Jazmin Valencia, a Registered Dietitian with AHWC's Community Nutrition Programs, is a passionate advocate for making nutrition education accessible and culturally relevant. As a newer addition to the team, Jazmin is already making a meaningful impact, especially in expanding nutrition resources for Spanish-speaking communities. With a background in culinary arts and a deep connection to her Hispanic heritage, she brings a unique perspective to her work, emphasizing the role of food in culture, identity, and health.
We sat down with Jazmin to learn about her journey into nutrition, the challenges faced by the Hispanic community, and her vision for improving nutrition access and education.
Wellness Connections: Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to a career in nutrition?
Jazmin Valencia: As a child I watched my brothers get excited about specific people's cooking, and I wanted people to get excited about my cooking. Food can hold a place in our lives that is connected to self-identity, culture, and family. This led me to get a degree in Culinary Arts, but after a short while, I realized this was not a long-term career for me. I began working in a local hospital and took advantage of the tuition reimbursement program which allowed me to continue my education with food into nutrition.
Wellness Connections: What does your role involve, and what do you enjoy most about it?
Jazmin Valencia: My role involves creating and implementing nutrition programs for the community. I have also been tasked with creating programs for the Spanish speaking community. I have a passion for nutrition because it plays a big role in preventative health. Poor diet is associated with many of the current top causes of death in the United States and having any beneficial impact on that is immensely rewarding to me.
Wellness Connections: You have a strong passion for connecting with the Hispanic community—what drives that passion?
Jazmin Valencia: My father was born in Mexico and had returned there. He was a business owner in the United States and had a large involvement in the Hispanic community where I grew up. My mother's mother was highly engaged in migrant activism. Connecting with this community is part of my family history. I feel grateful to be bilingual so that I can reach out to communities that gather information differently.
...even if all I do is show one person that a small change is just as important as a big change in our eating habits, I will continue to make an effort.
Wellness Connections: What are some of the biggest challenges the Hispanic population faces when it comes to nutrition, and how do you hope to address them?
Jazmin Valencia: Across most minority populations, we see health disparities related to language barriers, cultural beliefs, health care providers and cultural competency. These disparities present themselves through worse health outcomes even when given information about disease states and prevention. I plan on delivering nutrition information to these communities in a manner that will be understood and adapted with cultural consideration for the many cultures that are identified in the Spanish speaking community.
Wellness Connections: Are there any programs or initiatives you’re currently working on to improve nutrition access and education for the Hispanic community?
Jazmin Valencia: I am currently working on familiarizing myself with community organizations that currently serve this population to build partnerships that will encourage nutrition interventions as part of a healthy life.
Wellness Connections: What impact do you hope to make through your work at CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center?
Jazmin Valencia: Honestly, any beneficial impact would be great, no matter how big or small.
Wellness Connections: Where do you see the future of community nutrition going, and how would you like to contribute?
Jazmin Valencia: Community nutrition is a sector that I believe is getting more difficult due to the many new challenges of misinformation and selling ideas of cure-alls. I would love to see an improvement in the relationship people have with food and reducing shame and fear around food, especially in communities where options are limited. I am very passionate about nutrition and health disparities, but even if all I do is show one person that a small change is just as important as a big change in our eating habits, I will continue to make an effort.
Wellness Connections: If you could give one piece of nutrition advice to everyone, what would it be?
Jazmin Valencia: Eat more fiber! Dietary fiber has so many benefits such as lowering blood pressure, stabilizing blood glucose, reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and some cancers! Most Americans are not eating enough! Dietary fiber is not a cure-all, but I think it is pretty wonderful, and its one of my favorite things to talk about.
To learn more about our Registered Dietitians and the services offered by our Community Nutrition Programs team, please visit our website here.
