Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Sponsors Healthy Cooking Classes

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Sponsors Healthy Cooking Classes

Let’s tip our healthy chef’s hat to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona! Their sponsorship of Gregory’s Fresh Market Healthy Cooking Classes and Nutrition Education Programs has made healthier the lives of 915 seniors.  These seniors participated in 26 classes in independent locations across the Greater Phoenix valley.

BCBSAZ has turned the vision of Gregory’s Fresh Market into reality: transforming and enriching communities by delivering a mobile, healthy lifestyles service program.  Valuable lessons were not only positively received by the attendees through our on-site farmer’s markets, nutrition education, and fitness stops but also put into action, resulting in seniors’

  • realizing that consumption of fast food is linked to lower diet quality and obesity in seniors
  • ability to prepare quick and simple meals at home
  • achieving a reduction in consumption of saturated fats
  • minimizing inflammation and dehydration

On behalf of the team at Gregory’s Fresh Market, we send heartfelt thanks for assisting us in fulfilling Diana Gregory Outreach Services fundamental mission: to ensure no senior and their families in our community go to bed hungry.”  

As for those 915 new, healthy chefs, this sample testimonial, one of many we received from seniors as an outcome of the Healthy Cooking Classes, sums it up: “On behalf of the seniors at Tolleson Senior Center, we thank Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona for sponsoring classes that show seniors how to cook healthy meals with fresh fruits and vegetables.” (Ann at Tolleson Senior Center).

THE LOWDOWN ON AVOCADO TOAST

THE LOWDOWN ON AVOCADO TOAST

THE LOWDOWN ON AVOCADO TOAST

This toasty treat may sound trendy, but it’s a trend that has some major heart healthy benefits! Not only does this breakfast or snack option add healthy fat and fiber to help you to feel full for longer, it can be a versatile way to add a variety of veggies to your meal. When choosing a toast option, make sure it’s whole grain. Whole grain breads contain more fiber than white bread and will be processed in the body more slowly, resulting in a more stabilized blood sugar level.

Avocados are getting their time to shine lately and it’s for a good reason. Avocados are loaded with fiber, vitamin c, vitamin B-6, potassium, and magnesium. They are high in monounsaturated fats, which are heart healthy and contribute to your overall HDL cholesterol. Not all cholesterol is bad for you, in fact, the good cholesterol helps produce and maintain hormone function. HDL cholesterol is good cholesterol because it helps remove the bad cholesterol that can clog your arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease. So think of these fruits, (yep they’re considered a fruit,) a disease-fighting ally! One of the greatest things about avocado toast is there’s a million different ways to make it. So we’ll let you in on the basics and you can go crazy with different combos.

5 Steps to Your Favorite Avocado Toast

  • Pick your toast and toast it.
  • Drizzle a little olive oil on the toast, no butter needed.
  • Cut your avocado and use a butter knife to spread a heap onto your toast.
  • Add any toppings of your choice: cherry tomatoes, chia seeds, smoked salmon, dill, basil, cilantro, egg, fruit, cheese, nuts and the list goes on and on!!!
  • Eat!

Go ahead, be a little trendy and enjoy some avocado toast! Your heart will thank you!

 

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO GET MORE NUTRIENTS INTO YOUR BREAKFAST

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO GET MORE NUTRIENTS INTO YOUR BREAKFAST

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO GET MORE NUTRIENTS INTO YOUR BREAKFAST

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of our day, but how beneficial can it be if we don’t incorporate nutritious ingredients? Breakfast is often a sweet or carbohydrate-rich meal consisting of pastries, shakes, yogurt parfaits, or cereals. Although these can be yummy, they oftentimes can’t offer the nutrition content that’s needed to support your energy until lunchtime. Expanding your options by incorporating nutrient valuable, energy-sustaining items can be easier than you think. Oats, for instance, are a great alternative to sugary cereals. Eggs can be a protein-rich breakfast favorite and there’s a variety of ways to prepare them. Veggies can also be easily added to any dish. Eggs with veggies are even better and they’re a match made in heaven. Who knew breakfast could provide a much-needed opportunity to boost your metabolism and fit in that daily serving of goodness? In order to make the most out of your breakfast, here are a few tips to jumpstart your morning.

1. DICE YOUR FAVORITE VEGGIES AND FREEZE THEM

When you prep veggies and store them in the freezer, it makes it so easy to add them to scrambled eggs throughout the week. You can slice bell peppers, mushrooms, tomato, or chop broccoli and cauliflower, throw them in the freezer bag and consider yourself prepped.

2. ADD GREENS AND OATS TO YOUR BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

When time is limited, we all love a good fruit smoothie! There’s no harm in adding a cup of spinach or kale to increase the vitamins. The flavor will remain fruit forward but you’ll gain valuable nutrients. Additionally, 2 tablespoons of rolled oats will provide fiber to help maintain glucose levels. What do you have to lose?

3. CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT “EGG SALAD”

We don’t mean the traditional mayonnaise-based sandwich kind. Picture more of a salad built around your morning eggs kind. This can include scrambled eggs in a bowl with your favorite greens and light dressing, or a delicious salad with a fried egg on top utilizing the yolk as your dressing. Trust us, it’s delicious!

4. SWAP HASH BROWNS FOR BAKED SWEET POTATOES

This is a simple swap. Try not to restrict your ideas about sweet potato to thanksgiving’s candied yams. Savory style breakfast sweet potatoes are a great way to get a good source of Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. They also have vitamin C and B vitamins. Simply dice them into cubes, toss in olive oil, sprinkle with your favorite seasoning and throw them on a baking sheet to cook at 375•F for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

5. LEARN TO MAKE A QUICHE, IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK

This is a savory concoction can be served hot or cold and can last for several days in the fridge. Grab a premade pie crust from your grocer’s freezer section; whip up some eggs, dice up some veggies, add a pinch of your favorite cheese, chop some spinach, throw it in the oven and you’ll have a satiating balanced breakfast to look forward to!

Finding interesting ways to change your breakfast routine can have some major benefits to your health and wellbeing. So give those pastries a break and try something new! It may take a few extra minutes but we can assure you, it’ll be worth it!

Our Collaboration with Care1st.

Our Collaboration with Care1st.

In almost any kind of community initiative, finding other groups and organizations with similar interests, that are willing to work with you on common issues or projects, is strategically advantageous.  Gregory’s Fresh Market is grateful for the collaboration with Care1st Health Plan Arizona and our other sponsors.

8 Ways to Incorporate Healthy Eating Habits into your Daily Routine

8 Ways to Incorporate Healthy Eating Habits into your Daily Routine

8 Ways to Incorporate Healthy Eating Habits into your Daily Routine

 

For anything to be sustainable it has to be enjoyable! We know that proper nutrition is important every day, but it’s not always easy! Here are 8 helpful ways to adopt healthful habits that will last.

 

1. It all begins with the choices you make at the grocery store.

You can start by browsing your pantry. Assess what foods need to go and what can stay. Make room for new healthy additions and be open to swapping old items with healthier options. When you’re grocery shopping, stick to the perimeter of the grocery store as a rule of thumb. The center of the store holds much of the processed foods available.  Try to buy plenty of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Remember to store your healthiest foods at the front of the fridge where you can grab easily.

2. Never skip breakfast.

Breakfast is your system’s jumpstart to the day! Whether it’s a simple cup of yogurt with your favorite fruit or scrambled eggs and toast, make sure you break that fast! Also, try eating smaller meals more frequently for sustained energy throughout the day.  This avoids energy crashing from big heavy meals and provides a boost in metabolism.

3. Make every meal as colorful as possible.

It’s easy to fall into to the same old meal patterns and forget to incorporate a variety of different foods into our routine. This is easy to fix if you remember to make each meal as colorfully diverse as possible. A variety of colors also mean a variety of vitamins! Bright orange foods such as winter squash and carrots are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. Dark green vegetables have iron, vitamin K, and calcium. So mix it up and be sure to eat the rainbow!

4. Ditch the salt.

We all love salt, but you’d be surprised to learn how much sodium is already in many of the foods we eat. Try replacing salt with different herbs and spices. The more herbs you try the more you’ll like and the fuller your spice cabinet will get with new and interesting flavors. The next time you make a meal, start seasoning your meal with herbs or spices first, then taste. You may find that you didn’t need the extra salt after all.

5. Curb the sugar intake.

We all fall victim to sugar cravings now and then. However, we don’t often consider how much sugar we’re ingesting when that craving hits.  For example, on average, there are roughly 9 grams of sugar in one chocolate chip cookie. Who eats just one? Nobody. That’s a lot of processed sugar. Don’t worry it’s not the end of the world yet!  If you find yourself with a serious sugar craving, no problem, you have options. Try choosing natural sugar instead of having a piece of your favorite fruit. Before you know it, it will be like second nature.

6. Plan and prepare.

If you haven’t heard of “food prep,” it’s as good to be in the know. This is a tried and true method for ensuring that you make healthy choices no matter how busy your life gets.  Pick a day during the week, Sunday usually works well, and prepare some healthy food options for the week. For example, boil some eggs and store them in the fridge for an easy 7 grams of protein. Another idea would be to wash, chop and prepare veggies for easy snacking. You can also dice up bell peppers and freeze them for an easy way to add vitamin C and antioxidants to any meal.  You can also pre-cook a large amount of any rice or grain of your choice for easy rice bowl lunches or dinners. You can add steamed veggies or your favorite protein (chicken, salmon, beef) for an effective meal that’s quick to make.

7. Drink plenty of water.

Staying hydrated is easy to forget, especially when it starts cooling down outside.  Did you know your body is composed of roughly 60% water?  This means that getting plenty of water throughout the day is vital for processes such as digestion, absorption, circulation, transportation of nutrients and body temperature balance. It’s also easy to mistake dehydration for hunger.  Sometimes when you think you’re hungry, your body is actually trying to tell you it’s becoming dehydrated and needs water. Try starting your day with a glass of water right when you wake up. You will probably feel quite thirsty anyway. This will help wake up your organs and get them functioning properly after being asleep all night. Get a reusable water bottle you can continuously fill throughout the day. This will help you avoid waiting until you’re thirsty to drink water. If you feel thirsty, dehydration has already set in.  

8. Use gentle cooking methods.

The more you do to your food, the less it will do for you. This is referring to overcooking foods. This will drain the foods of their nutrients. Avoid deep-frying or over boiling and practice other methods of food preparation in order to preserve the nutrient value.  Instead, you can lightly sauté or steam vegetables and bake meat and fish. Use olive oil instead of butter when possible, to reduce your saturated fat intake.

Incorporating a few, or all of these tips will send you well on your way to improving your healthful habit repertoire. Don’t be too hard on yourself! It takes roughly 1 month to make a new action into a habit. You can do it! Good luck and good health!

Elaine Ryan, AARP’s Vice-President of State Advocacy and Strategy Integration

Elaine Ryan, AARP’s Vice-President of State Advocacy and Strategy Integration

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is fast becoming a key part of our annual awards luncheon. Last year’s Community Collaboration Award recipient was the AARP’s Lester Strong.  He is followed this year by Elaine Ryan, AARP’s Vice-President of State Advocacy and Strategy Integration (SASI) in its Government Affairs group.  Elaine’s record of accomplishment has been stellar.  She has been involved in the enactment and implementation of such important laws as the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Medicare Modernization Act, the Ticket to Work Act for persons with disabilities, the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth and the creation of the first federal office of Women’s Health Research.  In addition, Elaine was instrumental in pushing through the AARP’s Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act.  Under this law, before a hospital can release a patient, it must first  identify a family caregiver and educate them of the medical tasks necessary to properly care for the patient at home. At least thirty-three states already have approved a CARE Act, including California, Delaware, New York, and New Jersey.

ERyan and DGDuring the luncheon, Elaine Ryan spoke about her own experiences as an unofficial caregiver for her ailing parents. She described how she had to travel every other weekend from Washington to upstate NY to prepare meals and dispense medicine.  During her speech, she also reminded us of the indefatigable human spirit when she told us the time her father first became a homeowner – at age 83.  He lived in that house for 9 years until he died.  She also talked about before the advent of the mechanical lift and how her father once jerry-rigged a device to lift his wife from her wheelchair to the bed.

At AARP, Elaine focuses on a 50-state effort to pass legislation and regulations to help family caregivers (the majority of whom are unpaid) fill the big gaps found in the U.S. long-term health care system.  One study shows that 90 percent of long-term care in the United States is provided by family caregivers.

To  help bridge that gap, Ryan’s group works on a broad range of legislation that includes bills that will give nurses more authority to provide care, including writing prescriptions.  This bill will save time and money spent on unnecessary doctor visits.  Other bills would broaden access to respite care, sick leave, and job protection for workers who are forced to take time off from work to care for a loved one.

Once again we salute Elaine Ryan for her lifetime of service and achievement in health advocacy.  It is with great pleasure and honor that we recognize Elaine Ryan as our 2016 recipient of the Diana Gregory Outreach Services Community Collaboration Award.