Carmen, Georgia
You
OK, so yeah we’re recording now. I don’t know if you heard that.
Participant
Yes, that is fine
You
OK, perfect so yes as I’m not sure if you’re aware but yeah our snap education funds are about to be possibly completely eliminated with the budget cut so it’s gone through the house already and now it’s possible if it goes through the Senate so we’re trying to..
Participant
Oh yeah, they cutting everything.
You
I know. Medicaid. It’s terrible but we’re trying to collect you know statements and impact statements so you know we can try to share it with leadership, and you know representatives and with people that can reach senators and things like that so we can try to have an impact. So, these are just gonna be some questions you know you don’t have to answer every question if you don’t want to and yeah, there’s no right or wrong answer obviously we just want to you know get your feedback.
Participant
OK, well I’m a I’m a senior and I’m Carmen. I was fortunate that I saw your flyer at my doctors office on the table and then from then the rest his history. I was able to join the class with some wonderful instructors. And everybody was just amazing such a beautiful people.
You
Yeah, you guys had a great group, so the first question is what is your favorite part of the class?
Participant
I think the hands on that you get, but you will see the recipes in the you know the book & different magazines and online what not, but the actual hands on part of it and helped to give me, helped to change my mind set in reference to the plant based whole food diet.
You
Perfect thank you. What is the most impactful thing that you learned during class?
Participant
Different ingredients I could add in reference to the plant base, whole foods diet. Different ideas I got to add fiber and to make it dense, cause I was losing weight. I’m a slim person, and I started losing weight and that wasn’t good for me because I have as slim build and so you gave me some ideas of ingredients so I could bulk up. The example of when we were doing the black bean burgers and I mean that was yucky to me with someone would mention that. I’m like and you mean that there’s no way possible a black bean burger could be, could be delicious. And you know, we did that one day, we made the black bean burger and it just simple scrumptious delicious.
You
I love to hear it. I love the black bean burger. It’s a great recipe.
Participant
Well I didn’t think so before I got involved until I put it in my mouth
You
Yeah, that’s why I know I love to be able to introduce like these foods. You know that sometimes people would never try right and that’s why yeah.
Participant
Right right. Adding mushrooms, and different beans. I have a variety of beans and lentils that I had not [eaten]. As a black woman we do, black Eyed Peas and the llama beans and the pinto beans you know you helped introduce me ideas for other selections
You
Amazing thank you for sharing. Can you share a little about your experience/ confidence grocery shopping and choosing healthier foods?
Participant
Oh yes. Due to my results, to tell you the truth. That encourages me to not go to the meat. I don’t even go. My cheat days now I go to get something like maybe ribs of baked chicken or whatever on my cheat days, but I don’t even go to the meat department, period. You don’t find meat in my freezer and out with you exposing me with the results of the blood test that’s the main thing. From 273 for my total cholesterol down to 220. My A1c was about 6. 1 now is 5. 8 and work I cut back now on my pressure pills. So that’s what encourages me and so I try to shop at the farmers market near me to try to get a variety of veggies versus just what I have been doing, collards and cabbage mainly, and string beans and potatoes.
You
I love to hear it. I hope you feel so proud of yourself for making those big changes in your labs. Wow.
Participant
Oh yes!, Yes, yes.
You
It’s so nice to hear even like doing these conversations. It’s so nice cause you know you know I don’t get to see people a lot of times after classes over so this is like really great you know just how’s its changed.
Participant
Yes. And the Open Hand, you guys, my mother, myself and my mother we get the open hand box.
You
Oh like meals?
Participant
Right
You
Oh that’s great. that’s wonderful
Participant
Yeah, she’s 97 and I am 75.
You
- Wow, that’s amazing.
Participant
And that’s so convenient for us. I’m here. I’m her caregiver you know, and I need a caregiver. (laughs)
You
Yeah, those meals make it really you know really easy especially as you get older too. You just see your mobility and just like also just being able to stand and cook and things like that just become so hard so it just.
Participant
Right. The arthritis sets in and they are healthy meal, healthy options.
You
Yeah, cause it would be so easy to like go to the supermarket and just like pick up all the frozen meals that have a lot of sodium and things like that in it because you are tired and you might not want to cook a big meal so I know the meals are so great. OK, let me see the other. I think you already answered this, but are there any new foods you have been introduced to that you weren’t familiar with or didn’t know how to prepare before.
Participant
Well, I can think about the red cabbage. Because I was mainly buying the green cabbage. And the Beans opened up my mind to more selection, variety, of beans. And the lentils. I was over cooking them.M e not knowing the proper way to prepare them. They would be mushy and what have you so now I prepare them the correct way and I and I include them in my diet.
You
That’s awesome you know I love beans. I always talk about beans.
Participant
Yeah, I remember.
You
OK, and then has your life changed at all because of this class?
Participant
Yes, because I am more proactive about my health and I want to not just live a long time, but I want to vitality. And so, with having better markers, blood pressure, on with having better blood work outcomes, I am going in the right direction for the blood work outcomes so that’s what encourages me
You
Amazing. And then this is the last question, would you recommend this class to others?
Participant
Oh definitely
You
Do you think more people should be able to take this class?
Participant
Yes, yes, yes. Cuz it’s one thing to see somebody else actually. If you’re watching YouTube or looking at a Recipe on YouTube or in a magazine. Or even going to a class with somebody else, but when you get a chance to actually hands on put the meal together yourself, you see how simple it can be.