One Brooklyn
July 29, 2016
BROOKLYN, NY, July 29, 2016: Yesterday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams spoke with the media for the first time about his recent type 2 diabetes diagnosis as he hosted his third annual “Cut the Salt, Curb the Sugar” expo, and demonstrated low-sodium, low-sugar dishes from a free cookbook of recipes submitted by Brooklyn residents, which he distributed to the public. The event, developed in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, the Brooklyn District Public Health Office, and the Brooklyn Interfaith Advisory Group, also featured a cooking demonstration with Chef Jacques Gautier from Palo Santo in Park Slope, blood pressure screenings, dietary workshops, and complimentary “Health Bucks” usable at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket. Addressing the changes to his daily routine, which he expounded upon in a post on Medium, Borough President Adams urged Brooklynites, who have higher rates of diabetes and obesity than the city or state averages, to adopt strategies that lead to healthier diets.
“When you put the wrong food into your body, you will get the wrong results: diabetes, hypertension, and obesity,” said Borough President Adams. “But changes to your lifestyle allow you to control your health and extend your life. When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I chose to make the changes to improve my condition. Since then, by following a plant-based diet and eliminating processed foods, my health has improved dramatically, and will continue to improve.”
The “Cut the Salt, Curb the Sugar” expo was sponsored by Alphacare, Affinity Health Plan, CenterLight Healthcare, Court Order Deli, GrowNYC, Lassen & Hennigs, The Rogosin Institute, and WellCare, Additional support for the event was provided by the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Brooklyn Diabetes Task Force, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., NYC Health + Hospitals | Woodhull, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and Provident Clinical Society of Brooklyn.
“The Health Department has longstanding partnerships with the Brooklyn faith community through our Office of Faith-Based Initiatives,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “These trusted faith leaders are also influential health messengers. By working together on ‘Cut the Salt, Curb the Sugar,’ we can offer actionable advice to reshape diets high in sodium and sugar, and build stronger coalitions to address structural barriers to good health.”
The cookbook includes healthy tips from holistic health and nutrition coach Chinyere Williams of Crown Heights, as well as her recipe for chocolate chip and peanut butter tigernut cookies. Additional recipes include mid-summer salad by Caroline Hiteshaw of Brooklyn Heights, spicy red lentil stew by Nancy Cadet of Fort Greene, vegetable yellow rice by Cindy Samuda of East New York, stuffed sweet potatoes by Sophia Samuda of East New York, and Neapolitan breakfast smoothie by Aquila Crisha Lodai of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, in addition to Borough President Adams’ healthy morning cereal. In the weeks ahead, aspiring chefs will have an opportunity to submit recipes for a digital version of the cookbook on brooklyn-usa.org.
PHOTOS
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams demonstrated one of his low-sodium, low-sugar recipes during his third annual “Cut the Salt, Curb the Sugar” expo outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, with the assistance of Chef Jacques Gautier from Palo Santo in Park Slope.
Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office
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