Food As Medicine – The shorter version:

• Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut and You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment are two of Netflix’s most recent nutrition documentaries.
• Alarming trends call for action to define the future role of food in nation’s health
• Study aims to understand the barriers of food prescription programs
• Five reasons why the current ‘Food Is Medicine’ solutions are falling short

Food as Medicine – The longer version:

Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (running time: 1 hr 19 mins), Netflix’s newest nutrition documentary, stresses the importance of a healthy gut as the foundation for a healthy life. It gives a very good and clear explanation of why fiber is such an essential part of our diet (btw, Americans exceed their protein consumption by 35% BUT only 7% of Americans eat enough fiber!)

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment  (four episodes ranging from 44-60 mins each) follows a group of identical twins who change their diets and lifestyles for eight weeks in a scientific experiment designed to explore how foods impact the body in more ways than physical [Spoiler: a healthy diet makes a huge difference on every single fitness/health measurement!].

Alarming trends call for action to define the future role of food in nation’s health

According to a new national poll of public attitudes on food and nutrition, nearly 7 in 10 (68%) respondents recognize healthy eating habits as an important factor in improving a person’s chance for a long and healthy life. Yet more than half (53%) say the United States is not making enough progress for nutritious food to be more accessible and affordable.

• More than 6 in 10 U.S. adults are projected to have some form of cardiovascular disease by 2050 – up from about half of all adults currently.
• Obesity rates will increase nearly 40% in adults – from 43.6% to 60.6%, and by more than 60% in children, from 20.6% to 33% by 2050.
• The highest growth of obesity prevalence is expected to be among adults 20-44 and 45-64 years old. In children, a steep growth of obesity is projected in all age groups.
• By 2050, more than 150 million people (close to half of the nation’s population) will have a poor diet – the most prevalent factor affecting health conditions such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes.

Study aims to understand the barriers of food prescription services

Study aims to understand the barriers of food prescription programs

Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid approved an amendment to New York state’s Medicaid 1115 waiver. Public Health researchers say it means Medicaid will start paying for social needs, including food, transportation, housing and other things that could affect their medical outcomes.

The highlight for those in public health is that people covered by Medicaid will be able to get fruits and vegetables prescribed to you like you would medicine. Jill Tirabassi, a principal investigator of the study, says “Primarily in behaviors that we choose to do every single day: what we eat, how we sleep [and] how we exercise. And so a study like this really focuses on the integration of how the healthcare system can actually help us make healthier food choices.”

Why Current ‘Food Is Medicine’ Solutions Are Falling Short

This is not new news but this article explains and dissects the issues and challenges surrounding Food as Medicine approaches. It outlines five major food problems that are impeding the effectiveness of this movement and strategic plan:

• Food Problem 1: Food Recommendations Contradict Food Subsidies

The federal government’s nutrition recommendations contradict the types of crops it subsidizes. The message to eat more produce has been promoted by the federal government for decades through campaigns such as “5-A-Day” in the early 1990s and “MyPlate” in the 2000s. At the same time, the federal government subsidizes agricultural production through commodity and crop insurance subsidies to maintain farmers’ revenue, control levels of food production, and keep costs of foods such as corn, soy, and wheat (and processed foods made from them) low. Unfortunately, the types of foods that receive most of the subsidies contradict the promotion of fresh produce, with nearly one-third of subsidies directed to the production of industrialized meat and dairy and only 4 percent going toward fruits and vegetables. 

• Food Problem 2: Food Acculturation And Assimilation Can Lead To Poorer Health

The concept of “food acculturation” describes the adaptation of migrants’ dietary habits to their new environments; this can involve finding new ways to prepare traditional foods, eliminating certain foods that are no longer available to migrants, or adopting entirely new foods. While food acculturation is a natural response to changing environments and is crucial for survival, it can become a concern when the new environment’s dietary and lifestyle practices are potentially harmful. 

“The cause of obesity and associated diseases has as much to do with the human reaction to overfeeding as it does with the production of foods that are being overfed and ultra-processed.”

• Food Problem 3: Culinary Education Is Effective But Time Consuming

Modern education empowers students to engage with material through hands-on experiences and activities to improve memory, retention, and application of the material. Unfortunately, innovations in pedagogy do not always translate into health care. Patient education around diet often consists of a printed handout and, sometimes, a referral to a registered dietitian. But even with a referral, nutrition counseling may be limited to a duration of just a few months. 

Group cooking classes help build community, provide peer support, and create extrinsic motivators to enhance learning. However, most culinary medicine programs are only available on a limited basis (for example, once per week), and many people face barriers to regular participation such as time, transportation, and family responsibilities.

• Food Problem 4: Medically Tailored Meals Are A Temporary Fix

The use of medically tailored meals, another FIM method, has been well-documented and associated with reductions in health care use. However, this approach does not allow for developing new culinary skills or forming (and then maintaining) new dietary habits; when the service ends, consumers may revert to their former eating patterns. Moreover, medically tailored meal programs are costly—which is burdensome to patients if not covered by insurance.

• Food Problem 5: Food Funding Is Not Sustainable

A final problem is the lack of clinical integration and sustainable funding sources for FIM services. In traditional health care models, services delivered are documented in medical records and coded for billing either at the individual’s expense or reimbursed by a third-party payer (that is, an insurer). However, there is currently limited standardization in screening, documentation, and medical billing codes for FIM services (such as culinary medicine or medically tailored foods). Most health systems charge patients out of pocket for these services or offer them for free thanks to philanthropic fundraising. Despite many examples of creative workaround solutions, there lacks a turn-key approach that can be systemized and scaled across health care settings.

To reach a solution that can address the five problems described above and be integrated into daily living while cultivating lasting behavior, several changes are needed:

• While current efforts mentioned above should continue and expand, new innovations should focus on making individual efforts easier and fit better into daily living through a spectrum of services, from prepared meals to hands-on learning. Programs can exist in health care, community and faith-based organizations, technology, and so forth.
• FIM interventions should be integrated into clinical care models, supported by ACOs, and reimbursed through third-party payers to enhance the efficacy of services.
• Locally sourced and sustainable ingredients must be the foundation of FIM. All efforts should help mobilize local businesses and create economic growth—especially among marginalized populations.
• The descriptors “personalized” and “culturally appropriate” should be incorporated into FIM. Initiatives should be defined by lived experiences and designed and evaluated based on community members’ input—thereby creating a paradigm shift from a top-down to a bottom-up, community-led approach.

To offer a real-world example that meets at least two of those criteria, Boston Medical Center has invested into Nubian Markets, a Black-owned venture, to create a local grocery store offering fresh foods sourced ethically and primarily from within New England, scratch-made prepared meals, and a café. Patients can be referred to the market for medically tailored foods, and culinary skills are taught through a women-founded mobile application.

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Food Rescue US – Fairfield County’s month-long longevity challenge is based on the Blue Zone philosophy. The challenge starts with our kick off event at Wakeman Town Farm on June 3rd from 7:30-8:30pm with a screening of the first episode of “Live to 100” and a guided conversation with local nutrition coach Michelle Sinclair Colman. (Purchase your tickets here!) 

Throughout the month, Food Rescue US – Fairfield County will challenge you in four ways that correspond to the four pillars of the Blue Zone (see below).

The longevity challenge will culminate with a meet up to walk, talk, and gawk (at the natural beauty) together at Sherwood Island State Park on Thursday, June 27th at 9am. (Please RSVP to Haley@foodrescue.us if we can expect you there!)

What is a Blue Zone?

The Blue Zone concept comes from a global study that found the communities around the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives (in their 100s) and discovered the key lies in four pillars: Plants, Purpose, Pedestrian, People (social).

Food Rescue US – Fairfield County’s Blue Zone Longevity Challenge

This is how we will incorporate the Blue Zone’s four pillars into our month-long longevity challenge:

1. Plants: Eat the rainbow.
   1. The key to good health is a healthy gut and the way to promote a healthy gut is through eating a diverse diet filled with whole foods.
      1. We challenge you to try to eat at least 15 different fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts each of the four weeks of June.
      2. Try a new fruit, veggie, nut, or seed each week!
2. Pedestrian: Move.
   1. Our bodies are meant to move.
      1. We challenge you to make sure to walk at least once a week.
3. Purpose: Be inspired.
   1. Volunteering for Food Rescue US is a great purpose!
      1. We challenge you to do at least one rescue in the month of June!
4. People: Connect with others.
   1. Community is essential to our health. 

Come to our meet up at Sherwood Island State Park on June 27th at 9am where we’ll walk, talk, and simply be with one another in this incredible natural resource in our backyard! Anyone who wants to continue our time together at the Westport Farmers’ Market after the walk gets a free Food Rescue US tote bag. (Please RSVP to Haley@foodrescue.us if we can expect you there!)

The post Food Rescue US- Fairfield County’s month-long longevity Blue Zone challenge appeared first on Food Rescue US.

I thought it would be fun to document all the full range of communities created with just one Food Rescue. For me, it’s not just the delivery of the rescued food that creates an impact in my local Trumbull community, it begins and is created at all touch points in the rescue process. 

A Long Friendship, Rekindled With Purpose

A friendship that started 16 years ago at a local Trumbull preschool, my friend Kate Kunkel and I have recently reunited with a mutual desire to volunteer in town, and have decided to collaborate on this rescue. We look forward to our regular rescues to catch up in the car to and from the pick-up as well as doing something important. When delivering the food to the Trumbull Food Panty, we have bumped into the former preschool director at the Senior Center who is just thrilled to see our friendship continuing and involving a give back, a value important to the preschool. 

Our Rescue for the Day

Once we arrive at Shoprite, we are greeted by welcoming staff, Tammy and Joe (pictured) plus others, who have showed us the layout of receiving the food items for donations and have even showed us the success of their Blue Earth Compost pick up and farm pick up. Seeing this store’s commitment to tackling food waste is admirable and we look forward to pitching in their process. And added bonus is overlapping with fellow rescuers, such as Julia Rosenbaum, united by the same mission to help and give back. These relationships are icing on the cake. 

Trumbull Food Pantry

And the final leg of this food rescue, the arrival at the Trumbull Food Pantry, is just the ultimate close to the food rescue loop. The ladies working in the pantry greet us with big smiles and open arms to help unload and weigh the delivery. We have a friendly competition to see who can be the closest guess to the total rescue weight. We catch up with the pantry on their latest programs and anything new in their lives and if we are lucky we get to see big smiles and receive “thanks” from the first of the shoppers arriving at the pantry for the day. 

Kate and I leave, rushing to get on with the other demands of our day, but with a feeling of reward and joy, seeing a success program and process touching so many of us in the Trumbull community. 

The post Many Communities Created With Just One Rescue appeared first on Food Rescue US.

Download this Op-Ed As a Template

The Challenge

According to ReFED, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing food waste in the United States, a staggering 38 percent of food goes uneaten in our country.  That adds up to 180 billion pounds and $408 billion wasted annually. Simultaneously, over 40 million Americans struggle with food insecurity, unsure of where their next meal will come from. These statistics paint a stark picture of a broken system in dire need of intervention.

Food Recovery As Part of Solution

Enter food recovery—an often-overlooked mechanism with the power to address both food waste and food insecurity simultaneously. Food recovery involves rescuing surplus food that would otherwise be discarded and redistributing it to those in need. It’s a simple concept with profound implications.

At the forefront of this movement is Food Rescue US, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing food insecurity through food rescue. Our organization recognizes that hunger is not a scarcity issue but a distribution problem, and we are tackling it head-on by mobilizing volunteers to rescue surplus food and deliver it to local agencies serving those in need.  In 2023, Food Rescue US rescued 38 Million pounds of food across 20 states and the District of Columbia, the equivalent of more than 31 million meals for those in need.

Accessibility and Scalability

What sets food recovery apart is its accessibility and scalability. Volunteering as a food rescuer requires nothing more than time and compassion. Individuals can sign up to be a part of the solution, rescuing food from grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, or catered events and delivering it to food pantries, soup kitchens, or shelters. The impact of volunteers ripples through communities, providing nourishment and hope to those who need it most.

The benefits of food recovery extend far beyond addressing immediate hunger. When food goes to landfill, it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as it degrades.  Diverting food from landfills reduces greenhouse gas emissions and alleviates the strain on our environment. It also has economic advantages, saving businesses money on disposal costs and generating tax deductions for food donations.

Food recovery also fosters a sense of community and solidarity, bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds, united by a common goal: to ensure no one goes hungry in their community. In a time marked by division and discord, feeding the food insecure transcends barriers and reminds us of our shared humanity.

Underutilized Tool

Despite its immense potential, food recovery as a solution remains underutilized on a national scale. To fully harness food recovery’s power, we must elevate it in our collective consciousness and integrate it into our social and economic systems. This requires collaboration among policymakers, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals (volunteers) to create supportive frameworks and incentives for food recovery initiatives.

We can all play a role in promoting food recovery. Whether we volunteer our time, support food recovery organizations like Food Rescue US, or advocate for policy changes, each of us has the power to make a difference.

The post Food Recovery: A Powerful Solution Combating Food Waste and Food Insecurity appeared first on Food Rescue US.

Food as Medicine News – The shorter version:

• Meals made with fresh, whole foods could transform our healthcare system
• Over half of Stockton, California’s residents are diabetic or prediabetic. A prescribed meal program aims to change that.
• The Project Food Box program provides medically tailored food boxes to clients of California’s MediCal insurance program.
• And, in our Local Bites section: the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital’s recently opened “Food4Health” clinic is designed like a mini-grocery store offering fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy items for patients with chronic diseases where nutrition is an important key in management.

Food As Medicine News – The longer version:

Meals made with fresh, whole foods could transform our healthcare system

Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), the Chairman of the Committee on Rules, founder and co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, and sits on the House Subcommittee on Nutrition, says that even though, “research shows better diets can prevent and even reverse chronic illness, saving billions of dollars and helping countless patients… the science is light-years ahead of the public policy on this issue. Instead of acknowledging the link between poor nutrition and chronic illness, federal programs like Medicare often incentivize costly treatments and expensive prescription drugs.”

McGovern has introduced a new bipartisan bill in Congress with Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), officially called the Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Demonstration Pilot Act. “It relies on a simple idea: Caregivers should be able to provide nutritious, dietitian-approved meals directly to the homes of seniors with chronic health conditions. It’s that simple.”

Over half of Stockton, California’s residents are diabetic or prediabetic. A prescribed meal program aims to change that.

Over half of Stockton, California’s 320,000 residents are diabetic or prediabetic, according to the Public Health Institute. “The Healthy Food Rx program aims to help change that, recognizing the large body of research linking food insecurity and diabetes. So far, the approach — delivering meal kits with enough food for two meals and pantry staples, paired with nutrition fact sheets and cooking lessons — appears promising in managing diabetes…Along with addressing the sharp rates of diabetes in Stockton, a larger goal of the program is to build the case for a program like this to be treated as medicine.”

A study of 450 program participants found a clinically significant decrease in A1C levels (which measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin) — an average 0.8 percent decline — within 12 months for participants with uncontrolled diabetes. The study participants also reported that the dietary shifts helped them exercise and take health education classes more often.

The Project Food Box program provides medically tailored food boxes to clients of California’s MediCal insurance program.

As an outgrowth of the USDA’s pandemic-era Farmers to Families Food Box program, the Project Food Box program of SunTerra seized on the inefficiencies to direct low-cost produce to food banks. “Reluctant to drop Farmers to Families when Covid funding dried up, the most recent iteration of the program, SunTerra, provides medically tailored food boxes to clients of California’s MediCal insurance program. Steve Brazeel, Founder and CEO of SunTerra Produce, is showing that there is a role for farmers to play in the Food is Medicine.”

California residents enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid healthcare program, can fill out a form requesting regular deliveries of medically tailored grocery boxes. They must include their Medi-Cal identification number and list the chronic diseases that afflict them. Via phone, one of the team’s registered dieticians confirms an applicant’s eligibility and learns more about their chronic illnesses, their relationship to food, and any cultural food preferences. 

Since its founding in 2020, Project FoodBox has delivered over five million boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables to families in need through its network of healthcare companies, food banks, faith-based organizations and nonprofits.

Local BitesFun

Opened in December 2023, the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital’s new “Food4Health” clinic is designed like a mini-grocery store offering fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy items for patients with chronic diseases where nutrition is an important key in management. Falling under the umbrella of the Hartford Hospital’s “Food4Health” program, the Charlotte Hungerford’s Food4Health’s Director, Registered Dietitian Carla Angevine, is very hopeful.

Referred patients who suffer from high risk chronic health conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, are given a “prescription” to access the Food4Health clinic once a week for six months to “shop” for fruits, veggies, and healthy foods for them and their families (the patients are not charged for the food). 

On the first visit, the staff reviews the patient’s prescription with the patient, helps them set goals, and helps them shops for the food their doctor has recommended. At minimum, the patients must visit the clinic two times a month to ensure the consistency necessary to see improvements with their condition.

Not only can patients shop for items on their grocery list but the staff will also point out and educate the patients about new foods and offer recipes. The staff even note if the patients are avoiding specific foods and try to understand why. Angevine says, “We get to know our patients, strike up conversations, build trust, and, most importantly, build relationships.”

Food4Health’s grocery store offers fresh produce, whole grains, whole grain cereal, low sodium canned goods, olive oil, vinegar, and spices. “As we get into the growing season, we will order more from our local Food Hub.” The Northwest Connecticut FoodHub works with farmers all over northwest Connecticut picking up their fresh, locally grown produce, and delivering it to food pantries (as donations) and wholesale customers, such as schools, grocery stores, restaurants, and now hospitals like Charlotte Hungerford (we profiled the Northwest Connecticut FoodHub and it’s founder Renee Girous in this blog nearly a year ago).

“It’s really important people understand how much food insecurity affects your health. People with food insecurity, often because of access and transportation issues, are typically limited to low-nutrient and calorie-dense foods, which may result in chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes,” said Angevine.

Beyond helping patients in their six months with the clinic (which they can renew to one year), the program also helps them transition out of the program. “If they are not on SNAP, we help them apply. We make sure to have a discussion on how to best utilize their dollars to incorporate the healthy foods they need.”

Despite just beginning, Angevine is very hopeful. “My hope is through the program, as a patient’s health is improved they will have increased economic opportunities that will in return improve their food security status.”

The post FOOD AS MEDICINE: DIGESTIBLE BITES (WITH A SERVING OF LOCAL BITES) – MARCH 2024 appeared first on Food Rescue US.

The shorter version:

• If the government recognizes that “food is medicine,” why aren’t they taking hunger more seriously? A Salon article points out that “despite all the evidence suggesting how much of an impact connecting Americans with nutritious, culturally-appropriate food could have, two of the most important anti-hunger programs in the United States have come under increased fire from conservative lawmakers.” 
• Colombia passes ambitious “junk food law” to tackle lifestyle diseases. The Latin American country is one of the first in the world to introduce a health tax targeting ultra-processed foods!
• SNAP recipients may struggle to meet dietary goals, especially in food deserts. A new study from the University of Notre Dame found that SNAP participants in low-income households may not be able to meet the nutrition levels set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
• Mass General Brigham’s Teaching Kitchen prescribes food as medicine. Patients who are prescribed food can pick up bags of fresh produce at the hospital’s attached pantry and sample dishes made with the ingredients are available at the kitchen next door.
• Supermodel Gisele Bündchen weighs in on the value of food: “Food is medicine. For me, eating quality foods and [sourcing] high-quality supplements is key, because this is my temple.”

The longer version:

If the government recognizes that “food is medicine,” why aren’t they taking hunger more seriously?

Despite the fact that no one would dispute that all Americans should have access to healthy food, a Salon article points out that “two of the most important anti-hunger programs in the United States have come under increased fire from conservative lawmakers.” 

• Prior to the pandemic, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP) required that people younger than 50 who met certain requirements had to volunteer, work or receive job training for 80 hours a month in order to receive regular assistance. The new budget cuts package raised the age of recipients required to work to 55 and, according to The Center for Public Integrity, made it harder for states to waive work rules in areas with high unemployment.
• The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, may not receive the funding it needs to adequately serve participants. “In a December press release, the USDA itself wrote that WIC costs are higher this year than last year, in part because more eligible people are signing up for the program meaning, per the organization, that “more pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children are getting access to nutritious food and important health resources they need to thrive.’”

Colombia passes ambitious ‘junk food law’ to tackle lifestyle diseases

The Latin American country is one of the first in the world to introduce a health tax targeting ultra-processed foods. “Colombia has implemented a “junk food law” whose tax system aims to curb consumption of processed food and sugary drinks. The tax will target ultra-processed foods with an additional 10% surcharge, which will progressively increase to 20% in 2025.”

The revenue raised by the ultra-processed food tax will be used to subsidize healthy food options, either by directly reducing the retail price or providing vouchers or discounts to consumers. “The tax targets ultra-processed products defined as industrially manufactured ready-to-eat foods, as well as those high in salt and saturated fat; some traditional Colombian foods, for example salchichón sausage, will be excluded from the tax.”

The average Colombian consumes more salt than any Latin American country. “Nearly a third of adults in the country have high blood pressure. We want to avoid following the path of rich industrialized nations like the United States, where diet-linked diseases are a big problem,” said Beatriz Champagne, executive director of the Coalition for Americas’ Health, a Latin American advocacy group.

SNAP recipients may struggle to meet dietary goals, especially in food deserts. A new study from the University of Notre Dame found that SNAP participants in low-income households may not be able to meet the nutrition levels set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). “What we found was vitamins and minerals are very difficult to actually hit the dietary guidelines on,” said Joe Germino, a doctoral student in the Lucy Institute’s DIAL Lab who is advised by Chawla. “You have to make a conscious decision to go and find food items that are cheap enough and actually match your budget. It just adds another layer of complexity to an already difficult problem when you’re living in a food desert.”

The project will culminate with an app that employs optimization methods to recommend and suggest healthier food items to people based on their dietary goals and their budgets. 

Mass General Brigham’s Teaching Kitchen prescribes food as medicine

Mass General Revere HealthCare Center just opened a new attached kitchen “that looks like the set of a Food Network show…It means thinking about food and nutrition in the same way we think about medications and surgeries,” explained Dr. Jacob Mirsky, a primary care physician and medical director for the Teaching Kitchen. Patients who are prescribed food can pick up bags of fresh produce at an attached pantry, and then sample dishes made with the ingredients next door at the kitchen.

Thanks,
Michelle Colman
Food Rescue US – Fairfield County Food as Medicine Liaison

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• “You are What You Eat” four episode series tracks four sets of twins on two strict diets (one vegan and one “healthy” omnivore) with outlined exercise regimes. The finale reveals the twins’ before and after biometrics! Spoiler: food is medicine! 
• The World Economic Forum believes, “Right now, food as medicine is having a moment. But for that moment to turn into a global movement, we need to do more to make sure everyone, everywhere, has access to nutritious food and the tools to support their health through nutrition.” They have four recommendations (below).
• MIT released a study showing only a very modest impact of food as medicine to treat diabetes. Drat. 

The longer version:

• Netflix is food as medicine crazy! In addition to Dan Buettner’s Blue Zone series we mentioned in our last newsletter, now there’s an equally intriguing “You are What You Eat” four episode series that tracks four sets of twins on two strict diet and exercise regimes and reveals their before and after biometrics! Spoiler: food is medicine! The series is based on this Stanford study if you want to learn more.
• The World Economic Forum believes, “Right now, food as medicine is having a moment. But for that moment to turn into a global movement, we need to do more to make sure everyone, everywhere, has access to nutritious food and the tools to support their health through nutrition. That’s how we’ll make food the medicine of the future – and help more people worldwide lead healthier lives.” They have four recommendations:
  • Data: To be truly accessible, food as medicine needs to be covered by public and private insurance or government programmes. And the only way that will happen is if we have conclusive evidence that these programmes both improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
  • Tools: While technology allows doctors to prescribe a diet – and patients to fill that prescription with nutritious food – we need to make the process even easier. And the private sector should lead the way.
  • Access: Too often, people and communities who would benefit significantly from nutritious food either don’t have access to it or can’t afford it.
  • Collaboration: We need even more cross-sector collaboration.
• MIT just released a study suggesting we need to keep examining how nutrition can combat a pervasive disease. “A new health care program attempting to treat diabetes by means of improved nutrition shows a very modest impact, according to the first fully randomized clinical trial on the subject.” 

Thanks,

Michelle Colman

Food Rescue US – Fairfield County Food as Medicine Liaison

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like last month’s Food As Medicine post. 

The post Food as Medicine: Digestible Bites – January 2024 appeared first on Food Rescue US.

“The food distribution was an opportunity to really connect with the families and individuals that we serve. Since we are the transportation mode of donations, we don’t always get to experience the look and expression of gratitude from an individual that is receiving food assistance. This experience has opened my heart and my mind, it has taught me that need doesn’t look the same for everyone.” – Alexa Sosa

Through this collaboration, from June to October, we were able to feed an average of 450 individuals and keep 11,350 lbs. out of landfill. Thank you to the collaborating partners, Fairgate Farm, Filling in the Blanks, Iglesia de Dios de la Profecia, and Nosotras. Thank you to our donors, Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, COBS Bread, Kings Food Markets, Balducci’s, and Whole Foods Greenwich. Last, but not least, thank you to all of the volunteers who made it possible!

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• A newly launched, first-of-its-kind Food is Medicine Institute institute aims to address a glaring gap in the medical system by working to integrate food-based nutrition interventions into health care to treat disease and advance health equity. 
• USDA invests $52 million to improve dietary health and access to fresh fruits and vegetables for eligible families.

The longer version:

The Food is Medicine Institute Launch

A newly launched, first-of-its-kind institute aims to address a glaring gap in the medical system by working to integrate food-based nutrition interventions into health care to treat disease and advance health equity. 

The Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University establishes a university-wide initiative aimed at transforming health care through scalable food-based interventions such as: medically tailored meals and prescriptions for produce; nutrition education for doctors; and clinical care, electronic health record, and reimbursement pathways for nutrition-based tools to help treat or prevent diet-related illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers and complications during pregnancy. The Institute will advance Food is Medicine research, patient care, and community and policy engagement nationwide and beyond, and be a leader in educating the next generation of professionals in the Food is Medicine space.

USDA invests $52 million to improve dietary health

Some exciting news this week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA  just announced a $52 million investment to improve dietary health and access to fresh fruits and vegetables for eligible families. The funds support efforts across three National Institute of Food and Agriculture competitive grant programs that make up the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program. 

Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, the USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics commented, “Investments like this enable people to afford and eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables so they don’t have to make a choice between healthy eating and cheaper less healthier options.”

The objectives of the new program called NTAE (which stands “Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information”, of course!) are to create an integrated system of implementation and evaluation support, integrating engagement of GusNIP audiences into 2.0 governance, providing and continuously improving training and technical assistance services, assembling partnerships and technologies, conducting an evaluation of existing projects, and advancing the evidence with continued scientific rigor.

In 2.0, the NTAE will contribute to the long-term goal of making safe, nutritious food available to all Americans.

Local Bites

After years of working in pharmaceuticals, with a focus on patient education and community engagement, Douglas Ordoñez combined his passions for improving health and strengthening communities to join the Food Farmacy of Greater Danbury. 

This charming Tennessee transplant is dedicated to his Danbury community and fashioned the food farmacy in a southern country store vibe, “with a little bit of everything.” Ordoñez is determined to not just to fill medical “prescriptions” with nutritious food but to provide resources, education, and community to inspire lifelong healthy habits to patients and their families. 

As the project manager of the Food Farmacy of Greater Danbury, Ordoñez oversees a massive collaborative effort between United Way, Nuvance Health, Connecticut Institute for Communities, Community Action Agency of Western CT and UConn Extension. With a $1,050,000 grant through Congressionally Directed Spending, thanks to the support of Senator Murphy and Senator Blumenthal, Ordoñez and his collaborators launched the Food Farmacy on November 1st. 

The Food Farmacy is a grocery-style food pantry located inside the Danbury Community Center, at 12 Boughton Street. Physicians and health care providers prescribe healthy foods over a nine-month period for 100 participants chosen from the Connecticut Institute For Communities (CFIC) and Danbury Hospital/Nuvance Health system. The participants are identified based on medical diagnosis and screening for food insecurity and are contacted by Community Health Workers from both organizations and asked if they would like to participate in the program.

Food Rescue US had the great pleasure of talking to Ordoñez about his goals, lessons learned, the important significance of food to identity, and some of his favorite foods. 

Food Rescue US: Food Farmacy is such a great example of collaboration. Can you give some tips from your experience?

Douglas Ordoñez: I have to say it is a combination of communication and patience. Every single partner we work with has their own system. So, working together isn’t just about maneuvering through your systems but dealing with others’ processes. As a collaborative team, our steering committee meets once a week. When we confront issues, like HIPAA compliance or patient data, we can say, “Here is the issue, let’s discuss as a team. Do we need to bring in someone else?” Everyone shares their ideas, contacts, and solutions. That is what is so great about having these partners. 

Unfortunately, in our country, healthy food is much more expensive than processed foods. We want to do more than just provide people with food, we want to provide nutritious food. That is a big challenge.

FRUS: Did you model the store off of others (either specific grocery stores or other food farmacies)?

DO: A bit of both. Our focus is on a specific medical need, so that really has influenced the way we stock what we offer, what fruits and vegetables, canned goods, low sodium, and low fat foods we offer, while trying to avoid sugar, when we can. 

I visited two food farmacies in Poughkeepsie and Hartford to see how they were set up and what I could adjust for our specific community’s needs. Both were extremely generous in sharing their experiences and one of the biggest takeaways I had from those visits was to make this a place people want to come to. I wanted to make it comfortable so that coming here is something they want to do and not feel it was charity or feel any pressure or shame. I was thinking, “Where would I like to shop?” Growing up in Tennessee, I was inspired by the old time country stores which had a little bit of everything. That’s what I tried to create here. We decorated with rustic-looking wood furniture to make our small space feel “farm” inspired. I really felt it was important to consider that emotional aspect and to create a specific vibe.

FRUS: What is on offer at the farmacy?

DO: We have a 360 degree approach to care. People can come in and shop here but we also ask them to meet with a nutrition consultant once a month in order to better understand how to do things like plan a balanced meal and read a label. It’s amazing how someone might look at a label and think it is low salt but forget to look at the serving size. We also have access to a social worker if they need additional social support to combat issues that may be affecting their food budget. 

Beginning in 2024, we will offer cooking classes working with the wonderful Heather Peracchio MS, RDN, CD-N from the UCONN extension in Bethel. We really want to address the whole family, not just the specific patient. We want to help influence healthy eating and behavior to the next generation. If the parents know how to offer healthy meals, the kids will eat healthier.

We want to teach our customers how to use ingredients never used before. Beyond that, we want to show them how we can take what they’re used to and make it healthier. We stock a lot of herbs and seasonings. In Danbury we are lucky to have such a diverse population, but that can also be challenging when stocking things like low sodium versions of  Sazon seasoning, soy sauce, worcester sauce, etc. We want to offer what is familiar but help shift their behaviors. 

Previously, I worked in pharmaceuticals with a focus on obesity. It’s important for people to understand that salt is an important micronutrient that our body needs and healthy fats are also important for our bodies to function.  The problem is that scientists have taken over food in the lab and made these highly processed, extremely inexpensive options that have way too much of both salt and fat. It’s literally when too much of a good thing becomes bad. 

FRUS: What’s your best piece of advice going into the holiday season?

DO: When people say “but this is traditional” I say new traditions are started every day! As a southern boy, I love my traditions. Food is a great way to connect emotionally to the family I am missing. But when food traditions are unhealthy, I say, let’s start a new one and make it healthier and special. So when I make collard greens to feel closer to home, I don’t use ham hocks, I use smoked turkey legs or wings as they have less fat. I am also really sensitive about respecting people’s cultures. We want to offer better, culturally significant options.

Thanks,

Michelle Colman

Food Rescue US – Fairfield County Food as Medicine Liaison

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like last month’s Food As Medicine post.

The post Food as Medicine: Digestible Bites (with a big serving of Local Bites) – November 2023 appeared first on Food Rescue US.

Rob Mathes is an Emmy award-winning and Grammy-nominated musician who is a Greenwich, Connecticut resident. Rob is typically the genius behind the curtain, producing albums, orchestrating, and being a sought-after music director. However, his annual holiday concert, a cherished holiday tradition in the New York City/Connecticut area for 30 years, is when he shines on center stage, much to the joy of his ardent fans.

This year’s concerts hold a special place in Rob’s heart. They are dedicated to Rabbi Mark Golub, a long-time supporter and cherished fan of the concerts who sadly passed away this year from cancer. Rabbi Golub’s passion and enthusiasm for the concerts have left an indelible mark with his friendship and guidance to Rob over the years, and also inspired several Hanukkah-themed songs performed at the annual Holiday Concert that have become audience favorites.

“Rabbi Mark Golub was one of my musical muses when it came to including a bit of the Jewish faith into what started out as a fairly traditional Christmas Concert — and he was one of the reasons why we called it a Holiday Concert,” said Rob Mathes. “Rabbi Mark Golub attended every year, and encouraged us to play long into the night. I sat down with him on numerous occasions and those conversations were the inspiration for some of my strongest songs of recent years. The Hanukkah songs I wrote in tribute to him include Light in the Window and Too Many Stars, which we’ll perform this year.”

“This year’s concerts will be extra special,” noted Rob Mathes, who has had a busy year beginning in January with Sting and The Pittsburgh Symphony, then arranging strings for Bruce Springsteen, and a performance with Elvis Costello at the Gramercy. He is just finishing a year-long project, producing Melissa Errico’s sequel to her critically acclaimed Sondheim Sublime record (picked by the New York Times as one of the 10 records to listen to in the wake of Sondheim’s passing). Called Sondheim In The City, it features some of New York’s finest musicians and will be out in early 2024. Rob is also gearing up to musically direct the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year , the benefit gala held in Los Angeles GRAMMY week, this year honoring Jon Bon Jovi.

Rob Mathes and his Holiday Concerts are renowned for their unique take on holiday classics. The performances promise a blend of Rob’s introspective singer-songwriter pop, with strong jazz and blues overtones, featuring original Rob Mathes holiday songs and classics with a signature Mathes twist. Joining Rob on stage is his all-star band, which includes Will Lee on bass, Billy Masters on guitar, Gunnar Olson on drums, Rick Knutsen on keyboard, and the incredible horn section with Jeff Kievit, Tony Kadleck, Andy Snitzer, Aaron Heick, Mike Davis, and Jeff Nelson. R&B singers James “D Train”; Williams and Vaneese Thomas are also fan favorites at the concerts, and of course, there is the Choir of Saints & Friends, that bring the spirit of the holiday season to many of the songs.

“It’s hard to believe I’ve been putting on my Holiday Concerts for 30 years,” exclaimed Rob Mathes. “We started this at a church on a hill in Greenwich in 1993 and it has grown to become a holiday tradition for so many, and for that, I am eternally grateful.”

Rob Mathes added, “The Performing Arts Center has become my ‘home away from home’ and I love coming back and taking the stage there.”

In the spirit of giving, the Rob Mathes Holiday Concerts will once again, for the fourth year, support Food Rescue US – Fairfield County, a nonprofit organization that fights hunger and helps the planet.

To purchase tickets for the Rob Mathes Holiday Concert, click here. To learn more
about Rob Mathes, visit robmathes.com, Facebook, and Twitter (X) @RobMathesMusic
and Instagram @robmathes.music and youtube.com/user/RobMathesMusic.

The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College (The PAC), is a four theatre complex located on
the campus of Purchase College, SUNY, and is the major professional, nonprofit arts presenter in the southeastern New York and southwestern Connecticut region. For more than 40 years, The PAC has been the hub of a creative community that brings together internally acclaimed artists and rising stars, creative practitioners, civic and academic leaders, community activists, and an inspirational array of loyal volunteers and friends who recognize the power of investing in the performing arts to spark creativity and connection. To learn more about The PAC, visit artscenter.org or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X) @purchasepac.

The post Rob Mathes Celebrates 30 Years of Holiday Concerts with Three Special Shows at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College appeared first on Food Rescue US.