Donell Barlow: Helping Heal the People

THE INSIDER

Helping Heal the People

Donell Barlow suffered ailments growing up with no real help. Now she’s empowering and healing her people emotionally, physically, and spiritually through health and wellness.

Donell Barlow’s (Ottawa Tribe/Yurok) diet was far from balanced growing up. She usually ate processed foods unless she was with her grandparents, who had access to traditional foods. In her teens, Donell suffered ailments from her terrible diet, which led to her being seen by experts and doctors. Though she was only told she had IBS, no one provided her a new diet to try or allergies she may have been suffering. Then, Donell decided to take her power back, gain control of her health, and begin her nutrition journey. Once Donell’s passion for good health grew, she needed to share her knowledge and life experiences to heal others dealing with the same frustrations. She graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition as a Certified Holistic Health Coach and now works as a health and wellness coach with services spanning from customized meal plans and yoga classes to sharing healthy DIY recipes and baby care. Donell’s journey taught her food is a medicine; heal the gut to heal the body. Now, she incorporates some of her traditional foods into her recipes, shares her culture, and inspirits her relationship to nature while enhancing the quality of life and empowering her people. Donell’s maternal grandmother was Yurok and a master basketweaver. Donell watched her spend a lot of time foraging materials for her baskets and traditional foods to eat. “She made jams and jellies with combinations of berries, acorn mush, and very dense bread she called “Indian bread,” says Donell. “When I would spend time with her in California, we ate a lot of seaweed, salmon, and shellfish.” Donell’s paternal grandparents, who were Ottawa/Otter clan, made one dish that she treasured the most–a traditional corn soup they made on the stove that cooked all day. Donell was raised by her father since she was seven years old. After her mother passed away, Donell ate mainly processed food, like fast food and microwavable meals, but not with her extended family. This eating style eventually caught up with Donell when she was a teenager. “I experienced a lot of bloating, constipation, nausea, indigestion, and other related symptoms to IBS [Irritable Bowel Syndrome].” Donell went to the gastrologist for help, but they only treated the symptoms, not the diet. It took an additional two years for Donell to understand and unpack her relationship to food, which was making her sick. That’s when she began eliminating specific foods from her diet and realizing instantly that dairy and processed sugar were responsible for most of her sickness. “As Indigenous people, we didn’t have these ingredients in our traditional diets; for this reason, we tend to be more sensitive and have a more challenging time digesting foods introduced after colonialism,” Donell explains. “This journey of listening to my body began to heal my gut, and I then understood what foods worked for me.” This entire ordeal is what fueled Donell’s passion for becoming a health coach. It’s no surprise that the consumption of processed food is so prevalent in Native

@nativefox17

Photo by Ben Fowler

communities. “The high consumption of processed foods in Native Country is directly related to the lack of resources when our traditional foods were taken away.” Donell continues, “thus, this time period was actively trying to sever our intimate relationship to the foods our ancestors ate.” According to Donell, this horrible period of time forced Native people to utilize ingredients such as lard, sugar, and white flour, which initiated the addiction to processed foods. Unfortunately, these new relationships with processed foods were passed to the next generations. Food scarcity and lack of resources in Native communities also contributed to the problem, making processed food a staple in our diets. For Donell, the answer for change begins with unpacking our relationship to food. “This means foraging, hunting, and growing communities gardens, being mindful of how we feel emotionally, physically, and spiritually when we eat certain foods,” says Donell. “Just as we can pass on intergenerational trauma onto the next generations, we teach our relationship to food to our kids by example.” Donell’s work is all about nutrition, and she’s on a mission to share this knowledge with Native communities to educate them about how processed food negatively affects us. “We are all familiar with the quote, ‘you are what you eat,’ well, that holds with how we feel emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The choices we make every day on what we eat and drink either initiate disease or support the prevention of inflammation.” Donell explains that our gut is our second brain and has its own central nervous system that sends chemical messages to the brain, triggering bloating, constipation, reflux, rashes, and even migraines. Ignoring these messages by using over-the-counter medicines to mask the symptoms will lead to the gut becoming compromised and leaking partially-undigested food and harmful bacteria through small holes that form in the intestinal lining. “This is called inflammation, and it can travel to any part of the body and ignite chronic disease,” she says. “For example, if it travels into the joints, it shows up as arthritis, and in the brain, it becomes Type 3 diabetes, also known as Alzheimer’s or Dementia.” The problem with eating healthier is it can be costly, especially for those who live on the reservation. Eating clean requires access to fresh vegetables, quality meat, and whole grains. These resources tend to be expensive in some remote communities, so traveling some distance Donell with her daughter; photo by Ben Fowler

donellbarlow.com

THE INSIDER

“I wanted to empower them to heal themselves. I love working with the youth to form a healthy relationship with food that will support them for the rest of their lives.”

is necessary to acquire them. This is why Donell highly recommends growing our own foods. “The most affordable option is to grow food and trade varieties within your communities,” she explains. “This promotes food sovereignty and promotes a more intimate relationship to food. Farmer’s markets and eating in season is also a good option for a more affordable meal plan.” Incorporating traditional foods into our daily diets and taking control of our health and nutrition is considered a step towards decolonization. Per Donell, we can heal our gut by utilizing traditional foods, which is a direct action towards reclaiming our intimate relationship with food. “Our ancestors used plant medicine to prevent and treat disease; this was the first form of medicine,” she adds. “Many of the symptoms we experience through poor diet can be treated without Western medicine if we are committed to making the change. Relying on prescription medications for long-term care kills the good gut bacteria that protect us from disease. This step doesn’t have to be complicated. Donell understands that not everyone has access to traditional foods, so she suggests looking in our backyards to begin the process. “As long as it’s not chemically treated or close to congested traffic, you would be surprised what kind of plant medicine is growing around you,” Donell explains. “For example, most of us have access to dandelions, purslane, and lambs quarters. These plants provide countless health benefits and grow in most rural areas.” Making medicinal teas is a great start to include traditional foods into your diet; these greens can also be incorporated into a salad. Through her work, Donell is helping her people by sharing knowledge and life experiences of proper health and nutrition to heal others dealing with the same frustrations. Donell’s journey through battling IBS and healing her gut by unpacking her relationship to food is how she uncovered her passion for this work. “I knew that so many people suffer from similar circumstances, and I wanted to empower them to heal themselves. I love working with the youth to form a healthy relationship with food that will support them for the rest of their lives.” Besides being a nutritional consultant, Donell is also a health coach, author, and facilitator. With so much happening, Donell practices several forms of self-care to feel balanced. “I’m lucky that my creative expressions have become another source of income. Writing has always been a positive way to channel my emotions and express myself.” Though Donell never imagined becoming an author and sharing so much of her personal life experiences, she’s learned that being vulnerable about her past promoted additional healing for not only herself but all. “There is no better compliment than when one of my readers feels seen and can relate to my words; it makes my heart dance.” She’s also enjoyed creating children’s books that represent our Native communities, where she’s witnessed the positive impact, which makes the work so rewarding. Donell is always willing to help. She also helps non-Native people with her holistic health work, where she applies similar concepts as they must unpack their relationship to food. She usually inquires about their ancestors’ heritage and traditional foods and what their diet was like growing up. “They appreciate my perspective and are willing to learn. When people come to me for support, they have reached a point where they are fed up with Westernized medicine treating only symptoms and are willing to do the work it takes to heal themselves.” This summer, Donell released her newest children’s book, Creature Teacher Yoga that includes yoga poses with Salish translations. “While diet is important, it’s also essential to be physically active, and yoga consists of a mindful approach that supports an overall balanced lifestyle.”