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CalFresh Healthy Living

CalFresh Healthy Living (SNAP-Ed) is dedicated to helping make the healthy choice the easy choice for older adults and adults with disabilities in San Diego County. The program aims to empower Cal-Fresh eligible communities lead healthy and active lifestyles by providing nutrition education, and supporting policy, system, and environmental changes that can improve access to healthy food and physical activity opportunities. Below you will find our quarterly newsletters, information about programs, recipes, as well as other resources for healthy living!

Nutrition Education with Seniors (NEWS)

CalFresh Programs

To learn more about the programs, email the Health Promotion Team or call 858-495-5500.

Eat Smart, Live Strong

Filled with fun and lively activities, Eat Smart, Live Strong is a workshop series developed by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to improve fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity among older adults. Classes meet for an hour and a half once a week for four weeks.

• Reach Your Goals, Step by Step
• Challenges and Solutions
• Colorful and Classic Favorites
• Eat Smart, Spend Less

Around the Table: Nourishing Families

Around the Table: Nourishing Families is a six-week adult curriculum for adults who are raising or spending a lot of time with children. Participants can enjoy hands-on cooking, facilitated conversations, and interactive activities that support healthy connections to food, self, and community. In this virtual series, participants will: 

• Share memories and stories about food
• Explore their personal relationship to food
• Improve cooking and food resource management skills
• Gain simple strategies for planning healthy balanced meals for the entire family
• Learn about nutrition for good physical and mental health
• Explore healthy coping and self-nourishment skills

Food Smarts

Food Smarts is a flexible, learner-centered cooking and nutrition workshop series developed by Leah’s Pantry. Aging & Independence Services offers classes that meet one hour once a week for five weeks. Topics include:

• Setting the stage for healthy choices
• Simple ways to build a wholesome plate
• Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption
• Identifying sources of unwanted sugar and salt
• Saving money and time with shopping and budgeting strategies

Choosing Healthy Beverages

Almost half of all sugar consumed in the US comes from sugary drinks. Find out how to get refreshed the healthy way! During this one-hour class, participants learn:

• Setting the stage for healthy choices
• How healthy beverages fit into the MyPlate dietary recommendations
• The link between sugary drinks, obesity, and type 2 diabetes
• Types of sugary drinks that may be in their diet
• How to calculate the amount of sugar in beverages
• Healthy beverages they and their families can enjoy

Teams with Intergenerational Support (TWIGS)

Teams with Intergenerational Support (TWIGS) is a gardening and healthy eating program that connects youth and older adults with healthy food sources and nutrition through gardening. The curriculum emphasizes the connection between gardening and nutrition through 16 gardening lessons and 14 nutrition lessons. Lesson topics include:

• Designing a gardenomposting   
• Composting
• Starting with seeds
• Food preparation
• Eating your plants
• Staying fit with fiber

EatFresh.org Mini Course

The EatFresh.org Mini Course is a nutrition course that addresses 15 nutrition and healthy living topics using EatFresh.org as the main resource for easy, inexpensive recipes. In this virtual course, participants learn how to:

• Find low-sodium foods using nutrition labels
• Identify healthy whole grains
• Get SMART about your health goals
• Keep food fresh for longer

Tai Chi for Arthritis

Tai Chi for Arthritis is an evidence-based falls prevention program that utilizes the Sun style of Tai Chi. Movements are taught to both left and right sides and with turns to move forward and backward to improve mobility and offer a variety of combinations. This program has been shown to improve movement, balance, strength, and flexibility; offer relaxation; and decrease pain and falls. This program is appropriate for adults with or without arthritis, rheumatic diseases or related musculoskeletal conditions, joint involvement and back pain, and those at a higher risk of falling.

Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance

Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance (TCMBB) is a modified version of the Yang style of Tai Chi that commonly is done using either 108, or, in the “short form,” 24 different positions. TCMBB further simplifies the traditional style and has only 8 essential positions, moving in a slow, flowing, and controlled fashion. This program was developed by Dr. Fuzhong Li at Oregon Research Institute (ORI) and was designed especially for older adults to reduce their risk of falls. Evidence suggests, participating in TCMBB reduces falls and fear of falling; and increases functional balance and physical performance.

Community Change Projects    

As they learn about the different factors that impact health, participants begin to look more critically at their environment, and the way it may be impacting their health behavior. Working together, participants select community change project(s) and draft an action plan that strives to bring about policy, systems and environmental changes that aim to reduce community barriers to eating healthy and exercising. These special classes are only offered to cohorts that have participated in either Eat Smart Live Strong, Around the Table: Nourishing Families, Food Smarts, or Choose Healthy Beverages. Classes generally meet weekly for approximately 4-6 weeks, depending on the project(s) being pursued. Ongoing technical assistance available to support with project sustainability.

Take a look at recent community change efforts:  

Recipes

Want to save money and eat healthy at the same time? Click below to explore a variety of budget-friendly and nutritious video recipes. In both English and Spanish, the videos walk viewers through the steps needed to complete the recipe, while also offering cooking tips, and introducing the health benefits of some of the ingredients used.

Resources for Healthy Living

Funded by USDA SNAP-Ed, an equal opportunity provider and employer. Visit CalFreshHealthyLiving.org for healthy tips. To learn more about CalFresh or to apply, visit our CalFresh webpage.