Wednesday, March 08, 2017
Christine Goldberg, of Garden City, knew she needed to make changes and live healthier. She and her husband often purchased unhealthy, ready-made meals for their family. By her own admission, she “was never a cook” and “not confident” when it came to preparing healthier, homemade meals.
“Right after retirement, I decided I needed to learn more about cooking,” Goldberg said. “After a quick computer search, I found Beaumont’s Cooking Matters workshop.”
Beaumont’s Cooking Matters workshops are free, six-week series of classes about the link between nutrition and health, grocery shopping on a budget, healthy meal planning and preparation.
Presented in partnership with Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan, a culinary professional and registered dietitian leads each session. Sessions include free groceries, a free recipe book and weekly meal preparation practice.
“The instructors were amazing. The course gave me confidence in the kitchen which has saved us money by eating out less and eating healthier,” Goldberg said.
Cooking Matters is one of a growing number of offerings by Beaumont’s Community Health Outreach team to address health needs identified through the Community Health Needs Assessment report. The assessment identified obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes as the most pressing health issues in our area.
Trenton Mayor Kyle Stack is among those leading a healthier lifestyle as a result of Beaumont’s programs. A tireless health advocate for residents of her city, Stack and her husband recently completed Beaumont’s Diabetes Personal Action Toward Health workshop.
“How can I lead a city to be healthier if I’m not willing to do the work myself?” she wondered.
“Diabetes PATH gave us so many tools to manage our health,” she added. “Besides being enjoyable, it gave us a sense of confidence to make lifestyle changes that will benefit us for years to come.”
In partnership with the National Kidney Foundation, Beaumont’s Diabetes PATH is a free, six-week workshop to help adults create personal action plans by learning to manage all aspects of diabetes through communication, relaxation, nutrition and healthy meal planning.
Like many other Beaumont Community Health programs, Diabetes PATH workshops are offered in communities across Southeast Michigan.