Eating Healthy and Smart in Harlem

Harlem Dowling Help Seniors Survive Summer with Appetizing Summer Saving Tips & Practical Solutions

By Keith Forest

Pictures by Images of US Pix Dr. Debbie Williams, MD, PhD engages the crowd. Left to Right – senior attendee Bessie Miles (90); Dr. Debbie Williams, MD; senior attendee Eugenia Tulson (91) and HD Specialized Service Director Cherie Blae

Summer has finally arrived. For most people it’s a great time to get out and indulge in fast food and tasty treats. However, for many seniors who survive on fixed incomes, strict dietary disciplines and rely on local supermarkets for their bounty, the lure of summer not only can threaten their health, but can chip away at their finances.   

On Friday, May 28, Harlem Dowling West Side Center ’s Specialized Services division hosted a health and wellness day for central Harlem seniors.  The agency’s family nutrition expert Dr. Debra Williams, MD, PhD shared practical solutions and cost saving methods to avoid summers entrapments.  Since many seniors are also caretakers as well, Dr. Williams strongly urged them to make a list, stick to it and avoid picking up extra items. “Marketers strategically place items like sweetened cereal and candy on lower shelves and check out points,” Dr. Williams warned.

In addition to practical solutions, Dr. Williams gave demonstrations on preparing cost-saving salads, selecting lean, quality meat products and choosing the right water for making ice tea.  Over 100 seniors attended the ½ workshops where they were served fresh fruit and garden salads by Harlem Dowling staff members. All participants walked away with a complimentary bag of grocery stuffed with fresh vegetables and a variety of fruits.

Harlem Dowling is a leading multi-service child and family centered agency. The non-profit agency is dedicated to serving children and families in crisis and distress.  For nearly two centuries, Harlem Dowling has provided assistance to children, their families and the community by offering home foster care, adoption, therapeutic placement, supportive housing for youth aging out of foster care and other support services.  Related services include family preservation, HIV/AIDS services, family support services and after school programs for children and their families in Central Harlem, Washington Heights, Southeast Queens and Far Rockaway.

Article originally posted on the Harlem World Blog on June 3, 2010