For many Guyanese and Caribbean families, food is far more than nourishment. It is a way of preserving culture, celebrating milestones, and maintaining connections across generations. From holiday gatherings to Sunday lunches, recipes become heirlooms that carry memories of home. Yet those same traditions also provide an opportunity to discuss one of the most pressing health challenges facing many Caribbean communities today: Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Aliya Shafi believes the conversation should never be about abandoning culture but about learning how to preserve it while making healthier choices for ourselves and the generations that follow.
As a Guyanese American board-certified family physician, ADA diabetes advocate, and someone living with Type 2 diabetes herself, Dr. Shafi brings a perspective that is both professional and deeply personal. Diagnosed at just 19 years old, she understands the uncertainty that accompanies hearing those words for the first time. During that same period, her grandmother was undergoing treatment for cancer, giving Dr. Shafi an early understanding that chronic illness is rarely experienced by one person alone. It affects entire families, changing routines, relationships, and the way loved ones support one another through life’s most difficult moments.
That experience continues to influence the way she practices medicine today. Throughout our conversation, Dr. Shafi repeatedly returned to one central idea: diabetes is a family affair. While medications and physician visits are important, long-term success often depends on what happens outside the clinic. Families help prepare meals, encourage healthier habits, provide accountability, and create environments where healthier decisions become easier to sustain. Rather than placing the burden solely on the individual living with diabetes, she encourages families to view prevention and management as a shared responsibility.
Serving patients in Richmond Hill, Queens, a neighborhood with one of the largest Guyanese and Caribbean populations in the United States, Dr. Shafi sees firsthand how diabetes continues to affect the community. She shared that approximately seven percent of the Richmond Hill population is living with diabetes, a statistic that highlights the importance of education, prevention, and regular health screenings. For communities where traditional meals often include generous portions of rice, breads, root vegetables, and other starches, these conversations require both sensitivity and cultural understanding. Dr. Shafi is careful not to frame Caribbean cuisine as the problem. Instead, she encourages moderation, thoughtful substitutions, portion awareness, and gradual lifestyle changes that allow families to continue enjoying the foods they love while reducing long-term health risks.
Education remains one of the strongest themes throughout her work. During our interview, Dr. Shafi explained the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes while challenging a misconception that many people continue to hold, that diabetes is primarily a disease of older adults. Increasingly, younger people are being diagnosed. She shared that she has cared for children as young as six years old who have developed diabetes, underscoring why earlier screening has become so important, particularly within higher-risk communities. The earlier patients understand their risk, the greater their opportunity to prevent complications later in life.
Equally important is recognizing the warning signs before they are ignored. Many people unknowingly live with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes for years because symptoms often develop gradually. Increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing wounds, and unexplained weight changes should never be dismissed as simply getting older or being tired. Dr. Shafi believes that educating patients to recognize these symptoms, and empowering them to seek medical care early, can significantly improve health outcomes.
Throughout our discussion, another message emerged just as strongly: patients should never be afraid to speak honestly with their physician. Open conversations about eating habits, physical activity, medications, financial barriers, family history, and daily challenges give healthcare providers a more complete understanding of the person sitting before them. Trust is built through honesty, and that trust often becomes the foundation for better healthcare decisions.
Beyond the examination room, Dr. Shafi continues to advocate for diabetes awareness through education and community engagement. Whether speaking directly with patients or participating in public conversations, her goal remains the same: to make diabetes education more accessible, reduce stigma, and encourage people to become active participants in their own healthcare. Rather than focusing solely on treatment, she emphasizes prevention through knowledge, reminding patients that small, consistent changes often produce the greatest long-term results.
Perhaps the most encouraging part of our conversation was Dr. Shafi’s optimism. While diabetes continues to affect millions of people around the world, she believes communities have the ability to change that trajectory through education, earlier screening, stronger family support systems, and greater health literacy. For Guyanese and Caribbean families in particular, she hopes future generations will grow up understanding that preserving cultural traditions and protecting personal health are not opposing goals. With awareness, intention, and community support, both can exist together.
Dr. Aliya Shafi’s story is ultimately one of service. Her personal diagnosis shaped her perspective, but it did not define her future. Instead, it strengthened her commitment to ensuring that others have access to the knowledge, encouragement, and support they need to make informed decisions about their health. In doing so, she reminds us that some of the most meaningful forms of medicine begin long before a prescription is written, they begin with education, compassion, and the willingness to have conversations that can change lives.
After the Makers.
Berbice Peace® 🇬🇾