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Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. The National Heart Lung
and Blood Institute, the NHLBI, which provides leadership for a national program and disease
of the heart, blood vessels, lung and blood, blood resources and sleep disorders, funded
this project to help African-Americans prevent heart disease.
This web-based training session being conducted by the project team and Morehouse School of
Medicine will help Community Health Workers, CHWs, like you learn the risk factors for
heart disease so that you can help to educate other Community Health Workers and clients.
I also encourage you to participate with other Community Health Workers in the on-line discussion
forums that will be available in the virtual classroom as well.
There are a total of 10 web-based sessions that you will cover during this training.
If you are also participating in the learning circle discussions these sessions will be
taught in more detail in the classroom.
The sessions are Knowledge is Power: Know Your Risk for Heart Disease, Act in Time to
Heart Attack Signs, Get Energized! Say YES to Physical Activity, Help Your Heart: Control
Your High Blood Pressure, Be Heart Smart: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check, Embrace Your
Health! Aim for a Healthy Weight, Protect Your Heart: Take Good Care of Your Diabetes
for Life, Make Heart Healthy Eating an Every Day Family Reunion, Eat in a Heart Healthy
Way Even when Time or Money is Tight, Take Control of your Health: Enjoy Living Smoke Free.
There are accompanying handouts and picture cards for each session to be used when you
are teaching these sessions to other Community Health Workers or clients. Handouts are available
at the end of each chapter of your manual. Electronic copies are available by clicking
your mouse on each handout title.
Hello, and welcome to the ninth session of the Peer-to-Peer training of Community Health
Workers to Improve Heart Health Project. Eat in a Heart Healthy Way Even when Time or Money
is Tight. By the end of the session you will know some tips for quick and easy food preparations,
how to eat out in a heart healthy way and finally, how to save money on food bills.
When you are teaching this session you will be referring to 7 handouts located at the
end of session seven in your manual. Tips for Busy Families on page 299. Jill's Dilemma:
A Real-Life Story on page 300. Tips for Eating Out the Heart Healthy Way on page 301. Jill's
Monthly Food Budget on page 302 to 303. Money-Saving Tips on page 304. Shopping List on page 305.
And finally, Soul Food Makeover: Catfish Stew and Rice Recipe on page 306.
Electronic copies of handouts are available by clicking your mouse on each handout title
in the sidebar located on this page.
Many people find that they do not have a lot of time to shop, prepare food and clean up
after meals. This limits their ability to eat in a heart healthy way. They are skipping
breakfast and lunch, and eating one big meal in the evening, eating out several times a
week, buying pre-packaged instead of already prepared foods or buying food from vending
machines. Eating on the run often means that people are eating foods that are higher in
fat, sodium and calories.
Here are four quick and easy tips that you can use to save time and make meal preparation
easier. First, plan weekly meals based on your family's schedule. Second, you can save
money and time by making one trip to the store. Third, make a shopping list and stick to it.
And finally, teach your family how to shop for groceries.
Now here are some things that you can do to enjoy heart healthy meals when time is limited.
You can prepare foods in advance and use these foods for quick meals. You can also prepare
part of the meal the night before. Pack a lunch the night before and cook 2 or 3 dishes
on a day off from work and freeze for later.
Many people eat at fast food restaurants. They may choose to buy fast food because food
is served quickly, it tastes good, it maybe even inexpensive compared to a sit down restaurant,
many fast food chains serve special food and toys that appeal to children and there are
many playgrounds for children.
Even if you chose to eat fast food you still can make healthier choices from the fast food
menu. Try ordering small plain hamburgers instead of deluxe hamburgers. Choose grilled
chicken sandwiches instead of breaded and fried chicken sandwiches. Share a small order
of French fries instead of eating a large order alone. Order a green vegetable or salad
instead of two or more starches such as potatoes, rice, pasta and cornbread or rolls. Make water
the beverage of choice.
For many people money is tight and food purchases are no exception. The first step to healthy
eating with limited food dollars is to make a food budget. Use a shopping list based on
your meal plan when you go to the store. Check the food sale ads, use coupons but remember
you only save money if you buy items you normally buy or need. Also, you save money when you
make fresh foods at home instead of purchasing prepared items like TV dinner,
frozen entrees, cakes or salads.
It is also important for us to look at the impact of food advertising on your food choices.
Food advertising is big business it is designed to entice you to buy certain products without
any regard to your health. The money spent for advertising is eventually passed onto
the consumer. There are other options to purchase food than to buy nationally advertized items
that usually cost more than store brands and/or local brands. So, try to look past those fancy
eye catching packaging and being very loyal to brands even if they cost more.
Advertisers use a number of different advertizing themes to get people to buy their products.
Some popular food advertizing themes focus on family trying to get people to use their
products based on the love for family, the health theme focusing on positive health effects
of using a certain product, advertizing using the theme of sex appeal want people to think
that they too can be beautiful and sexy if they use the product.
Some products maybe advertized using humor, funny advertisements often help people remember
a product. Two other themes are selling products using appearance and famous persons. The appearance
of products may be manipulated to make food look better than the real thing. Famous people
and celebrities are used to sell products in ads or by using the product
in a television show or movie.
Now that you have completed this session do you have any questions? Is there any information
that is unclear to you or difficult to understand? What information covered in this session do
you think community members may have difficulty understanding? Are there any issues particular
to women that should be highlighted in this session? What information covered in this
session do you think may be a little challenging for you to present? Why? You will have an
opportunity to share your responses with other Community Health Workers in your learning
circle discussions and on the on-line discussion forums.