If you want to make a positive change to your lifestyle, consider enrolling in a program offered by New York Health + Hospitals. By signing up for this program, you’ll gain valuable knowledge and skills that will help you make healthy choices and improve your overall well-being.
Last week, NYC Health + Hospitals announced that they will be distributing complimentary boxes of fresh produce to patients who are enrolled in the Lifestyle Medicine Program. This program is specifically designed for New Yorkers who are suffering from health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
As per the press release, participants of the program will be entitled to receive six free monthly deliveries of fresh and seasonal produce right at their doorstep.
The program offers patients the opportunity to collaborate with dietitians to discover innovative and practical ways of including fruits and vegetables in their meals, regardless of their culinary background or proficiency. In a recent produce box, participants received a variety of nutritious items, such as broccoli, bok choy, tomatoes, potatoes, peaches, and fennel.
According to the press release, Farm to People sources most of their produce from local or regional farms, and packages and delivers the boxes themselves.
The Lifestyle Medicine Program spans over nine months and aims to assist patients in adopting evidence-based lifestyle changes. These changes include consuming a healthy plant-based diet, engaging in more physical activity, improving sleep habits, reducing stress, avoiding substance use, and building stronger social connections.
If you are an adult dealing with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or any health issues resulting from excessive weight, you are eligible to enroll.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed his personal understanding of the significance of a healthy and reasonably priced diet for maintaining long-term health. He stated that through the provision of complimentary, nutritious monthly produce boxes to patients enrolled in the city’s Lifestyle Medicine Program, they will be able to assist more New Yorkers in obtaining access to fresh fruits and vegetables. This initiative aims to combat chronic diseases and promote happier and healthier lifestyles for individuals.
The program has extended its reach to seven different locations and has the capacity to cater to around 4,000 patients every year. The team of healthcare professionals comprises of medical experts, nurse practitioners, a certified nurse midwife (available at Woodhull location), a nutritionist, a health coach, a program coordinator, a psychologist, community health workers, and a fitness trainer. For existing patients of NYC Health + Hospitals, they can effortlessly get a referral to the program from their healthcare provider. If you are not an existing patient, you can contact 347-507-3695 to check whether you meet the eligibility criteria to enroll in the program.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County and NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull now offer the Lifestyle Medicine Program.
Throughout the nine-month lifestyle medicine program, each patient will have access to a range of valuable resources, including:
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- Six to nine one-on-one counseling sessions: Patients will have two to three visits each with a physician, nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife, a dietitian and a health coach to develop and implement a personalized care plan.
- 14 weekly group classes: Topics will include reading nutrition labels, grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, and sleep and stress management techniques.
- Eight weekly exercise classes: Patients will work with an exercise trainer and take home a resistance band for strength training.
- Six free, monthly deliveries of seasonal fresh produce: Patients will work with dietitians to learn about incorporating fruits and vegetables into their diet across culinary traditions and skill levels. Delicious and healthy recipes developed by the team’s dietitians will accompany each produce box.
- Health Bucks. Patients will have access to Health Bucks, which are $2 coupons that can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at NYC farmers markets. Five of the seven program sites have farmers’ markets on their campus.
- Culinary skills videos. Patients can learn cooking skills through short videos developed by the Lifestyle Medicine team in partnership with an online culinary school, Rouxbe. The videos will feature healthy cooking across various culinary traditions, including Caribbean, South American, Central American, and South Asian, and will be translated into Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali and Haitian Creole.
- A plant-based cookbook: Each patient receives a cookbook on plant-based eating for overall health or specifically for type 2 diabetes.
- Support accessing benefits: Community health workers and food navigator referrals help patients access free or low-cost nutrition resources and, for those eligible, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The program’s group visit curriculum has been designed to cater to patients from various backgrounds and experiences. The curriculum in Spanish has cultural adaptations rather than just being a mere translation of the English version. Additionally, the medical providers, dietitian, and health coach conduct individual visits that enable them to make behavior change recommendations customized to the patient’s social, financial, cultural, and family context. This approach ensures that the program is relevant and beneficial for all patients. The press release highlights the importance of tailoring the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse patients.