Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 11, 2009, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page 3 food desert continued from b 2 instead she looks for ways to modify healthy eating and exercise for people with limited Means. That Means buying canned or Frozen vegetables to last through the month eating Rye instead of whole wheat and relying on diabetes medication to control insulin Levels. Smith said if they cant afford medication Shell suggest a 10 minute walk around the House or the Block before each meal to help lower control blood sugar. The big Muscles in the legs can draw blood sugar without insulin so it Lowers the blood sugar without taking any extra medication she said. Most people can manage that. Nina Kud Riakowsky a nutritionist with mount Caramel clinic tells clients How to rinse the extra fat off ground beef or boil the skin off Chicken legs if they cant afford to buy leaner cuts of meat. Pictures of simple affordable meals Are plastered on Kudrikow Skyes office Wall along with diagrams that illustrate How Many Teaspoons of sugar Lurk in a can of soda or piece of pie. Kud Riakowsky admits the Job is frustrating particularly since she said Sheds seen food insecurity get worse and More people step in her office suffering from diabetes. One of the biggest challenges she said is getting area residents Many of whom struggle with mental illness or who Are worried about the safety of their neighbourhood to make their health a priority. I do have a High no show rate Kud Riakowsky said. Learning How to Cook and recognize healthier foods May be part of the solution. Smith said Many area residents she meets grew up on White bread and White pasta and simply Arentt educated about alternatives. Its not just a matter of Money. If you did not grow up eating Squash you dont even recognize them in the store and you dont know How to Cook them she said. They re not going to be your favourites. Community nutritionist Mary Jane Eason runs learning kitchens for aboriginal and refugee women to teach them How to pick and Cook affordable healthy food. Eason said she teaches students How to Cook meals that can be made from local vegetables and whole foods vegetables and homemade pizza to borscht and Bannock. Students learn How to turn cooking water into Broth for homemade soup and Stew. Eason said locally grown vegetables can be cheaper than buying processed fast food. Small store owners dont Stock much produce because of Low turnover but the idea is they might if residents demand it. Food May be very expensive for people living on Low income Eason said. Some of our students have trouble getting enough. Adjusting to Canadian food is uncharted territory for some new immigrants who May not be Able to find items they used to Purchase in Africa or the Middle East. Tete Diakite who recently moved to Winnipeg from Ivory coast said Sheds Learned to blend a traditional african diet with common Canadian fare. Sometimes theress no food from my country so i have to eat Canadian food she said. Nee Chi foods on Dufferin Avenue encourages healthy eating through diabetes Bingo and works with other Community organizations to give out vouchers that can Only be spent on healthy food. Carl Levasseur company spokesman said the vouchers cant be used for things like chips pop or chocolate bars and staff try and dissuade customers from spending too much time in the junk food aisle. Sadly Levasseur said food woes often take a backseat to chronic crime alcoholism and drugs that grip the gang Banger area to the detriment of Community health. Theress More to life than a bag of chips and a can of Coke he said. But How do you initiate a change Winnipeg Gas deteriorating Core has Long been a Black Mark for the City but Gilliland said something As simple As a supermarket is often a neglected key to reinvigorating and building a healthy Community. Putting an entertainment Complex in the Centre of the inner City is an outdated Way to revitalize a downtown Gilliland said. Cities have moved beyond that and to get people living in the Core or inner City you need food systems and Basic essentials to support a sustainable Community. If you cant buy groceries which you need every Day then its not really that liable Gilliland said. Until that changes Daniels is gearing up to walk to the store in the bitter cold this Winter to prevent his health from deteriorating any further. I dress up warm he chuckled. Get your ski pants on. Jen. Skerritt free press. My. Ca Winnipeg repress. Com perspective Winnipeg free press sunday january 11, 2009 b3 what is a food desert an area of a City where residents have limited Access to healthy affordable food. Some people turn to Corner marts or convenience stores to buy their food where they will pay 1.6 times More than at a supermarket. Why should i care Winnipeg Gas Core is struggling with rising rates of Type 2 diabetes among adults and children. Whats the solution some Community groups have started learning kitchens to teach residents about cheap healthy food they can Cook at Home. Experts argue government officials need to step in and do More nutrition education and introduce policies to make healthy foods More accessible. People in the Core area pay More for Basic food eggs inner City Corner store $ 2.69 South Winnipeg Chain grocer $ 1.89 head lettuce inner City Corner store $ 1.69 South Winnipeg Chain grocer 97 cents 2l milk inner City Corner store $ 2.75 South Winnipeg Chain grocer $ 2.45 loaf of White bread inner City Corner store $ 1.99 South Winnipeg Chain grocer $ 1.18 r Peg if i want really Good fresh food i have to go to the More expensive stores Kelly Daniels Desiree Cook left and her Mother Pam Sanderson wait for the bus on Selkirk Avenue to go to the supermarket. Michael Zacharias above admits he eats a lot of fast food and does not seek out a healthier alternative. B r a 03_ Jan 11 09_ Smyk. Ind b3 1 / 10/ 09 6 40 34 pm ;