4 The Hampton Roads Messenger Editorial
Make Healthy Meal Choices During National Nutrition Month
of imitation meat products. Imitation meat products are an
excellent way to wean oneself from eating meat but whole food options may have an even greater health benefit. Eating fruits and vegetables, along with legumes as a protein choice, can do wonders for one’s health. The enzymes and antioxidants in raw fruits and veggies allow them to be more easily digested and provide even greater health benefits than cooked produce.
Low calorie foods like BY ANGELA JONES March is National Nutrition
Month and with Lent ending on March 24, 2016, it is not too late to commit to going vegan, at least during the month of March. Not eating meat can improve or even reverse a number of health problems including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Many experts agree that sparing the hog can spoil or lower one’s chances of developing some illnesses.
According to M. Regina Castro,
M.D. on
mayoclinic.org, a vegetarian diet promotes a healthy weight, improves blood sugar control and reduces one’s risk of cardiovascular disease. “Vegetarian diets are often lower in calories
than are non
vegetarian diets, which can help with weight management,” states Castro. “Also, people following a vegetarian diet tend to have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than do people who follow a nonvegetarian diet. A healthy body weight can improve blood sugar control and reduce your risk of diabetes complications.”
There vegetarian are diets. different levels of Some vegetarians
eat dairy products and/or eggs while others choose to refrain from eating any animal products (vegan). In 2016, it is not necessary to eat meat. Today, there are vegetarian products like Beyond Meat, which can replicate the taste and consistency of just about any meat product including buffalo wings, barbecue ribs and even salmon, without having to slaughter an animal. Many of these items can be found in your neighborhood grocery store; however, health food stores sell a wider variety
chickpeas, split peas and lentils are optimal sources of protein when combined with brown rice. When eating a vegetarian or vegan diet, it is important to know which foods provide needed nutrients. Just because a food label states
that it
contains protein does not mean that one’s body will be able to use its amino acids as building blocks to develop lean tissue. Some proteins need to be combined with other foods to create a “complete” usable protein. Information is available in libraries and on the internet about “complete proteins.”
Some people who follow vegan
diets for moral or health reasons enjoy drinking alternatives to cow’s milk. Factory dairy farms may inject cows with antibiotics and steroids. They may also feed their cows genetically modified grains. The effects of genetically modified (GMO) foods have not been thoroughly researched to determine their long term effects.
Alternatives to cow’s milk
include coconut milk, almond milk and brown rice milk. Soy milk is a somewhat controversial option. Soy milk has been said to be more difficult to digest than the previously mentioned milk alternatives. The best forms of soy to consume include tofu, tempeh and miso.
Whether
meat or switch to a plant based diet, continuous
one decides to eat research is needed to
ensure that one’s family is enjoying the most nutritious foods possible. National Nutrition Month is the perfect time to make a change to a diet that includes foods which can fuel a long and healthy life. Consult a physician before making any significant diet changes. Visit hamp-
tonroadsmessenger.com to get more information on healthy lifestyle choices.
Attendees of the Southeast CARE Coalition event held on February 27, 2016 Photo courtesy of Rep. Bobby Scott
On Saturday, February 27, 2016 a diverse alliance of organizations and individuals gathered to address issues of environmental injustices plaguing communities across Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth as a final nod to Black History Month. The community event was held in the Southeast Community of Newport News, where the legacy of industri- alization dates back to 1880, 1890, and 1892, respectively, with the creation of the Old Dominion Land Company (ODLC), the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, and the infamous Coal Pier. Reflective of other urban communities throughout the Commonwealth and abroad, we, the most affected, continue to voice concerns and raise questions regarding the impacts of toxic pollutant exposure on the environment and our health. One such concern, raised by Mrs. Zakia Shabazz, highlighted the issue of lead posing and children in Richmond. Mrs. Shabazz, the founder and director of United Parents against Lead (UPAL), a grassroots organization dedicated to ending the continuing threat of lead poisoning through education, advocacy, resource referral and legislative action, has been voicing her concerns since the 90’s.
As a scientist and program
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coordinator of the Southeast CARE Coalition, I understand that achieving environmental justice is complicated. However, it is not impossible. The Southeast CARE Coalition, is a broad, community-based partnership that specifically addresses environmental concerns in the Southeast Community of Newport News. The intent of our coalition is to: 1) fulfill an informational void regarding community specific impacts of toxic pollutant exposure on the environment and the health of the residents in the Southeast Community of Newport News, Virginia, and 2) generate action that improves local environmental quality and reduces associated risks and impacts.
For us, the “environment”
refers to the natural (air, water, land), cultural (ethnic identity and history of community), social (existing and lacking public services), economic (local business, health care cost), and political (local, state, federal) components of the Southeast Community.
This holistic view
of the “environment” supports the public health framework that, while individual behaviors are important factors of health, these factors are shaped by the social determinants of health (SDOH) experienced by individuals and communities.
The
SDOH are the settings in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age. In addition, the SDOH are the systems put in place to deal with illness. These settings and systems are in turn shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at the global, national and local levels which all too often exacerbate issues of environmental injustices. One such injustice recently occurred in Flint Michigan, where a decision to save the City money was made at the expense of the health of its residents and generations to come.
Saturday’s event
The overarching goal of was to
bring
together the “most connected,” [elected State and Federal officials, predominantly white environmental organizations (such as the Sierra Club, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Choose Clean Water Coalition, etc.), and philanthropic organizations] with the “most affected”, [communities of color and the poor that continue to bear the burden of environmental injustices] to strategize action plans that raises awareness and addresses environmental injustices in Virginia. Achieving environmental justice continues to be a priority of the most affected and regardless of how complicated, must become an established priority of the most connected.
Volume 10 Number 7 Your Opinion Matters
Eliminating Environmental Injustices in Virginia: The Convening of the Most Connected and Most Affected
BY ERICA L. HOLLOMAN, PH.D. PROJECT COORDINATOR OF THE SOUTHEAST CARE COALITION
March 2016
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