S2 Ep 5 – Shireen Abdullah
Democratizing Nutrition Education: Empowering Health Choices for All with Yumlish Founder Shireen Abdullah
In this episode, we interview Shireen Abdullah, the founder of Yumlish, a health-tech company that is revolutionizing nutrition education. Shireen shares her personal experience of being diagnosed with a chronic condition and struggling to find culturally relevant nutrition education resources. She explains how this experience led her to create Yumlish, which focuses on providing nutrition education at scale and democratizing access to this knowledge.
Shireen highlights the importance of cultural competence and affirming cultural identity in nutrition education. She explains that Yumlish's approach is not about taking away traditional foods or making people feel guilty about their culture, but rather understanding the nutritional value of different foods and empowering people to make informed choices.
Yumlish partners with organizations like the American Diabetes Association and the United States Air Force to provide lifestyle change programs and nutrition education. Shireen emphasizes the importance of democratizing nutrition education so that everyone has access to it, regardless of their background or financial situation.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in nutrition education, health-tech, and the intersection of culture and health.