Food as medicine, without the overwhelm.

Foods rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats — non-starchy vegetables, beans, nuts, eggs, fish, and whole grains — help slow how quickly blood sugar rises. The bigger secret is pairing: eating carbohydrates alongside protein, fat, or fiber rather than on their own. As a CDCES, Cheri helps Bay Area clients build plates that fit their tastes, budget, and culture, always in coordination with their medical care.

An anti-inflammatory way of eating emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, olive oil, and fish, while easing back on ultra-processed foods and added sugar — it’s close to a Mediterranean pattern. Research links it with better heart and metabolic health. For many people it’s worth trying, and Cheri helps you adopt it gradually rather than all at once.

No. Restriction and “forbidden foods” tend to backfire. Cheri’s judgment-free approach focuses on portions, pairings, and frequency, so your favorites still have a place. Small, sustainable adjustments almost always beat an all-or-nothing diet you can’t keep.

A Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist (CDCES) is a clinician — often a nurse — with advanced training in helping people manage diabetes day to day, including blood sugar, medications, and lifestyle. A registered dietitian specializes in medical nutrition therapy and can build detailed meal plans. They overlap and often work together. Cheri is an RN and CDCES; she coordinates with your dietitian and doctor rather than replacing them.

Pick one small change and repeat it until it’s automatic — like adding a vegetable to lunch, drinking water before coffee, or including protein at breakfast. One habit at a time is how change actually sticks. Cheri uses this stage-by-stage, behavior-change approach so progress feels doable instead of daunting.

Yes. Steady blood sugar from balanced meals helps prevent the energy crashes and brain fog that come from big spikes and dips, and nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory eating supports long-term brain and heart health. Food is only one piece — sleep, movement, and stress matter too — but it’s a powerful lever Cheri helps you pull.