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It is never too late to start healthy eating habits, and that’s why Valley of the Sun United Way partnered with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to engage Guadalupe community members in a cooking class on June 21st.
The Guadalupe Task Force wanted to engage the community in learning about proper eating habits along with nutritional values of foods and how to determine what everyone should be putting in their bodies to fuel them all day.
Diabetes is at the forefront of the community’s concerns and by informing them on what the body needs on a day-to-day basis to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the community leaders hope to bring a new outlook and lifestyle to all ages.
The event had ASU alumni, Lynne Lane, who is trained under the T3 Program with Partnership with Native Americans, present and give insight into the simple and maintainable guide to healthy eating called My Plate, as well as the T3 program. My Plate is an eating guide implemented by former first lady Michelle Obama, to simplify the food pyramid guide to an elementary example of the portions that should be distributed on the plate for every meal.
My Plate has divided sections on a 9 inch plate that state the size and type of nutrition that should be in each section, including grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy. T3 teaches participants about local Native American ancestral foods and receive hands on training on how to prepare a variety of Native American dishes, use specific vegetables for cooking, knife skills, as well as cooking and tasting a variety of healthy dishes.
The class also received a nutrition sheet that explains how to properly read nutrition labels, such as the amount of sugar in the food or drink. One of the easiest ways to reduce sugar intake is to supplement a sugary drink with water. They also received a calorie guide in relation to the amount of exercise they take part in daily. Take a look at the shocking sugar amounts in common foods and drinks, as well as how to detect sugar on nutrition labels. This also came with a lesson on using foods grown in their local community garden for different and creative types of meals.
The partnership of the Guadalupe Task Force and United Way has evaluated the community needs and United Way was then able to provide guidance and tools to pull outside influencers together to bring advice and instruments to the Guadalupe community in order to bring more nutritious and cultural foods back to the people.
The Guadalupe cooking class will have more installments to come!
When: August 2nd at 6 PM
Where: Itom Hiapsi Tribal Complex Building.
The class is free of charge for any community member who would like to attend and revitalize their minds and stomachs with proper nutrition and replenish the cycle of healthy eating. For more information or questions contact Vanessa Bustos, the Prevention Coordinator at Pascua Yaqui Tribe, at vanessa.bustos@pascuayaqui-nsn.gov or 480-737-4670.
