Obesity Prevention

Not being able to go outside and play in a safe environment and not having the right foods and drinks to consume will have a negative effect on your body. So who’s to blame? Is it our fault so many sugary and high fat foods are being advertised to us, with the intentions to keep us from eating in a healthy way? What about our local parks? Most of them haven’t been fixed in years and are unsafe to play on. If healthy eating and active living is our path to success, we’re far behind the line. This is serious and more people need to jump on the healthy train, push healthy eating and find strategies to fix our communities so we can run, jump, and enjoy the outdoors. Life is about eating and living healthy, feeling good about your self and your body. If it was up to me, the only thing that would be promoted on T.V. would be about how health plays an important role in our lives. No more unhealthy products deceiving the brains of the people who buy them. In reality every one wants to live long but refuses to acknowledge the fact that the food they eat is what hurts their body. To prevent illness and injury we need people to put everything on the table find solutions to help our community and our lives because helping others is truly a gift that needs to be given. Stop false advertisements, encourage people to use their resources and try to eat healthy even if they have a low income.

Please check out the following links for more valuable information and resources about obesity prevention.


Prevention Institute
Peoples Grocery
Hope Collaborative
Mandela Marketplace
Strategic Alliance

Produced By: Rynesha Snowden

dishes you wouldn't think to try..

A couple of weeks ago Rashawn and I attended this extraordinary event at the Numi Organic Tea building located at Embarcadaro in east Oakland. This event not only opened my eyes to different types of dishes and desserts but also took me and Rashawn on a wild but fun goose chase throughout Oakland. As we left Youth Radio with our cameras ready and our minds open to what we were going to experience we realized we had everything we needed except the most important thing... our directions. By the time we realized our mistake we were already on the bus and at our destination. That's what we thought. So after an exhausting hour walk up hills and down them again we finally reached Numi.The building was so tall you could see it from a mile away but in an industrial place like Embarcadaro, i guess that's why we missed it. Even though we were tired and ready to go home Rashawn and I decided to stay and see what was going on.Basically they were discussing ways to produce healthy foods and make Delicious dishes out of things most of us wouldn't eat. They had people coming up on the stage to get credited for they're work and dishes . It was just all together a great experience for both of us. We tasted a lot of dishes. My favorite was the green tea cake. It was so moist and the perfect bite size too. A memorable moment for me was when Rashawn tried the squid salad.The expression on his face was hilarious, not because it was nasty but because he didn't realize he was eating squid. All though it took us forever to get there and I felt like giving up I'm so glad we didn't it was really great. So if you're ever in the Embarcadaro area in Oakland make sure you stop by the Numi Tea Garden. They're always having events like the one we attended and make sure you sample something like that green tea cake!

We're not the only ones who make rice dishes. In the south they make Jambalaya, Spain makes Paella, and Ghana has a national dish called Jollof rice. These are all basically different varieties of jambalaya. In Puerto Rico, they have a dish called Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken), an amazing dish that includes spices that make Puerto Rican food different from any other food. For example, Sofrito, which can be considered the base and essence of all Puerto Rican food. Sofrito consists of recao (also known as culantro) and aji dulce, along with bell pepper, lard, and sometimes cilantro.
Even though all these places prepare their foods differently we all seem to share a similarity in preparing our rice dishes. So the next time you're eating jambalaya you should remember this and think about all the other types of jambalaya dishes that are out there and think about how you can make your dish different from the rest. Here is the recipe for Arroz con pollo. Try making it at home!

Titi Awilda's Arroz con Pollo

Ingredients:

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 cups of long-grain rice
1/4 cup of Sofrito or 3 tablespoons of Goya Sofrito and 3 tablespoons Goya Recaito
2 packets of Goya Sazón with culantro and achiote
Goya Adobo with pepper seasoning
1 can of Goya Alcaparrado
1 can of tomato sauce
1 ounce of olive oil
2 large bay leaves
water (as indicated below)
salt to taste

Directions:
Season the chicken parts with Goya Adobo seasoning. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stew pot, and sauté the chicken and Sofrito on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may cover the chicken, only at this point, to help the chicken cook.

Add the tomato sauce, salt, and the bay leaf. Now, sauté the mixture for another five minutes.

Add the rice, water, Goya Alcaparrado and Goya Sazón packets (water should be just above the rice, so that the rice is loose when you stir it).

Stir occasionally until the water starts evaporating. At this point cover it until the rice is fully cooked

produced by :Angel Butler

Got Milk?

Milk is one of the oldest drinks out there that is healthy for you. No matter what kind of brand drink you buy, milk cannot let you down. It is filled with calcium for strong bones which prevents arthritis and osteoporosis. Since you teeth are made up of calcium, it is also good for healthy teeth. Just drink a glass or 2 of milk a day and you will be good. It also contains vitamin C, protein and saturated fats and provides a good source energy.
Infants usually drink the milk from their mothers because it is full of antibodies that will help protect the child from most infections.
The reason why we mostly consume cow milk is because the United States has a huge beef industry and since we raise cows, why not drink the milk from them?
Published by Michael Jones and Susana Vuong

Making A Change to fruit

Think healthy! Think fruit! Everyone needs fruit in their diet, so when you might want a burger or some ice cream there's other ways to enjoy your food without unnecessary additives and fats and sugars.
Fruit has it all and you can prepare it so many different ways. For instance, if you were craving a soda, try a smoothie instead. And if you don't really like the store brand smoothies, make one your self. All you have to do is go to a local market and spend a few dollars on fruit. It can be hard eating healthy when you are used to eating sweets or fried foods, but trying to make a difference is not as hard as you think. You'll be surprised how fruit can and will be used. Does it hurt to go to a produce market rather than a burger king? No! not at all. So let go of the french fries and say hello to the apple fries.