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Eden Promotes Positive Eating in CV Class
This piece ran in The San Leandro Times on June 5, 2007
A brief yet informative cooking class, sponsored by the Cancer Center at Eden Medical Center, gathered close to 80 participants last Thursday at the Greek Orthodox Church on Center Street in Castro Valley.
A last year class, presented by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau of The Cancer Project was so popular with CV residents, that Colette Lee, a community health education director with Eden, made sure the registration process started early, and no walk-ins were allowed.
This interactive cooking class was designed for people with a busy lifestyle, which leaves little or no time to slave in the kitchen.
Those who are used to trading healthful meals for the convenience of fast food or takeout, have learned how to prepare nutritious and quick plant-based dishes, which may also lower a risk of diseases.
“I am a 20-year survivor of breast cancer,” said Alice Garcia-Barragan, who attended the class. “Good eating habits are important. I mostly eat vegetables. I’m of Greek and Spanish descend, and I am used to eating fresh vegetables. We were given a good beginning in childhood with our traditional foods.”
Debbie Drake, Phil Alston, Ilona Walsh and Andie Pratt—all CV residents and coworkers of Walsh Property Management—came to class for the same reason of learning more about vegetarian meals and their health benefits.
Every dish, presented by Patrick-Goudreau during class, and also many more recipes, published in The Survivors’s Handbook, published by The Cancer Project, was loaded with antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber.
“I’ve been doing it [cooking presentations] for many years,” said Patrick-Goudreau. “The Cancer Project is committed to cancer prevention and survival. People want to know how to eat healthfully, and I teach them how to do it.”
Patrick-Goudreau encouraged her students not to concentrate on small changes, like cutting back on red meat or cheese, but to take courage to take bigger steps toward healthier eating by avoiding dangerous foods altogether.
While she was preparing three dishes from The Survivor’s Handbook—a lentil and artichoke stew, pasta with vegetables and a mixed salad—she continuously presented to the audience unusual grains, spices, and herbs which could help make the transition easier.
“Fiber is only found in plant foods,” she said. “There is no fiber in meat, eggs or dairy. While many people are being diagnosed with cancer, heart disease and stroke, you would never hear about anyone suffering from a protein deficiency. Besides, protein found in vegetables is superior to the one found in meat.”
“The best way to reduce sodium in your diet is to reduce or eliminate meat and dairy, which naturally contains plenty of sodium,” was one advice.
She also recommended using toasted pine nuts for texture, soy “cheese” for pasta, and to “shop by color,” while choosing your vegetables for a diverse vitamin-reach diet.
To find out more about Eden Medical Center’s various classed, call Community Health Education Department at 889-5078.
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