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Melanie Block, L.D.
A p ril 13, 2011
Eating Right and Exercising
For Your Health
There’s something about that
first warm, sunny day of spring that
motivates us out of our homes and
into nature, whether that means a
walk around the neighborhood, a
trip to the local park or just stepping
into the back yard with a glass of
iced tea.
This is a great time ofyear, but for
many of us trying to squeeze into
lastsummer’sclothes,it’sarem inder
of what we haven’t been doing all
winter long - eating right and exer-
cising. More troubling is that this
isn tjust a seasonal issue. Too many
in our community allow their esca-
lating weight to go unchecked year
after year, leading to more than just
a new pair of pants
Unfortunately, obesity is one o f
the most common contributing fac-
tors to Type 2 diabetes, and African
Americans are 1.5 times more likely
to be obese than their non-Hispanic
white counterparts, according to the
Department of Health and Human
by
L arry
L ucas
mon within the
A frican A m erican com m unity,
Nearly 18.7 percent of all non-His-
panic blacks aged 20 and older have
diabetes, according to the National
Institutes of Health’s National Dia-
betes Education Program.
Diabetes affects the way our
bodies process food and convert it
into energy. Specifically, diabetes
prevents people from breaking
down sugars into glucose, which
can then fuel our bodies. This leads
to dangerously high blood sugar
levels. Left untreated, diabetes can
lead to other serious health compli-
eations including blindness, kidney
disease and the need for foot or leg
amputation.
There are two major types of dia-
betes: Type 1, which inhibits people
from producing insulin at all, and
Type 2, which allows people to pro-
™CCS a
•
v
duce insulin, but prevents their cells
The American Diabetes Asso- from responding to it. Type 2 is the
ciation estimates that 25.8 million type a ffe c te d by a p e rs o n ’s
A m ericans have diabetes— and lifestyle— how much one weighs,
another 79 million are on the verge, how much exercise one gets, etc. -
Even scarier? The ADA also esti- and it’s far more common,
mates that 7 million people don t
But diabetes does not have to be
even
p know . they
. . , have . it. . .
an inevitable fate; fo r many, diabe-
Regrettably, it s particularly com- tes can be prevented and managed
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Portland OR 97232
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r.
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into the healthy habits that will lower
the risk of this brutal and chronic
disease. But when cold weather rolls
around months from now, let’s not
let ourselves fall back into the win­
ter funk. This disease can be pre-
vented, but only if healthy habits
become part ofour daily routine-in
every season.
through diet and exercise.
Larry Lucas is a retired vice
Eating a healthy, low-sodium and president fo r the Pharmaceutical
low-fat diet is an immediate way to Research and M anufacturers o f
i educe one s chances of contract- America (PhRMA)
Fresh Produce Policy Adopted
Tastes chanee at the meal sites to focus on preparing
O
fresh rather than frozen product for
senior meal sites din5 Fresh
s c ° ™ " g i n < « i “nd>.
vegetables will be grilled,
(503) 284-7838
W
ing the disease. It’s also incredibly
important to get regular exercise to
achieve and maintain a healthy
weight.
Every person’s risk factors are a
bit different, so taking the ADA’s
Diabetes Risk Test, available at
diabetes.org, is great way to deter­
mine your own risk based on your
age, family history, weight and other
factors. Please also keep your kids
in mind; your child's weight and
blood pressure can indicate whether
they may be at risk as well.
Thankfully, if you are diagnosed
with diabetes, there are a number of
great medications available to treat
the illness and more are in develop­
ment.
Patients who need help access­
ing these life-changing prescrip­
tions should take advantage of the
Partnership for Prescription Assis-
tance, a industry backed
tien,
assistance program that can pro-
vide feeornearly-free medicines. If
you'd like more information, visit
the website parx.orgor call 1-888-
4PPA-NOW
This spring is a great time to get
Loaves and Fishes Centers are
replacing prepackaged and frozen
fruitsand vegetablesinits34dining
rooms with all fresh produce. The
change was prompted by requests
from the diners as well as a change
in how Meals-On-Wheels meals are
prepared.
Traditionally, the hot portion of
home-delivered meals was sent in
bulk to neighborhood meal sites
w here it was p o rtio n e d in to
Styrofoam trays. The organization
recently switched to a pre-plated
meal system using a compostable
tray made from com. Meals are now
prepared and packaged at the
organization s Central Kitchen and
delivered to meal sites ready for
heating. The pre-plate system has
freed up the kitchen coordinators at
steamed or stir fried, depending on
the menu of the day. Seasonal fruit
will replace canned fruits in salads
and desserts. In addition, entrée
salads will be added as an option in
all dining rooms.
Cost for fresh produce, rather
than frozen or prepackaged, is about
the same,
“Our seniors have requested this
change,” said Food Service Direc-
torTom Maier. “Baby boomers, who
are just now entering their 60s, are
more accustomed to eating fresh
produce rather than frozen or
canned. W e’ve been able to nego-
tiate some great prices because our
volume is so high. Our goal is to
incorporate the fresh produce into
the Meals-On-Wheels program as
well by the end of the year.”