Once a week, registered dietitian Murray Simon rides a cart into the waiting room at the Carlos and Margaret Mason Solid Organ Transplant Center to give cooking lessons.
Her students are patients who are waiting to be seen for a variety of reasons. Some people are already attending nutrition classes before their transplant. Some people are learning how to care for their new kidney after a transplant. Some are even undergoing dialysis. Although each has special dietary needs, they all have one thing in common. That means you need to be nourished by a diet of fresh foods.
“Many of us don’t cook anymore,” Simon said. “We rely so much on prepared foods from supermarkets, fast food, and of course restaurants, and we don’t know how to make healthy meals with fresh ingredients. That’s kind of the purpose of this piece. Thing.”
Simon recently received a $3,000 grant from the Walmart Community Foundation to teach patients how to prepare meals with fresh ingredients. She purchased banners to place around the center, food models and ingredients to make healthy cold dishes. Recent recipes included granola bars and salads with homemade dressings.
As a student, Simon learned to lead demonstrations in front of an audience. She applied those skills to her WIC clinic, where she worked after graduation. During times when the waiting room was busy, she set up impromptu educational classes to not only entertain clients but also provide useful information while they waited. Providing samples of less common fruits and vegetables has given her the opportunity to introduce people to foods they might not have tried otherwise.
After noticing overcrowded waiting rooms at transplant clinics, Simon decided to take the concept to Augusta University and take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate good foods to transplant and dialysis patients. Her discussions center on proper portion sizes, how nutrients like fiber and protein affect the body, and healthy vs. unhealthy fats and how they work.
The reception was great, Simon said. Many of the patients participate enthusiastically in class and ask many questions. They enjoy sampling the food she makes.
Someday, Simon hopes to build a large cart with equipment so he can do hands-on cooking demonstrations using hot food. For now, she’s focused on food safety and cold eating.
“I have to teach people how to use fresh food so they can take care of their bodies. , because if you can manage your weight, that’s it.” That way you can keep the transplant longer. And that’s kind of the goal of transplants in general, to be able to stay healthy for as long as possible without having to go on dialysis,” she said.
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