FOOD INSECURITY
USING DIET AND EDUCATION to
Change Lives
Tracy Monks, AHA & Dawn Wigginton, AHA
T
he American Heart Association (AHA) is the nation’s
oldest and largest voluntary health organization, and
we’re committed to our mission as a relentless force of
living longer, healthier lives. Heart disease remains the
nation’s number one killer. Stroke ranks number five
and is the leading cause of severe disability. However, 80 percent
of heart disease and strokes are preventable through small, positive
lifestyle choices such as eating healthier, regular physical activity
and stress management.
The AHA’s mission is to serve as a catalyst in the Louisville com-
munity, transforming the decisions residents make regarding healthy
lifestyle choices. We know social determinants of health (where a
person is born, lives, works and grows) often impact one’s ability to
live a healthy and active lifestyle. But, those social determinants don’t
have to define how healthy any one of us may be. To help prove this,
the AHA has introduced programs such as Simple Cooking with
Heart Mobile Kitchen, Check Change and Control, and Target BP.
Through these endeavors, we’ll assist Louisville residents in making
small lifestyle changes and prevent negative health issues stemming
from a lack of education and planning.
The programs listed below will continue to evolve, and we’re
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LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
always looking for input from volunteers and health care officials
who would like to partner with us and make a difference.
SIMPLE COOKING WITH HEART MOBILE KITCHEN
Riska Platt, RD, a nutri-
tion consultant and vol-
unteer for the AHA, said,
“They say `You are what
you eat,’ and research is
showing that to be true.
More and more diseases,
and the medications that
follow, are tied to foods
that we eat.” There is a
simple disconnect that
takes place between meal
selections and making
healthier decisions; both
are often a learned behav-
ior. Diet and meal preparation can be taught and adopted for long-
term, healthier outcomes. The AHA is teaching these skills to our
at-risk families throughout the Louisville community with Simple