NNB News

Reducing the use of salt is one of the ways to reduce health risks.

St. Petersburg-Obesity, heart disease and diabetes are few of the health challenges African-Americans are most likely to face. In fact, 77 percent of African-American women and 62 percent of African-American men are overweight according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Carey Barnes is a registered dietician at Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center in Midtown and works with men and women to help them make healthier choices to reduce their odds of developing a food-related health condition or manage existing ones.

The whole goal is to go towards healthy eating– more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, so with their plates, especially for people with diabetes, I always ask them to do half their plate with non-starchy veggies, and then put starches in the small part, and then the protein. That’s one of the guidelines that I use but definitely take in food preferences, work schedule, all that into effect to make something that works for them or what they can do,” Barnes said.

Barnes focuses on getting her clients to make lifestyle changes and not just eating differently because they’re ill.

“Doing different things or making modifications to recipes in not using the salt, reading labels is absolutely important, that they look at the salt content of a seasoning.,” Barnes said. “The first ingredient shouldn’t be MSG or salt. If they’re using a seasoning, it should be garlic, garlic powder, onion powder and salt should be somewhere down the line, so those are some of the techniques we use– more herbs and spices, less salt at the table. For those who are chronic they may use salt substitute which is more potassium, but just modifying the recipes.”

Teaching her clients the standard American serving size is half a cup to a cup is another challenge.

“We try to get our clients to stay within a serving size,” Barnes said. ”They have to re-learn serving size because they’re so used to eating so much or large volume, and that’s the hardest for a lot of them, cutting down on the portions.”

Knowing she must balance budget and nutrition, Barnes offers a few tips for clients who may not have access to fresh produce.

“If fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t readily available, then they may go to canned, so we work with what they have at home, and then encourage them to branch out and start trying frozen, and then if they can do fresh, then go ahead and do fresh…. You look at economics and what’s important to them and what they can afford, and you work with what they can afford. If they can afford canned vegetables, you show them how to pour the salt, the water off and heat them up in fresh water and stuff like that,” Barnes said.

A quick look online could help you save big bucks at the grocery store. Besides checking for your favorite store’s website for their online ad and shopping sales by departments, printing out coupons from websites like RetailMeNot.com or MomsLikeMe.com can help save on the grocery bill on everything from yogurt to frozen vegetables.

To learn about free nutrition classes at Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center, go to www.chcpinellas.org.