H
illary is a mother of three children under the age of
15 who was diagnosed with type II diabetes. She is
the sole provider for her family but was recently laid
off, she struggles to support her children and manage her
diabetes. Hilary’s dietitian advised her to eat more fresh
vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.
Sometimes she may not have enough money to buy fresh
foods, even with nutrition assistance programs like SNAP.
Unfortunately, Hillary’s story is all too common in Central
Oregon where nearly 30,000 people are food insecure,
having to choose between their own health and feeding
their family. Diabetes costs Americans $327 billion per
by Jess Weiland of HDDFA
year.
High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFFA) spearheaded a program called Veggie Rx, which is a fresh food
prescription program. This program supports Oregonians like Hillary to improve access to fresh foods to improve
their health. Veggie Rx serves 70 food-insecure participants. In addition to using costly drugs to combat diabetes
and other diet-modifiable diseases, participating doctors prescribed fruits and vegetables to their patients, refer-
ring them to HDFFA. Veggie Rx participants received $185 worth of produce vouchers to purchase fresh food from
local farmers over 8-weeks at the Bend Farmers Market. HDFFA’s Community Health Worker provided participants
nutrition education resources about fruits and vegetables supporting a healthy diet plus recipes. Veggie Rx is one
program of the High Desert Food & Farm Alliance that addresses food insecurity by increasing access to fresh
foods and connecting health care providers, participants and farmers.
Food as Medicine
Visit hdffa.org for more information on Veggie Rx and other food access programs.
Fall Detox Soup Recipe
by Katelyn Dexter of Fettle Botanic
Rich in immune supporting herbs,
root vegetables and fall flavors this
soup is a crowd pleaser. This recipe
makes a batch big enough to nourish
you all week long.
Directions:
Sauté onion in olive oil on medium
heat. Add kale, spices, blend and cook
for a few more minutes. Add broth
and remaining ingredients, simmer
for 30 minutes or until vegetables are
cooked. Garnish with sprouted pump-
kin seeds and black seed.
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2 TBS Olive Oil
1 Sweet onion, chop
2 tsp Cinnamon powder
2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Curry Powder
1 Bunch Kale, chop
6 cups Vegetable Broth
1” piece Turmeric Root, peel and chop
1” piece Ginger Root, peel and chop
Chop: 3 Garlic cloves
28 oz Diced Tomatoes
3/4 C Dried Apricots
2# Sweet Potato
4 Carrots
1 Parsnip
HEALING POWERS OF ART
by Kelly Thiels of thewildsbend.com
A
rt saved me, my heart, my relationship with
my daughter, and my soul. I’ve always been a
creative person, but that part of me died when my
mother was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
I was also pregnant with my first daughter, I got
a close look at the circle of life. I was no longer
excited about my pregnancy, just another thing to
deal with, along with the plethora of doctor ap-
pointments, chemo, illnesses, ER visits and sadness.
When my baby came three weeks early, I wasn’t
prepared. I didn’t even have a car seat. The next
7 months was a terrible blur of breastfeeding,
insomnia, my mom’s doctor appointments, chemo
and hospital visits.
My mother confused my baby’s picture with a
picture of her dog. Then it all came to an end
when she passed away. My daughter was 7
months old. I was a shell of who I used to be
as the darkest days of my life were upon me. I
stopped creating, for 6 months, I made zero art.
One day, I went into my home studio, now covered
in dust. I sat down, in complete silence, grabbed
a ball of clay and let my hands start moving. I
made a sculpture of my mother, complete with
medication vials, bald heads and skinny legs. Tears
ran down my face the entire time. After that came
something new, birds. I told my story through birds,
I’d make them angry and confrontational or tender,
like a mother bird tending to her fledgling. I used
birds to share emotions I couldn’t verbalize. Slowly,
so slowly, I began to heal. I made hundreds upon
hundreds of birds to share my narrative with the
world. Some people truly connected, they would
cry when they saw my work and heard my story.
It was part of their healing, too. I was so thank-
ful my art was bringing connections to complete
strangers. It meant the world to me to help heal
their pain, too.
bendhealthguide.com | BEND HEALTH GUIDE
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