National Nutrition Month
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We’re already a week into it and I nearly forgot – it’s National Nutrition month. (Tho apparently March is also National Nutrition Month).
All I’ve seen everywhere are political ads… yes, today is election day. And there are a number of health related issues on the ballots across the country.
Also, in a couple of weeks we have that big food fest in America known as Thanksgiving.
So we’ll spend some posts talking about what nutrition is and the role it has in a healthy life… And why we should be thankful for good food. We’ve gotten so far removed from real food. And maybe we’ll play some food label games.
One paramount issue for eating well is having reasonable access to nutritious food. This can be a problem for shut-ins in so far as they can’t get out to grocery shop. And it’s a huge problem in lower socio-economic neighborhoods where grocery stores simply don’t set up shop.
CNN House Call this past weekend featured a story of <>“Food Desertsâ€â€¦ area’s where there are people… but not grocery stores.
LaSalle Bank funded a study in Chicago that measured the distance to grocery stores and fast food restaurants.
They’re findings were that over 500,000 Chicagoens live in a food desert. Their access to vegetables is from cans at a convenience store. Their access to fruit is jars at the liquor store. And their access to meat is fast food restaurants.
One resident interviewed has to take a $6, 45 minute bus ride to a grocery store, then a $10 cab ride home.
The study showed a higher incidence of diet related diseases in food desert areas such as cardiovascular, diabetes and stroke; and greater chronic health issues such as obesity and hypertension.
Closer to home (for me at least), is a food desert neighborhood in San Francisco – Bayview-Hunters Point.
As reported on SFgate.com, Some folks are doing something about that…
Candice Pierson and a friend in association with the nonprofit organization Hunters Point Family, started “Somethin’ Freshâ€. For $10, they deliver a bag with 20 pieces of fruit to any business or home in the neighborhood.
Front Door Farms evolved from another local nonprofit group – Literacy for Environmental Justice. Twice weekly they deliver boxes of organic locally grown fruits and vegetables to homes. They also bring a mobile farmer’s market to a couple of schools two afternoons a week.
Local people creatively addressing a local issue in a local way.
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