KING CITY — Ana Greenberg is not ashamed to discuss her diagnosis that has affectively changed her life for the past 17 years: She has type 2 diabetes.
“Some people hide it, others deny it and others get depressed upon learning they have it. But not me, I have faced it head on,” she says.
Greenberg recently hosted a Puerto Rican cooking class, sponsored by Sol Treasures, at her house in King City, where she shared her journey with diabetes while making healthy food with participants.
All the meals, including mofongo de platano, or smashed plantains, were created with diabetics in mind who need to control their blood sugar levels.
The class was an offshoot of Greenberg’s online YouTube channel, “Cocinando Con Anita Criolla Diabetes Food,” in which she teaches others to cook healthy diabetic recipes through video tutorials. She focuses on Criolla food since she frequently travels to Puerto Rico and “saw the diabetes crisis there as well,” she says.
“I also felt that there were many programs that were teaching about diabetes but did not include actual hands-on cooking,” Greenberg explains. “I truly enjoy what I do, and I feel that by teaching and interviewing professionals during the class that I’m able to understand this illness and help individuals learn how this illness affects them.”
Before her online presence, Greenberg had created a local program called “Fiestabetes” to educate individuals with type 2 diabetes through hands-on cooking, exercise and rewards. The bilingual program ran for six weeks at a time, culminating with a fiesta for participants.
But, after four years, Greenberg was forced to close the program due to lack of funding. She turned to YouTube shortly after.
“I felt that by going on YouTube that I would be able to reach more individuals and it would be a free class to all,” Greenberg says. “They could watch it as many times and benefit from the information.”
After 17 years battling diabetes, Greenberg says her glucose and blood pressure levels are good and she is happy to share her story and knowledge with the hope of helping others.
“I have empowered myself by empowering others, and this is the best feeling that one can have,” she says.
