Thursday, October 31, 2019
Nutrition Classes Help Families with Low Incomes Prepare Healthy Meals
Since 1991, Rose Padilla Johnson has leveraged her experience in developing innovative social services to grow the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro, California, into a central destination for local low-income residents and immigrant families. Among the many services the San Leandro-based organization provides under Rose Padilla Johnson’s direction, one is a series of Nutritional Cooking Classes that teach principles of healthy eating and food preparation.
Studies conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture and other authorities have highlighted an important point: when recipients of supplemental food access receive classes in nutrition, they tend to make healthier grocery purchasing choices. Thanks to the Davis Street Community Center program, class attendees have learned techniques of selecting and preparing budget-friendly, appetizing, and healthy meals.
The program takes place in Davis Street’s own Demonstration Kitchen, facilitated by a credentialed nutritionist. It draws on supplies donated by the center’s own food pantry, and participants learn how to stretch their dollars, and to select the most nutritious offerings from local food distribution centers. They also learn how to change their families’ lifestyles in order to support healthy practices and avoid or address malnutrition and obesity.
The classes have produced numerous success stories. One such case is a man with type-2 diabetes who lost 10 pounds after his spouse brought home new information from the classes. The man’s blood sugar levels also began to correct themselves as a result of his improved diet.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Healthy Diet for Chronic Disease Management
Human Heart Model
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Rose Padilla Johnson has led the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro for nearly three decades. Under Rose Padilla Johnson’s guidance, the community center organizes and hosts nutritional cooking classes to raise awareness among San Leandro residents of the links between a healthy diet and long-term health.
While everyone can benefit from eating a balanced and nutrient-dense diet, people managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, need a healthy diet. The average American diet contains higher than recommended levels of sodium, sugar, and fat. This diet can exacerbate hypertension and weight gain and increase the likelihood of developing medical complications.
Nutritionists recommend a fiber-rich diet of fresh vegetables and whole grains and the elimination of high-fat sources of empty calories, which include sugary beverages, ice cream, whole milk products, and fruit drinks. Further, individuals can greatly decrease the amount of salt and fat in their diets by reducing their intake of processed foods and salty condiments.
While everyone can benefit from eating a balanced and nutrient-dense diet, people managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, need a healthy diet. The average American diet contains higher than recommended levels of sodium, sugar, and fat. This diet can exacerbate hypertension and weight gain and increase the likelihood of developing medical complications.
Nutritionists recommend a fiber-rich diet of fresh vegetables and whole grains and the elimination of high-fat sources of empty calories, which include sugary beverages, ice cream, whole milk products, and fruit drinks. Further, individuals can greatly decrease the amount of salt and fat in their diets by reducing their intake of processed foods and salty condiments.
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