culturally relevant knowledge. Her passion extends beyond nutrition to building a more inclusive, informed profession and community. Outside of work, Liz enjoys cooking with her partner, Mason, taking long walks with their dogs, Moped and Ollie, and attending concerts or movie nights around Chicago.

Join the Academy

Members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics receive exciting benefits including complimentary continuing professional education opportunities, discounts on events and products in eatrightSTORE.org, invitations to exclusive members-only events and more!

Log in or join