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A pyramid scheme to better your health: Sister's Take Charge! event will offer another taste of the good life(Orlando Sentinel, The (FL) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 26--It has been a decade since three registered dietitians decided a better table could be set for minorities in Central Florida. Today, their message that melds health and heritage has spread across the country like icing on a hot-from-the-oven, low-fat poundcake. On Saturday, Fabiola Gaines, Roniece Weaver and Ellareetha Carson are shepherding an event that offers women another taste of this good life that starts in the home kitchen. Sisters Take Charge! at the Orange County Convention Center is a daylong wellness expo with more than 14 workshops, including several cooking demonstrations. "Events like this are a lot of work," says Weaver, 45. "But it's all good for the community -- and that payoff is immeasurable." The core of their culinary gospel is the soul food pyramid, a concept the dietitians developed in 1996. They formed Hebni (pronounced "ebony") Nutrition Consultants, a nonprofit organization, and distributed 20,000 copies of the pyramid at seminars, fairs and festivals within the African-American community. Ten years later, Hebni is still a leader in the field of nutrition as it relates to cultural diversity and is now using the Internet, television and cookbooks to get the word out. The group's Web site, soul foodpyramid.org, is a resource recognized by the American Dietetic Association and other health-advocacy groups. Bright House cable carries their program, Health & Fitness Now, which is produced in Weaver's Windermere home. And all three have collaborated on a shelf-full of cookbooks. A revised edition of The New Soul Food Cookbook for People With Diabetes by Weaver and Gaines will be published this year. "The struggle is to convince African-Americans that they can eat healthfully and keep traditional foods at the table," says Weaver. "Melding those concepts is our goal. It's a common problem among all minorities. But you can keep true to your heritage and make healthier changes in the kitchen." For the founders of Hebni Nutrition Consultants, the proof is in the lower-fat bread pudding and the other recipes they have collected. "At Sisters Take Charge! and other events, we encourage participants to sample foods from recipes we advocate," says Gaines, 54. "That's the best way to convince them there is a better, healthier way to cook the foods you love." Carson, 71, describes the next step as the simple core of their message: "Eat less and push away [from the table]. "Many people say they know that they need to eat better, but they don't know how to begin," says Carson. "We make it real, using familiar ingredients prepared with less fat." Hebni is in the third version of its soul food pyramid. "It's the kind of thing that should always be fluid to reflect the latest health research," says Weaver. "And while we do have information available on our Web site, we're well aware the great digital divide keeps people from getting the message." Going out into the community to educate those who are not apart of the cyber generation is part of Hebni's mission. "You have to meet people where they are," says Weaver. If they can secure the funds, Hebni's next venture will take their cause into the heart of one of Orlando's largest minority neighborhoods. "We're hoping to create a resource center in the old Montsho Books and Etc. store [near downtown on Central Boulevard]," says Weaver. "We're envisioning a place where parents can access information on health and nutrition. And a place where parents and kids can learn to cook healthfully." "We're a nonprofit, so our funding comes from donations, so how quickly we make this next move remains to be seen," says Carson. The experts see this as just another challenge they eagerly accept. "When you look at the state of many minorities, and the rise in obesity and diabetes -- especially African-Americans and Hispanics -- we excel at dying," says Weaver. "That simply can't be ignored." For these women, that doesn't mean scrapping the foods of their heritage -- it means reinventing them. Soul food dos and don'ts Here are some practical tips based on Hebni Nutrition Consultants' soul food pyramid. - Eat only 1/2 cup of grits or a small piece of corn bread. - Eat 1 cup of cooked greens, green beans or cabbage. Season with smoked turkey. Eat raw vegetables. - Limit juice to 1 cup daily. Eat 11/2 cups fresh fruit. - Have 1 cup of skim milk, buttermilk or lactose-reduced milk, and 1.5 ounces of cheese. - Bake, broil or grill fish. Choose skinless poultry, lean ground beef and turkey. Eat 1/4 cup dry peas or beans daily. Only three eggs per week. - Don't eat chips, cheese puffs or pork skins -- they contain too much fat and salt. - Go easy on rich desserts. - Find a balance between food and physical activity. Bread Pudding Yield: 8 servings. 1/2 cup raisins 6 cups whole-wheat bread, cubed 16-ounce can peaches packed in their own juice, drained 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons each: vanilla and butter-flavored extracts 1 cup egg substitute 2 (13-ounce) cans evaporated fat-free skim milk plus water to make 4 cups 1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spray 3-quart baking dish with nonstick spray. Layer raisins, bread and peaches in dish. 2. Beat remaining ingredients together and pour mixture over bread and peaches. Place dish in a hot water bath and bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Recipe note: Adapted from soulfoodpyramid.org. Roniece's Jerk Pork Tenderloin Yield: 8 servings. 2 pounds lean boneless pork tenderloin 1/2 cup light soy sauce 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons wet jerk marinade (check the condiment aisle of your supermarket) 1. Mix soy sauce, thyme, oregano and marinade in sealable plastic bag; mix well. Put pork in bag and marinate in refrigerator for several hours. 2. Remove pork from bag; discard marinade. Grill until pork is well done, about 35-40 minutes. For best results, place meat away from the hot coals and allow heat to smoke pork tenderloin. You may also broil the pork. Slice into 1/2-inch slices when done. Recipe note: Adapted from soulfoodpyramid.org. Collards With Smoked Turkey Yield: 8 servings. 4 pounds collard greens 1/4 pound smoked turkey breast 3 cups reduced-sodium and fat-free chicken broth 2 medium onions, chopped 3 whole garlic cloves, crushed 1 teaspoon each: red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper 1. Wash and cut collard greens and place them in a large stockpot. Add the remaining ingredients and enough water to cover. 2. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, 31/2 hours. The flavors will blend even more if you let the greens sit for a bit after cooking. Recipe note: Adapted from soulfoodpyramid.org. Heather McPherson can be reached at [email protected] or 407-420-5498. |