Medical Workers Continue to Go Above and Beyond to Save Lives During the Pandemic
The Soulgood Cares Foundation celebrated Soulgood's Founder and Head Creative Chef with its tradition of giving back to the community. This year, the Foundation donated 500 vegan meals to healthcare workers at Cook Children's Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas.
We understand the stress healthcare workers are under and wanted to show our appreciation for their sacrifice, states Chef Cynthia Nevels, Founder of Soulgood.
According to the Miami Herald, healthcare workers are increasingly being targeted. Nurses assaulted by patients are up threefold in some areas. Healthcare workers — who have worked overtime under stressful conditions during the pandemic during the past 20 months —are dropping out of the workforce.
Over the last 20 months, the demand for quality healthcare continues to rise but the assistance and support medical workers need have slowed down. Demand for mental health support for workers remains high.
In honor of my annual birthday celebration, I decided to help the same medical center that helped our son, Tyler was born with Cystic Fibrosis, by providing 500 plant-based lunches to healthcare workers to bring a smile to their face and introduce tasty plant-based food options.
According to an article written by Heather Alexander and published by MD Anderson, there are several benefits to a plant-based diet.
It supports your immune system. Plants have essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. The vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants in plants help keep your cells healthy and your body in balance so that your immune system can function at its best. “Plants give your body what it needs to help fight off infection,” says Andrea Murray, MD Anderson health education specialist. “A plant-based diet strengthens your immune system to protect you against germs and microorganisms.” A healthy immune system is essential for reducing your risk for cancer because it can recognize and attack mutations in cells before they can progress to disease.
Plant foods reduce inflammation. Plants’ essential nutrients work to resolve inflammation in your body. The same tiny phytochemicals and antioxidants that boost your immune system also go around your body neutralizing toxins from pollution, processed food, bacteria, viruses and more. “Antioxidants in plants grab all these so-called free radicals that can throw your body off balance,” says Murray. “To reduce inflammation, it’s important to eat plant-based and to listen to your body’s signals for how foods work for you.” Prolonged inflammation can damage your body’s cells and tissue and has been linked to cancer and other inflammatory diseases like arthritis. A plant-based diet may protect you because it removes some of the triggers to these diseases.
A plant-based diet helps maintain a healthy weight. Staying at a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk for cancer. When it comes to cancer, the only thing more important than maintaining a healthy weight, is not smoking. This is because excess weight causes inflammation and hormonal imbalance. If you are overweight or obese, your risk is higher for 12 different types of cancer including colorectal, post-menopausal breast, uterine, esophageal, kidney and pancreatic cancers. If you eat mostly plants, you remove many of the foods that lead to weight gain. Add in exercise and you’re on a path towards weight loss.
Plants are high in fiber. Fiber is present in all unprocessed plant foods. It is what makes up the structure of the plant, and if you eat more of it you access a whole host of benefits. Eating a plant-based diet improves the health of your gut so you are better able to absorb the nutrients from food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation. Fiber can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar and it’s great for good bowel management. Fiber is very important for reducing your cancer risk. This is especially true for your risk for the third most common cancer: colorectal cancer.
A plant-based diet reduces your risk for other diseases too. The benefits of eating mostly plants are not limited to reducing your cancer risk. A plant-based diet also has been shown to reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some mental health illnesses.
Each year we raise money via our nonprofit foundation to support our mission and to advocate for the health of the people, to save animals and our planet. Your donation and purchases at Soulgood has a significant impact. Learn more at www.eatsoulgood.com/cares.