JILLIAN Q, RDN

Jillian educates through an African Diasporic lens, sharing the lost history of African cultural health traditions.

She received her B.S. from Bradley University and went on to Prairie View A&M University for her post graduate practicum, a requirement for dietitian licensure. She has spoken at national conferences, shared her knowledge through professional continuing educational workshops, led events at schools, and continually provides her knowledge on national faith platforms.

Jillian first became interested in health as a teen after witnessing several members in her family struggle with preventable diseases, mental illness, and broken relationships. However, her desire to understand health was limited by a perspective of fear. She believed that control would lead to a healthy lifestyle through measuring foods, limiting seasoning, and pushing oneself into “acting better”. While attending college, she learned about evidence based nutrition standards, but began to recognize that evidence based “health” was missing some key components. There was little acknowledgement about the importance of cultural heritage. Moreover, there was little understanding of the role that societal oppression played in health outcomes amongst people of color.

Once she became a registered dietitian, she began to spend time learning how she could be free from the limitations of colonized health standards, and her own biases. She discovered the power of her African roots, learning the history behind soul food. She also embarked on a healing journey, making use of counseling, journaling, and spiritual care.

Through this process, she discovered that African Americans aren’t unhealthy because they like to eat unhealthy food. To the contrary, African Americans have been fighting systemic oppression for centuries which has clinically manifested as diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, and broken relationships. Today, she uses this knowledge to share her story and her expertise so that others can be free!

Jillian has over 400 hours of pastoral care and chaplaincy training from medical and mental health facilities in the Chicagoland area. She uses this experience to provide spiritual support to people of color as they learn how to care for their bodies and their souls.

She serves along her husband, Pastor Tim, at Covenant Faith Church in Chicago, IL. They have two young children.

Connect with Jillian on Instagram at @wellness.jill.