RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Riviera Beach is a known food desert, and the lack of healthy options has left many residents living with chronic conditions, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
To help people get the healthy and nutritious food they need, the AHA Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast created its new Food Pharmacy Program.
Many families don’t have a grocery store within walking distance of their home, which is a problem if they don’t own or have access to a car, according to the local AHA chapter based in West Palm Beach.
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But to alleviate or reverse chronic conditions, healthy eating is a must.
Through a grant, the AHA Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast has been able to help 26 people in Riviera Beach, with chronic conditions, get healthy food delivered right to their front doors twice a month, said Brittani Jean-Philippe, its community impact director.
The goal is to expand the program to 75 people.
According to Jean-Phillippe, the food pharmacy food boxes include fresh produce, whole grains and lean proteins. Families are also provided with free telehealth visits with a registered dietician, she said.
The program follows the dash eating plan which has shown to help control chronic conditions such high blood pressure or hyperglycemia, Jean-Phillippe said.
“[People] just need to visit a participating clinic which is Foundcareor Integrated Healthcare System. Then they will complete the health screening with their primary care doctor, and if they identify that they have one of those risk factors, then the doctor will refer them to the care coordinator at the clinic to help them enroll in the program,” Jean-Phillippe said.
Latricia Johnson has been part of the food pharmacy program for roughly 6 months. Her daughter is diabetic, and she said this program has helped her family learn about reading labels and eliminating unhealthy habits, such as eating too much fried food and drinking more soda than water.
“I myself have been impacted,” Johnson said. “I have lost a lot of weight doing the program. I used to be 214 pounds, now I’m 153 pounds. That really helped me to say, hey you start eating better, exercising, maintain your wellness and really focusing… I can say that I sleep a lot a better. I can run, I can literally run and not have shortness of breath.”
Johnson she can make 3-4 healthy meals for her family of 5 with the food she receives through the food pharmacy, she said.
Riviera Beach residents are also being asked to fill it out to a survey sharing what kinds of additional health and wellness services the American Heart Association Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast can offer the community. Click here to submit your thoughts.