Alissa Vandenbark, Author at MANNA

AIDS Education Month

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Alissa Vandenbark

Did you know? The majority of AIDS cases in MANNA’s 9 county service area are in Philadelphia.

Did you know? As of 2012 there are more than 19,800 Philadelphians living with HIV/AIDS.

Did you know? HIV/AIDS ranks in the top 3 diseases of MANNA clients.

Nutrition plays a vital role for individuals who are infected by HIV. They may suffer from decreased nutritional status caused by poor nutrient intake, malabsorption, metabolic disturbances and side effects of medications. It is extremely important for people infected with HIV to maintain proper nutrition to keep their immune system strong, enabling them to better fight the disease. To prevent muscle wasting and weight loss, it is recommended that individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS increase their protein and calorie intake. A few examples of foods that are high calorie and high protein include peanut butter, eggs, dairy products, red meat and poultry. In addition, food safety is extremely important for individuals who have compromised immune systems. It’s imperative to avoid foods that are high-risk, including raw eggs, unpasteurized products, raw meat or fish and unwashed fruits or vegetables. A healthy diet combined with exercise may help with symptoms such as fatigue, metabolic abnormalities and maintaining a healthy weight.

This June, marks the 20^th anniversary of AIDS Education Month (AEM), hosted by Philadelphia Fight. MANNA registered dietitian Alura Costa will be speaking about HIV and nutrition at the 4th Annual Faith Leaders and Community Summit on June 7 from 8 AM to 2 PM at the Marriott Hotel located on 1202 Market Street. Workshops at this event include pastoral self-care, prayer as healing, women, faith and HIV, teen pregnancy and HIV and more. Learn more about the events offered through AEM during the month of June at http://www.aidseducationmonth.org/about/.

The Mediterranean Diet

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Alissa Vandenbark

Originally considered the diet of the poor man, the Mediterranean Diet is now considered among the healthiest in the world. Based on the natural diet of people living in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea such as France, Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Greece, this diet emphasizes plant-based foods, healthier fats and proteins, plant-based seasonings, and exercise.

To try this diet yourself, add fruits and vegetables at meal time or as snacks throughout the day. They are full of disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and the added fiber in whole grains has been linked to decreased levels of cholesterol while also promoting intestinal health. Switching to whole-grain bread and eating grains such as barley, quinoa, and farro is a great way to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into everyday life.

Use heart-healthy fats such as olive oil, and eat nuts and other unsaturated fat sources high in omega-3 fatty acids. Limit amounts of saturated fat such as butter. Choosing these heart-healthy options helps lower LDL (or the “bad” cholesterol) and will provide you with antioxidant benefits.

Keep consumption of red meat to a minimum—no more than just a few times a month—and eat fish and poultry multiple times a week. Substituting fish and poultry for red meat will help lower your cholesterol intake and promote heart health. Use salt minimally; use herbs and spices to flavor dishes instead.

So, what type of beverages should you consume along with all of these healthy foods? Red wine in moderation! A glass of red wine with your meal is actually allowed, but if you don’t already drink, don’t feel the need to start.

Enjoy this recipe that follows the rules of the Mediterranean diet—and check the Be Well Philly Blog for some tips on how to incorporate physical activity into your everyday life.

Mediterranean Style Grilled Salmon

Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 salmon fillets, each 5 ounces
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• 4 green olives, chopped
• 4 thin slices lemon

Directions
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. In a small bowl, combine the basil, parsley, minced garlic and lemon juice. Spray the fish with cooking spray. Sprinkle with black pepper. Top each fillet with equal amounts of the basil-garlic mixture. Place the fish herb-side down on the grill. Grill over high heat. When the edges turn white, after about 3 to 4 minutes, turn the fish over and place on aluminum foil. Move the fish to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat. Grill until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish reads 145°F (about 4 minutes longer). Remove the salmon and place on warmed plates. Garnish with green olives and lemon slices.

Shut Up & Dance – Interview with Ian Hussey, Producing Director

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Alissa Vandenbark

MANNA: Why Victoriana as a theme?

Ian: Coming up with a theme for the poster if one of my FAVORITE parts of the process. The process starts with a few brainstorming sessions with photographer Brett Thomas, designer Matt Bouloutain of Modern Good, MANNA’s event manager and myself. Brett and Matt are incredibly talented artists and we are so luck to have them. This year’s theme of a singular female in a Victorian style dress came from me but wasn’t even an idea that I had thought of before the meeting. I threw the idea out there and everyone loved it. I could not be more excited about the image we finished with. Kelsey looks so beautiful…an incredible shot by Brett and with Matt’s magic – we created a unique eye catching design.

MANNA: What other elements (themes) will be presented during the show?

Ian: I can’t really speak on the pieces yet since they are not complete. That is the exciting thing about Shut Up & Dance – there is always a certain amount of the unknown going into the show. As the director, I do not censor any artist or tell someone they have to choreograph a certain kind of piece. I let the dancers express themselves any way they feel and because of that, I often don’t know what the show is really going to look like as a whole until the week of the show.

MANNA: When people leave the show on March 22, what feeling do you want them to take away with them?

Ian: I want the audience to have fun more than anything. There are many emotions in watching Shut Up & Dance every year because of the time we take to reflect on the serious nature of MANNA’s mission. Shut Up & Dance is aimed to uplift and garner hope for a greater future for MANNA and their clients. We aim to inspire continuous support for MANNA and hopefully to return next year with more friends and family spreading the love of this one of a kind show.

MANNA: How many years have you been involved with Shut Up & Dance?

Ian: This is my 10th Shut Up & Dance that I have been a part of and my 3rd year as the Producing Director.

MANNA: With every year that passes, what keeps you coming back for more?

Ian: I keep returning to Shut Up & Dance for many reasons but mainly for the impact it has on MANNA. The service that MANNA provides for the community is so incredibly important and it is an honor for the dancers and myself to put this show on every year to help MANNA accomplish their mission.

MANNA: For those who never been to Shut Up & Dance before but have been to a ballet production — how is Shut Up & Dance different?

Ian: Shut Up & Dance is such an unique experience. Many of our shows with Pennsylvania Ballet are either a full length story ballet or consists of 3 pieces in a night. With Shut Up & Dance, you will see upwards of 12 different pieces of shorter length but brought to you by the enthusiastic minds of the dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet. You will see serious ambitious pieces mixed with more light hearted comedic fare. The energy of this night every year…is infectious!

MANNA: Last year, you did not dance in the performance…can we look forward to you dancing this year?

Ian: Yes, you can look forward to me returning to the stage dancing…

Check out Ian, the Dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet and the magic on March 22nd at the Forrest Theatre – get your tickets at www.mannapa.org/dance

Celebrating American Heart Month

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Alissa Vandenbark

This February we celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of American Heart Month!

Established in 1964 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson (a heart attack survivor himself), American Heart Month and the American Heart Association has worked to lower the amount of American deaths each year from heart disease through education, research and awareness. It’s a big job because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Although there are a lot of risk factors (family history, diet, exercise and smoking), most cases of heart disease are preventable (and even reversible!) through proper diet and exercise. And that’s where MANNA comes in!

MANNA ensures that every meal we deliver is heart healthy by sending fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and using herbs and spices in place of salt as often as possible. Even our soups are made with low sodium bases to keep our sodium levels within the healthy levels of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA).

You can follow a heart healthy diet on your own at home. Keep your blood pressure down and your heart healthy by monitoring the amount of salt that you take in daily. Many pre-packaged foods use sodium as a preservative and for flavor, including canned vegetables. While the dietitians at MANNA would never discourage someone from eating a serving of veggies, we recommend checking the food label before eating some of those canned varieties. The best way to do this is by using your nutrition food label and paying specific attention to the sodium content. The Institute of Medicine recommends 1500 mg of sodium per day as the Adequate Intake level for most Americans and advises everyone to limit sodium intake to less than 2300 mg per day, the Tolerable Upper Limit. You can also look at the %RDA for a serving size of the product and if the label reads that a serving is higher than 20%, this is considered to be high in sodium.

There are plenty of ways to reduce sodium content in your canned vegetables. Pour the contents of the can into a pot of room temperature water and let sit for at least 5 minutes. After the time has passed, drain the water from your veggies and you will have lowered the sodium content! You can also look for low-sodium labels on many products.

Enjoy February…have a wonderful Valentine’s Day…and check those nutrition labels so your heart can be ready – and healthy – for romance!

Soups On!

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Alissa Vandenbark

There is no healthier and more delicious way to stay warm than with a hot bowl of soup! Soups are a great way to be adventurous and incorporate new and different, nutrient-rich vegetables and grains all in one bowl.

The history of soup dates back to the beginning of cooking. When food was scarce, combining various ingredients that were seasonally available into a bowl and heating it was a cheap way to provide for a quick, nutrient-rich meal.

Today, soups come in many different varieties: canned, microwave-ready, portable and even dehydrated. However, these convenient soups can often be high in sodium which can cause a serious health risk to those with high blood pressure and heart disease. Your first choice when purchasing canned soups should be brands that are low sodium.

MANNA nutritionists suggest reducing the sodium content in canned soups by draining a portion of the broth and replacing it with water before heating the soup. You can also try adding extra vegetables or grains to canned soups to increase the fiber and nutrient content. The best way to control the amount of sodium in soup is to cook your own from scratch.

Try to use seasonal ingredients such as kale, leeks, winter squash, potatoes, and parsnips. Consider adding whole grains such as barley, bulgur and quinoa to provide flavor, fiber and nutrients. One cup of these grains can contain up to 6 grams of fiber, up to 10 grams of protein, and plenty of B vitamins and folic acid.

Here are a few more tips from the MANNA kitchen to yours:
• Use a blender to puree beans, potatoes, or other vegetables to act as a thickening agent rather than adding cream which is high in fat and cholesterol.
• Use low-sodium broths if you are using broths purchased in a store.
• Looking for flavor? Try adding herbs and spices instead of salt.
• After preparation, the soup can be refrigerated to allow fat to harden and skimmed off the top to lower the fat content as well as calories.

MANNA will be kicking off Souper Bowl 2014 this month. We will be selling our Chicken Noodle, Creamy Corn Chowder and Minestrone – all made from fresh ingredients and cooked in our MANNA kitchen. Soups go on sale January 1st and will be available for pickup at MANNA. For more info, or to order, please visit www.mannapa.org

Health During the Holidays

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Alissa Vandenbark

Holidays are a time of festivities, family and food. Let MANNA help you put health into your holiday season with this recipe that will transform an everyday dessert into a healthy ending for a holiday meal: MANNA’s Black Bean Brownies.

These brownies are a new addition to the MANNA menu. They tempt our clients but are a more protein-rich version of this everyday dessert.

15 ounces cooked black beans – drained and rinsed

3 large eggs

3 Tablespoons canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

½ cup chocolate chips

1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the black beans in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt and process until smooth. Add ¼ cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before slicing into 2-inch squares.

World AIDS Day- December 1, 2013

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Alissa Vandenbark

World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day that was started in 1988. It is a day for people worldwide to show their support for individuals living with HIV by uniting together to bring awareness to and to commemorate those who have died of this pandemic. Although scientific advances in HIV treatment have come a long way in the last 25 years, there is still so much more we do not know about the virus which has left us without a cure. World AIDS Day helps to raise money for research, increase HIV awareness by challenging myths, fighting against prejudice and stigmatism, and providing education for prevention.

It is estimated that nearly 34 million people in the world currently live with HIV and between the years of 1981 and 2007, more than 25 million people have died of this virus. Recent HIV treatment has improved the mortality and morbidity rates of people with HIV however, according to the World Health Organization; most people do not have access to medical care and treatment. That is mainly due to the fact that 97% of people living with HIV reside in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa. That being said, HIV/AIDS does not discriminate and can be found in all countries. In the United States alone, more than 1.1 million people are living with HIV and over 18% are unaware that they are infected. World AIDS Day serves as a reminder that HIV has not gone away and there is much to be done in the efforts to fight this disease.

MANNA has been on the front line in the efforts to help individuals in the Philadelphia and surrounding areas who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1990, MANNA has been preparing and delivering medically appropriate meals to people diagnosed with this life-threatening illnesses. Through the delivery of 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, MANNA provides hope and nourishment. Currently about 17% of all MANNA clients served have a HIV/AIDS diagnosis. By providing these vital services, MANNA has been able to help nourish those individuals back to health.

In a recent groundbreaking pilot study conducted by MANNA, Examining Health Care Costs Among MANNA Clients and a Comparison Group, results showed statistical evidence that critical and nutritionally at-risk people served by MANNA incur lower health care costs. In particular for individuals who had a HIV/AIDS diagnosis, those who were receiving the MANNA meal program reduced their monthly health care costs from over $50,000 before starting MANNA’s service to an average of $17,000 after being on MANNA meals. The mean monthly costs were also $20,000 lower in the MANNA group as compared to the comparison group with an average of monthly cost of $37,000. These results indicate a significant impact of improved health and nutritional status for people living with HIV/AIDS who have received MANNA services. MANNA clients described improvements in health and faster recovery times, which they attributed to their improved nutrition and weight gain. MANNA will continue to strive to provide nourishment to people living with HIV/AIDS in their efforts to fight against this pandemic. For more information visit, www.mannapa.org.

MANNA Pie – taking the Eagles to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Alissa Vandenbark

Some have a lucky penny, a rabbit’s foot – the Philadelphia Eagles have MANNA PIE! Gooey, sweet, delicious MANNA Pecan pie to be exact. WIP’s Angelo Cataldi credits last week’s Eagles victory to MANNA pies! Pie Man visited WIP with the delicious treat that took the Eagles to victory over the Packers. Every MANNA pie sold is a victory for the many critically-sick neighbor MANNA nourishes – each pie provides a neighbor with a bountiful Thanksgiving meal (enough to share!).

MANNA pies are selling fast! Buy yours now to ensure that you have Greater Philadelphia’s WINNINGEST dessert on your Thanksgiving Table!

Pie, MANNA Pie! Get your pie at www.mannapies.org

November Is American Diabetes Month

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Alissa Vandenbark

Did you know that 30% of MANNA clients have diabetes, a chronic disease that causes elevated blood glucose levels and can lead to life-threatening complications over time? The goal of American Diabetes month is to raise awareness and understanding of diabetes, its consequences, management and prevention. In the United States, it is estimated that 26 million children and adults are living with diabetes and 79 million more are at risk for developing diabetes. Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless steps are taken.

Symptoms of diabetes can include frequent urination, feeling very thirsty or hungry – even though you are eating, extreme fatigue, blurry vision, cuts or bruises that are slow to heal, and tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands and feet. Due to the fact that these symptoms mirror many other types of disease side effects, diabetes can easily go without being diagnosed making it a “hidden disease.” In order to identify and properly diagnose diabetes you must know and understand the risk factors, which include family history of diabetes, being overweight, age and race, having pre-diabetes, not exercising regularly, high blood pressure, low HDL and/or high levels of triglycerides, and a history of gestational diabetes.

If you are at risk, MANNA suggests focusing on the risk factors that you can change. For example, you can manage and sometimes prevent diabetes by eating a healthy diet and exercising. Maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active and by get regular physicals.

At MANNA one of the most common dietary modifications that we give our clients is our diabetic, heart healthy menu. Our diabetic meals are carbohydrate-controlled and we prepare diabetic desserts with sucralose-based artificial sweeteners like Splenda. We strive to keep all MANNA desserts fruit and vegetable-based.

For more information, visit http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/programs/american-diabetes-month/

Healthy Halloween

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Alissa Vandenbark

Halloween is the time of the year that you can have your candy and eat it too! But with obesity rates rising and other health issues related to excess sugar and process foods, these sweet treats can do nightmares to your body. According to Donna Arnett, Ph.D, chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s School of Public Health, the average child accumulates 3,500-7,000 calories worth of treats on Halloween night.

Here at MANNA, we want you to have your fun so here are five tips for a healthy Halloween:

Eat before you go Trick or Treating. Have a healthy meal before getting dressed up and hitting the streets – this will reduce the amount of candy you eat along your travels.
Get moving! Pick neighborhoods that are easily walkable – this way your kids are adding in exercise with their fun.
Keep your favorites and hide the rest. Moderation is key to all things in life. Either agree with the amount of candy they can have per day from their stash or keep their favorites and get rid of the rest by donating them to Operation Gratitude as part of a Halloween Candy Buy-Back program that sends care packages to US troops overseas.
Hand out non-sugar foods such as granola bars, crackers, pretzels or trail mix.
When you have the option… go for the dark chocolate option!

Halloween is the beginning of the holiday season – so make sure it is a healthy start!