Juliet Ronica: It’s tough being a dietician when people have nothing to eat

The high cost of living is already presenting a puzzle inside most households in Kenya.

A number of families both in the urban and rural areas cannot afford three square meals daily.

The result has been poor eating habits – and not out of choice.

As some households continue to scratch their heads over where the next meal will come from – Kenyans suffering from a wide range of health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, gastric issues, liver and kidney problems, are losing sleep over the quality of food.

This is the kind of headache Nutritionists like Juliet Ronica understand all too well.

“Many people with underlying health conditions like diabetes often do not enjoy the luxury of choice when it comes to picking what to eat,” says Ms. Ronica of Juliet Ronica Nutrition Services.

Take the case of Sarah, 39, who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2020.

She says it has never been easy managing the disease especially now that the cost of living has hit the roof.

“I am on both insulin injection and drugs. Insulin alone is Sh50, and I spend around Sh2,000 monthly on drugs,” says Sarah.

Sarah had to find a nutritionist to help and guide her since diabetes is highly affected by the kinds of food one eats.

She is quick to point out that the tough economic times often force patients to choose between quality and quantity of food.

It’s the same story for 47-year-old John Njagi – a father of two.

Njagi has been battling high blood pressure for six years now.

“I have to buy medicine every month besides following a strict diet designed to help me live a healthy life,” says the businessman.

Adding that: “Following the diet and my drug program has not been easy with the high cost of living.”

As for Ronica – she experienced the challenges first-hand since her mother had diabetes. 

“My mother could not just eat anything. I saw and experienced what proper nutrition can achieve in managing diabetes as a health condition," she says.

This experience would catapult her into the field of nutrition.

“I wanted to make a change. I had this burning desire to contribute to the wellbeing of the society through nutrition.

“There is a satisfaction that comes with the realisation that a patient is achieving their health needs because you guided them on how to eat right,” says Ronica.

She says that it has never been a cakewalk.

“At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic – many people cut down on their spending. Today, many people only spend money on basic needs and house essentials. This is the biggest challenge especially now,” she told Wananchi Reporting.

One major concern – however – is the mushrooming of ‘fake’ nutritionists – most of whom are in it for the money.

“There are thousands of nutritionists out there, most of them are quacks with no formal training."

“Some of them often take advantage of the most vulnerable. This is wrong,” says Ronica.