Small changes in the kitchen can lead to big impact on your family’s health

The American Heart Association’s new campaign, Together at the Table/ Juntos En La Mesa, aims to inspire healthier lifestyles

2023-03-06

(Press-News.org) DALLAS, March 6, 2023 — What people eat and drink affects heart and brain health and is essential for managing health conditions like blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Hispanic adults are at higher risk for Type 2 diabetes and have some of the highest prevalence of poorly controlled blood pressure,[1] two major risk factors for heart disease.[2] As a champion for health equity, today the American Heart Association, the leading global voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke for all, launched ‘Together at the Table/ Juntos En La Mesa.’

The campaign is designed to inspire Hispanic/Latino communities to cook and eat a heart-healthy diet that celebrates their cultural flavors while improving their families’ health. Food contributes to a person’s physical and mental well-being while expressing cultural identity through preparation, sharing and consumption[3]. Together at the Table/ Juntos En La Mesa will provide tips for healthier cooking, tools and free recipes geared for family meals.

The Hispanic/Latino community is disproportionately affected by heart disease and related health issues due to longstanding systemic barriers, such as a historic lack of access to health care and nutritious foods.

"Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the Hispanic/Latino community, but it is preventable," said Sylvia Meléndez Klinger, a nutritionist and volunteer expert with the American Heart Association. "We want to empower families to make healthier choices and celebrate their cultural heritage through delicious and nutritious meals. The 'Together at the Table/ Juntos En La Mesa' campaign will provide the bilingual resources and support needed to make that possible."

Eating healthy is not always easy. Together at the Table/ Juntos En La Mesa can help the Hispanic/Latino community eat better without sacrificing flavor or culture.

"Food is an expression of culture and plays a crucial role in our physical and mental well-being," said Sylvia Meléndez Klinger, a nutritionist and volunteer expert with the American Heart Association. “The ‘Together at the Table/ Juntos En La Mesa’ campaign will help families to make small changes in the kitchen that will lead to big impacts on their health."

To learn more about the ‘Together at the Table/ Juntos En La Mesa’ campaign or to access educational resources and support, visit heart.org/nutricionytufamilia.

# # #

Additional Resources

Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link. Spanish news release Budget Friendly | American Heart Association Recipes Hispanic/Latino and Black communities have been disproportionately affected when it comes to food accessibility, availability and affordability.[4] To learn more about how you can advocate for healthy food access, visit You're the Cure Action Center or text JUNTOS to 46739. AHA 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal For Spanish-language news stories, visit heart.org/noticias AHA news release: Dietary patterns may explain differing CVD rates among Hispanic/Latino groups in U.S. (March 2022) About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

[1] High blood pressure in Hispanics in the United States: a review - PubMed (nih.gov)

[2] Diabetes Risk Factors | American Heart Association

[3] The impact that cultural food security has on identity and well-being in the second-generation U.S. American minority college students | SpringerLink

[4] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001072

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Roy and Diana Vagelos Institute for Biomedical Research Education launched at Columbia University with $175 million gift

2023-03-06

NEW YORK, March 6, 2023—With the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the critical importance of biomedical research and new questions being raised about society’s capacity to generate world-changing scientific breakthroughs,1, Roy and Diana Vagelos have made a $175 million gift to Columbia University to address this need. The Vagelos Institute for Biomedical Research Education created with this gift will be home to PhD students pursuing the most creative, potentially disruptive ideas in biomedical science, and will spur the training of more physician-scientists able ...

Being sleepless in Seattle – or anywhere – may spell trouble for your heart

2023-03-06

DALLAS, March 6, 2023 — Scientific researchers have noticed a marked increase in heart attacks and strokes in the days following the change to daylight saving time each spring. However, the American Heart Association, the leading global health organization dedications to fighting heart disease and stroke, says losing sleep anytime can be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. “Getting a good night’s sleep every night is vital to cardiovascular health. Adults should aim for an average of 7-9 hours, and babies and kids ...

This starchy bioplastic could make soggy paper straws a thing of the past

2023-03-06

In the fight against pollution, several regions in the U.S. have banned the use of plastic straws. Alternative materials exist, but most options are either too expensive to scale up, go limp in drinks or taste bad. But now, a team reporting in ACS Omega has developed a new type of bioplastic film from all-natural, degradable materials that can be rolled into a straw that doesn’t get soggy and is stronger than plastic. As efforts to reduce plastic waste take hold, many researchers and companies have turned to plastic alternatives to fabricate straws that comply with new laws and regulations. But so far, most options either end up breaking ...

Octapharma USA research at AAAAI: cutaquig® study at higher infusion rates presented

2023-03-06

PARAMUS, N.J. (March 6, 2023) – Octapharma USA presented research at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting evaluating the efficacy and safety of cutaquig® (Immune Globulin Subcutaneous [Human]-hipp, 16.5% solution) infusions at higher infusion parameters, potentially offering greater dosing flexibility for patients. Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) has been an accepted mode of infusion for over 30 years and, with its increased utilization, improvements in methodology now drive replacement therapy in patients with primary immune deficiency. To further explore dosing flexibility with potential reductions ...

Erratic sleep patterns linked to elevated blood pressure in teens with extra belly weight

2023-03-06

Research Highlights: A new study found that the link between excess weight and higher blood pressure in adolescents was stronger among those who also had irregular sleep patterns. Irregular sleep patterns contributed to elevated blood pressure in teens who had more visceral fat (excess weight in the belly/abdominal area). The researchers suggest that school schedules and extracurricular responsibilities often clash with teens’ natural tendency to go to bed later and sleep later, which may lead to irregular timing of sleep and a cascade of consequences for heart health later in life. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Monday, March 6, 2023 DALLAS, March ...

Temperature-stable TB vaccine safe, prompts immune response in NIH-supported study

2023-03-06

WHAT: A clinical trial testing a freeze-dried, temperature-stable experimental tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in healthy adults found that it was safe and stimulated both antibodies and responses from the cellular arm of the immune system. The Phase 1 trial was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. A non-temperature stable form of the candidate previously had been tested in several clinical trials. However, this was the first clinical trial of any subunit TB vaccine candidate in a temperature-stable (thermostable) form. Results are published in Nature Communications. The ...

The Access to Advanced Health Institute reports encouraging results of first-in-human trial of its temperature-stable tuberculosis vaccine candidate

2023-03-06

The Access to Advanced Health Institute (AAHI) published results of a Phase 1 clinical trial demonstrating the safety and immune responses in a new vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), the world’s second deadliest infectious disease (NCT03722472). AAHI’s TB vaccine combines several proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes TB, into a fusion protein (“ID93”) with a proprietary immune-stimulating adjuvant (“GLA-SE”) in a freeze-dried formulation that can be stored at elevated temperatures ...

The next pandemic: Researchers develop tool to identify existing drugs to use in a future outbreak

2023-03-06

A global team of researchers has created an algorithmic tool that can identify existing drugs in order to combat future pandemics. The work, reported in the Cell Press journal Heliyon, offers the possibility of responding more quickly to public-health crises. “There is no silver bullet to defeat the Covid pandemic as it takes us over a public-health roller-coaster of deaths and devastation,” explains Naomi Maria, an immunologist, a visiting scientist at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, and the paper’s lead author. “However, using this AI tool, coupled with in vitro data and other resources, we’ve ...

Cancer stage and receptor status indicate a breast cancer survivor’s risk of recurrence

2023-03-06

Study’s findings may lead to more personalized follow-up care for patients. New research indicates that for patients with breast cancer, the cancer’s stage and receptor status can help clinicians predict whether and when cancer might recur after initial treatment. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. For the study, Heather Neuman, MD, MS, of the University of Wisconsin, and her colleagues analyzed data on 8,007 patients with stage I–III breast cancer who participated in nine clinical trials from 1997–2013 ...

Bees follow linear landmarks to find their way home, just like the first pilots

2023-03-06

In the earliest days of human flight, before the invention of the first radio beacons and ground-based electronic systems, and modern GPS, pilots commonly navigated by following roads and railways – striking linear landscape elements at ground level that guide towards a destination of interest. Enter the honeybee. A century of research has shown that honeybees are navigators par excellence. They can navigate by their sense of smell, the sun, the sky’s pattern of polarized light, vertical landmarks that stand out from the panorama, and possibly the Earth’s magnetic field. They are also clever learners, able to recognize associations between disparate ...

Small changes in the kitchen can lead to big impact on your family’s health

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: