Achieving a healthy weight is a big challenge for everyone, including Latinos, and dietary change is a big part of the solution. But beware: Not all foods sold as "healthy" live up to that billing. Food marketers often push products that promise great taste and numerous health benefits, that, according to a USA Today report, could cause more harm than good. Here's the “skinny” on some of those products that food experts found to not be as healthy as they are supposed to be. Veggie Chips Billed as healthier alternatives to potato chips, the majority of these products are made from sweet potatoes, beets, and taro root. However, Kim Larson, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietics, told told USA Today that veggie chips are fully a marketing strategy. They ...
Support is still growing strong for Santa Fe's city soda tax, where last week Mayor Javier Gonzales spoke about the benefits for pre-K funding the tax could bring in for the city. The sugary drink tax is estimated to bring in around $7 million dollars to help fund pre-kindergarten education. This week, the city committee meeting on Monday cleared the tax as the committee voted 3 to 1 to recommend approval. According to local Santa Fe New Mexican, nearly two dozen speakers urged the councilors to support the soda tax initiative and put it before voters for the special election in May, including Moms like Meredy Talbot-Zorn who told councilors while holding her young daughter that many kids who are poor are one average 18 months behind their peers in education. Chamber of ...
According to the Register-Herald, a poll was taken by the American Heart Association (AHA) recently showed that 60% of around 600 respondents favor taxing sugary drinks in West Virginia. From the same poll 53% West Virginians said they would support a 1 to cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks. But what could a sugary drink tax do for the community and its health? According to Harvard University School of Public Health study, not only would a 2 cent per ounce tax generate $128 million for the state, but also help decrease sugary drinks for the community in turn reducing type 2 diabetes by 2 % and over 10 years could save over $160 million dollars in health care costs. Many people in the survey fear that children will develop the diseases that are linked with daily consumption ...
An underground lab experiment in New York City (28.6% Latino) just successfully tested if solar panel skylights could sustain plant life to determine if an underground park could thrive. This lab experiment is the result of five years of discussions about transforming the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, which stopped servicing passengers in 1948, into an underground park with a cultural center and area for concerts. The terminal has been out of operation longer that it was in operation. In 2011, two urbanist entrepreneurs proposed the idea for the Delancy Underground, which is now known as the Lowline. Reclaiming public space is at the heart of growing healthy communities and economics around the world, particularly when space has gone unused for decades. The ...
Dawn Lewis, director of culinary services for Glynn County schools told local news Golden Isles that 20% of the menu items at their school are now locally sourced. Working towards the Vision 2020 for School Nutrition Initiative, the school hopes to implement healthier local foods into the school's menu, highlighting Georgia farmers and the school's local campus garden. At Oglethorpe Point Elementary School vegetables are being grown in the campus garden, like broccoli, carrots, and collard greens. All maintained by pre-k and kinder students and eaten as part of the curriculum. The school is also using garden art to entice students to learn more about healthy foods, letting students paint or make art for the garden like painted rain barrels. The teachers are excited about ...
Love avocados? Or see those funny avocado Super Bowl commercials? We've got good news for you, even if you don't eat avocados often. Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit that provide naturally good fats and are cholesterol- and sodium-free. Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats, like those found in avocados, may help reduce the risk of heart disease. So eat those heart-health avocados! Tons of great original avocado recipes were shared and won up to $1,000 in the 2017 American Heart Association’s Take Avocado to Heart Recipe Contest. “Dietary fats are essential to heart health in that they give your body energy and help your body absorb key nutrients,“ said Chef Hamlet Garcia, AHA spokesperson, shown in the video above describing some delicious ...
According to a local newspaper, Santa Fe New Mexican, Mayor Javier Gonzales, who proposed a soda tax policy to support pre-kinder education will speak up about this proposal and more at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center this Wednesday at the annual State of the City address. Gonzales will speak about the proposal he made to increase an estimated $7 million for funding for pre-k across the city, especially for city's some 966 3 and 4-year-olds who do not have a pre-k education. “It has to be that way if we truly want to see a break in this cycle of poverty, a breakdown of the barriers that are stopping our kids in their tracks from achieving their full potential,” Mayor Gonzales told Santa Fe New Mexican News. “It’s just reality of why you need a new revenue ...
A new $21,367 dollar grant for a one-year investigation is being awarded to meet global research needs. The 2017 Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN) is looking for groundbreaking research ideas around the sustainability of food systems. BCFN grants support PhD and postdoctoral researchers under the age of 35 or who are pursuing or completed a PhD in the field of food and nutrition. Researchers who are currently undergoing research or have new research are encouraged to submit projects online through the BCFN website by June 28th. Three awards will be given and all finalists will be a part of the BCFN Alumni to keep topics and dialogue alive on these subjects. To learn more about this research grant opportunity, click ...
In California, a new bill to warn consumers of the sugars in sports drinks is making its way before the senate health committee in late March or early April, according to The Californian. “The State of California continues to see a rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes among its residents and it is occurring at younger and younger ages,” Senator Bill Monning said. “Strong and compelling scientific evidence clearly shows drinking sodas, sports drinks, and other sugary drinks heightens your risk for preventable chronic diseases.” In a state like California, where Latinos outnumber whites, research shows that Latino youth consume far more sugar-sweetened beverages than their white peers, which can lead to higher health risks and disparities among Latino youth. In fact, Latino ...
