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Stacy Cantu-Pawlik

Stacy Cantu completed both her BS & MPH at Texas A&M University (gig ‘em!), and is passionate about all things public health. She curates content on Healthy Food and Healthy Minds.


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Articles by Stacy Cantu-Pawlik

How to Shape Your Gut Microbiome for Better Health


Gut microbiome probiotics

By Celina Parás, MSc, RDN, LD Guest Blogger, Nutrition Education Specialist, CHEF Program, The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio By now, you’ve probably heard about probiotics and prebiotics. You can find them as supplements and they’re even added to foods at the super market, but did you know you can also find them naturally in many foods? Probiotics and Their Role in Health and Food Sources In your gut, whether you're Latino or not, you house thousands of bacteria, called the microbiome. While most play an important role in health, others may be harmful by disrupting our gut balance. Probiotics are "friendly" bacteria that promote digestive health and offer other potential benefits by helping balance our gut-flora. Research has shown that including probiotics ...

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Latinos, Rural Communities Disproportionately Affected By Child Care Deserts



51% of Americans live in child care deserts, in which Latinos are greatly disproportionately affected, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress. Child care deserts are defined as regions where there are no licensed child care providers for kids under the age of 5 and/or there is less than one slot in an accredited child care center for every 3 children under the age of 5. Latinos and Child Care Deserts Even though Latinos are the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the US and 25% of kids in the US are Latino, Latino families are more probable to live in regions with scarce child care options, according to the report. 60% of Latinos live in regions that have an undersupply of licensed child care centers. Furthermore, areas where the Latino population are ...

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SaludTues Tweetchat 1/8: New Year, New Goals: Nutrition For Health



Disregard what the number on the scale says. Nutrition, along with physical activity, is associated with positive health outcomes, while unhealthy food contributes to disease, especially in Latino families who lack access to healthy foods and nutrition education. Join #SaludTues on January 8, 2019, at 1 p.m. EST to tweet about how Latinos and all can use the start of a New Year to make better, nutritious choices. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “New Year, New Goals: Nutrition For Health” TIME / DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, 1/8/19 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: CHEF - Culinary Education For Families (@CHEFSanAntonio) We’ll open the floor to data AND your stories and experiences as we explore: ...

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Tell USDA: Save SNAP (Again)!


save SNAP

SNAP food assistance is at risk again, and we need your help. Just days after legislators protected SNAP in the Farm Bill, the Trump Administration on Dec. 20, 2018, proposed a SNAP regulation that could eliminate food assistance for unemployed and underemployed people in areas with insufficient jobs; undo long-settled regulations; increase hunger and nutrition-related diseases; and increase poverty, the Food Research & Action Center reports. You can make a public comment to tell USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue how much you value SNAP, and urge him to ensure the program continues to feed Latino and all disadvantaged families. Here’s how you can speak up: Copy this model comment (add a personal story if possible): I greatly value the SNAP program. And I am not alone. SNAP ...

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Bad News: USDA Relaxes School Food Rules


latino kids in a school food lunch line

Earlier in 2018, over 700 Salud America! members and thousands of others submitted public comments to oppose the USDA's proposed measure that could weaken nutrition standards in schools. Unfortunately, USDA approved its measure. The new rules aim to give schools flexibility in achieving higher nutritional standards for milk, whole grains, and sodium, according to a USDA press release.  Unfortunately, experts say that really means: Schools in the national school lunch and breakfast programs will be allowed to serve flavored, low-fat milk, which is prohibited under existing standards. The requirement for the portion of grains that must qualify as whole-grain-rich will be relaxed. There will be a delay to meeting sodium reduction requirements, even though 9 out of ...

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Update: Farm Bill Passes with No Cuts to SNAP


SNAP federal food assistance protect poverty

The Farm Bill cleared the U.S. House on a 369–47 vote after passing the Senate with a vote of 87–13, and cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are not included, according to the Food Research & Action Center. Past versions of the bill had contained a $20 billion cut of SNAP over 10 years. “The negotiators appear to have achieved a bipartisan compromise that maintains and modestly strengthens SNAP, ensuring that millions of struggling Americans will continue to be able to count on SNAP to help them put food on the table,” Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told the Washington Post. This is great news for Latinos and all. SNAP is proven to: Lifts millions of people out of poverty and helps them stay ...

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210,889 People Spoke Up on Public Charge!


Silhouette of a refugees family with children immigrant

More than 200,000 people—including some from Salud America!—submitted public comments on proposed changes to the "public charge" rule that could negatively impact the health of immigrant families. For the past 60 days, the U.S. government sought public comments on the Trump Administration's proposed changes to the public charge rule. Experts say the changes could penalize legal immigrants applying for green cards if they enroll in healthcare or use public benefits, such as food aid and housing. We at Salud America! asked our network to submit comments to protect families. Regulations.gov received a total of 210,889 comments! Here are some key results: Only 17,073 of the comments appear in search results on Regulations.gov, as of Dec. 11, 2018. About 40 people ...

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Texas Kids Are Most Uninsured in America


hispanic kid child girl cough sick no health insurance

The number of U.S. kids without health insurance is rising for the first time in 10 years. Texas has the highest number of children without health insurance in America, according to a new report by Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. The report found that more than 1 in 5 uninsured kids in the U.S. live in Texas, which is 835,000 as of 2017. From 2016 to 2017, Texas saw an increase of 83,000 uninsured kids. This is bad news for Latinos. Latinos, set to be the largest racial/ethnic population in Texas by 2022, are already the most uninsured U.S. group. Latino Kids and the Report This is the second-straight year Texas has had the nation's highest rate of uninsured children. There are many reasons for this, experts say. First, Texas has a greater ...

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Raheem Baraka’s Support Group for Latino Grandparents Raising Grandkids


Raheem Baraka

Family separations. Broken families. Little social support. In these tough times, abuela and abuelo often have to step up a caregivers for young children. That is why Raheem Baraka's Baraka Community Wellness partnered with nonprofit Tree of Life to create a unique support group for Spanish-speaking grandparents who are doubling as caregivers in Boston (19% Latino). "There are many grandparents who are raising their grandchildren," Baraka told Salud America! in July 2018. "There are broken families. There are challenges around our people staying together in highly traumatic and stressful situations." The Need for Grandparents as Caregivers In 2016, a record 64 million people, or 20% of the U.S. population, lived with multiple generations under one roof, according to a recent ...

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