The Importance Of Fresh Food For Good Health

Many of us are aware of the fact that we need to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in our diet so that we stay healthy and feel well, but, if we’re totally honest, we probably don’t manage it nearly as often as we should. A lot of the time, relying on processed foods, ready meals or snacks just feels as though it is easier. However, because of this, we are running the risk of making ourselves sick or increasingly unhealthy over time. The benefits of eating fresh produce are many and varied. Here’s the low down on why.



Why are fruit and vegetables so good for us?
A diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables is one that, in the long term, results in a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and problems with blood pressure and weight. On an everyday level, eating a good range of fresh food helps our digestion become regular, our blood sugars stable and helps prevent us from snacking on highly sugary, fatty foods which are bad for us.

Very often, a diet which relies heavily on processed foods with little in the way of anything fresh in it can make you feel tired and lethargic. Processed foods are designed to be initially filling as they are loaded with fat, salt and sugar, which give an initial burst of energy, followed by a slump. A diet which includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables provides us with slow release energy, keeps us filled up and energized for longer and makes us generally feel well and able to cope with what life throws at us.

A kaleidoscope of color
Fresh fruit and vegetables should, ideally make up half of every meal we eat. A good guide to seeing how this works is called the healthy eating plate, which shows how we should organize our meal times every day. Ideally, the fruits and vegetables should be eaten in conjunction with lean protein such as skinless chicken, fish or a small portion of red meat with the fat trimmed, plus some slow release carbohydrates such as brown rice, pasta or a baked potato.

How to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables
Some people wonder how they can possibly incorporate fresh food into their diets, or they simply worry they won’t like the taste. But it really is easy to do and there are many different ways of preparing fruits and vegetables which can make them more palatable and easier to eat!

Remember that tinned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables also count and, in many ways, are just as good as the fresh stuff, but should not be used as a replacement. Things like frozen peas, French beans or bags of mixed vegetables count with a main meal, as would tins of peaches, apricots or cherries that could be baked and incorporated into a side dish.

Fresh fruit juice counts too, a glass of orange or grapefruit juice to accompany breakfast (or any meal) would be a great start to the day. Make sure to check the label and drink beverages that are 100% juice.  As a snack, think about eating grapes or even something like raisins or banana chips. They really do taste like treats, but are so good for us.

Many fruits and vegetables are such attractive colors and we should be aiming to include as wide a variety of these into our diets as possible. Foods like dark, leafy cabbages, rich red tomatoes and green, red and yellow peppers are bursting with vitamins and minerals that are essential to us. These can be stir fried simply with onions and served as a side dish to a main meal.

Fresh fruit can be served simply, as it is, for dessert after a meal which is very often when the craving for something sweet kicks in. A ripe, juicy peach can feel like a real sweet treat.

Fresh food for everyone
Eating a good, balanced diet, rich in fresh food is not just good for adults and older people, but is vitally important for kids who are growing and developing and need all the nutrients possible for optimum health. Children who are of nursery and school age need to eat well to help them fight off common illnesses like colds or stomach flu that everyone can catch from time to time. Eating fresh food will bolster a youngsters immunity to illness and, if they do fall ill, help them recover quickly.

Adults can help cut their risks of developing serious illnesses now and in later life by upping their intakes of fresh foods and it’s never too late to start. For more advice, you can look at the following links to fresh food resources here on good nutrition and eating well. 

Submitted by Lily Bernard, community contributor

Wellness Van Visits SFBFS

On Monday October 1, 2012, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services hosted the Walgreens Wellness Van, sponsored by AARP. As a courtesy to the public, the team sets up a mobile wellness station at SFBFS’ main campus.  Beginning at the information tables, AARP members and volunteers greet each client.  Each person received a packet of senior information (if applicable), then directed to a table to receive a free gift of your choice for participation.

Once  inside the van, your finger is pricked for a blood sample.  From this, they can read your cholesterol level, glucose and sugar levels. They administer a BMI test that measures your body fat, bone density, and muscle. They check your weight and blood pressure, and if necessary, will write you a prescription for medication.

With this information, they can determine your aging process and let you know if your body is aging accordingly or if your body is actually aging faster than it should be – this gives you the opportunity to turn things around.  The turnout was a great success and many benefited from the event.

Submitted by Sharon Beavers, SFBFS volunteer

Intern Dinner

Over the summer, six children from the Youth Education program at Saca Community Learning Center interned in Adult Education, Parent Education and Youth Education. They preformed various tasks including phone calls, data entry, filing paperwork, copying, faxing, painting, cleaning and preparing for programs. Each youth intern far exceeded the staff’s expectations by asking for more hours per days to volunteer. Each student completed well over the 36 hours they initially agreed upon.

The interns faced and overcame a variety of challenges, sometimes without any help. As a thank you, staff members asked the interns to identify an ideal gift card to receive for their hard work and dedication they showed over the summer. They immediately responded as a group, “Can we dress up and go to dinner?” This warmed our hearts to learn that even after spending much of the summer together, these children would love to spend more time with us. Via voting, the group decided to enjoy dinner in two different ways: the three boys went with James, Adult Education Program Manager, to eat at Golden Corral, and the three girls went with Heather, Youth Education Program Manager, and Kristina to The Cheesecake Factory.

None of the female interns had ever been to The Cheesecake Factory, so this was a privilege for them. Their eyes lit up as they walked through the doors. One of the girls immediately took out her cell phone and started taking pictures of the decor and desserts while waiting to be seated. After being seated, it took the group a while to order because the large menu filled with unfamiliar choices felt overwhelming to the interns.  Heather urged everyone to share new appetizer of chicken samosas, papas bravas and sweet corn fritters. To their surprise, the dish was very tasty. Their main courses of pasta and hamburgers felt more familiar.

As each plate arrive, a smile spread across each interns face, warming the hearts of the staff. Even with all the excitement, each student thought about their families and made sure to save some food and dessert for them.

This was a night to remember. At times, I take for granted what my own children often have access to. I expected the interns to have the same reaction my kids always do, “It’s just another restaurant,” or “The Cheesecake Factory again,” but to the interns, this experience was very different. Not only did the young girls receive a lesson on napkin etiquette and how expensive dining out can be, but I learned the biggest lesson of all: to never take anything for granted. Just because I see something every day does not mean that others see it the same way. I encourage everyone to stop for a moment and think about what we have and consider sharing that with others.

Submitted by Kristina Rodriguez, Youth Education Program Coordinator

It’s not Bad Luck, it’s an Adventure!

Every year, students in the After School Academy, part of the Youth Education program at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, attend either a day trip for those who are ages 6 – 9 or a weekend camping adventure for children ages 10 and up. Youth from the Saca Community Learning Center set out on an adventure with me (Youth Education Program Coordinator) and James, Adult Education Program Manager on August 3, 2012. 

On Friday afternoon, the team headed out around 1:30 for a camping trip to the El Dorado National Forrest. Already behind schedule and the children anxiously awaiting arrival at the campsite so we can set up and go swimming, the complaints began. By the time we eventually pitched tents and headed down to the Union Valley Reservoir to swim, it was close to 6 pm. James stayed behind while I took the kids down to swim.

For those of you who don’t know me, I can trip over air. As a matter of fact, I do so quiet often. Besides me tripping and spraining my ankle in a hole within the first 30 minutes of setting up the tents, the rest of the night went pretty well. We made sure the kids were all equipped with flashlights and whistles and knew what their campsite number before they wandered to play hide and seek in the dark. That night, everyone fell asleep around 10pm

James had planned every last detail of the camping trip, but the one thing he forgot to do was plan for the adventure Kristina brings everywhere she goes.

The children began to wake up around 5:30am on Saturday morning to the sweet sound of James singing, “It’s time to get up, get dressed and let’s go.” It is time for a mile run around the campground. Of course I stay behind because I am a danger to myself and others when it comes to 
running and start the fire for breakfast. Once everyone is back, we eat and head off for some morning fishing. James gave all the kids a lesson on fishing and by the end of the class they knew how to cast, thread a worm, untangle lines, identify different types of bait and some even learned to tie a fisherman’s knot. Alex caught a trout, but unfortunately it was too small to keep, so he threw it back. The kids had a blast and can’t wait to go again. We still had no idea what was about to happen next.

The group headed back to camp to pack our lunches and bags with the things we need for the hike up to Bassi Falls. James led another class on map reading and how to use a compass. Each child received a whistle, compass and each team was assigned a bag of water, food and sunscreen. We drove up to the falls so the children can enjoy the hike down. The road up to the falls is a one way, dirt road with a nice steep cliff on one side. I began to freak out because we are in the huge van, filled with young children and I can focus on is the sheer edge. Three massive 4 wheel drive trucks begin to pass us as if it was a normal street. They pass by driving on part of the mountain side and each time, James comes closer to the edge. By this time I fear the worse (that we are all going to fall off this mountain and roll down the hill). The kids are freaking out, but likely due to my current state. We finally made it to the top park and hike down. On the way down I trip about a dozen times. By this time, the kids are now pointing out every pebble they see to warn me of a potential trip hazard. In anticipation of a great waterfall, you can imagine our dismay to find just a slight trickle down the mountain. On the hike back up, the group has to stop to re-wrap my extremely swollen ankle and James finds a walking stick to help me back up the trail to the van. We successfully make it up the hill, but here comes the tricky part we have to back down the hill because there is nowhere to turn around at.

At this point I have nearly lost it. We start to back down the hill. James tells me to look for a space where we might be able to turn around. I spot a section coming up, but I can’t tell if it will work. It will have to do as it’s the only space I can see. I try to describe the space and attempt to explain a parallel parking approach will work best, but it doesn’t come across that way. James goes for the spot head on, puts the van in reverse and steps on the gas. The wheels start spinning you can hear the dirt flying up and hitting underneath the van. I yell, “We’re stuck!” undo my seat belt and fly out of the van. The kids follow me. James asks us to get back in because he needs the weight and I tell him no. Turns out we’re stuck. James calls AAA while I start to dig us out. Yes I start to dig us out. These children all think they are going to die now and AAA can’t find us because we are in the middle of the El Dorado National Forrest on a road that apparently does not exist. We make a few attempts at putting things under the tires to get us out, but it was not until one of the boys pull a huge piece of bark off one of the trees that a plan begins to formulate. Everyone begins to push from the front as James eases the van in to revere. All of a sudden out of one hole! And into another. We are still stuck. A guy in a 4x4 vehicle, equipped with a hitch and rope, ties one end to his hitch and the other to the frame of the van. He steps on it, James steps on it and dirt and rocks are flying. The tires are spinning and his truck is lunging in the air. He tells James to pull up and turn the wheel, so he can pull it out from the side.

The kids and I observe from a nearby hill. This time as the truck starts to pull, James steps on it and the van swings sideways coming within an inch of a massive Redwood tree. Just for a moment I thought, “Oh man, Blake is going to kill us.” The look on James’s face as he slid within inches from the tree, was as if his life had flashed before his eyes. Everyone watched in awe as the kids yelled out, “Did you see that he almost hit the tree?” Too bad the van slid back into the hole.

Eventually another truck with greater horsepower arrived and they successfully pulled the van out of the ditch. Once safely back in camp, the kids could not wait to rinse off in the lake. I was a different story. I could no longer walk from sliding down pine needle covered hills. At least the children received a firsthand lesson in first aid - how to wrap an ankle and wrist, the importance of ice and what changes elevation may cause. They also received a crash course in towing.

Our camping trip ended with me waking up to a lake in my tent from a severe thunderstorm that hit our campsite that night and a long drive back to civilization in wet clothes. This is a camping trip that will live in everyone’s mind for years to come. At first, the children said they would never go camping with us again, but have decided they could help me be a better camper and are now willing to give us a second chance.

Submitted by Kristina Rodriguez, Youth Education Program Manager

Fun in the Sun Fair

On Saturday July 28, the 6^th annual Fun in the Sun Fair will take place at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ (SFBFS) North Sacramento location, the Saca Community Learning Center.

I interviewed the Programs Director, Genevieve Deignan to learn a bit more about the event. Genevieve started volunteering at SFBFS in the spring of 2005. Then she worked at SFBFS as an AmeriCorps member from the fall of 2005 to the fall of 2006. Directly after completing her year of service, she became a staff member at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Since 2006, Genevieve has worked as the Adult Education Program Manager, Building Director and now the Programs Director for the last two years. She loves her job so much that she is able to say that there is “never a day I don’t want to come to work.”

The Fun in the Sun Fair has been going for six years. Genevieve and other staff members at the Saca Community Learning Center created the Fun in the Sun Fair for other nonprofit agencies to come and share information and resources with community members.

The Fun in the Sun Fair is open to the community. There will be fun activities, food, information about different programs at SFBFS and other agencies. The event is entirely free and will be held at the Saca Community Learning Center at 2469 Rio Linda Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815. 

Submitted by Maria Garcia, Junior Journalist volunteer for SFBFS

SFBFS Receives Huggies Brand Diapers to Distribute to Families in Need

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services is excited to share the exiting news that we received 100,000 Huggies diapers through a partnership with the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S).

 
As part of a year-long initiative to get diapers to families in need, NDBN and K.I.D.S. have partnered together to donate 20 million diapers to regional and local diaper banks and local service providers throughout the United States, including SFBFS. With this donation, SFBFS will be able to provide approximately 500 Sacramento area families each month with diapers through SFBFS’ Parent Education program.

The Parent Education program is designed to service families in Sacramento County by offering free, family-related courses on topics such as nurturing parenting, positive discipline techniques, budgeting, health, nutrition, stress management, school readiness, play groups and more. Families with children ages 0 – 5 receive credits after the completion of each course which can be traded in for infant and toddler supplies such as diapers, formula, clothing and much more.

Before SFBFS received this donation of diapers, our organization was experiencing a decrease in donations and we were struggling to provide diapers to the families in our Parent Education program. Now, thanks to this wonderful partnership, thousands of families will benefit from these diapers for their babies. Just a few months ago, Priscilla and Michael started participating in the Parent Education program. They recently both lost their jobs and the diapers provided by our program enabled the family to focus their limited finances on other needs for their children. Priscilla’s testimony has touched our hearts. 

“After we lost our jobs we were faced with no income and very little hope of employment in the near future. We felt that life was hard, but not overwhelming until then. For the first time ever, we found ourselves in social service programs for help with basic needs of food, help with our utilities and baby supplies. It has being a blessing to find the Parent Education program. I never thought in my life that I would ever have to seek out help, but I did. I want to tell you how grateful I am and how this makes it possible for my husband and I to sleep easier. We are living in times where families are in places the never dreamed they would be in, nor prepared to be in.”

SFBFS Parent Education program managers, Mireya Estrella and Lorena Carranza, said that diapers are the most frequently requested items among families served at SFBFS. “Disposable diapers are very expense to buy. Clients are very excited to receive diapers and there is a high demand for them,” Mireya said.

“As a donation based organization we are completely indebted to the National Diaper Bank Network for its donation for disposable diapers. It has made a great impact to the children and families we serve,” Mireya said. “Without the donation we surely would have fallen short in keeping up with the demand of the much needed product.

Thanks a million National Diaper Bank Network!

Submitted by Lorena Carranza, Parent Education Program Manager