WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS
"In cooking, as in all arts, simplicity is the sign of perfection."
-- Curnosky
Another Wellness Wednesday, waiting for the local tomato
crop to start showing up at the Saturday Green Markets. Do you know your local farmer? I do.
His name is Kevin O’Dare. Kevin
is the owner of Osceola Organic Farm in Vero Beach, Florida and is a huge
supporter of the Growing Healthy Kids movement to reverse childhood
obesity. He has been supplying the
greens, squash, tomatoes, and other locally grown veggies we have been
featuring this school year in an educational family fun project at
Vero Beach Elementary School.
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| Local farmer Kevin O'Dare's Osceola Organic Farm |
Kevin also
has been a part of the fabulous “Hummus at Humiston” parties I orchestrate, with the
gracious help of volunteers, for children enrolled in the Youth Guidance
Mentoring and Activities Program who are on a waiting list for mentors. At these parties, we introduce kids to the
farmers who grow vegetables, oranges, and grapefruits for local and international markets. We introduce kids to vegetables they have
never "met" before.
I do a lot of research on foods in order to create
educational programs that engage people in having fun in the kitchen. I always enjoy reading the Dash insert in my
newspaper. Chef Jon Ashton is on a national
Dash Around the Table Tour and today he is in our piece of paradise. The fun starts at 7:00 PM at the Vero Beach High
School Performing Arts Center. When I
read his bio, I came across something that captured my attention. The chef who likes to be called “Our Jon”
wrote this about himself:
“After Granny passed away when I was thirteen, no one was
around to tell me to stop eating in between meals. My mother was always at work or out with her
friends at the pub and my dad lived in a flat across town. Between the ages of 13-16 I became 60 pounds
overweight. Being overweight in England
at this time was not common, let alone obese.
I was the prime target for the bullies; the teasing was relentless and I
could not wait to leave school.”
His words remind me of so many kids I work with
these days in south Florida and the southeast U.S. Kids need adults around them to teach them
how to make good choices about food and fitness. It really does take a village to raise a
child. We are the village. The more
parents know about accessing locally grown foods and tips for preparing simple,
delicious family meals, the healthier we will be, as families, as communities, and as a nation.
The fact is that more than 80% of all cases of type 2 diabetes are related to weight. The fact is that obesity-related diseases are now costing this nation more than smoking-related diseases.
Parents: to be good role models for your children, look at
your weight first. Here are 5 tips to
help you lose weight:
- Eat smaller meals, more often
- Spend at least 30 minutes on a meal
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, especially berries
- Sleep at least 7 hours a night
- Drink water.
Speaking of vegetables, here’s a picture of one of my favorites, purple
cauliflower, purchased last Saturday at the Fort Pierce Green Market. I used it to make mashed cotatoes and served
it with wild salmon and local swiss chard for a fabulous dinner this week.
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| Fresh picked purple cauliflower |
The recipe for mashed cotatoes is in my book,
NOURISH AND FLOURISH: Kid-Tested Tips
and Recipes to Prevent Diabetes (available at www.amazon.com).
To read more about Jon Ashton, go to:
http://jonashton.com/
While we wait for the local tomatoes to show up at the market, remember:
- Support your local farmers.
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
- Get inspired with Chef Jon Ashton tonight at Vero Beach High School! See you there!
In gratitude,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
