Updated federal dietary guidelines suggest Americans should consume less sugar, fat and salt and more vegetables and whole grains, The Wall Street Journal reports. The guidelines, which are updated every five years recommend a “healthy eating pattern” with conscious decisions about what we drink and eat. “By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell said. The guidelines suggest Americans should consume: A variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables
Fruits, especially whole fruits
Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, ...
The Ohio Commission on Hispanic-Latino Affairs (OCHLA) recently released their year-end report on the progress made by the state’s ever-growing Latino population. The report calls for more to be done to ensure that Latinos receive better quality healthcare outcomes. From the report: “As the Ohio population continues to grow and diversify, the importance of a culturally and linguistically competent workforce in healthcare, education, and government cannot be overstated.” The report, entitled “Ohio’s Changing Face: The Case for Culturally Responsive Institutions,” focused on the current state of cultural competence in healthcare, education, and governance in terms of the Latino population. It was found that Ohio lags behind the efforts of neighboring states in the areas of ...
Martín and Martina continue to gain popularity among Latino parents and this year they’re well situated among the top 10 Latino baby names, according to a survey by BabyCenter. For the ninth consecutive year Sofía and Santiago remained the most popular names. For girls, Lucia climbed eight spots to No. 3 and Ximena dropped from the top 10. For boys, Benjamín made an impressive comeback to the top 10 climbing to No. 8 while Daniel dropped. According to the survey, gender-neutral names are a hot trend among Latino parents, such as Max, Alex and Dani. Parents also told BabyCenter en Español that celebrities from popular TV shows like The Voice Kids also influenced their decision at the time of choosing a name that’s original and reflects Latino values. A whopping ...
In large part due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the number of uninsured Latinos has drastically decreased in the last few years. However, according to the latest data, Latinos still remain the largest racial and ethnic group with the highest rate of uninsured individuals. The ACA is currently in its third open enrollment, which ends at the end of this month on Jan. 31. “The Latino community still suffers from health disparities like disproportionate rates of asthma, diabetes and certain cancers,” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said. “But with better access to better checkups, diet counseling and many cancer screenings, we can begin to close these gaps." Agencies and organizations, such as Enroll America, are working to spread ...
Chef Ann Cooper founder of the Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) has created an online resource called The Lunch Box, to help support schools who want to change their food environment. In a recent interview Emily Miller, from CAF told Food Tank that they want to help create a healthier food system for kids in today's world, where kids can learn the importance of nourishing their bodies and where their food comes from. Miller explains that the best way to teach kids about healthier foods is through school, where kids are already in a learning environment. The Lunch Box resource is an in-depth school food resource, where school food professionals can use free tools to help transition from processed foods to scratch-made plates, that are sustainable. Including over 200 recipes that are ...
New funding has been awarded to train school staff to prepare and procure fresh farm foods for school districts across New York state. Funding from farm-to-school program grants helps develop and strengthen connections between local farms and schools. This in turns helps increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for students through various programming like student gardens, farm field trips, or even hands-on cooking lessons. The communities receiving funding are Buffalo School District, Cooperative Extension in Schoharie and Otsego Counties, Rensselaer County schools, Saranac Lake schools, Seneca County Cooperative Extension and Broome-Delaware-Tioga BOCES. Daily consuming fresh fruits and vegetables are a great way to sustain a healthy diet for kids in ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Monica Montaño
Downey, Calif. With a Panamanian hat-wearing grandfather who pushed his children to go to college and a mom who took her to microbiology classes as a child, it’s no surprise that education is Monica's main tool to promote health among Latinos. She has a true passion for teaching and not only wants to expose her students to health disparities, but also wants to conduct research and deliver education on cancer and disease prevention across the nation and beyond. Monica Montaño received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Community Health Education and School Health Education (2000), from California State University ...
Still waiting to get your yearly flu vaccine? If you haven’t you should get it soon—according to US Health Officials, Univision Noticias reports. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that flu activity usually peaks in January or February and can also strike as late as May. “ As long as the virus is circulating, it's not too late to receive a flu shot and protect yourself and others against this seasonal misery.” "Influenza seasons and severity are often unpredictable. Annual influenza vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza among people 6 months of age and older," Marion Gruber, director of FDA's Office of Vaccine Research and Review, said in an agency news release. "However, taking such practical measures as washing hands, covering coughs and ...
The Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities helps create dialogue on racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. Created by the Institute of Medicine in 2007, the Roundtable examines the development of programs and strategies to reduce disparities. For the past several years, a major topic of discussion has been the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its effects upon ethnic and racial minorities. The ACA has several provisions specifically designed to encourage minorities to participate in eliminating the gap in health disparities. A workshop was held recently to discuss the effects of the ACA at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, CT, entitled “Achieving Health Equity via the Affordable Care Act: Promises, Provisions, ...
