Teaching small steps to achieve healthier lives
When Terry Briscoe’s doctor recommended the Food Is Medicine program led by Purdue Extension Miami County, Briscoe was skeptical. He was picky about food, especially healthy food, but he decided to give the program a try.
“I’ve got six grandkids, and I want to be around for them,” Briscoe says.
Each session, led by Purdue Extension health and human sciences educators, introduced new recipes with foods such as squash and beets. Even though not every recipe appealed to Briscoe, he stayed in the program and asked his wife if she would make the recipes at home. To his surprise, he enjoyed many of the meals and new foods.
“Never in my life have I been a fan of tomatoes, but now I like them,” Briscoe says. “If I cut them up and put them in a salad, they don't bother me.”
Small changes in diet added up to big results. Briscoe lost almost 40 pounds, lowered his A1C* and rode a bicycle for the first time in years. Now, he says he has a lot more energy and feels “almost like a kid again.”
The program was made possible through funding from Health First Indiana and the work of Purdue Extension health and human sciences educators. Through Health First Indiana, every county received funding to improve health outcomes for its residents. Purdue Extension partnered with county health departments to deliver tailored education and interventions, with the goal to reach residents where they are and move the needle on key public health indicators, such as rates of chronic disease and injury-related deaths.
A Fulton County resident named Sparkle is grateful for the Extension programming in her county that was also funded through Health First Indiana. She says she learned new nutritious recipes in the Steps to a Healthy You classes and is stronger from the strengthening exercises and fall prevention techniques she learned in the program A Matter of Balance.
“I had spinal fusion in my back two years ago, and then with the heart attack, I wasn't moving very much and was trying to be very cautious,” Sparkle says. “A Matter of Balance was beneficial for me at that time. The program would be very helpful for anybody, even young people.”
She hopes her county offers more opportunities soon for even more people to learn about improving their health through food and preventing injuries from falls.
Footnote:
*A1C blood tests measure a person’s average blood sugar (glucose) over the past 2-3 months.
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