Apropos of our various conversations related to how the broader communal environment can influence and disrupt our habits and behaviors in various ways, I came across this article about a nonprofit foundation attempting to reshape a community's "choice architecture" so that health-supporting options are more readily available and health-supporting behaviors are more attainable.
This seems like the sort of expansive, comprehensive initiative that will be necessary for making a real difference in the lifestyle patterns of modern day citizens. People need to know WHAT to do and HOW to do it, and they need ready access to the necessary resources to make positive changes.A leader in lifestyle medicine is at the forefront of an ambitious effort to make healthy choices the easy choices for families in eastern Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.
Meagan Grega, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, co-founder and chief medical officer of the nonprofit Kellyn Foundation, spearheads a unique and collaborative healthy neighborhood immersion initiative to improve the short- and long-term health of the almost 700,000 people living in this one-time steel manufacturing hub north of Philadelphia.
The program utilizes schools and other community locations to pursue four areas of focus: access to healthy food, intensive lifestyle medicine interventions, school programming and teaching families to prepare delicious and healthy meals. Kellyn Foundation impacts more than 10,000 students in 36 elementary schools within nine school districts annually. Since 2016, it has operated the Eat Real Food Mobile Market, selling 136,000 pounds of nutrient-dense food during the past year in areas that lack access to healthy food options. The intensive lifestyle intervention program has documented success reducing HgbA1c levels of participants with prediabetes into the normal range over a three-month period.
My family has been enjoying a new recipe lately, adapted from this recipe from Forks Over Knives. My own, MWL-adjusted version is below.
White Beans & Roasted Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
3 cups of cannellini beans
1 large red onion, slivered
6 cloves garlic, slivered
1 or 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 lbs. Campari tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (I use homemade)
1/4 cup champagne vinegar or 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange beans in a ~1-inch-thick layer in a baking dish. Top with onion, garlic, and seasoning. Top with tomatoes. Drizzle with veggie broth and vinegar. Bake about 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are very soft and start to brown.
2. Serve over whole grain pasta, brown rice, or other adherent starches, with an equal visual volume of non starchy vegetables. YUM!
Have an excellent week! Take care and be well!