September 16, 2021
Day 64
Yesterday was a day of webinars, meetings, and learning with an overall theme of Food is Medicine. You know that quote by Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food”.
First I attended a webinar by NourishNJ and was reminded about the increasing number of food insecurities even here in Morris County NJ where I live, one of the wealthiest counties in the state, and in the country. I learned about the need for fresh healthy meals, NourishNJ’s Purple Apron Meal Kits, and how individuals and organizations can help provide healthy meals to those who are food insecure. I’d really like to do something with this group to provide healthy sugar free meal kits! Stay tuned on that.
I then attended a short webinar presented by my friend and colleague Dr. Jaime Pula about mental health and nutrition. Of course, we know that sugar effects our mental health, but the facts and figures presented were overwhelming. Dr. Pula talked about Farm to Table as our “Farmacy” and sited studies showing how our micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, etc.) especially with diets high in vitamin B and D aid in protecting us from post-traumatic stress (floods, earthquake, and other high stress events) by 75%!
Then I attended a planning meeting with my North Jersey Health Collaborative team to plan out the webinar dates for the colorectal cancer screening webinars coming up in the fall. We discussed the audience for the webinars and the topics such as barriers to health care and other health challenges for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Once again, access to and knowledge about how food is medicine is really challenging for this population and their caregivers.
My Sugar Free Year not only helps me be healthier, but also helps me focus on how I can help others.
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