Over the course of her career, Constance Brown-Riggs has established herself as an expert on the subject of nutrition, diabetes and the cultural issues that impact the health and health care of people of color. She is not only versed in the science of medical nutrition, but also has an active nutrition counseling practice through which she sees hundreds of patients. Her ability to translate her academic and clinical knowledge into clear, understandable terms have made her a nationally renowned, sought-after speaker, educator and author. She is passionate about creating opportunities to spread the word about health and nutrition, and developing educational tools which shorten the cultural distance between patients and caregivers. Every aspect of her work supports that mission.
As president and owner of CBR Nutrition Enterprises, she operates a multi-pronged company that focuses on providing complete medical nutrition therapy to patients. Her enterprise also provides training and education for laypeople and health-care professionals, as well as consultation services to industry, physicians, fitness centers, churches and other corporate and community organizations.
Brown-Riggs is the author of Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes (iUniverse, 2006), a guide that helps African-Americans with diabetes learn how to prepare and enjoy traditional ethnic food from the American South and the Caribbean. She was also the nutrition consultant for health-related books including Lighten Up: The HealthQuest 30-Day Weight-Loss Program (Amistad, 2001) and The ESSENCE Total Makeover Book (Three Rivers Press, 1999). She was a technical reviewer for the American Dietetic Association’s manual “Facilitating Lifestyle Change: A Resource Manual.”
A New York State Certified Dietitian Nutritionist, she is active in the American Dietetic Association, an organization of more than 70,000 members. She is past president of the 5,000-member New York State Dietetic Association and of the Long Island Dietetic Association, a 500-member organization. And she is currently a national spokesperson with a specialty in African-American Nutrition for the American Dietetic Association. In 2007, she was named the association’s Diabetes Educator of the Year.
She is an active member of the American Diabetes Association, having chaired the Long Island Leadership Council’s African-American and Latino Outreach Committee. She is also a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the Dietetic Practice Group, Cornell Nutrition Works Advisory Council and dLife TV Professional Council.
Constance received a B.A. in Home Economics and a M.S. in Nutrition Education with honors for excellence in nutrition research, both from Queens College in Queens, New York. She also has an AAS in Food Technology from State University of New York, Farmingdale. She became a Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist through the University of the State of New York. She is also a Certified Diabetes Educator (American Association of Diabetes Educators) and a Registered Dietitian (American Dietetic Association).