Women who participated in a 12-week program called “Food is Medicine: Healing Together” say the cooking classes and nutrition seminars helped turn their health around.
“In the class, I learned how to use the different spices to balance out my blood pressure and I noticed my blood pressure went down,” said Katrina Gatson.
Gatson, 32, and a mom of four boys, has struggled with hypertension for years.
“It came on real early, during my second pregnancy,” Gatson said.
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That’s what qualified her to enroll in the study through the UIC College of Nursing, led by Assistant Professor Saria Lofton.
“This is specifically for black women with hypertension and obesity,” Lofton said.
The Food is Medicine: Healing Together study is a community-based partnership between the College of Nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), UI Health Mile Square Health Centers, 40 Acres Fresh Market and Good Food is Good Medicine.
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The 20 women enrolled met weekly in the Bryn Mawr Community Church kitchen for cooking classes. They also received fresh produce and supplies to bring home to their families.
“I found out I love herbs. Now I learned how to use thyme, rosemary. It’s awesome,” Silvia Robinson said.
Robinson, 63, not only lost 14 pounds in 12 weeks, she also lowered her blood pressure and has more energy to keep up with her loved ones.
‘I was able to run and play with my grandson. He’s 7 years old and that was the best feeling ever,” Robinson said.
The inaugural program started in the South Shore neighborhood, but organizers are already looking to expand to other communities in Chicago.
“This is a program that we want to continue to build out and for that to happen the more that we can have funding to support that, beyond these 20 women to 40 women, multiply that by 100. We want to go all over the city,” Lofton said.
“We share our pictures and experiences with the class. It’s wonderful. l I made dishes I didn’t even think I could make. We made a honey-glazed salmon. Delicious. And it was healthy,” Gatson said.
Some of their own recipes went into their graduation gift, a recipe book, along with new cooking utensils and equipment.
Empowerment to create their own healthy meals may be the best gift of all.
“How they cook they also bring that back to their families, so it’s a multi-generational support system that we provide as well,” said Amena Karim, a health equity advocate and founder of Feeding Chicago Families and Feeding South Shore, who contributed to the study.
Additional Food is Medicine: Heal Together cooking classes are being planned for Fall 2023. For more information on the initiative, send inquiries to Professor Saria Lofton at slofto4@uic.edu.
