Submitted by: Unity Care NW
EDITED TO NOTE: This March 23rd event has been postponed
and will be rescheduled soon.
As part of National Nutrition Month in March, Unity Care NW is partnering with Eleanor Apartments to host a workshop promoting the health benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet. The event, to be held March 23, will include a screening of a film based on Dr. Michael Greger’s book, How Not to Die, that examines leading causes of death in America, including chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, and explains how nutrition and lifestyle changes can improve health outcomes.
Unity Care NW’s Dietitian will also provide a food demonstration and “green light” snack at the conclusion, to showcase the delicious benefits of Whole Food Plant-Based diet. We hope this will be just the first in a potential series of hands-on nutrition-related events that are open to the public.
This event is just part of Unity Care NW’s focus on nutrition and healthy eating. This month, Unity Care NW is also expanding its Whatcom Veggie Rx Program. For the past year, Unity Care NW, Bellingham Food Bank, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, PeaceHealth, and Community Health Plan of Washington have partnered with Community Food Co-op to pilot the Whatcom Veggie Rx program. Through this pilot, participating health care providers have sought to improve the health outcomes of a group of patients who are low-income and diabetic with high Hemoglobin A1c levels, a blood sugar measure, who have been identified as nutritionally at-risk. Over the past year, participating patients have received Whatcom Veggie Rx “prescriptions,” monthly $40 vouchers redeemable for fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables at Community Food Co-op locations.
They have also had the opportunity to work with a dietitian and participate in nutrition, healthy eating, and cooking classes focused on budgeting and meal preparation.
Unity Care NW is pleased to announce that, as of March 1, 2020, the Whatcom Veggie Rx Program will move from its pilot phase to an expanded program offered by Unity Care NW. The program will grow from the 60 participants who took part in the pilot to a total of 100 patients able to participate.
Unity Care NW would like to thank and recognize CVS Health for their $15,000 Community Grant, part of CVS Health’s commitment to building healthier communities, and the Whatcom Community Foundation for making this development possible. Thanks as well to the many donors from Unity Care NW’s Eat Local Gala last September who contributed to this effort. We could not have made this expanded program a reality without their support.
Celebrate National Nutrition Month
Monday, March 23, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Eleanor Apartments
1510 North Forest St., Bellingham
Registration required: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4534371
